Vegan Fruit Pavlovas
Photography by Simeon Crofts
DIETARY - Vegan/Vegetarian/Nut-free/Gluten-free/Dairy-free
Though I grew up enjoying many a pavlova in England, now I live in Australia, I have learned that ‘pav’ is the national dessert Down Under. Usually topped with tropical fruits like mango and passion fruit, pavlovas make an appearance at almost every barbecue and frequently replace the humble Christmas pudding on December 25th. Traditionally made from whipped egg whites, a vegan version might seem impossible, but thanks to the genius who discovered that beating the drained liquid of tinned chickpeas (known as aquafaba) quickly resembles meringue, we can all enjoy this retro classic free from dairy and other animal products. That’s right, it’s as simple as draining a tin of chickpeas and using the liquid. You can reserve the chickpeas themselves in a container for another use. They’ll go perfect in a homemade curry or salad.
Just as with making traditional egg-based meringues, this vegan version requires just as much time in the oven, if not a little more, so patience is a virtue for this dessert! However, when you tuck into the beautifully crisp meringues with soft, chewy centres laden with sweet fruits of your choice, you’ll agree these mini pavlovas are well worth the wait.
I know it looks like a lot of ingredients and steps, but I promise if you follow each one to the letter, you won’t be disappointed with the result!
I topped my pavlovas with strawberries, kiwi, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries, but you can use any combination of fruits you like. You can even add a few nuts and a grating of dark chocolate to boost the flavour even more. If you make more pavlovas than you can eat in one go, reserve your pavlova nests in an airtight container in the fridge without the topping. When you’re ready to enjoy, simply pop them back into the oven for approximately 30 minutes to revive them.
Vegan Fruit Pavlovas
Ingredients
- 1 x 420g tin (¾ cup) no added salt chickpea brine (reserve the chickpeas for another recipe later on)
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar
- 160g caster sugar
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp xanthan gum
- ¾ cup coconut cream, refrigerated overnight
- 50g icing sugar (as desired)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 150g strawberries, washed, hulled and chopped
- 50g caster sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- Fruits of your choice
- Coconut shavings (optional)
Method
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper and pre-heat the oven to 90°C/200°F.
- Using an electric hand or stand mixer, whisk the chickpea brine with the cream of tartar in a clean, dry bowl on a high speed until thick white peaks form – this will take around 10 minutes. It’s ready once the whites are stiff enough to stay in place when the bowl is turned on its side.
- Continuing to whisk, add the sugar 1 tbsp at a time. Allow each spoonful to whisk in for 30 seconds before adding the next.
- Once the sugar is fully incorporated, continue to whisk as you add the vanilla extract and xanthan gum. The result should be a stiff, glossy white mix.
- Now fill your piping bag – or use a sandwich bag with the corner snipped off – with the vegan meringue mix and pipe circles on to the lined baking sheet, starting with a flat disc, then pipe a ring around the edge on top to help keep the cream and fruit inside later on.
- Bake in the oven for 90 minutes then turn off the oven and leave the meringues to cool in the oven with the door slightly ajar (you can wedge it open with a wooden spoon) for at least 3 hours.
- While you wait for the meringues to cool, prepare the cream. Scoop the cold coconut cream into a bowl, being careful not to include any of the coconut water that will be sitting at the bottom of the can. Whip on high speed until stiff.
- Add the sugar and vanilla and whip again until incorporated. Taste to check the sweetness is to your liking. Refrigerate until needed.
- Next, make your strawberry sauce by gently cooking your strawberries, sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan set over medium heat.
- Bring the mix to a boil, stirring from time to time until the sugar has dissolved. At this point, reduce the heat and allow to simmer gently for 20-30 minutes until thick and the strawberries have broken down.
- Once your meringues are completely cool and crisp to the touch, you can pipe or spoon your cream on top, then layer with the fruit of your choice. Finally, drizzle over some strawberry sauce and top with a sprinkle of desiccated or shaved coconut if desired. These are best eaten straight away, but if you want to keep them for a couple of days, pop them in an airtight container in the fridge without the toppings to stop them from going soft and sticky. If your meringues do go a little soft, you can simply reheat them in the oven for 30 minutes to dry them out again. They will taste good as new!