Yes, it can be done, and that's not all. Vegan Meringue Cookies can happen in your kitchen with ingredients you probably already have in your cupboard! So what's the secret ingredient? Aquafaba is what it's called. Now let's break that down a little.
Aqua = water. Faba = bean.
So what does that make? Bean water!! I know, you are totally drooling right now. Bean water cookies. Yum? It's true, you can make a meringue out of the water that's leftover in a can of beans, and it's basically exactly the same result as if you were to use egg whites, except totally vegan! Celebrate, yay, exciting, hands to the sky, woot woot!
I am not the brilliant genius who figured this out but it's a pretty amazing discovery and the vegan community is going wild. I see lemon meringue pies, macaroons, and fluffy batters in the future... and all with an ingredient that I was throwing out. Pure brilliance.
After a few experiments I discovered the key is to buy chickpeas that are unsalted or no salt added. When I tried making meringues with a can of chickpeas that had salt added (check the ingredients), they were still pretty darn good, but they did have a slight smell and taste of bean. Not terrible, but not what I was aiming for. When I used the water from a can of unsalted chickpeas, that bean taste disappeared and all you can taste is perfect meringue heaven. Scrumptious. Some serious meringue connoisseurs (aka friends) tried these, and they actually preferred them to egg white meringues. Win for the vegans!
How do we make these delights?
Take a 19oz can of no salt added chickpeas, and pour out all of the liquid. It should make about a cup of liquid. Save the chickpeas to do whatever you like with later on.
Add the chickpea liquid to a mixer bowl along with the vanilla and cream of tartar.
Start blending on high and slowly add in the sugar as it beats. You may need to stop and scrap down the sides to get any of the sugar that is stuck to the sides of the bowl.
Keep beating, and it should start to get fluffy. The goal is to achieve stiff peaks. Not there yet...
...Still too soft, keep beating.
Ah, just right. When you lift the beater the meringue should hold a stiff peak, even if you jiggle the bowl, the peak should stay as is. It took me about 6 to 6 ½ minutes to reach this stage in my mom's Kitchen Aid Mixer.
Now line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. You can stick down the corners of the parchment by adding a small dot of the meringue, to help hold the parchment in place.
Use a pastry bag or a spoon to dollop the meringues on the baking sheet.
When you are done:
You will have a whole bunch of pretty little meringues, ready to go into the oven. Bake for 1 ½ to 2 ¼ hours, rotating the pans half way through. Now it's a little difficult to tell exactly when they are done, and I really racked my brain on how to share this information, but there is not much of a visual cue, so you are going to have to go with your gut a little on this one. If the meringues are small or you want a chewy center, opt for less time. If they are large or you prefer a meringue that is crunchy all the way through, opt for more time. It's not very easy to tell when they are ready just by look, so the best way is if you are able to take one out of the oven, (carefully tear a piece of parchment off with a meringue on it) let it cool, and see if it's are the correct texture, and if it is, take the rest out of the oven. If not, bake longer.
When you take them out of the oven, let them cool and enjoy! Store in a dry place so they maintain their shape.
Common Questions:
Vegan meringue cookies are easy to make and have the same crispy shell and airy center as the original version. And this vegan meringue cookie recipe uses a one-of-a-kind ingredient: aquafaba. So what are some common questions about this amazing recipe?
Does vegan meringue freeze well?
Yes! Freezing aquafaba meringues is just as easy as freezing meringues made with animal products. To freeze your vegan meringues, line an airtight container with greaseproof paper and place as many meringues in a single layer as possible. Done!
Is vegan meringue gluten-free?
Yup! This is a gluten-free recipe!
Can you buy just aquafaba?
Unfortunately, no. Not yet, anyway. but the bright side is you get a lovely bunch of chickpeas to play around with so win-win!
Vegan Meringue Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup aquafaba (the liquid from a 19oz can of unsalted chickpeas)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¾ cup white sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200F (100C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the aquafaba to a mixer bowl along with the vanilla extract and the cream of tartar. Start beating on high, and very slowly as it whips, add in the the sugar one spoonful at a time. You may need to stop and scrape off any sugar that stuck to the sides of the bowl. Continue to beat, stopping every now and then to check the meringue. When stiff peaks hold in the meringue without it collapsing, they are ready. It took me about 6 to 6 ½ minutes to reach the stiff peaks.
- Use a pastry bag, or a spoon to dollop on the meringue into even mounds onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 1 ½ to 2 ¼ hours, rotating the pans half way through. Now it's a little difficult to tell exactly when they are done, and I really racked my brain on how to share this information, but there is not much of a visual cue, so you are going to have to go with your gut a little on this one. If the meringues are small or you want a chewy center, opt for less time. If they are large or you prefer a meringue that is crunchy all the way through, opt for more time. It's not very easy to tell when they are ready just by look, so the best way is if you are able to take one out of the oven, (carefully tear a piece of parchment off with a meringue on it) let it cool, and see if it's the correct texture. If it is, take the rest out of the oven. If not, bake longer. When they are ready let them cook and enjoy!
- Store in a cool dry place. They are best eaten that day, but if your environment is very dry (not humid), they can last a few days.
Nutrition
Bon Appetegan!
Sam.
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Emily Q says
These worked out perfectly for me! I did need to beat the aqua faba mixture longer (maybe 16 min) to get to stiff peaks but worth it. Turned out perfectly. I folded mini dairy-free chocolate chips into half the batter at the end to make half plain, half chocolate chip. Served with homemade dairy free candy cane ice cream and chocolate sauce for dessert on Christmas Day. Beautiful.
VC says
I used liquid from homecooked chickpeas, and it's not stiffening up. Either the liquid has too much water or it's too humid and warm in my apartment. Whomp whomp.
Deana says
Hi there! Thanks so much for this recipe. I have tried it twice now and my aquafaba meringue comes out super bitter/ soapy tasting. Have you heard of this? Trying to figure out where I went wrong! I thought maybe I was too heavy handed with the cream of tarter last time, so this time I used a very scant 1/4tsp... I am determined to figure it out, as the texture is perfect!!
Beth says
Mine went in all nice and fluffy and came out totally flat. What did I do wrong?
Kerry says
Beth, Two thoughts that I have for flat meringues are: 1. You need to beat them a little longer so they are a little stiffer before putting them on the pan. and 2.Try not to fiddle with the batter after it is whipped. When I tried adding flavorings (coffee, chocolate chips, etc.) the extra stirring caused them to lose their airiness ad they flattened in the oven.
Helen says
Hi Sam!
This is one of my new favorite recipes of 2020! Every time I use chickpeas I’m making these meringue cookies... I love the fluffy-chewy consistency- love dropping them into hot chocolate. I made a variation with orange zest, which was good but I added too much zest (oops). I’m making them as mini pavlovas for New Year’s Eve with a pomegranate syrup and coconut whipped cream (hope they turn out okay!). Thanks for all your amazing recipes! They are always easy to follow with “normal” ingredients, making it easy to be vegan 🙂
Victoria says
I've always wanted to try meringues, and this recipe fit the bill! It only took minutes to whip up, and I used a Ziploc bag with the corner snipped to pipe the meringue onto my cookie sheets. Mine were smaller, so I baked them for 1.5 hrs, and cooled them in the oven. They came out just perfect! Light and fluffy without being overly sweet! This recipe is a definite keeper! Thanks for posting!
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you enjoyed, Victoria! 🙂
Jenny says
Could I use brown sugar instead of white sugar?