Aquafaba Meringue – Everything You Need to Know
Aquafaba is the liquid from a can of chickpeas that magically turns into light and fluffy vegan meringue! The meringue is SO easy to make and tastes wonderful!
What is Aquafaba?
Aquafaba translates to bean water. It’s the liquid in a can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans).
You’ve probably thrown it down the drain many times. If you save it, you can use it to make a vegan version of meringue frosting that is a wonderful substitute for my marshmallow frosting.
What Does It Taste Like?
I gave my unsuspecting mother-in-law a cupcake with aquafaba meringue. When I finally told her what it was, she said, “Oh, I read something about that aquafaba stuff and I thought, ‘Yuck!’ But, this didn’t taste like yuck at all.” Score!
Aquafaba meringue tastes so similar to traditional meringue that you might not even guess the switch.
How to Make Aquafaba Meringue
The process couldn’t be easier, but it does require an electric mixer.
- Reserve the liquid from a can of chickpeas (the aqaufaba), straining if necessary.
- Beat it for two minutes on high speed using your electric mixer (handheld and stand mixers both work well).
- Add in powdered sugar and cream of tartar. The cream of tartar helps the meringue to hold its shape and not collapse. Keep mixing on high speed for about ten minutes until stiff peaks form. (Stiff peaks are the stage when the meringue holds its shape completely when you lift the beater.)
- Mix in any flavorings. I typically use vanilla.
Recipes Using Aquafaba
I typically use my aquafaba as a frosting on vegan cupcakes. I like to toast it with a culinary torch, but it also looks pretty without torching (as shown below).
I used vanilla bean paste instead of vanilla extract when I made this meringue so you can see the specks of vanilla beans.
Many people like to bake the aquafaba into meringue cookies.
You can use it to make a vegan version of a pavlova or even for a vegan lemon meringue pie.
How Long Does Aquafaba Meringue Last?
The only disappointing part of aquafaba meringue is that unless you are baking it, it lasts just 20 minutes on the counter or about two hours in the refrigerator before collapsing.
If you want to do a little prep work in advance, you can make the meringue and set the bowl in the refrigerator. When you are ready to eat, whisk it to redevelop the peaks before piping and serving.
Aquafaba Meringue
Ingredients
- liquid from a 15 ounce can of chickpeas chickpeas are the same as garbanzo beans
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or using an electric hand mixer, whisk chickpea liquid for two minutes on high speed.
- Mix in powdered sugar a little bit at time.
- Mix in cream of tartar.
- Keep mixing until stiff peaks form. This takes around 10 minutes.
- Mix in vanilla bean paste.
- Pipe on cupcakes.
- If desired, use a culinary torch to create a toasted look.
- Serve immediately.
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