No egg pavlova recipe

Pavlova and Christmas go hand in hand, and no one should ever have to miss out on the Christmas classic. But what if you can’t eat egg or you don’t have any in your fridge? Here’s the answer.

Hint…it’s leftover from the main ingredient in your favourite dip.

To make an egg-free pavlova that absolutely rivals the real deal, all you need to do is drain a humble can of chickpeas and save that magical liquid. This egg-free pavlova is made with chickpea brine (aquafaba) which acts as an egg replacement.

I was just as shocked as you are when I realised the liquid I always pour down the drain when making my go-to chickpea salad can create a meringue. Imagine how many pavs I could’ve made over the years.

Don’t stop there, the liquid gold (aquafaba) can also be used to make a fluffy vegan choc-avo mousse, vegan vanilla mousse, vegan mayo, pancakes and even cocktails!

To make an egg-free pavlova that absolutely rivals the real deal, all you need to do is drain a humble can of chickpeas and save that magical liquid.

So, how does it work?

Aquafaba is the starchy water that is the byproduct of cooking chickpeas. The key is to refrigerate the liquid, then whip once chilled so it becomes light, fluffy and mimics whipped egg whites.

The whipped chickpea liquid is then mixed with sugar and cornflour to create a light and fluffy meringue. Top the meringue with whipped coconut cream, colourful fruits and pistachios for extra crunch.

For me, this is the pav I’ll be making this christmas. Firstly, I’m not the biggest fan of eggs and always intend on using the leftover yolks for another dessert (though I never seem to get ‘round to that). Plus, the idea of making hummus and an egg-free pav on christmas day sounds like a winning combo for me!

It really is the most affordable dessert you could make this Christmas (1 can of chickpeas makes 12 mini meringues!). Whip up a Mediterranean chickpea salad, roasted pumpkin and chickpea salad or a creamy hummus, then use the leftover chickpea liquid to make your pav. Now, that’s some Christmas magic right there!

Aquafaba is the starchy water that is the byproduct of cooking chickpeas. The key is to refrigerate the liquid, then whip once chilled so it becomes light, fluffy and mimics whipped egg whites.

Here’s how to make it:

Ingredients

1 400ml can coconut cream

1 400g can chickpeas

1 cup (220g) caster sugar

1 tbsp cornflour

2 tbsp maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

Pistachios, to serve

Coconut flakes, to serve

Edible flowers, to serve

Method

Step 1: Place coconut cream in the fridge and chill overnight. Drain the chickpeas, reserving the canning liquid. Place the chickpeas in an airtight container and refrigerate for another use. Chill the canning liquid for 2 hours or until cold.

Step 2: Preheat oven to 150°C and line two baking trays with baking paper. When canning liquid is cold, transfer to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whisk for 8 minutes or until mixture turns to soft peaks. Add sugar, 1 tbs at a time, whisking constantly for 15 minutes or until sugar is completely dissolved.

Step 3: Whisk in the cornflour. Working with about ¼ cup mixture per meringue, shape 10cm rounds onto the baking trays to make 12 meringues. Place in the oven and immediately reduce oven to 100°C. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes or until outside of meringue is firm and crisp. Turn off oven and leave meringues to dry out in the oven for 4 hours or overnight.

Step 4: The next day, place chilled coconut cream in a clean stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk to stiff peaks, then turn mixer to low speed and whisk in the maple syrup and vanilla. Spread coconut cream mixture over meringues and scatter with pistachios, coconut flakes and edible flowers.

Here are our some of our favourite vegan desserts

Veganetta

Vegan choc ripple cake

Vegan chocolate ‘cheesecake’

For more recipe ideas, go to taste.com.au or check out the Taste Test Kitchen now.

Originally published as No egg pavlova recipe