Description
These Vegan Meringue Mushrooms are a delightful plant-based treat perfect for decorating cakes or enjoying as a light, sweet snack. Made with aquafaba – the liquid from cooked chickpeas – they mimic traditional meringue texture without eggs. The meringues are piped into charming mushroom shapes, dusted with cocoa powder for a natural earthiness, then assembled with vegan dark chocolate ‘glue.’ A fun and impressive vegan dessert addition that is crispy, airy, and irresistibly cute.
Ingredients
Scale
Meringue Base
- 236 ml aquafaba (chickpea cooking liquid, prepared ahead by reducing)
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 200 g caster sugar (superfine)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 g cornflour (cornstarch), plus extra for dusting (sifted)
- 10 g unsweetened cocoa powder
Assembly
- 75 g vegan dark chocolate
Instructions
- Reduce aquafaba: Pour the aquafaba into a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half in volume, roughly 5-10 minutes. This concentrates it to create the right consistency for meringue. Carefully measure the volume during simmering to stop at half the original amount.
- Cool aquafaba: Allow the reduced aquafaba to cool completely to room temperature, then transfer it to a jar and refrigerate to chill before using.
- Prepare oven and baking sheets: Preheat the oven to 100°C (212°F). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and dust lightly with sifted cornflour to prevent sticking.
- Whisk aquafaba mixture: Using a large clean, dry bowl, add the chilled aquafaba and cream of tartar. Whisk on high speed for 10 minutes until soft peaks form.
- Incorporate sugar: Add caster sugar one tablespoon at a time, whisking each addition for 30 seconds before adding the next. Once all sugar is incorporated, continue whisking on high speed for an additional 10 minutes until the mixture is thick, glossy, and holds stiff peaks. Whisk in vanilla extract for one more minute.
- Fold in cornflour: Gently fold the 8 g of cornflour into the meringue using a spatula until just combined, being careful not to overmix so the airiness is preserved.
- Pipe mushroom shapes: Transfer the meringue to a piping bag with a round nozzle. Pipe mushroom caps onto one baking sheet with space between each. Vary sizes for realism. On the second sheet, pipe mushroom stems by pulling the piping bag upwards while piping.
- Dust with cocoa powder: Lightly dust both sheets of piped meringues with cocoa powder using a sieve to give a natural look and subtle earthy flavor.
- Bake the meringues: Bake in the oven for 60-75 minutes. Check doneness by gently lifting a meringue; it should release cleanly from the paper. Once done, leave them in the oven with the door slightly ajar for 15 minutes to cool slowly and avoid cracks. Remove and cool completely for 30-60 minutes.
- Melt chocolate: Using a bain-marie (double boiler), melt the vegan dark chocolate until smooth and glossy.
- Assemble mushrooms: Pierce a small hole underneath each mushroom cap with a skewer. Using a pastry brush, coat the hole area with melted chocolate and carefully attach a stem by pressing it into the hole. Repeat for all mushrooms and allow chocolate to set.
- Storage: Store finished meringue mushrooms in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week, or freeze for several months in an airtight container.
Notes
- Reducing the aquafaba ahead of time is essential to achieving the right texture and volume for the meringue.
- Use a clean, dry bowl free of grease to ensure the aquafaba whips properly.
- Piping the stems while pulling upwards creates the characteristic mushroom stalk shape.
- Dusting with cocoa powder adds a natural color and subtle flavor, mimicking real mushrooms.
- Slow cooling with the oven door ajar helps to prevent cracks in the meringues.
- These meringues can be frozen for longer storage but will keep well at room temperature for several days if stored airtight.
