Today, I present to you this vegan lemon meringue pie* in honor of…
Sarah of Snixy Kitchen’s virtual baby shower!! Yay babies!!
In honor of her baby girl (coming soon in February), Todd and Alanna are hosting a virtual Cheese & Sweets-themed baby shower (also in honor of things Sarah loves) with a fantastic group of bloggers. See the bottom of the post for a zillion INCREDIBLE cheesy, sweet, and cheesy AND sweet recipes! (Mostly all gluten-free in honor of Sarah!)
In a stroke of great luck, I’ve gotten to meet Sarah in real life before! Last year when I was home in California over winter break, Alanna hosted a potluck for a few local blogger friends in her lovely home. What struck me about Sarah (aside from her adorable glasses and bangs) was the fact that she was not only an incredibly talented gluten-free food blogger and photographer, but also a blog design back-end whiz AND getting her PhD in math education. WOWOWOW. Her baby is lucky to be sharing those star-packed genes.
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!
*PS. I realize this was made in a tart pan, so it’s technically a tart, but you could also make this in a deep-dish pie pan to make it an actual pie. That would be ideal since I had excess filling after making this in a 10-inch tart pan.
Congratulations Sarah!! I look forward to seeing photos of you and your beautiful cheese baby girl!!
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 waffles and these 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!
Did you try this recipe?
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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!
xem anh gai xinh
Wow, this recipe looks amazing! i’m really looking forward to make it. I just have one question, what temperature should the oven to be the second time we bake the pie?
Thanks
erika
Hi there! Both the crust and then the crust + filling are baked at 350 degrees, and once you top the pie with meringue, you can broil it at whatever temperature gets the meringue brown (I used 575 degrees and it got brown super fast)!
Nora Taylor
Oh my goodness I love how pretty it looks! Lemon Meringue Pie used to be one of my favorite desserts pre-vegan. I thought I’d never be able to indulge again! I love aquafaba, I’ve been experimenting with it a lot lately.
erika
Thanks so much Nora!! Aquafaba is so amazing–I hope you get to indulge in lemon meringue pie again soon!! 🙂
Jessica
Hello!
My name is Jessica Serdikoff, and I am a dietitian and personal trainer. I write health-focused articles for the website, http://www.healthyway.com, and am currently working on one all about aquafaba. It’s going to include a collection of recipe links, and I’d love to be able to pepper the article with photos as well. Would you mind if I used a photo from this post, your whole grain aquafaba waffles, and/or your aquafaba pancakes in the article? The recipes themselves would not be posted (just a shout-out and link to your blog post), and full credit with link-back would be given to the photo(s).
All the best,
Jessica
jserdikoff@gmail.com
http://www.healthyway.com/author/jessica-serdikoff
social media @JessicaRDNCPT
erika
Hi Jessica! Sure, please feel free. Thanks!
Jessica
Hi Erika,
thank you for this inspiring pie recipe I tried yesterday. The Meringue looked perfect when I covered the cold cake. Unfortunately the Meringue broke down when I put it back in the oven to bake? It was like a liquid? Do you have an idea why that happened?
thanks from germany
erika
Hi Jessica–sorry for the delay in my response! WordPress doesn’t give me notifications when I get comments anymore, so annoying!
Anyway, this is a great question. I assume you put the pie back in the oven with the meringue to broil for just 1-2 minutes, not bake all the way, right? (Because I think that would likely definitely melt the meringue!) I went to the official Aquafaba FAQ site (http://aquafaba.com/faq.html) and found a question about why aquafaba turned into liquid in the oven. The answer was listed as the following:
“There are a lot of reasons… 200F/200C confusion, not enough whipping, too much particulate in your aquafaba, added emulsifiers, or pH (from flavorings). Ping the group if you’re having trouble with this, as it’s still not clear how to avoid it if all the variables seem right.”
So, it could possibly be your oven temperature (maybe broilers are hotter in Germany?), perhaps your meringue wasn’t whipped quite stiff enough, etc. Did the meringue turn to liquid right away when you put it in the oven or did it slowly melt? I’m interested in figuring out why this happened! Thanks for reporting back (and I hope the rest of it was still edible)!!
Jacqueline d'Estries
I had a couple of those pre-made pie crusts in my pantry I needed to use before they expired so I Googled Aquafaba Pie and this is the first one that came up. The recipe was enough to fill both of those Keebler little graham cracker crusts so I’m glad I didn’t double it! I brought the pies to my family’s 4th of July picnic and they were a huge hit! So delicious! I could sit and eat them all in one sitting! I would make it again in a heartbeat. I can’t wait to try more aquafaba pies. Thank you so much for the recipe!
erika
Jacqueline!! Thank you so much for leaving this lovely comment, I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed the pies! Isn’t the aquafaba meringue wild?? I love the idea of putting the pie filling in a graham cracker crust. Genius <33
Lisa @ Healthy Nibbles & Bits
Erika, I absolutely LOOOOOVE this meringue pie! I’ve seen some recipes using aquafaba before, but I’ve never played with it in my kitchen. And this is tofu based?? ,Seriously, I am so inspired by this recipe! Erika, thanks again for your sweet words about my photography, but your’s ROCKS! I know Sarah will love this!
Alanna
It’s the stuffffff! I was so excited to see the aquafaba in action when I saw what you were making, and I’m not disappointed! This is so stunning Erika – it looks perfectly satiny and meringue-y, and I’m enthralled with your swirl technique. And I think the crust looks crazy delicious. <3
Gena
I haven’t yet caught the acquafaba bug, but this post may have changed my mind! What an incredible vegan dessert.
erika
Thank you so much, Gena, what a huge compliment coming from you! I’ve been a huge fan of Choosing Raw (or should I say The Full Helping) for ages <333 I hope you get the chance to try (and love) aquafaba soon!!
June @ How to Philosophize with Cake
What a gorgeous tart! Great use for the vegan meringue. The tofu curd sounds interesting too, I’m tempted to try it… 🙂
Heather Mason
woa, I can’t believe that meringue is f rom chickpea brine! Crazy!! This pie looks awesome! I love swirling merengue!! Happy baby shower Sarah!
Traci | Vanilla And Bean
What fun meeting Sarah at a blogger gathering! Bangs and glasses – so cute. And yes, she is Superwoman! So much skill and smarts! Now this pie, Erika! I’m blown away! Aquafaba.. I’ve heard of it, but have never whipped it up, so I appreciate your notes. You swirls look like the eggy deal – beautiful work my dear!
Sarah @ SnixyKitchen
Woah! I’ve never heard of aquafaba and now I’m feeling like I need to rush to the kitchen to experiment. Also – your meringue swirl game is ridiculous. Thank you for the sweet sweet things you wrote (blushing…) and for making such a creatively unique recipe for my cheesebabyshower! I can’t wait until you’re back in the bay and we can dine together again.
Tina @ Just Putzing Around the Kitchen
DUDE. That pie looks INSANELY DELICIOUS (I die for those meringue swirls)…and it’s healthy too? Let’s be best friends, and I’ll come over for like 10 slices, ok?
erika
YES TO EVERYTHING. Bffs and I need to feed you the rest of this ASAP!!
Karen @ The Food Charlatan
Dude. I have never even HEARD of aquafaba. You create the most amazing food with such different ingredients Erika!!! The swirls on your meringue are unreal. Mine always look like cat poop. haha! You win!
Christine // my natural kitchen
Ever since I saw this recipe on the list of everyone’s posts for Sarah’s shower, I knew I would love it! I have always loved lemon meringue and have dabbled just a bit in the miracle of aquafaba baking, but haven’t attempted something like this. I can’t wait to try your recipe! Also, isn’t it sweet that so many people from all over are connected to Sarah and were able to come together to celebrate her? This virtual shower is just the sweetest!
erika
Aww thank you so much Christine!!! I’m so obsessed with aquafaba baking and LOVE when I get to talk about with other people! I hope to see some future aquafaba recipes on your lovely blog 😉 😉 And yes, these virtual showers are so sweet and so great!!
Shikha @ Shikha la mode
AHHHH I’m so sad I keep missing you when you visit! Can we not do this the next time pls??
Betty
The minute you sneak peeked this on instagram I couldn’t wait for it to be posted, and then I realized it was for #cheesebabyshower!!! This is so lovely, and yes, aren’t Sarah and Alanna so warm and welcoming??? I love this so much Erika!! Please send me a slice 🙂
erika
Aww you’re so sweet, thanks Betty!! They are THE BEST. Can we all hang out someday in the bay?!
valentina | sweet kabocha
I’ve tried to make chickpea brine meringue, but it simply melted in the oven. I really should retry because this tart seems perfect!
Erica
I LOVEEEEEE that you made meringue with the chickpea juice!!! So creative. And it’s so pretty too, the swirls are too perfect <3
laurasmess
This is like MAGIC, I cannot believe that gorgeous meringue was made from chickpea brine! It’s beautiful; creamy and glossy, just like the real deal. I love this post Erika, not just because of your beautiful recipe but because of the warmth and generosity that comes through blogger friendships. Sarah (and her little cheesy bun in the oven) sounds like a beautiful person – I feel like her little one is going to be one lucky (and well fed!) baby. Gorgeous post xx
Rena
Just made this for Thanksgiving. It’s going to becWONDERFUL tomorrow. I know this from generous licking of bowls, spatulas etc. The aquafaba turned out beautiful tho I burned it a tad. I just pulled off the offending layer, made more peaks and started again with a keener eye to time WAY less than what you recommended. Can’t wait to try it all together tomorrow Thank you.
erika
Yay!!! So glad to hear this worked out well for you–do you have any pics of the final product you can share?! And yes, always good to keep a close eye while broiling–mine could be on the weak side because it does take around a minute to brown, but I’ll edit the recipe to tell people to start checking after 30 seconds. Thanks for reporting back Rena!