Vegan Peppermint Meringue Kisses

I have another killer holiday recipe for you guys – vegan peppermint meringues kisses! Made with aquafaba!!

These vegan meringue kisses go perfectly with a warm coffee on a snowy day or as garnishes on a delicious Yule log! They are perfect to make this time of year because there is a lot less humidity, which is the nemesis of meringue!

The technique takes a small amount of practice, and a fairly long time in the oven, but I’ll walk you through all the steps so that you can make your own perfect vegan meringues. I added peppermint extract to these kisses but you can use this as base recipe for any flavour of meringues you like! 

How long do meringue cookies last?

These cookies will last up to 2 weeks kept in an airtight container at room temperature. I have had them last as long as 1 – 2 months but it’s preferable to eat them sooner.

How do you know when the meringues are done?

A gentle nudge of the meringue in the oven should reveal if they are ready. Ideally we are looking for them to lift off the mat with ease. Don’t forget to let them cool completely before taking them out the oven!

Top tips for vegan meringue:

• Wipe down your mixing bowl with white vinegar before whipping up aquafaba. Not only does this do a good job of cleaning the bowl, the meringue benefits from the acidity found in the vinegar.

• To add the cream of tartar, take a small amount of aquafaba and place in a separate bowl with the cream of tartar. Whisk vigorously and then add back into the larger bowl. By mixing it in a separate bowl, it’s a lot easier to get it to fully blend into the liquid instead of floating around in chunks.

• Be conservative with any flavourings. Vegan meringue is water-based and any additional hydration will weaken the meringue. This is why we prefer cream of tartar over lemon juice or white vinegar (both strong acids that can be used as subs if necessary).

• As mentioned above, once the meringues are baked, turn the oven off and let them cool completely. This prevents cracking and will make sure they are super crisp and dry.

You may have noticed the method I’ve done here is a little different to my other vegan meringue recipes! This is a pseudo-swiss method. Usually, swiss meringue is made using a bain-marie and gently eating the sugar with the egg whites to get them to dissolve. As we are using aquafaba and not egg whites, we do not have to worry about cooking the aquafaba (it won’t turn white like egg whites) so we can reduce the aquafaba while simultaneously combining the sugar! 

Despite the simple recipe, I’ve given a lot of detail in the recipe so as to avoid easy mistakes. Enjoy!

For this recipe you’ll need:

• a piping bag with 20mm circular nozzle – if you prefer not to use silicon or fabric bags please do use biodegradable or compostable piping bags!
• electric whisk or stand mixer
• silicone mat or parchment paper
• accurate scales to weigh aquafaba after simmering

5 from 2 reviews

Vegan Peppermint Meringue Kisses

November 11, 2020

Servings: 30pcs

Cook: 2 hr

Difficulty: Easy

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These peppermint meringue kisses are perfect over the holiday season! Completely plant-based and only a handful of ingredients, this is the ultimate vegan meringue kisses recipe!

By: Project Vegan Baking

Ingredients

• 300g aquafaba (2 cans of 400g chickpeas, unsalted)
• 250g fine caster sugar
• ½ tsp cream of tartar
• red gel food colouring
• 1 tsp peppermint extract

Directions

• Step 1 Pour the contents of the cans of chickpeas into a measuring cup through a sieve to collect the liquid (aquafaba). You will need at least 300ml and no more than 350ml.
• Step 2 Pour the aquafaba into a pan with the 250g caster sugar and use a low heat to bring the liquid to a simmer. Keep stirring the mixture until all the sugar is dissolved and reduce the liquid for 15 minutes total. We are aiming to reduce the aquafaba by half to 150g. Since the sugar will not reduce in weight, the aquafaba will be ready when it has reduced to 400g (250g sugar + 150g aquafaba).
• Step 3 After 15 minutes weigh the mixture. If it is more than 400g then continue to reduce.
• Step 4 Leave to cool for an hour in the bowl of a stand mixer until room temperature.
• Step 5 Line a baking tray with parchment and pre-heat the oven to 85C (185F).
• Step 6 Add the cream of tartar to the aquafaba and beat on low-medium speed for 10 minutes. Once it reaches a very white creamy consistency, turn it up to high for a further 10-15 minutes until firm peaks. Add in the peppermint extract and mix for 30 seconds more.
• Step 7 Fit a piping bag with a large 20mm circular piping nozzle. Invert the piping bag and paint in red vertical stripes along the nozzle end of the bag.
• Step 8 Scoop the meringue into the piping bag. Pipe the meringues on the baking tray.
• Step 9 Bake in the oven on the middle tray for 2 hours. Turn off the oven and leave them to cool in the oven for a few hours or overnight.
• Step 10 Serve!