Vegan Meringue Recipe | Easy 4 Ingredients • Girl Loves Gloss (2024)

FAQs

What makes meringue glossy? ›

Meringue is a light, low-fat mixture of whipped egg whites and sugar that is used to top pies or make cookies. To achieve a thick and glossy texture, attention must be paid to the details: the quality of the eggs, the time you spend beating the whites, and the temperature of the oven.

We tested with and without cream of tartar, and there is no difference. Goose Wohlt, the inventor of vegan meringue, also says that cream of tartar is not necessary. The same goes for vinegar or lemon juice. There's no need to use them.

You didn't use a stabilising ingredient

This is one of the most important steps to getting a sturdy meringue. Even though you're using aquafaba instead of eggs, adding an acidic ingredient like cream of tartar, vinegar or lemon juice will help to stabilise your meringue.

This vegan meringue cookies use the liquid from a tin of chickpeas as a substitute for egg whites — genius! Use this as a replacement for egg white meringue in recipes such as summer fruit pavlova and Eton mess.

One of the most common mistakes is not beating the eggs long enough, or on too slow a speed, which means the egg whites won't reach stiff peak stage and instead only reach a soggy droopy stage.

Meringue should be glossy and smooth. If your meringue is spongy rather than silky, you probably haven't whipped it until it's cooled. ‌Solution: Re-whip your meringue. Use your electric mixer to whip the meringue again until it reaches the desired texture.

Your vegan meringue might collapse, weep or melt if your aquafaba was either not thick enough, under whipped, over whipped, not stabilized properly, or if the sugar was added too quickly.

The bottom line: For smooth, stiff beaten egg whites that keep their shape, don't skip the cream of tartar. If you don't have cream of tartar, substituting 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar per egg white works almost as well. To avoid meringues that weep, don't skip the cream of tartar...

Can I over whisk it? Our Aquafaba can't be over whisked! Hurrah…! However, once combined with other ingredients there is a danger of over-whisking the batter in certain recipes, so be sure to read the instructions carefully.

However, like whipped egg whites and heavy cream, you can over-whip aquafaba. Once stiff peaks have formed, no matter how many minutes it took, stop whipping. Whipping too long can cause them to deflate.

Should aquafaba be cold to whip? ›

Before whipping, your aquafaba should be about the same viscosity as egg whites after they've been lightly whisked, perhaps slightly thinner. Some cans may differ, though, so if your aquafaba is excessively watery, you can reduce the liquid slightly on the stove until it thickens, then let cool before whipping.

Aquafaba

That's right, you can make an impressive egg white substitute using the water from a drained can of chickpeas. Simply set the chickpeas aside and whip the liquid until foamy or soft peaks start to form, just like you would with regular egg whites.

How long can you keep aquafaba? Store unwhipped aquafaba in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Freeze aquafaba for months. For ease, consider freezing it in tablespoons in an ice cube tray.

What does vegan meringue taste like? Traditional meringue cookies are light and airy, just like a marshmallow. The vegan version tastes so similar! The bean flavor from the aquafaba cooks out, making each bite a bit sweet, crisp, and fluffy.

This is where the other key ingredient of meringue comes in: Sugar! Adding sugar to foamy egg whites creates a thick and glossy foam. This foam remains even after you stop whisking. Food scientists believe that sugar helps more proteins gather on the surface of the air bubbles, making the bubbles even more stable.

Cornstarch: Cornstarch is an excellent way to foolproof your meringue. Use it to create added fluff and keep your hard-won volume from shrinking. Cream of Tartar: Often added in when making meringues, acidic cream of tartar provides lift and stabilization.

Cream of tartar stabilizes the tiny bubbles in the egg whites, by precluding the egg proteins from sticking together. It thus speeds up the egg white whipping process and contributes to a stable, billowy, glossy meringue, perfect for cookies, topping pies, and folding into cake.