Vegan meringue is called ‘aquafaba’, which is Latin for ‘bean water’. A few years ago, some scientists found that if you whizz up the brine water from canned chickpeas with sugar, you create the same ‘vegan meringue’ as with egg whites. So now vegans can enjoy lemon meringue pie, pavlova and all the other dishes previously denied.
Purists say not to use it, as the lining from the tinned chickpeas could be toxic. But you could of course buy organic tinned chickpeas in proper tins (not expensive). Or roll your eyes, when anybody starts to pick faults with such a marvellous invention.
Vegan Eggless Italian Meringue (Addicted to Dates) is ideal to top all your cakes and bakes. This is made with a homemade sugar syrup and aquafaba (‘vegan meringue’ that is made by whizzing up the brine water from canned chickpeas).
This chef is author of the fabulous book No-Bake Vegan Desserts. A trained classical chef, recipes in the book include Creamy Pistachio Tart, Cherry Bomb Cheezecake, Cardamom, Vanilla & Clementine Crème Brûlée, Banoffee Cupcakes and Salted Caramel Donuts.
Vegan Baked Alaska with Meringue (Addicted to Dates) is a unique recipe, in that the ‘baked Alaska’ is not baked! The no-bake vegan shortbread is topped with creamy vegan ice-cream, peanut butter and a homemade fruit jelly, then topped with a toasted vegan Italian meringue.
This chef is author of the fabulous book No-Bake Vegan Desserts. A trained classical chef, recipes in the book include Creamy Pistachio Tart, Cherry Bomb Cheezecake, Cardamom, Vanilla & Clementine Crème Brûlée, Banoffee Cupcakes and Salted Caramel Donuts.
This 10-minute ‘vegan meringue’ recipe (Simple Vegan Blog) is a complete beginner’s guide to making aquafaba. Latin for ‘bean water’, it involves whizzing up the brine water from canned chickpeas, to produce the same product that you would normally make with egg whites, though it often requires a little more beating.
If you like this recipe, check out the blogger’s lovely e-book bundle of 30 simple vegan meals and 30 vegan smoothies. A bargain and each of the recipes has a colour photo and gluten-free options.
Simple Aquafaba Puddings
Aquafaba Strawberry Mousse (Full of Plants)
Also using aquafaba is this 3-ingredient white chocolate mousse (Green Evi). You only need a bar of vegan white chocolate, which you’ll find in any health store. The third ingredient is strawberries to decorate.
And finally, this Aquafaba Chocolate Mousse (Vanilla Crunnch) also uses just 3 ingredients: chickpea brine water, raw chocolate and coconut nectar.
Oggs Aquafaba Egg Alternative
Oggs Aquafaba Egg Alternative is a great natural alternative that also uses less carbon dioxide than a standard egg. Made from chickpeas (not suitable for allergies due to manufacturing methods), it whisks and binds like an egg, and is the perfect store-cupboard staple for baking and cooking. This is not real egg, so keep away from pets.
Use it to make ice-cream, cakes, cookies, muffins, mayo, custard and pies. It’s low in calories, free from fat and has no added sugar. It’s also packaged in an environmentally-friendly way. Profit help to support tree-planting.
Oggs is a new company founded by a woman who have so far replaced over 1 million eggs, saving hundreds of thousands of chickens from laying eggs in factory farms, or being killed at the end of their laying lives (baby male chicks are also usually killed at birth, as they are of no economic value). They have also saved nearly 1 million pieces of non-biodegradable plastic and planted 2,500 trees. They have also employed a homeless person, to help someone get their life back on track.
Meringue is a huge food industry, a combination of whipped egg white (often from factory farms) and sugar, which is used to make everything from meringue kisses (often coloured with insect juice to make them pink) to popular desserts like lemon meringue pie, Eton Mess (a combination of meringue, strawberries and cream), Pavlova (a Russian meringue dessert) and macarons.
But did you know that you can make vegan meringue, simply by reusing and whizzing up the brine water from leftover cans of chickpeas. Called ‘aquafaba’ (Latin for ‘bean water’), when mixed with a sugar, it turns into the exact same substance. You can use this method with other beans, but chickpeas (garbanzo beans) tends to work best. As a result, many vegans are now enjoying desserts they thought they could never have again, and aquafaba is also used to make light and airy puddings like chocolate mousse. There are even whole cookbooks dedicated to the stuff. It was invented accidentally a few years ago by a boffin experimenting away in his kitchen and has now revolutionised the food industry, as you can also buy vegan meringues in stores, and mixes to make your own vegan meringues.
Rubies in the Rubble makes a lovely rich and airy vegan mayo, made with aquafaba.
