Many of you will already have heard about this, but for those that haven’t… I recently discovered that you can actually make vegan meringue from chickpea brine (the water from a can of chickpeas or other legume) and sugar!!
I know, right??
After hearing about other’s experiments with this discovery online, I had to try making one of my favourite desserts ASAP – Meringue nests with strawberries and cream. I am so happy and amazed with the results!
They’re crunchy, chewy, sweet and delicious. Just like egg meringues but better for the environment!
Making these meringues are really no different than if you were to use eggs. The process is the same.
Simply whisk the chickpea water, slowly add sugar until it reaches the “stiff peaks” stage, pipe into nests, bake on a low heat for a couple of hours and cool.
You may be wondering… “Doesn’t it taste like chickpea water?” and the answer is it just tastes like sugar, in the same way egg meringues just taste like sugar. It’s all about the texture.
I can’t wait to try making Pavolvas, Eton mess (which is pretty close to what I’ve made here), angel food cake, macarons and more, now I’ve discovered this idea.
Never throwing away that canned legume water again…
You could get away with this being an Easter-themed dessert because of the whole nest aspect. But really, it’s good any time of year. Any time of day. Every day.
These meringues are:
- Vegan
- Eggless
- Dairy-free
- Gluten-free & grain-free
- Soy-free
If you enjoyed this recipe, let me know in the comments, leave a rating and tag #WallflowerKitchen on instagram so I can share your creations in my stories!
Vegan Meringue Nests with Strawberries & Cream
Egg-less meringue nests served with strawberries and coconut cream
Ingredients
- 400 g can of chickpeas - just the liquid from the tin, or other canned legume*
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- 125 g icing sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, (optional)
To serve
- Fresh strawberries
- Chilled full-fat coconut milk
- Maple syrup or agave nectar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 110c / fan 90c / 230f and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
- Add the water drained from the can of chickpeas into a large bowl and use an electric hand-held or stand mixer to whisk for approximately 5 minutes until it's more than doubled in size, white and foamy.
- Add the cream of tartar and whisk again for another minute. Slowly and gently start adding in the sugar, whisking until the mixture forms stiff, glossy peaks. Stir in some vanilla, if using.
- Transfer the meringue mixture into a icing bag with a large star-shaped nozzle and pipe into nests or cup shapes. Alternatively, just use a spoon to create mounds and use the back of the spoon to hollow out the centre.
- Bake for 2 hours. Do NOT open the oven! After 2 hours, turn the oven off and leave them to cool in the oven for at least another hour.
- To serve, add a meringue nest to a bowl and whip some chilled coconut milk with some agave nectar (to taste) to create a thick double cream consistency. Pour onto the meringue nest and serve with chopped strawberries on top. Enjoy!
- These meringues should keep for a couple of weeks in an air-tight container (I will report back if not). They can also be frozen.
Notes
*Make sure it's not the "salted water" variety - otherwise you'll end up with salty meringues!
Hi, no matter what kind of sugar I use or how long i whisk I can never get my meringue mixture stiff enough for piping, what am i doing wrong?
Hi. I have made this recipe a couple of times and on each occasion, the resulting meringue has been hollow. In all other respects they are great: good taste, good texture etc. They are lovely and crisp on the outside and very slightly softer on the inside – but hollow! I whip the mixture until it is stiff (holds in the bowl upside down) and the meringues don’t flatten in the oven. I have tried cooking them at 90c in a fan oven and also at 100c in a conventional oven. Both gave the same result. Help!
Hello
I tried your recipe and amazed, however my first batch didn’t cook on the gas mark setting of 1/4 so I upped it to 1/2 and they became really brown. Second batch remained white but very sticky. I can work around that however when I tasted them they were HIGHLY over sweet from the sugar. What would be a reduced qty of sugar appropriate for this please? X
Hi I was just wondering if it has to be the water of the canned legumes or it can be the water of the boiled legumes I made at home?
I used chickpea brine of homecooked chickpeas. Cook them 1 part chickpeas -2 parts water. (I used chickpeas soaked overnight and rinsed, then topped with fresh water. And an InstaPot) The water is best when you transfer chickpeas and water to a bowl and keep it in the fridge overnight. It gets thicker and whips up nicely. If used right after cooking it is too thin. Reducing it helps, but then there is less water to work with.
Super helpful. How much of this did you use with the sugar and vanilla? I’m trying to figure out quantities with my hone made brine.
This treat looks absolutely divine. Perfect for holidays! ❤️
Hi Aimee,
Can you help please?
These are whipping up beautifully….then I get them in the oven and halfway through they expand and go much flatter until they fall completely flat and remain liquidy. This has happened twice…any idea of what I’m doing wrong? I know with traditional egg-base you have to be meticulous with grease etc and wipe the bowl with lemon. Is this likely true for aquafaba as well? Gutted :(
P.S
Can I just say, your blog is favourite vegan foodie one. I love how your recipes aren’t expensive or overly complex and you re-invent traditional dishes! SO many blogs these days expect you to shell out ££ on ingredients for recipes…love love it! x
P.P.S Your chocolate orange christmas pudding converted my vegetarian family last year :)
Tried this recipe twice worked really well both times although I had oven too hot first time the result was a lot like honey comb as the sugar was more caramelised. Second time perfect loved by vegans and others equally. Thank you!
Hi Aimee. I made these yesterday and was pretty happy with them. However, they just turned out crispy and hollow in the centre, instead of nice and gooey like egg based meringues I’ve made in the past. Is this to be expected or were yours gooey in the centre? Thanks :)
Sorry for the late reply, Carole – just catching up after the holidays! I’m sorry to hear they were a bit hollow in the middle. This can happen sometimes. I’ve found the best way for me (although it differs with different ovens) is to wedge the door open slightly with a wooden spoon, to allow some of the air to escape. I’ve added some tips on my latest meringue recipe and will update this post with some more tips soon. Glad you enjoyed it anyway though!
Hey Aimee!!! oh my God you just made my day with this breaking News!!! I am going to a wedding next week and the bride is vegan so now I can actually bake Macarons !!! Have you already tried Macarons with chickpea brine? I love your blog!! Thanks a lot for all the great recipes.
It’s amazing, isn’t it?? I am still excited about it! Yes, I did try macarons, using another blogger’s recipe. I think I did something wrong though because they were hollow inside and I haven’t tried them again since but it’s on my list of things to try next! Let me know how you get on :-)
Hi Aimee! so I tried today and I think it has to do with cooking time / temperature: 10 minutes at 150 degrees is probably way too much? It is quite a shame because I scrupulously followed a macaron recipe but just replaced egg with chickpea brine. It looked wonderful until I put it in the oven… I had never baked macarons before so it was also a bit ambitious from me to start trying baking some and heading directly for the vegan way! I guess I’ll try again tomorrow but 140 degrees and just staying in front of the oven to see what goes wrong… what change did you have to make when you switched from your meringue nest to vegan meringue nests in terms of temperature?
after further research it definitely has to do with cooking time… here is a nice one I found !
http://theblenderist.com/vegan-macarons-aquafaba-recipe/
To be honest, for the meringues, it was just a case of experimenting to see what worked! I heard that for macarons, you need to reduce the liquid first. So simmer it for about 10 minutes until it’s reduced and thickened and then use that liquid instead. Macarons are notoriously tricky, let alone when you start trying to use veganize it! I think it’s one of those things where it’s sometimes about luck too. In the past when I’ve made ordinary macarons, I’ve had some batches turn out so wonderful and some so bad and I can’t find a difference between what I did between the two. Can be pretty frustrating! Anyway, please keep me posted – I’d love to know if you have macaron making success!
You have to let them dry out a bit, just like with regular macarons, before putting them in the oven to bake.
I have just tried making this. It is mind blowing! Perfect Meringues. I have missed them and now I can eat them and not feel guilty about the EGG!!
Nature provides in mysterious ways, thank you!!!
Woohoo! Aquafaba is amazing stuff isn’t it? I’m still so excited about the fact I can make meringues again. Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed the recipe :-)
Hi,
I’m desparate to try this recipe but I can’t find a vegan tartar sauce anywhere. Can you please recommend a make/brand that doesn’t contain egg/milk/cream please. Or could you give me a recipe for a tartar sauce that will work just aswell please.
Thank you so much xxx
Hi Nicola, cream or tartar is potassium hydrogen tartrate and is used to stabilize the meringue. You should be able to find the powder in the baking section at your local supermarket. If not, you can leave it out as it’s not strictly essential but does create a better meringue. Let me know how you get on! x
Boy do I feel like an idiot!!! I thought it was Tartar sauce!! I’ve not been vegan that long and I’ve never been much of a cook, I’ve never heard of let alone used cream of tartar. So sorry for my stupidity. I’ve found it now in the cake aisle and can’t wait to try this recipe out. Thank you soooo much xxxx
Haha! Don’t feel like an idiot Nicola, I think we can ALL relate to things like this ;-) Anyway, so glad you managed to get hold of some – let me know how you get on! x
I used granulated sugar and the liqid from chickpeas I cooked myself, nothing else. It took longer to whisk than egg but that may be down to quantity.
Would love to know how much liquid is needed as I don’t use tinned. In the oven they grew bigger then at 55 minutes they started to pop and go flat – they were huge mounds,, apart from one little one which cooked perfectly. I will try this again but I am just guessing the amounts, and I’ll keep them smaller.
My niece has an egg allergy and is delighted I found you. Thank you so much for pisting this.
I am gluten free and found I was using far too many eggs – they are needed in GF baking. I will experiment with this martinis as a way of adding lightness to GF baked foods.
Can you use normal chickpea water or does it have to be from the can? My mum always soaks chickpeas over night and I was wondering if that water would have the same effect?
Thanks
My girlfriend is allergic to eggs so we gave these a whirl today.
It would be a mistake to say you cant taste the slightly strange flavour of the chickpea water, but it is a mere hint behind the gooey sugar that makes up most of the meringue. If they were in an eton mess or the recommended ice cream you wouldn’t be able to tell at all
The center of our meringues were a little soft still, but they were still lovely, and I expect the softness was caused by a not-quite stiff enough mixture.
hey its a gr8 idea, can u tell me what can be used instead of cream of tarter.
Lemon juice
Hi! I wanted to drop in and just say that I tried your recipe. (: I am an omnivore, but my best friend is a vegan. When she was also an omnivore, she loved it when I made Eton mess with peaches. She has missed it since, so I was really excited to give your recipe a try! They turned out great, and I tried one to see how it tasted. Not exactly like an egg meringue in flavor, but it was still so good that I stole a second one. Hehe. My husband also tried a bite and said he was amazed at how the texture is pretty much exactly the same as an egg meringue.
Anywyas, I have a few notes for anyone having difficulty with these:
The same rules for egg meringues apply to chickpea meringues. You need to beat them on medium speed, not high speed. If you beat them on high, your batter will not puff up or get to stiff peaks and they will be runny. The bowl and beaters need to be super clean and dry, no water or oil or anything. It takes a while for the batter to get to stiff peaks. It took me about 15-20 mins. If you want less dry meringues, you can try cooking them for an hour or an hour and a half instead of 2. You still need to let them cool off in the oven with the temp off though. And like she said, don’t open the oven at all!
I just tried this, following the recipe exactly, and it didn’t work :(
I just couldn’t get the right consistency, despite whisking it for ages. What could I have done wrong?
(I don’t use Facebook so I can’t check there for tips, sorry!)
Hello, I just tried your recipe. They puffed up nicely in the oven but completely deflated when it was cooling. They are crispy outside but so dry and crystallised inside. Are they supposed to be like that? Is there a way to make them soft and chewy inside?
Hi! Great post! I’ve just been experimenting with a chickpea base but for macarons – unfortunately it turned into a bit of a disaster! I hope you have more luck with it as I’d love a good vegan macaron recipe!
Hello,
I do not understand your point about how these are better for the environment than egg meringues. Can you explain? Thank you,
Stacey
I know you asked this quite a while ago but I thought I’d answer! Vegan foods are in general is far, far more environmentally friendly than animal products. Although eggs are ‘greener’ than a lot of other animal products (meat being the worst offender), they’re still not particularly eco friendly.
Think about the way an egg is produced. There are billions of eggs produced by chickens every year. Those chickens end up using quite a lot of resources: food, water, space, energy to heat that space, and so on. Although chickens use fewer resources than cows/pigs/other animals reared for meat, it’s still a substantial amount. Therefore if you compare the energy and resources used in a plant-based/vegan recipe compared to non-vegan ones, there’s a difference.
The last thing I’ll say is that eggs are also unethical. You’d think that nothing would be killed in the process – however, billions of ‘useless’ male chicks are killed by the egg industry (since they can’t lay eggs).
If you’re interested in veganism – especially the environmental impact of meat vs plant based diets – there are loads of documentaries out there that you can watch. I’ve heard that Cowspiracy is really good!
They are in the oven, and I can’t wait for them to be ready!
I made two batches and added cacao to one of them – they’ve all gone flat so I will probably turn those into Eaton mess… :-)
But I do have to wonder: who thought “yeah, let’s grab that chickpea brine, whip it up with some sugar and cream of tartar and turn it into meringues/pavlova…”??? :-)
I wonder that too! Makes you think how many other strange food hacks are out there waiting to be discovered… Anyway, I hope your meringues turn out lovely, or at least make a delicious eton mess :-)
I just made these and the texture came out almost perfect but they taste kinda tangy. I put 1/2 tsp of vanilla in as per the recipe and the chickpeas weren’t in salty water. Anything I can do or is that just part of the deal with chickpea water?
Hi, yes I had the same problem but I can’t find any other info about them being tangy anywhere! Everyone seems to say they only have the taste of the sugar but mine were definitely tangy and still had a strong whiff of chickpeas. Not sure if we just need to try again with another brand. If its normal then I am quite disappointed because that tang made them taste horrible. Maybe we have super taste buds – my husband says I can taste strange things when he can’t!
I was watching a video with non Vegan meringue and it made me want some so bad. Now this with recipe I can. IN FACT, I have some baking right now! Huge props luv, can’t wait to try them.
I’m wondering if stevia would work instead of sugar??
I’m not sure it would, Sherri. But if you give it a go, let me know how it turns out!
I was so excited to make these! But I’ve just taken them out and they’ve flattened quite a bit, the centres are hollow and they taste a bit burnt. I have a fan-forced oven and had it on 90º, I guess I’ll need to try it lower next time. I really want them to work! Thanks for the recipe :)
I have them in the oven, alas the flattened within a minute! I really thought I had whipped enough :(
oh no! Do you have a fan oven? what temp did you bake them at?
I cooked them at 120 which is the lowest my oven goes (it has no fan), but that said they were the closest to successful I have had yet. Other attempts were chewy and leathery!
Hey Aimee!
Strawberries? Yes! Cream? Yes!
This is a vegan’s slice of heaven right here!
Thanks for sharing this recipe. Also, what fabulous photos! I’ve pinned them to some of my boards on Pinterest and also group ones because it deserves to be seen! Awesome, awesome, awesome. :)
My mixture just wont
Hi Radhika, just replying to your facebook message now. I would say it’s definitely to do with not having a whisk and don’t see it working with a blender or food processor. Let me know how you get on :-)
Hi Aimee
Hello from Switzerland! Your Meringues look great!
I tried different recipe to make a pavlova. Unfortunately the pavlova alway gets flat in the oven. Also with your recipe.
Your recipe is different to others. You don’t add Xanthan. Is it really without?
If yes, then I guess it is like you mentioned before, it must be my oven. I have a gas oven :(
Hi Ala! Sorry to hear you’re having trouble with your pavlova :-( I would recommend checking out this facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/VeganMeringue/ which has some really great tips and resources for using the chickpea water to make meringues. Yep, I’ve never used xanthum gum for this recipe. Also, bear in mind this is a recipe for individual nests so maybe you would need to adjust it for a full pavlova? Here is a pavlova version: http://likeavegan.com.au/2015/03/vegan-pavlova/ Did you see this one already?
I tried this recipe exactly as directed, and they flattened out in the oven. I was left with really flat and crispy meringues with no gooey center. Also, they were super salty
Sorry to hear that Ronit :-( I’ve made these on numerous occasions now and they’ve always worked out so I think it must be to do with the chickpea water you used and perhaps oven temperature. I had a quick search in the Facebook group here (https://www.facebook.com/groups/372343816286624/search/?query=salty) and it seems that some canned pulses use a lot more salt than others. As for them turning flat… I would imagine it’s either down to not being whipped enough or oven temperature. Do you have a fan oven? If so, try turning the temperature down to 90c. Hope that helps!
I can’t believe as a vegan it’s possible to have pavlova again.I am a big dessert lover and pavs are my absolute favourite dessert ever.I will be attempting this for Easter.
I can’t wait to make a pavlova too. Yay for chickpea water :-) Let me know how yours turns out, have a great Easter!
This is so great! Spurring new ideas… and your pictures look lovely!
Thank you Jeni!
I’ve been searching high and low for a vegan pavlova and am mind-blown by this genius recipe! Will definitely need to give this one a try.
Thanks Rachel! It’s so magic… I’ve tried this a few times since posting and it’s always a success :-)
These meringue nests are beautiful, Aimee! Love the idea of using the chickpea brine, I had no idea! So amazing!
I’m still working on making macarons with the chickpea brine… wishing they’ll eventually turn out half as beautiful as yours always seem too!
Hi Aimée. I love this idea and can hardly wait to try it. But I usually buy chickpeas packed in water as opposed to brine because I think the brine is too salty. Could I make meringue out of the liquid from water packed chickpeas or will it only work with the brine?
Hi Janet, yes that’s what I use. I think that’s all the brine is… just water and a bit of salt. The tins I use just say “in water” and it works perfectly. Let me know how you get on! Good luck :-)
Hi Aimee,
Wow these look so good! I’m honestly surprised at how well they’ve turned out considering there’s no egg in them. Definitely saving this recipe to give it a shot next time I’m baking a naughty treat!
Besma (Curiously Conscious)
Hi there, writing from France. I am my own chickpea experiment here. But then I have tried with fresh-cook chickpeas, saving the water I boiled them in, refreshing it. I does not work so well. It does not get so firm. Have you ever tried this way, I mean with “not-canned” chickpeas?? Thanks!
I’ve not tried it myself but have a look on the facebook page I link to in the first paragraph of my post -they’re posting lot’s of tips and I’m sure they cover it there. Please let me know if you have luck with it, it would be great to know for future! Good luck with your experiments :-)
Thank you Besma, they’re a must- try!
Oh wow Aimee, these look absolutely perfect ♥ Your photos and settings are breathtaking too. I hope you’re proud with what you’ve achieved this week. You definitely should be!
Like you, I’m so excited about this chickpea meringue revelation. I’m really glad the FB page was set up. I’m loving all the various creations from around the world and I’ve learnt so much from the ‘hits and misses’. I wonder how many people are sick of chickpeas now lol!
One quick question… is your oven temp for a conventional or fan oven? (mine is a fan) On the FB page it was recommended not to bake them above 100C, but yours have turned out just fine!
Aw, thank you so much, Sharon! I’m definitely one of the people who are getting sick of chickpeas… I have been putting them in currys, risottos, making hummus and I’m wishing you could just get hold of the chickpea water without the chickpeas now! Someone ought to bottle it and sell it…
Anyway, I actually do have a fan oven but for some reason, turning the heat down never works out well for me so I just follow the temperatures for normal ovens (but that’s just the way my oven is) Maybe you could try a 90c or 100c temperature and see how that goes? x
Thanks so much for the tips!
Have you tried roasted chickpeas yet? I can literally eat a whole can in one sitting ;) You can spice them up in all different ways to keep them interesting. I love Dukkah or a mix of maple syrup, olive oil, oregeno and salt. So delicious! If you’re sick of the sight of chickpeas at the mo though, I guess you could always freeze them? We should start asking our local falafel joints if we could nab their water… can you imagine the looks we’d get lol!
Haha! Yes but it’s not a bad idea, actually. The roasted chickpeas sound great AND you’ve just reminded me… falafel! I can’t believe I never thought of making falafel yet. OK, now I’m looking forward to chickpeas again, thank you :-)
My mind is blown!!! As an absolute meringue obsessed girl, I cannot wait to make this recipe all the time!!
Still blowing my mind too!
What a tasty way to use up the water from a tin of chickpeas. So, chickpea curry with meringue nests coming up for the next dinner party!
Chickpeas all round! I love how you can make both a dinner and dessert out one 50p can of legumes :-)
Omg, all this time I’ve been chucking the brine down the sink and I can be making PUDDINGS with it?!
I know! I was laughing earlier because I bought a few cans of chickpeas JUST for the chickpea water… Someone should start bottling that stuff $$$
This is so weird but so cool. Yay science! I eat chickpeas all the time and I can’t wait to try this!
Go science! Let me know if and when you try it Chrissy, hope you enjoy!
THIS IS AMAZING!
this is my favourite pudding ever, but recently my friend has become a vegan….so glad I can still make it for us!
thank you :D
It’s one of my favourite desserts too! I usually eat it in the summer time but I couldn’t wait until then to try this :-)
These meringues look great! Will attempt to make them for Easter with my carnivorous relatives. I vote for macarons next! :)
I think macarons too! Let me know how your meringues turn out :-)
I am so amazed by this trick and can’t wait to try it!
I’m still amazed too! Let me know if you try it :-)
I’ve yet to try vegan meringues with chickpea water but these look so delicious, next time I open a tin of chickpeas, I’ll save the water!
I don’t think I could ever throw that water away now! And of course, these are grain-free too… I’m sure you could figure out a way to adjust the sweetener also :-)
Those look terrific! Great use of that chickpea meringue…I’ll really have to try it sometime soon, I’ve heard so many good things about it! :)
It’s amazing stuff! I’m trying macarons next… Let me know how you get on with your chickpea meringue experiments :-)
I MADE THIS AND IT WAS AMAZING HOWEVER MY MERINGUES STUCK TO MY PAPER SHOULD I LET THEM COOL OVERNIGHT IN THE OVEN AND COULD I USE THIS TO MAKE A PAVLOVA.
Please reply to me thx
p.s I would love to see a macaroon recipe
Hi Vivek, sure there is no harm in letting them cool for a while. Let me know if they turn out OK! I will work on a macaron recipe soon :D