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    Home » Desserts » Vegan Meringues

    Vegan Meringues

    Published: May 20, 2022 · by Nico

    Jump to Recipe

    Vegan Meringues are easy, crunchy, and light. Learn how to make them with 2 ingredients: aquafaba and sugar.

    Delicious and no different from regular meringues, aquafaba meringues take 10 minutes to make and 90 minutes to bake to perfection.

    mini vegan meringue kisses
    vegan meringue kisses shaped with a pastry piping bag
    On this page:
    • Ingredients
    • Equipment
    • Instructions
    • Variations
    • Tips
    • Similar recipes
    • Questions
    • Storage
    • Recipe

    Check out our best plant-based desserts recipes collection!

    Are you vegan or allergic to eggs and craving meringue? No worries! Since Goose Wohlt's successful experiment in 2015, anyone in possession of aquafaba, sugar, and an electric hand mixer can easily make perfect meringue at home.

    Aquafaba, from the Latin aqua (water) and faba (beans), is the viscous liquid in which beans, chickpeas, and other legumes have been cooked and stored.

    Meringue is a popular dessert traditionally made from whipped egg whites and sugar. The most important aspect of meringue is the formation of stiff peaks by beating the egg whites so much that the protein breaks, binds with air, and transforms into a thick foam required to make meringues light and airy. Sugar is added so that the meringue keeps that airy structure once baked.

    The crazy thing is that aquafaba's foaming properties make it the perfect egg white replacement for meringues and for various desserts where the beaten eggs' airy texture is a crucial ingredient. Think of a moist, light chocolate brownie cake, ladyfingers for tiramisù, or almond cookies.

    We experimented with aquafaba and sugar ourselves. And the results were astonishing. Vegan meringues are as light, crisp, and delicious as traditional meringues. The aquafaba is phenomenal for this preparation, and you won't taste the chickpea flavor at all.

    vegan meringue
    vegan meringues shaped with a spoon

    Ingredients

    Aquafaba

    Aquafaba: it's the water from a can of chickpeas. You can use canned chickpeas, chickpeas in glass, or chickpeas in a tetra pack (carton box). Also, it doesn't matter if the chickpeas have added salt. We use aquafaba from salted chickpeas, and the resulting meringue is perfect.

    By the way, you will have chickpeas leftover, so check out our best chickpea recipes roundup to get ideas on using them.

    Sugar

    White granulated sugar or caster sugar is the best to make perfectly light and crisp aquafaba meringue.

    If you are a strict vegan, you might want to know that white sugar made from sugarcane is generally not vegan (unless it says so on the package) as it's processed with bone char, an animal by-product, to make it look white. White sugar made with sugar beet, on the other hand, is generally vegan. Here's a helpful article to learn more about sugar. We do not recommend using powdered sugar or brown sugar.

    Other ingredients

    Although most online recipes for vegan meringue list cream of tartar as a necessary ingredient to stabilize the foam, it is actually unnecessary for vegan meringue. We tested with and without cream of tartar, and there is no difference. Goose Wohlt, the inventor of vegan meringue, also says that cream of tartar is not necessary. The same goes for vinegar or lemon juice. There's no need to use them.

    vegan meringue
    aquafaba meringue shaped with a pastry piping bag

    Equipment

    • Electric hand mixer, the one with the whisk attachment. A stand mixer with a whisk attachment also works, but it might take slightly longer until stiff peaks form.
    • Fine mesh sieve to filter the chickpea liquid and ensure there is no residue.
    • Large bowl, squeaky clean, to whip up the aquafaba (or the bowl of a stand mixer).
    • Baking sheet with parchment paper to cook the meringue.

    Instructions

    Whip up the aquafaba

    To a clean, large bowl, strain in the liquid of a can of chickpeas (aquafaba). There should be no chickpea pieces in the liquid. The liquid should be at room temperature.

    aquafaba

    Whip up the liquid with your electric mixer at high speed for exactly 5 minutes. Use a timer. You should get a thick white foam.

    whipped up aquafaba

    Now whisk at full speed for an additional 5 minutes while adding the sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time.

    adding sugar to aquafaba

    Once you are done adding the sugar, whip for 2 more minutes, and you are done. 12 minutes in total. By the end, the sugar should be completely dissolved in the foam. You should have very stiff peaks.

    meringue mixture with stiff peaks

    Note that if you get soft peaks, you can still use it, but your meringue will be flatter, looking more like vegan meringue cookies.

    Now preheat the oven to 200°F or 90°C. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or with a silicone baking mat. If you use a silicone baking mat, grease it with a very thin layer of vegetable oil on it.

    Shape the meringue

    There are 2 ways to shape meringues. With a spoon or with a pastry piping bag.

    Spoon method: take a spoonful of the meringue mixture and arrange it on the baking sheet, pushing it down from the spoon with a second spoon. With this technique, you can make larger, more artistic meringues. Watch the video in the recipe box for the technique.

    shaping meringues with a spoon

    Piping technique: transfer meringue mixture into pastry piping bag and pipe on baking sheet. With this technique, you can easily make meringue kisses.

    vegan meringues shaped with a pastry piping bag

    In either case, you can make large or small meringues. Keep in mind that smaller meringues cook faster.

    Bake the meringue

    Bake one tray at a time, on the middle rack, at 200°F or 90°C. Baking time varies from 1.5 hours to 2.5 hours, depending on the size of the meringue. Smaller meringue kisses cook for about 1.5 hours. Keep the second tray in the refrigerator whilst the first one bakes.

    To check doneness, take one meringue and break it in half. It should be dry throughout. If not, cook for 30 more minutes.

    baked meringue kisses

    Variations

    1. Vegan meringues with chocolate and pistachio

    We love to dip our meringues in melted dark chocolate and cover them with crushed pistachios. The meringue will be less sweet and more flavorful. To do this, melt some dark chocolate with plant milk, bain-marie, at a low temperature. Chocolate should not be hot. Dip the meringue in it, then dip it in crushed pistachios, and enjoy!

    2. Vegan meringues with chocolate and hazelnuts

    Another of our favorite toppings is dark chocolate and hazelnuts. To do this, melt some dark chocolate with plant-milk bain-marie, then dip the meringue in it, then dip it in crushed hazelnuts, and enjoy!

    3. Add aromas to the foam

    If you feel brave, you could experiment by adding flavorings to the foam. Once you've got stiff peaks, add a teaspoon of vanilla extract, and whip at medium speed for another minute. You could also try a few drops of food coloring. Just be aware that your meringue mixture might collapse, so only use small quantities of add-ins.

    pistachio and hazelnut meringue

    Tips

    Use a timer: to make sure you whipped your aquafaba enough; it's easiest to set a timer on your phone, as indicated in our recipe. Whipping the right amount of time is crucial to success when making vegan meringues.

    Add the sugar slowly. Sugar should only be added 2 tbsps at a time while whipping and at intervals of about 1 minute. This way, we are sure our foam won't collapse.

    Cook at low temperature: Meringue must be cooked slowly at low temperature. 200°F or 90°C is ideal. Occasionally check your oven temperature to ensure it's not above 210°F or 100°C.

    If in doubt, whip more! The greatest point of failure when making vegan meringues is whipping, or actually not whipping the aquafaba enough. You should get to really stiff peaks. So if you are in doubt, whip a couple of minutes longer.

    Similar recipes

    If you liked these vegan meringues, you might also like these other recipes with aquafaba and chickpeas:

    • Delicious vegan tiramisu made with homemade ladyfingers
    • Vegan orange almond cookies, an Italian tradition
    • Amaretti cookies made vegan , soft, a bit chewy, with full almond flavor. They are incredible!
    • Vegan brownie cake, an indulgent full-on chocolate treat.
    • Egg-free zucchini frittata, our most loved vegan frittata recipe.
    • Vegan frittata muffins, kind of like a frittata, but in a portable muffin shape.

    Questions

    What is vegan meringue made of?

    Vegan meringue is made of sugar and aquafaba.

    What is aquafaba?

    Aquafaba is the cooking water of chickpeas and other legumes. It's the liquid you find inside a chickpea can.

    Who invented vegan meringue?

    The vegan meringue was invented in 2015 by Goose Wohlt.

    Do I need to add vinegar or lemon juice to the meringue?

    No, there is no need.

    Do I need to add Cream of Tartar?

    No, there is no need.

    Storage

    Just like traditional meringues, aquafaba meringues have hygroscopic properties, meaning that they attract water. This is a problem when storing meringues cause they'll quickly get soft.

    So for the best texture and flavor, eat your vegan meringues on the same day or the day after you made them. You can store them in an airtight container in a dry corner of your kitchen for a couple of days.

    If you live in a hot and humid environment, they might get soft and soggy after a day. Don't store it in the refrigerator unless you live in a very moist and humid environment.

    For many more sweet ideas, check out our desserts category page.

    Recipe

    vegan meringue

    Vegan Meringues

    Author: Nico
    Vegan Meringues are easy, crunchy, and light. Learn how to make them with 2 ingredients: aquafaba and sugar.
    Delicious and no different from regular meringues, aquafaba meringues takes 10 minutes to make and 90 minutes to bake to perfection.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share Recipe
    4.89 from 9 votes
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 1 hr 30 mins
    Total Time 1 hr 45 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 20 to 40 meringues
    Calories 29 kcal

    Equipment

    • electric hand mixer or stand mixer with whisk attachment

    Ingredients
     
     

    • ½ cup aquafaba the liquid in a can of chickpeas
    • ¾ cup sugar

    Instructions
     

    WHIP UP AQUAFABA

    • To a clean, large bowl, strain in the liquid of a can of chickpeas (aquafaba).
      There should be no chickpea pieces in the liquid. The liquid should be at room temperature.
      aquafaba
    • Whip the liquid with your electric mixer at high speed for exactly 5 minutes. Use a timer. You should get a thick white foam.
      whipped up aquafaba
    • Now whisk at full speed for an additional 5 minutes while adding the sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time.
      adding sugar to aquafaba
    • Once the sugar is all added in, whisk at full power for another 2 minutes.
      TIP: you want the sugar to almost completely dissolve in the foam. You should have very stiff peaks.
      meringue mixture with stiff peaks

    SHAPE MERINGUES

    • Preheat the oven to 200°F or 90°C. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
      There are 2 ways to shape meringues. With a spoon or with a pastry piping bag.
      pastry piping bag full of meringue mixture
    • Piping technique: transfer meringue mixture into pastry piping bag and pipe on baking sheet. With this technique you can easily make meringue kisses.
      vegan meringues shaped with a pastry piping bag
    • Spoon method: take a spoonful of meringue mixture and arrange it on the baking sheet, pushing it down from the spoon with a second spoon.
      With this technique you can make larger, more artistic meringues. Watch video in recipe box for technique.
      shaping meringues with a spoon
    • Cook in the oven, one tray at a time, at a constant temperature of 200°F or 90°C. Don't open the oven door in the first hour. Keep the second tray in the fridge.
      Depending on the size of the meringues, you might have to cook them from 1.5 hours to 2.5 hours.
      Smaller meringue kisses cook faster (1.5 hours), larger meringue cookies cook slower (2.5 hours).
      To check doneness, take one meringue and break it in half. If should be dry throughout. If not cook for 30 more minutes.
      vegan meringues just baked

    Video Recipe

    How to make VEGAN MERINGUES at home

    Notes

    VARIATIONS

    1. VEGAN MERINGUES WITH CHOCOLATE AND PISTACHIO

    We love to dip our meringues in melted dark chocolate and cover them with crushed pistachios. The meringue will be less sweet and more flavorful. To do this, melt some dark chocolate with plant milk, bain-marie, at a low temperature. Chocolate should not be hot. Dip the meringue, then dip it in crushed pistachios, and enjoy!

    2. VEGAN MERINGUES WITH CHOCOLATE AND HAZELNUTS

    Another of our favorite toppings is dark chocolate and hazelnuts. To do this, melt some dark chocolate with plant-milk bain-marie, then dip the meringue in it, then dip it in crushed hazelnuts, and enjoy!

    3. ADD AROMAS TO THE FOAM

    If you feel brave, you could experiment by adding flavorings to the foam. Once you've got stiff peaks, add a teaspoon of vanilla extract, and whip at medium speed for another minute. You could also try a few drops of food coloring. Just be aware that your meringue mixture might collapse, so only use small quantities of add-ins.

    Nutritional Values

    Nutrition Facts
    Vegan Meringues
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 29 Calories from Fat 9
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 1g2%
    Potassium 1mg0%
    Carbohydrates 7g2%
    Sugar 7g8%
    Calcium 1mg0%
    Iron 1mg6%
    Manganese 1mg50%
    Magnesium 1mg0%
    Zinc 1mg7%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Did you like this recipe?We are not much on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Leave us a comment below instead, it would mean the world to us 🙂

    If you liked this recipe, you might also like:

    • Vegan Summer Recipes (Dinners & Desserts)
    • Vegan Pie and Tart Recipes
    • 65 Amazing Vegan Italian Recipes

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jason

      December 30, 2021 at 11:45 pm

      If I want to double the recipe, do I also need to change the whipping time?

      Reply
      • Nico

        January 09, 2022 at 7:24 am

        Hi Jason, no, it's not required to change the whipping time, but you might need a very large bowl and a big hand mixer as the aquafaba really grows in volume a lot. If you work with home equipment I'd probably do it in 2 separate bowls.

        Reply
      • Amber

        May 26, 2022 at 6:24 pm

        Hello!
        How come my merenguies flattened in 20 mins in the oven? I started with 1 cup canelli bean water warmed a bit on stove; a cold silver baking bowl, and added sugar 1 tsp at time ( as I dont like too much sugar and 2 tbsp seed like much) I added the sugar in 2 ; 1 minute intervals at the 5/4 minute mark. They were what I felt was pretty decent peaks. Then I used a ziplock bag for piping. They kept flattening when put in oven and I tried to use the spoon to shape them again. Does piping bags specifically help them hold shape im wondering what went wrong or some possibilities. Thank you! Have a beautiful day! ps; I added cream of tartar too and that helped immensely in the beginning.

        Reply
    2. Fflur

      December 12, 2021 at 8:42 pm

      5 stars
      The most incredible (vegan) meringue I have ever had. They were so easy and my family and I loved them. Thank you so much for this recipe 🙂

      Reply
      • Nico

        December 15, 2021 at 7:40 am

        Hi Hi, so happy you and your family loved the meringues 🙂 Thanks for letting us know 🙂

        Reply
    3. Danielle Xavier

      December 02, 2021 at 9:46 pm

      What recipe can I make or do with the chickpeas once I use all the water? I am doing large platters of vegan meringue and do not want to waste the chickpeas once I use all the water, suggestions?

      Reply
      • Nico

        December 03, 2021 at 6:11 am

        Ciao Danielle! Thanks for commenting. I usually use the chickpeas in a salad (see recipe here: https://theplantbasedschool.com/chickpea-salad/) - during winter I add oven baked veggies such as carrots, beets and parsnip 🙂 Other times, I simply make a hummus; adding water, apple cider vinegar and a generous amount of food tahini, perfect with a salad and toasted bread! I hope that helps! Cheers, Nico

        Reply
      • Nancy

        December 15, 2021 at 11:52 am

        5 stars
        These turned out great! My mother always made meringues out of egg whites at Christmas. She would dye them green and put tiny chocolate chips in them. They were delicious! I did the same with this vegan version and they turned out perfect. Thank you!!

        Reply
        • Nico

          January 09, 2022 at 7:44 am

          Thanks so much Nancy, we are so happy you and your family liked the vegan meringue 🙂 I never thought of dyeing them, they must look so pretty 🙂

          Reply
    4. Alicja

      August 28, 2021 at 6:10 pm

      There is a cake in Poland called Kruszon also know as Plesniak or Skubaniec. It has an egg white meringue layer, I wanted to recreate the cake with a vegan meringue and I did it twice. First time around the temperature was too high I think and the meringue collapsed. Second time round it looked very very good, it baked at 100° for 1 hr 20 minutes. Once again it fell. Might the issue be that it doesn’t have enough time in the oven? Or perhaps it needs time to dry out?

      Reply
      • Nico

        August 30, 2021 at 11:15 am

        Hi Alicja, first I would make sure to use the right ingredients. Aquafaba and white granulated sugar. No other sugar. Then the whipping time. It needs to be whipped a lot as I mentioned in the post. Then the cooking temperature. I'd try 90C. Then the baking time. If it's a big meringue it can take up to 3 hours to properly dry and stay up 🙂 I would say, 1.5 hours is minimum, you can also turn off the oven, open it, and let the meringue dry inside the oven while the oven is off. This also helps to dry the meringue.

        Reply

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