Vegan meringue kisses
Vegan meringue kisses
I realise that you are all probably quite full after Christmas, but I made an obscene amount of these cute little meringue kisses over Christmas and as soon as they came out of the oven, I
could not wait to share the recipe with you.
I had absolutely no trouble getting rid of them, my friends were more than happy to sample some. They could not believe that these melt-in-the-mouth crunchy shapes were not regular, egg meringues. They were so much fun to make and photograph that I cannot wait for an excuse to have to make them again, to be honest. They are super simple to make and require only 3 natural ingredients!
I imagine that piping these beauties is a great thing to get your kids involved in. It’s loads of fun. We tried asking Tina if she wanted to have a go, but she preferred licking her intimate parts splayed on our kitchen floor instead. Cats, eh?
Most importantly, don’t be intimidated. These little guys are really easy to make. Three key things to remember are:
1) unlike with egg-whites, it is impossible to overwhip aquafaba
2) before you start adding sugar make sure the whipped aquafaba does not slide out of the bowl when turned upside down
3) add sugar very gradually!
Once ready put them into an airtight jar and do your best to resist eating all of them at once. They seem so innocent, but are capable of giving you a heady sugar rush if you’re persistent.
- 120 ml / ½ cup aquafaba / chickpea brine, chilled (see notes)
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar or ½ tsp white wine vinegar
- 150 g – 200 g / ¾ – 1 cup caster (superfine) sugar*
- 15 ml / 1 tbsp beetroot juice* (or powder)
- Line a baking tray with a fresh (it is important that the surface is grease-free) sheet of baking paper.
- In a large, clean bowl (make sure there is no greasy residue, it is best to use a glass bowl for this) beat chickpea water and cream of tartar (or vinegar) with an electric whisk or use a stand mixer until you get stiff peaks.
- To test if whipped chickpea water is ready, gently turn the bowl upside down. If the mixture does not start sliding down, you can start adding sugar. Otherwise, keep on whipping until the mixture stays in the bowl when inverted.
- Start adding sugar very slowly, tablespoon by tablespoon, whipping well after each addition. Continue until all the sugar has been added. By now, the mixture should become beautifully glossy, thick and sticky – no different to an egg-based meringue, really.
- Pre-heat the oven to 100º C / 210º F.
- Take a clean ziplock / sandwich bag and trickle ½ tsp of beetroot juice inside making sure it coats the insides of the bag and doesn’t gather at the bottom. Now spoon meringue mixture into the bag – you may want to lay the bag on its side for this so that the beetroot juice doesn’t all run to the corner of the bag.
- Cut the corner of your filled bag off – start with a small hole and make it larger if needed. Hold the bag perpendicular to the tray and squeeze small blobs of the mixture onto the tray and quickly pull away after each blob. Allow some space around each blob or else the drops may stick together.
- Bake for about 75 minutes, then turn the oven off but leave the tray with meringue drops inside with the oven’s door slightly open for another 45-60 minutes for the meringues to dry out fully. Keep the meringues in an airtight container. Please note that the exact baking time depends on the size of your meringues so if you are going for a larger size, be sure to adjust baking time.
*Sugar – for most stable meringues, use 1 cup / 200 g of sugar for this amount of aquafaba, you can, however, get away with using a little less (150 g / ¾ cup). Sugar is important not just for taste, but it’s what gives meringues its structure.
*Beetroot juice – to extract juice out of a beetroot, grate it and squeeze with your hands or through a small sieve or a muslin cloth.
If you’ve enjoyed making your own vegan meringues and want to take your experiments further, you may be interested in joining a fabulous Facebook group called Vegan Meringue – Hits and Misses. It’s a group full of passionate vegan cooks who know everything there is to know about the wonders of aquafaba.
Tasted delish, but honestly they took over two hours to cook.
You don't mention any sugar? Assuming that you added caster sugar in the specified amount and in a very gradual way (not enough sugar or added too quickly often causes the meringue mixture to fail), my guess is that it's the strawberry syrup, which ads a fair amount of water. Hope this helps! Ania
I am new to AF & so glad I gave it a go, I have literally just finished piping the kisses & popped them in the oven. I used maple sugar & so far so good the shape is holding & the non cooked meringues taste like caramel. Excited to see how they cook up in the end.
One question
Can you store the uncooked meringue at all as I didn’t use it all. I may just eat it all up as is :)
Thank you kindly for your recipe
I am keeping my fingers crossed for your meringues as I have not tried making them with maple syrup (they may come out a little flat). I don't think you can store the mixture as is, it will probably deflate and start separating, but I might be wrong...x Ania
They should be fine for 1-2 days or perhaps longer but the key is to make sure they are sealed away in a dry environment (and make sure they are super dry when coming out of the oven). Due to the fact that sugar is a hydrophilic ingredients, meringues (both vegan and non-vegan) tends to wick moisture from the air and that makes them go sticky and soggy. Hope this helps! x Ania
I’ve made these and they turned out perfect! Very pretty and tasty. I would like to try to make lemon flavour this time. Would it still work if I omitted the wine and replaced with real lemon juice and omitted the beet and replaced with lemon zest?
Thank you
Sally
Fyi - I used aquafaba from a can
Cannot wait to try more of your recipes,
Carla
I spooned the mixture directly onto the baking paper instead of piping it and they worked fine as rounded shapes instead of peaks. I added vanilla & they have a nice mild chick pea flavor.
I was surprised that they are completely hollow when cooked, so I'm thinking they could be filled with some gooey delight just prior to serving.
PS: the hollowness is to do with drying time, if you want them moister on the inside add a little bit of cornflour to the mixture and experiment with reducing the drying time.
I do have a question, after drying some were a bit sticky. Is that because they were not fully dry? To be honest, my oven is not to trustable, and i should get a thermometer..
Thank you again for your sharings! 💚
I'm delighted to hear that you tried this recipe with success and that you plan to make again - I understand very well, the idea of chickpea water whipping up like egg whites did seem to me bonkers to begin with and I was getting excited like a child each time it worked :) As for your question, it may well be that they have not been dried out enough, but also the humidity of your house/where you live will have an impact. Both, vegan and non-vegan meringues tend to wick moisture out of the air due to sugar being a hygroscopic (moisture absorbing) ingredient. What can help is adding a little bit of cornstarch (about 1 tsp) into the mixture at the end. Hope this helps! Ania
I'm not sure whether you will be able to convert this into a pavlova by simply doubling the ingredients (and yes, doubling them is probably the way to go) as I have not been successful yet in creating this marshmallowy inside myself, all my attempts so far have been hollow on the inside, but it's certainly worth a try. Ania
Thanks for your recipes. I have only recently started on a vegan journey and your recipes are a great inspiration
Jan
Yes, absolutely. Aquafaba needs to be freshly whipped and you need to make sure that it is absolutely at stiff peaks (do the bowl inversion test) before you start adding sugar. Hope that helps! Ania
One little question, do you think there's a way to achieve the chewyness like egg meringues have inside? I don't mind with either way, thought it was worth asking tho
So I tried this recipe and it looked good, until I put it in the oven....Because after a few minutes my meringues turned to water!:(
What could have been the problem? I used canned aquafaba, added vinegar, mixed it all well, and carefully added sugar. All just like you said. And they looked cute and fluffy:)) Until that disaster happened:/
I'm sorry this has happened, I know - first hand - how disappointing this is. I have had my fair share of kitchen disasters as you can imagine. This could have happened because of 3 things. 1) aquafaba wasn't quite at stiff peaks - did it pass 'turn the bowl over' test? 2) if the amount of sugar was reduced or different type of sugar was used (not all sugars render the same effect) 3) your oven temp. runs high. Let me know and I am sure we can get to the bottom of this together. Stay well! Ania
Yes, that would be it - sugar isn't only used to provide sweetness, it also gives structure to meringues. Hope that helps! Ania
I don't think so but you are welcome to try. I think it is possible with maple syrup, but the meringue won't be quite the same texture. Ania
Thank you for the recipe.
Mine turned out good but they are a bit sticky. What can I do to fix it? Thanks
What's your opinion? Thanks.
It's very clear that the author of this article clearly has a strong pro-egg bias, which makes the content of the article very predictable. She also clearly hasn't done enough research as she keeps on referring to aquafaba being the consumption of bean soaking water, which is simply incorrect. She also talks about not skimming beans when cooking and that's also not something anyone advocates - that foam should be skimmed and it is not what makes aquafaba whip! She keeps on referring to tradition (or lack thereof), but tradition isn't always good - drinking milk from another spices, for example, while somewhat traditional has been proven to be bad for us, humans. Plus, I know of several traditional uses of aquafaba - Isreali incorporate it to make hummus, for example! I suspect that this might be an article paid, directly or indirectly, by the egg industry. I personally would not trust it. That's my opinion! Ania
I wish I could post a photo!
I'm not sure as I do not use honey (it's not vegan) so you'll need to experiment yourself, I'm afraid. I know that maple syrup does work, but the meringues come out a darker and a bit less crunchy. Hope that helps! Ania
I'm so delighted to hear that these were a success! If you pipe them as soon as the old batch comes out of the oven (allow the baking sheet to cool down though), they should be okay. Just in case the mixture has deflated a little, give it another quick whisk - the good news is that aquafaba, as opposed to egg whites, cannot be overwhisked! Good luck! Ania
Thank you. I'm not sure to be honest as it really depends on the ambient humidity, you'd need to do some testing, I'm afraid. Ania
I just made these- used cider vinegar and icing sugar as always used icing sugar years ago when making the 'other kind 'of meringues .
I didn't put in the beetroot as wanted to keep it simple.
Absolutely fantastic, thanks.
I've been vegan 30 years and this was the first decent meringue I've had in that time. I don't have much of a sweet tooth but always liked meringues and these were absolutely as I remembered- we served them with coconut whipped cream- amazing.
Thank you.
Ive read through these comments and saw someone already asked about how long they would last in an air tight container, but what about freezing them? I was also anticipating making these about a week in advance. Would freezing in air tight containers be okay? And what about when its time to defrost?
I have not tried, but I don't think meringues can be frozen, vegan or otherwise. They are very sensitive to moisture so I don't imagine it will do them any good. Ania
All the sugar goes into the meringue mixture. As 125 g of sugar is required exactly, the best way I could covert it into US measurements was ½ cup (which is 100 g) + 2 tbsp (which is 25 g). Hope that makes sense! Ania
I have not tried myself so I cannot tell you with 100% certainty, but I know that they worked for some people on Aquafaba forum. There are, however, certain trade-offs like your meringues may end up flatter, hollow or chewy. Sugar isn't just used for sweetness, sugar molecules create structure. Hope that helps! Ania
It's difficult to say as it very much differs depending on the brand of chickpeas, but most are fine to use straight from the can and I recommend trying - just make sure that all your utensils and bowl are 100% grease free (for that reason it's best to use glass or metal bowls, not plastic) and add 1/2 tsp of vinegar (any light coloured) or lemon juice - it will help to stablise the foam. Good luck! Ania
First of all I love your website. Full of delicious and beautiful food :)
I tried to make the meringues but they didn't turn up as I hoped.
I used the water from a canned of chickpeas that had been in the fridge for a couple of days.
After at least 20 minutes of whipping it still didn't reach a stiff consistency (I did put the vinegar in) so I kept whipping. Then I started to use the sugar gradually and although it looked shinier the consistency never reached as on your video.
So they turned up looking like buttons instead of beautiful kisses.
I'm not sure what I did wrong.
Note: I didn't want to use the whole half cup of sugar as with 4 tablespoons I thought it was sweet enough.
Many thanks
Sonia
Thanks for kind words about my blog :) Really nice to hear.
As for your issues with getting AF to stiff peaks, the only reason I can think of is perhaps some grease residue on the bowl / beaters you used. Glass or metal bowl works best as it is easier to clean the grease off. Also, reducing sugar by half will have a bearing on the final result as sugar is what gives meringues structure. Hope that helps! Ania
That's really strange, you got a real room splitter ;) Normally they turn into puddle when AF hasn't reached stiff peaks before sugar was added OR there isn't enough sugar OR the oven temperature is too high. Could it be that your oven is a bit uneven and the ones that collapsed were in the hot spot? Ania
So glad to hear that you liked this recipe! I'll be honest, it's been years since I've had or made egg-based meringues, but aquafaba ones have never come out chewy for me so possibly it is the nature of aquafaba, although adding a bit of cornstarch MAY help with obtaining a wetter middle. As for dropping peaks, try adding a tiny bit of vinegar (I use white wine vinegar) to aquafaba before whipping and it will definitely help with that issue. Good luck! Ania
Thank you for the recipe.
I know you might not have tested it, as they probably get eaten pretty quickly usually, but I was hoping to make these in advance of our wedding next weekend, so wondered how long you think they'll last in an air tight container..? Up to a week, or not quite that long? Hoping to not have to do everything last minute..!
Thanks again - I'll let you know how they work out :) Hannah x
I'll be honest, my meringues never lasted that long (2 days max!) but depending on the level of humidity where you live they may get tacky and less crispy as the time goes on. I would not risk making them in a week in advance, especially for such a big occasion. All the best for your wedding day and hope you'll like them if you do decide to try the recipe out! :)
Ania
I made the meringues, using chickpea water! This was a real hit and best of all easy to do. Thankyou .
I am a baker who supplies cafes,I get frequent requests for vegan cakes and buns, it is so rare to use a recipe that is a specialty item, ie vegan or gluten free, and fairly cheep to produce 2 ingredients wow .
Thankyou again
Alison Keeble, Dundee craft baker& pastry chef
I'm very pleased that you found it useful :)
Few questions that I have:
1. How to store the beaten AF in between batches, or is it advisable to mix it fresh for each batch?
2. After the meringues were baked and rested for an hour, it started to become a little sticky when it was brought to room temperature, what may be the reason and how to rectify?
Thanks again for all the support.
I'm so pleased to hear that they turned out great! As for your questions: 1. I don't think beaten AF will last so I would advise preparing it fresh just before baking/drying out in the oven 2. They may have not been dried out for long enough in the oven (the exact drying time really depends on on their size) or perhaps humidity of where you are is high, in which case they'll absorb moisture from the atmosphere. The best thing you can do is to store them in an air-tight container to prevent/minimise stickiness. I hope that helps!
Ania
Yes, it is definitely possible to skip beetroot juice. Vanilla flavour is great, however, as I have not tried using it in AF meringues, I worry that it MIGHT affect their structure. I would suggest making first batch without it to get the hang of the process and add it to the second batch.
Hope that helps and I would love to hear and/or see (I'm on Instagram as @lazycatkitchen) how they turned out!
Ania
So I decided to make these today and I've been mixing for an hour now and even added the vinegar as suggested to speed up the process. Its nearly 12am so do you think it would be ok if I stopped mixing it and continued it tomorrow?
So sorry to hear that you are having trouble with aquafaba. An hour sounds way too long (even my really old/crappy electric mixer only take about 15 mins) so I suggest you stick the bowl in the fridge and maybe resume tomorrow (although I've never tried that myself - cannot do any harm though). I have a few questions, which will help me determine what could have possibly gone wrong. Did you use chickpea brine or brine from other beans? Did you use tinned AF or made one yourself? If the latter, how did you make it? Did you add any sugar yet? I must say that while I had some challenges making meringues when I first tried, I've never had issues whipping AF and I tried both tinned and homemade variety. Let me know the details and I'm sure we will figure it out.
Warm greetings,
Ania
So I made the Aquafaba myself by just boiling chickpeas for a few minutes and using the water. I added the sugar as a last resort after an hour of mixing,
Hope that helps!
Ania
If you aren't familiar with pavlova, it's a giant meringue whose outside is crisp but the center is fluffy, semi cooked egg white, like a marshmallow.
Yes, I am very familiar with Pavlova as my fiancé is from Melbourne. I haven't attempted it yet myself as I'm waiting for spring/summer fruit to show up, but I certainly feel that it is possible. The trick is, I think, to find the optimum temperature for the meringue to remain fluffy inside while the outside is nice and crispy. It's definitely something I will try in the future so stay tuned. :)
Ania
Ania