Did the Fat Vegans of Facebook Finally Crack the Code on Vegan Meringues?

Aquafaba Gets an AUI Taste Test with Surprising Results

October 12, 2015

A Facebook group with the endearingly frank title “What Fat Vegans Eat” has exploded over the last few months with a game-changing discovery by one of its members: a process that turns the liquid from a can of plain old chickpeas into an egg white substitute for meringues and other egg white based products. Yup, as it turns out, that gooey stuff that usually goes down the drain is liquid gold to vegans and folks with egg allergies. It sounds a little too good to be true, especially with a sexy name like “Aquafaba” (which literally translates to “bean water”).  

As with all new pastry techniques, the proof is in the pudding. Or, in this case, the meringue. AUI’s own Michael Baker, an inside sales representative and pastry chef, spent last weekend puttering around his kitchen making batches of meringue cookies. With lots of guidance from the official Aquafaba website, Baker filled his freezer with homemade hummus and busted out different variations on Aquafaba meringues until he landed on a recipe and technique that yielded results almost identical to an egg white meringue. Once he had the basic technique down, he made two batches of peppermint meringue cookies: one control group with egg whites, and one Aquafaba group. Striped with a little Inti 52% dark chocolate, the meringues were ready for an AUI taste test with the marketing, culinary, and inside sales departments.

Beans vs. eggs in the Peppermint Meringue Cookie taste test

It was simultaneously the most exciting and the most boring taste test of all time. The cookies were just too similar! Aside from having lost some of the definition on the piping, the Aquafaba meringues looked identical to the egg white meringues. They were equally dry, equally light, and equally sweet. There was absolutely no beany flavor, though we tried hard to taste it through all that sugar, Candy Cane Compound, and dark chocolate.

Aquafaba meringue in the left hand, egg white meringue in the right hand

Baker took tons of notes throughout the process and was more than happy to share some of his final observations with us. Baker says: 

• Working with Aquafaba was surprisingly similar to using egg whites.
• Thoroughly straining Aquafaba is the key.
• I was much happier with the Aquafaba I reduced by one third on the stove top, and I could whip it straight away without cooling or anything.
• The biggest difference is everything takes a little longer - longer to whip, longer to dry.
• On the upside, it's almost impossible to over-whip the Aquafaba, and it doesn't coagulate from heat so you can't overheat it either.
• The consistency makes piping cleanly easier than with egg whites, but it spreads more while being dried. So, and Aquafaba meringue needs to be dried quickly or it will flatten. Drying in a 200°F oven worked fine, but it won't work in a dehydrator or overnight with a pilot light.
• Flavors seem to be more prominent in the Aquafaba meringues. Using the same 1 tsp of Candy Cane Compound in both products resulted in a flavor that was much more front and center in the Aquafaba meringues.

You’ll find Baker’s detailed recipe for Aquafaba Peppermint Meringues below, but we want to hear how you’re going to use the miracle bean water! Will Aquafaba change the way you prepare food for your guests with vegan diets or egg allergies? What kind of meringue treats are you excited to try with Aquafaba? Drop us a line at PastryTeam@auifinefoods or visit our Facebook page and let us know your big plans for Aquafaba!

Christmas is coming early for vegans this year! See Michael Baker's recipe below.

Michael Baker’s Vegan Candy Cane Kiss Meringues

Please note that while this recipe was developed by a professional pastry chef, it has not been tested in the AUI research kitchen.

Place the reduced Aquafaba and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk and whip on high speed until stiff peaks form. This will take between 3 and 10 minutes, depending on the Aquafaba. Once the stiff peaked foam is fully formed, reduce the mixer speed to medium-high and add about 1 oz. of the sugar. Wait approximately 30 seconds, then continue adding the sugar in approximately 1 tablespoon increments while the mixer continues whipping on medium high speed. Once all of the sugar has been added, the product should form stiff, glossy peaks. If it does not appear stiff and glossy, increase the speed to high and continue whipping until stiff peaks form. (Unlike egg whites, Aquafaba has very little risk of over-whipping, and will probably take a few minutes longer to make than a traditional egg meringue.)

Remove the bowl from the mixer and drizzle the candy cane compound over the meringue in a thin stream. Gently fold the compound in. Prepare a piping bag with a large star tip. (If desired, tint some or all of the meringue with red food coloring; to create a two-tone meringue, paint the colored meringue on opposite sides of the piping bag before filling with the un-colored meringue. This should produce a colorful swirl when piped.) Fill the bag and pipe into rosettes onto a lined baking pan. 

Place the meringues into a pre-heated 200°F oven and bake for 60-90 minutes. The baking time will vary depending on weather, but the finished product should be crisp, delicate, and white (not chewy, sticky, or yellow). 

After the meringues are fully dried and cooled, drizzle them with tempered chocolate, allow them to set and store airtight or serve at once.

*Note:
 Aquafaba is the brine from canned chickpeas or another mild bean. This product works best when reduced by 33% (i.e. six liquid ounces directly from the can should yield four liquid ounces reduced by simmering on the stovetop). After reducing, thoroughly strain through a fine mesh strainer. The less particulate matter in the aquafaba, the more readily it will whip and the more firmly it will hold its shape.

About the Author

Carolyn Crow is an experienced pastry chef and chocolatier who has traded in emulsifying ganaches for organizing events and tradeshows as AUI’s Event Manager. Even with a Culinary Institute of America Pastry Arts degree and a University of Maryland English Literature degree, Carolyn still believes the best dessert is a brownie sundae and the best book is anything with Harry Potter in it.