This vegan lemon meringue pie uses a creamy tofu filling and a fluffy aquafaba meringue!
So this pie, I’ve tried making it before. Because ever since I found out you can make billowy, fluffy, snow-white, honest-to-marshmallow MERINGUE from aquafaba (aka the magical chickpea brine), lemon meringue pie has obviously been on my to-do list. (Even though I’ve never really been a huge lemon meringue fan.) (It still had to be done.)
Many lessons were learned in the second making of this pie. Like:
- Juicing lemons by hand takes a lot of time, which is why I use my trusty Hurom juicer (there are a range of Hurom juicers to suit every kitchen and budget, if you’re looking for one, or planning to make a lot of lemon merangue pie!)
- You should have a crust recipe in mind before making the pie.
- In terms of fun level, swirling meringue is on par with eating a bite out of twenty different cookies (or close, anyway).
But I’m sure you’re wondering: how does it taste?
To me, the satiny, glossy, lightly toasted and sticky meringue tastes just like the real deal. The tofu-based lemon curd is quite tart and bursting with fresh lemon juice, which completely dominates any tofu flavor. I think the thin layer of curd is well offset by a fairly thick layer of meringue so that the sweet, relative blandness of the meringue cuts the tartness.
The crust is what I might change if I made this again. It’s thick, hefty and nutty where a lighter crust that almost shatters in your mouth might be a better fit. I made this previously with a non gluten-free crust (a simple vegan olive oil/all-purpose flour crust like this), which was flakier and more delicate. I was still happy enough with this version to post it, but if you have a favorite pie crust, feel free to use it in place of the one that’s written and please report back! Let’s crowdsource this until we make it perfect!
Although this was technically made in a 10″ tart pan, you could also make this in a deep-dish pie pan to make it an actual pie.
A few notes about aquafaba:
- While you can make aquafaba meringue using chickpea brine straight from the can (alternatively, some have had success using the liquid from boiling dry beans), I find that reducing the aquafaba first makes for a stronger, stiffer meringue that is less likely to weep and disintegrate into foam after sitting in the fridge.
- Also, you must use chilled aquafaba during the whipping step; I tried using it warm from the stove and it never reached the stiff peaks stage. This is why the recipe is written so that you reduce the aquafaba in the beginning, and then chill it as you work on other components. You can also reduce and chill the aquafaba the night before.
If you’re looking for more recipes with aquafaba, I’ve also used it successfully as an egg replacer in these aquafaba waffles and these vegan pumpkin cookies!
Aquafaba Lemon Meringue Pie (vegan, gf)
Ingredients
Meringue:
- Brine from 1 15-oz can chickpeas about 3/4 cup
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup sugar
Crust:
- 1.5 cups of oat flour
- ¾ cup almond flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil
- 3 tablespoons almond milk
Filling:
- 14 oz silken tofu
- ¾ cup lemon juice juice of ~4 large lemons
- ½ cup sugar
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons almond milk
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest optional
Instructions
Prepare the aquafaba:
- Bring chickpea brine to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes. Mixture should be reduced to a little under half a cup at this point (it’s okay if it isn’t exact). Pour reduced brine into a cup and refrigerate while making the crust and filling.
Make the crust:
- In a food processor, combine the oat flour, almond meal, sugar and salt until blended. Slowly stream in the coconut oil and milk until evenly incorporated. Alternatively, mix the dry ingredients together by hand, then work in the wet ingredients until dough holds together when pressed (mixture will be crumbly). Press evenly into a 10” tart pan or deep dish pie pan, prick all over with a fork, and bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees, until crust is dry and starting to turn golden.
Make the filling:
- Blend all ingredients (tofu through salt) together in a blender or food processor.
- When the crust is done baking, let stand or refrigerate for about 10 minutes, or until barely warm. Pour filling into crust and bake for 40-45 minutes at 350 degrees until filling is set, but still slightly jiggly. Let cool while making the meringue.
Make the meringue:
- Whip the cold, reduced brine in a clean bowl with clean beaters with the cream of tartar and vanilla until mixture turns foamy, and then begins to form soft peaks. At this point, slowly add the sugar a quarter cup at a time. Continue to whip the mixture until it reaches stiff peaks.
Assemble:
- Cover the top of the cooled pie with the meringue. Preheat the broiler to 575 and broil for 1-2 minutes, keeping an eye on the pie the entire time–it can burn in a second!
Lara
I would LOVE, love, love, love, love it if you could do a lemon meringue pie bake off!!! Pretty please?! 😀
Unexplored Homestay in Uttarakhand
Super excited to try this Pancake , seems delicious . Thanks for sharing this one with us.
Samantha
Can’t wait to try this lemon meringue pie. Seems delicious and amazing , thanks for sharing this with us, will love to try this one.
Bilkulsahi hai
Terrific! I’ve made it several times. I double the recipe and snack on it for a few days in a row.
Lk sethy
Very nice shareable dish thanks pancake princes
LK Sethy
Very good recipe thanks for sharing this type of warm recipe.
Latest news
Very good recipe and your explanation is very nice thanks for sharing
Devit Clark
This is the idea sharing on your blog aquafaba lemon meringue pie. I read your blog and find the best idea about it. Thanks for sharing us
Jill Roberts @ WellnessGeeky
I am obsessed with desserts like aquafaba lemon meringue pie! Definitely it will be yummy! I would try making that pie for sure! Can i post it on my blog?
erika
Yes please feel free! 🙂
Sandy
Will the meringue stay firm if the pie is cooked the night before fire lunch the next day,
erika
The meringue is best fresh. If you want to make this ahead of time, I would suggest baking the pie the night before and then whipping the meringue fresh and broiling it right before you’d like to serve it!
Vashti
Hi I’m very curious to know if aquafaba could act as an egg replacer in the custard portion of a lemon meringue pie or even a pecan pie for that matter. I guess I’d like to know if the aquafaba would set. I’d appreciate any advice on this subject.
erika
Hey Vashti, that’s a great question! Unfortunately I’ve never tried using aquafaba in a custard…although I have used it in a chocolate mousse recipe as well as banana bread and cookies. I have a feeling it would work better in a pecan pie (because of all the other ingredients) than a lemon meringue, but this is just a hunch…I’ll try to experiment and post about it!