Vegan Meringues

By
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
A recipe developer and food photographer, Leah Maroney is an ardent home cook and food blogger who has written over 300 recipes for The Spruce Eats.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 07/13/21
vegan meringues on a plate

 The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 2 hrs
Setting: 60 mins
Total: 3 hrs 10 mins
Servings: 20 servings
Yield: 40 meringues
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
58 Calories
0g Fat
13g Carbs
1g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 20
Amount per serving
Calories 58
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 1%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 28mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 13g 5%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 8mg 1%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 44mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

These beautiful meringues have absolutely no eggs and are completely vegan. It’s hard to believe that you can create these pillowy, beautiful cookies without any egg whites. Amazingly, they are created with aquafaba, the liquid from a can of garbanzo beans. It works so incredibly well and the best part is you can’t overbeat aquafaba like you can egg whites. The meringues taste just like the real thing and are a great way to use the seemingly useless leftovers from a can of chickpeas.

This recipe also works great for topping vegan lemon meringue pie. You can also make one large meringue, layer it with berries, and turn it into a pavlova. Use it wherever you use regular meringue.

Ingredients

  • 1 (15-ounce) can unsalted chickpeas, drained with liquid reserved

  • 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

  • 1 cup granulated sugar

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    ingredients for vegan meringue
    The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney 

  2. Preheat your oven to 200 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, making sure they lay flat. Set them aside. Prepare a piping bag or have a plastic bag ready to fill.

  3. In a very clean mixing bowl add the chickpea liquid. Begin mixing on medium-high speed and beat for 3 to 4 minutes or until soft to medium peaks form. Add in the cream of tartar and beat until combined.

    vegan meringue beaten in a metal bowl
    The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

  4. Whisk together the granulated sugar and vanilla extract in a small bowl and then slowly add the mixture to the chickpea liquid. Add it in intervals and pause for 30 seconds in between each addition, mixing the whole time.

    vegan meringue on a whisk
    The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

  5. The mixture should be glossy, thick, and have stiff peaks. It will be about 3 times the original volume. There should be no graininess from the sugar when you rub the meringue between your fingers. If there is, continue to beat until there is no more grainy texture. Unlike traditional meringue, you cannot overbeat this mixture.

    vegan meringue whipped in a metal bowl
    The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

  6. Add the meringue to your prepared piping bag and pipe onto your parchment lined baking sheets.

    vegan meringues piped onto a baking sheet
    The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

  7. Bake for 2 hours. Be sure to leave the oven closed—no peeking. Turn off the oven and leave the meringues in the oven for another hour or up to overnight.

    baked vegan meringues
    The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

Why Did My Vegan Meringue Collapse?

There's a few reasons this might happen. The sugar may have been added in too quickly. Make sure to follow the directions to incorporate the sugar in 30 second intervals. Your bowl also needs to be very clean. The aquafaba will not whip properly if the bowl is dirty or has debris. Additionally, if the mixture is under beaten then the meringues can collapse. The mixture needs to be nice and stiff before adding to the piping bag.

How Long Do Vegan Meringues Last?

Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can also freeze them in plastic freezer bags for up to 3 months.

What Are Some Ways to Use Vegan Meringues?

Use vegan meringue like you would a regular one. Make it as topping for vegan lemon meringue pie. Bake it in one large circle to make a pavlova and cover with fresh berries. Make smaller nests and top with fresh fruit and vegan whipped cream. Pipe them into different shapes like mushrooms, ghosts, or bunnies.

Tips

  • It's important to use unsalted canned chickpeas since the aquafaba will be very salty otherwise.
  • Just like regular meringue, vegan meringues can easily crack. That's why you should avoid opening the oven to peek as they are baking and cooling in the oven.

Recipe Variations

There are plenty of options for adding flavor:

  • Add different flavor extracts like mint, maple, or lemon. You can just replace part of the vanilla extract depending on the strength of the extract you are using.
  • Add in purees like 2 tablespoons of blueberry or raspberry puree.
  • Beat in some mini chocolate chips.