How To Make An Easy Vegan Pavlova With Aquafaba Meringue
A Vegan Pavlova recipe made with aquafaba and topped with non-dairy whipped cream, fresh raspberries and crunchy pistachios. This is an eggless, gluten-free, dairy-free pavlova that tastes just like a traditional pavlova, with a light and fluffy marshmallow-like inside and an ultra crispy crust on the outside. So easy to make, this low-calorie forkful of heaven awaits you at only 196 calories per slice!
A pavlova without egg whites? There’s a first time for everything! Although making a vegan pavlova may look intimidating, I assure you, it’s really easy. Today I’m going to show you how to make an aquafaba pavlova the easy way, with step-by-step instructions and pictures. Whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, or just want a healthier way to eat, this vegan dessert recipe can be enjoyed by all.
🧂 Ingredients for Vegan Pavlova (With Substitutions)
- Aquafaba – the magic ingredient in vegan meringue comes from “aquafaba,” also called chickpea brine, the liquid inside a can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans). But it must first be reduced, which means you’ll simmer it until some of the water in the liquid evaporates. Complete instructions are detailed below. For this recipe, there is no substitution for aquafaba.
- Cream of tartar – this acidic ingredient helps thicken the meringue so the formation of stiff peaks is possible. It also helps thicken vegan frosting, as you can see in this recipe for Vegan Pumpkin Cupcakes.
- Xanthan gum – another thickening agent that helps stabilize the meringue.
- Corn flour – a whole grain flour that helps create the spongy, marshmallow-like inside of a vegan pavlova. You may substitute with any other whole grain flour.
- Vegan baking sugar – a superfine sugar often used in baking and when making meringue. Also referred to as caster sugar, however, not all are vegan. Organic granulated sugar is fine as a substitute using a 1:1 ratio (one cup granulated sugar for 1 cup caster sugar).
- Vanilla extract – there’s nothing like pure vanilla extract to add a rich, buttery, sweet flavor to all your favorite recipes, like these warm Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats or this Vegan Carrot Cake. Not a fan of vanilla? Substitute with other flavors, such as orange, almond or rum. You can also opt for vanilla bean paste for more vanilla richness.
- Raspberries – fresh fruit is best as frozen thaw into a mushy mess. You may substitute with other fresh berries, such as blueberries or strawberries.
- Pistachios – adds a crunchy, savory contrast to the sweetness of the meringue and raspberries. Don’t like pistachios? No problem, substitute with any nut you choose.
- Dairy-free whipped cream – heavy coconut cream or coconut milk that’s chilled overnight is perfect for making vegan whipped cream for many recipes, like this Sweet Potato Oatmeal or these Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes. Instructions how to make it are below. You can also use non-dairy Ready-Whip found in many local grocery stores.
Exact measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
♨️ Reducing Aquafaba For A Vegan Pavlova
To begin, you must first reduce the aquafaba. This removes excess water and allows the vegan meringue to reach stiff peaks quicker.
Using a strainer, drain the liquid from 2 cans of chickpeas over a small saucepan saving the chickpeas for another recipe (like my Roasted Beet Hummus Recipe or my Pumpkin Butter Chickpeas). This should yield around 220 grams grams of liquid, give or take. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low immediately allowing it to gently simmer. Your goal is to reduce the aquafaba to 120 grams.
TIP: You’ll want to keep a gram scale nearby so you can check the weight every few seconds until you reach the desired weight. NOTE: this doesn’t take long so be vigilant with weighing.
Once the aquafaba is reduced, cover and place in the refrigerator, pot and all, to cool completely.
🍰 How to Make a Vegan Pavlova Without Eggs
1. Line a baking tray with parchment or baking paper. Preheat oven to 230F/100C. Measure and set aside 1 cup of baking sugar. Add reduced, cooled aquafaba to an ultra-clean, stand mixer bowl (I use this one by Kitchen Aid). Alternatively, you can use a large mixing bowl and a hand mixer or electric whisk.
2. Using the whisk attachment of your mixer, whisk the aquafaba on medium speed until the liquid becomes foamy.
3. Add cream of tartar, xanthan gum, corn flour and vanilla.
4. Whisk again on medium-high speed until mixture becomes thick and creamy, forming soft peaks.
5. Turn mixer to high speed and begin adding sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time in 30 second intervals. Please note, the sugar should be completely dissolved before adding another tablespoon (test this by dipping your finger into meringue and rubbing two fingers together. If it feels grainy, keep mixing). After all sugar has been added, continue to beat until the vegan meringue reaches stiff glossy peaks.
NOTE: The time in minutes for beating will vary. It’s done when you lift the beater from the mixer and the meringue is glossy, remains stiff and doesn’t move. DO NOT OVERMIX.
6. Spoon meringue onto a parchment-lined baking sheet one blob layer at a time. Take a clean spatula and form a round 8-inch circle, (approximately 20 centimeters) in diameter). Use the back of a clean spoon or table knife to make some cool designs on the sides and top of the meringue.
7. Cook for 2 hours. When vegan pavlova is finished baking, turn off oven leaving it inside for at least 3 hours to cool completely. DO NOT OPEN OVEN DOOR. Once cool, remove from oven. Using a stainless steel spatula/turner, slide under pavlova and gently loosen it from the parchment paper. Lift parchment paper with pavlova on it and gently slide vegan pav onto a cake plate. You may use the steel spatula underneath the pavlova to help it gently along.
TIP: Don’t worry if it has some cracks; this is normal and if you want, you can cover some or all with non-dairy whipped cream.
8. Wait to add toppings until right before serving. When ready, top with a thick layer of vegan whipped cream, raspberries and pistachios. For an added treat, add a sprig of fresh mint. Cut slices like you would a cake using a sharp knife. Serve immediately with a cup of coffee, Vegan Pumpkin Spice Latte, or a classic Vodka Mule. Enjoy!!
🥥 How To Make Whipped Coconut Cream
To make coconut whipped cream, chill a can of coconut milk or heavy cream overnight in the refrigerator. To a bowl, scoop out the white fatty part of the coconut milk/cream, leaving the liquid to add to your coffee or Vegan Granola. Add 3 tablespoons maple syrup or vegan powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar. Mix with a hand mixer or a whisk until just combined. Chill in fridge for 30 minutes before adding it to the vegan pavlova.
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
- Do start with super-clean equipment – to get perfect meringue every time, wash your bowl, whisk or beaters and spatula with hot soapy water. Rinse and pat dry with a clean paper towel. You can finalize the cleaning process with wiping your equipment with white vinegar if you want to be extra meticulous like I am.
- Do store toppings and meringue separately – if you’re not going to use right away, store toppings separately in an air tight container in the refrigerator and the baked pavlova without toppings in an airtight container on your countertop, not the fridge as this can make it soggy.
- Don’t start adding sugar until the meringue starts forming soft peaks – wait until the meringue is thick and creamy with soft peaks (as in the pictorial below) to begin adding sugar.
- Do add sugar 1 tablespoon at a time in 30 second increments – this ensures the sugar is adequately dissolved between spoonfuls.
- Don’t add toppings until just before serving – if you’re not going to serve the vegan pavlova right away, wait to add whipped cream and other toppings until just before serving. This prevents sogginess and possible collapse.
TIP: if you love decadent vegan dessert recipes, try my Lemon Raw Vegan Cheesecake, my Lavender Vegan Shortbread Cookies.or my Best Ever Vegan Carrot Cake.
🍽 Serving Suggestions & Variations
- Use different fruits and/or nuts – instead of raspberries and pistachios, try other fresh berries, such as strawberries or blueberries and/or shaved almonds or macadamia nuts.
- Add some chocolate curls – for an added treat, use a potato peeler to shave off chocolate curls from the long end of a vegan chocolate bar.
- Pair it with a Skinny Vanilla Latte – for the perfect dessert combination.
- If you love berry desserts, try my Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake made in the air fryer.
💭 Frequently Asked Questions
A vegan pavlova is made with aquafaba, the brine from a can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), fine sugar, vanilla, some thickening agents (cream of tartar, xanthan gum, corn flour) and your choice of toppings.
Yes. Vegan meringue can be frozen before baking. For best results, pipe or spoon meringue onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for 2 hours. Once frozen, transfer to an airtight storage container and store in the freezer for up to 2 months. To use, remove from freezer, place back on parchment-lined baking sheet and thaw at room temperature for about an hour.
Yes. My recipe is made entirely without eggs or any other dairy products using aquafaba, otherwise known as chickpea broth.
This is sometimes a tough question because there are several reasons vegan pavlovas collapse. Sometimes it happens early in the baking process. However, it’s more likely to collapse after you have added the toppings.
Causes may include an aquafaba that is under or over-whipped, the sugar being added in too quickly, or if it’s removed from the oven too soon.
These things can cause a hollow meringue that buckles under the weight of the toppings. It’s also important to use a very clean bowl, whisk or beaters, and add the sugar, one tablespoon at a time in 30 second intervals. Finally, your meringue mixture should be nice and stiff before ladling onto a baking tray.
🌡️ Storage
A vegan pavlova is best eaten immediately after adding the toppings. If you must store leftovers, I have done so in the refrigerator loosely covered with parchment paper for 3 days without much change in texture; however the moisture from the refrigerator may make it soggy.
What’s more, because vegan whipped cream becomes unstable at room temperature, storing this aquafaba pavlova after the toppings are added in an airtight container on the countertop causes the whipped cream to run and the pavlova to become soggy. For best results, eat right away.
🎂 More Vegan Dessert Recipes
Have you tried this? Why not leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback. You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter, and sign up for my newsletter!
Easy Vegan Pavlova Recipe
Equipment
- Hand mixer optional in place of stand mixer
Ingredients
- 120 grams reduced aquafaba
- 1 cup sugar caster sugar, baking sugar, fine sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp corn flour
- 1 tsp xanthan gum
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
Toppings
- 1/2 cup raspberries
- 1/4 cup pistachios
- 2 cups vegan whipped cream
Instructions
- Line a baking tray with parchment or baking paper. Preheat oven to 230F/100C. Measure and set aside 3/4 cup of baking sugar. Add reduced, cooled aquafaba to an ultra-clean, stand mixer bowl (instructions in the recipe post). Alternatively, you can use a large glass bowl and a hand mixer.
- Whisk the aquafaba until the liquid becomes foamy.
- Add cream of tartar, xanthan gum, corn flour and vanilla.
- Whisk again on medium-high speed until mixture becomes thick and creamy, forming soft peaks.
- Turn mixer to high speed and begin adding sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time in 30 second intervals. Please note, the sugar should be completely dissolved before adding another tablespoon (test this by dipping your finger into meringue and rubbing two fingers together. If it feels grainy, keep mixing). After all sugar has been added, continue to beat until the vegan meringue reaches stiff peaks. The time in minutes for beating will vary. It's done when you lift the beater from the mixer and the meringue is glossy, remains stiff and doesn't move. DO NOT OVERMIX.
- Spoon meringue onto a parchment-lined baking sheet one blob layer at a time. Take a clean spatula and form a round disc, approximately 7-8 inches/17-20 centimeters in diameter. Use the back of a clean spoon or table knife to make some cool designs on the sides and top of the meringue.
- Cook for 2 hours. When vegan pavlova is finished baking, turn off oven leaving it inside for at least 3 hours to cool completely. DO NOT OPEN OVEN DOOR. Once cool, remove from oven. Using a stainless steel spatula/turner, slide under pavlova and gently loosen it from the parchment paper. Lift parchment paper with pavlova on it and gently slide vegan pav onto a cake plate. You may use the steel spatula underneath the pavlova to help it gently along.
Notes
- It’s normal for a pavlova to come out of the oven with some cracks. I thick this adds to their beauty, however, if you prefer, simply cover as many as you can with vegan whipped cream.
- Do start with super-clean equipment – to get perfect meringue every time, wash your bowl, whisk or beaters and spatula with hot soapy water. Rinse and pat dry with a clean paper towel. You can finalize the cleaning process with wiping your equipment with white vinegar if you want to be extra meticulous like I am.
- Do store toppings and meringue separately – if you’re not going to use right
- away, store toppings separately in an air tight container in the refrigerator and the baked pavlova without toppings in an airtight container on your countertop, not the fridge as this can make it soggy.
- Don’t start adding sugar until the meringue starts forming soft peaks – wait until the meringue is thick and creamy with soft peaks (as in the pictorial below) to begin adding sugar.
- Do add sugar 1 tablespoon at a time in 30 second increments – this ensures the sugar is adequately dissolved between spoonful’s.
- Don’t add toppings until just before serving – if you’re not going to serve the vegan pavlova right away, wait to add whipped cream and other toppings until just before serving. This prevents sogginess and possible collapse.
Hello!
Made this yesterday, tasted very yummy but could not get the mixture to stiff peaks, it stayed at soft peaks and very sticky after at least 30 mins in whisking with a stand mixer. So it turned out quite deflated, it was still soft and chewy but didn’t have any height to it. I would like to try making it again though, any idea of where I could’ve gone wrong?
Thanks 🙂
Sounds like you over-mixed the meringue. It usually doesn’t take more than 5-8 minutes. I’ll add that in there. I do state it’s important to not overmix, but I’ll have to make it to where it stands out more. Did you use cream of tartar, xanthan gum and corn flour? Each is important for this recipe. Please let me know if I can be of further help.
Yes I used all ingredients listed, I knew to not over mix but it never seemed to reach stiff peaks even after a few minutes, just stayed very sticky and loose. I’ll try again another time!
Hallo 👋
My pavlova looked perfect but when i flipped it off the baking paper , the bottom collapsed. I would like to try again – could you possibly tell me what went wrong ? ( reduced the aqau faba perfectly , suger was completely dissolved , accidentally cooked it for 25 minutes longer , left in oven for 3 hours , the top was perfect )
Hi Kara. Thanks for trying the recipe. My guess is you overcooked it as 25 minutes over is pretty significant. Be sure not to overmix the meringue. Right when it reaches stiff peaks no more beating is necessary. I just slid it off onto the cake plate very very gently. Hope it helps. Let me know.
You should put in approx whipping time in each step as I followed your recipe and a normal pavlova timing recipe, although I was disappointed with how little 2 cans whipped to when it was reduced down to 120g. How many is this recipe supposed to serve?
I’m sorry u were disappointed and thought reducing it to 120 grams was not sufficient. I do note this in the recipe:
NOTE: The time in minutes for beating will vary. It’s done when you lift the beater from the mixer and the meringue is glossy, remains stiff and doesn’t move. DO NOT OVERMIX.
It makes 6 slices. U beat it till it reaches stiff glossy peaks. And by that time it expands in volume. Did ur meringue reach stiff glossy peaks? If it didn’t u didnt beat it long enough. I hope this helps. When I make another one, I will time the whipping but again, it’s going to vary depending upon the products you use.
Can you eliminate the xanthan gum or is there a substitute
Hi Kelly. You really do need a thickening agent in this recipe. A common substitute for xanthan gum is corn starch. Use an equal amount. Hope that helps.
This is so interesting on the aquafaba and the pavlova is such a pretty dessert. I don’t eat vegan but I love reading about all the new ways of using ingredients for different food types.
Thanks Jere.
This looks so decadent and yummy! Thanks for the recipe!
For sure. Thank you much Elizabeth.
What a beautiful dish. It looks so decadent!
Indeed! Thanks Dee!
This is an absolutely beautiful dessert!! And wonderfully flavorful! A great recipe – thanks.
Thank you Helen. Glad you enjoyed it!
Pavlova is always a stunning dessert. Presentation is pefect. So delicious to eat too.
I agree! Thank you Gloria!
Such a beautiful presentation. I love raspberries and crunchy pistachios.
Yes, it is a perfect combo. Thank you Gina.
I’d never think this was vegan. It looks amazing and would be a great addition to a holiday menu.
I know, Stephanie. It blows my mind how anything can be veganized. Thanks much.
This is the perfect dessert for someone who can’t eat eggs-like me! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much Charles.
What a showstopping vegan dessert! Great use of aquafaba!
Indeed! Thank you Katherine.
Oh wow, this looks incredible. So good that it is vegan too.
Thank you Dannii.