This Vegan Pavlova Recipe is simple, delicious and sure to impress! Are you as excited as we are? This recipe was featured in the amazing The Supper Club Magazine and it’s so good that we’re sharing it with you. The first edition is still available to buy and we are enamoured by it; it’s bursting with stories and recipes from across the world by incredibly talented people.
Orange blossom and pomegranate molasses are an amazing flavour combination, that are perfect year round – if you get the chance try and make this in blood orange season, the flavours and the colours are divine! if you can’t tolerate aquafaba or egg whites then feel free to make the orange blossom cream cheese and serve with fresh fruit and mint, burnt almonds and pomegranate molasses. You won’t be disappointed.
What is Aquafaba?
If you’ve not come across aquafaba before, then you might be surprised as to what it is; the liquid that is leftover after cooking beans, or the liquid in cans of beans.
You can use the liquid from chickpea, kidney beans, black beans and even lentils. Black beans will result in a greyish meringue, which is great for Halloween – but aquafaba doesn’t like humidity, so they mightn’t come out as you expect. Which is part of the fun!
Recipe Notes
Pavlova is a high sugar recipe, without the sugar the pavlova sinks but this isn’t to say you shouldn’t try it. If you bake aquafaba without sugar,it tends to flatten, so instead make it into a mousse by whipping it into stiff peaks, adding a sweetener of your choice, and folding it into the orange blossom cream cheese. In that instance make your orange blossom cream cheese first! But, if you are preparing it this way, you should know that a little bit of sweetener is necessary to mask the bean flavour.
We’ve given you two options for the cream cheese filling; one is a raw cream cheese that is super easy to make and customise for other recipes too, and the other is a 1 minute recipe for those of you that don’t want to wait for your cashews to soak.
If you can get hold of borage blossoms they add a lovely almost cucumber-like flavour to the dish. But if you can’t, don’t worry – we promise it’s every bit as delicious either way.
Vegan Pavlova Recipe (with Orange Blossom Cream Cheese and Pomegranate Molasses)
Aquafaba pavlova
Liquid from 1 can of unsalted chickpeas
300g unrefined raw cane sugar or coconut blossom sugar, powdered
- Preheat the oven to 100˚C, Gas Mark or 212˚F
- Put your aquafaba in the bowl of a standing mixer and beat on high until it forms stiff peaks. This can take 10 minutes or more, so don’t worry if it doesn’t look like much is happening to begin with! The trick with aquafaba is to keep beating it.
- While the aquafaba is in the mixer, line a large baking tray with parchment paper, draw a 24cm ring on the parchment paper
- Add your sugar one tablespoon at a time until it has all been used.
- Use 2/3 of the meringue mixture to make your pavlova. Making sure to use up the 2/3 of meringue mixture, pipe a thick hoop on the inside of the ring on the baking tray. Building up as you go. If you would like you can tease out parts to give it a rough texture, but this isn’t necessary
- Save the remaining mixture to make small meringues that you can decorate with.
- Put the meringue hoop into the oven and leave to bake for 2 hours 55 minutes, do not open the oven door until the end.
- If possible, leave to cool in the oven with the door ajar, for 8 hours or overnight. Otherwise, remove from the oven and leave to cool in a safe space.
Orange Blossom Raw Vegan Cream Cheese Filling
If you like to take your time preparing recipes, then this is the recipe for you. If not, scroll down 🙂
200g cashews, soaked
Contents of 1 probiotic capsule (we used this)
⅓ cup water, or just enough to blend.
1-2 tbsp unrefined cane sugar or birch xylitol, powdered or 2-4 drops stevia, to taste (optional)
1 tsp orange blossom water
- Blend the cashews with the contents of one probiotic capsule and water. You are aiming for a smooth, cream cheese consistency.
- Transfer to a bowl, cover with cling film and leave 12 hours or overnight, after this time the cashew mix should smell like cream cheese and it should have a few bubbles.
- Pop it in the blender, add your sweetener (if using) and the orange blossom water. Mix until combined.
Orange Blossom Cream Cheese filling
We promised easy and you got it! This recipe takes next to no time and is just as delicious!
1 packet of dairy free cream cheese
1-2 tbsp unrefined cane sugar or xylitol, powdered or 2-4 drops stevia, to taste (optional)
1 tsp orange blossom water
- Blend the cream cheese, sweetener (if using) and orange blossom water until smooth
Now all of your components are ready, plate up: Top the pavlova with orange blossom cream, peeled orange (or blood orange) segments, broken burnt almonds, pomegranate seeds and borage flowers (if you have them), drizzle with pomegranate molasses and enjoy!