In honor of JSA Founder and Chairman Wayne Sumner’s birthday, we wanted to share a dessert that he would actually eat. Since he eats a diet that is strictly Vegan and Gluten-Free, cakes and pastries can be a bit of a challenge. His favorite desserts usually consist of a bit of high-quality dark chocolate, or fresh fruit, so these meringues fit the bill to complement either one.

These meringues are also amazing in their simplicity,…only 4 ingredients! Instead of eggs, we use “aquafaba” which is a fancy word for chickpea water, which is a miracle ingredient for vegans. This recipe is adapted from a Food Network recipe, although they use processed white sugar, where we used raw sugar which Wayne prefers. (We were able to find the superfine raw sugar at Walmart. But you may want to blitz it in a food processer a few pulses to keep it as fine as possible) Just keep in mind that the finished meringues will be slightly off-white and may be slightly more chewy using the raw sugar.  Also, with meringues, moisture is the enemy, so use a very dry glass bowl in which to mix, and make sure all your utensils are completely dry before using them. 

  • The juice from one 15oz. can of chickpeas (approx 3/4 c.)
  • 1/4 tsp Cream of Tartar
  • Pinch of Kosher Salt
  • 3/4 c. raw sugar – superfine (it’s not processed or bleached white. It has a slight tan appearance)
  1. Preheat oven to 250-degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment
  2. Strain the chickpea liquid into the bowl of a stand mixer (use the chickpeas to make hummus later!)
  3. Add Cream of Tartar and salt
  4. Beat on medium-high speed until very foamy.
  5. While beating, add the sugar a TBS at a time until it’s all added
  6. Continue to beat mixture until stiff peaks can form – approx 4 minutes
  7. Pipe or spoon mixture onto baking sheets. approx 2 inches in diameter. Leave 1 inch between
  8. Bake about 2 hours – until no longer glossy. DO NOT PEAK INTO THE OVEN
  9. Turn the oven off, let meringues sit in the closed oven until they have dried out inside – about 1 hr.

Store meringues in an airtight container up to 3 days. Humidity is the enemy of meringues, and may affect how they turn out from batch to batch. Be patient. You’ll find the aquafaba creates a slightly nutty taste to the meringues that is unique, but likeable. We made our meringues slightly smaller and didn’t do any fancy piping and they still turned out delicious. Served with some fresh peaches, they are a dessert fit for a Chairman. Happy Birthday, Wayne!