My current obsession are meringues. It’s like magic (more on this below!) and I can’t get enough.

These VEGAN lemon meringue cookies are SO good my Dad (who is NOT vegan or gluten free) polished off an entire dish of them without even leaving me one! He also thought it was pretty darn cool when he found out what they were made of! Do you know what it is? No, not egg whites… it’s VEGAN! Any other guesses?

It’s called Aquafaba.

Not sure what that is? I bet it’s in your pantry or cupboard right now!

Aquafaba is the liquid left when you drain a can of beans like chickpeas or white beans! YEP! Bean juice! Crazy, right?! It magically works like egg in many recipes. These meringue cookies are lemony and delicious, and NO ONE would guess they aren’t made with “regular” egg whites! So next time you make hummus or anything with chickpeas or beans… SAVE the liquid for a yummy dessert later! (also makes great marshmallow fluff – more on that recipe soon!)

And for my secret ingredient…Lemon Young Living Essential Oil! SO good! Not only does a drop or two of this essential oil taste divine, I also put it in my water every morning to detoxify, get things moving, aid weight loss, etc!

If you want to see some of my other essential oil creations, try my peppermint crunch bars or my orange chocolate brownies!

(** It’s important to note that when ever I talk about ingesting essential oils or putting it in my recipes, I am ONLY talking about Young Living. I wouldn’t feel good going to Whole Foods or another store and ingesting any of the lemon oils (or other varieties) because it’s actually probably not safe! I wholeheartedly endorse and feel safe using Young Living because it’s the purest oil I’ve found! Interested in learning more? Go here or please reach out to me!) 

I RARELY use sugar in my recipes (natural sweeteners, yes… but white sugar? Not so much!) so this is a rarity for me. This recipe is very much a treat! Share with others and brush well after eating. 🙂

Let me know what you think in the comments below!

xo

Lemon Meringue Cookies (Vegan & Gluten Free)

Ingredients:

• 1 15-oz can drained chickpea liquid (Aquafaba)
• ¾ cups of Organic powdered sugar
• ½ to 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• ½ tsp cream of Tartar (optional, for stability)
• Pinch of Himalayan salt
• 2 drops lemon essential oil (I use Young Living)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 250F
2. Add the aquafaba, vanilla, cream of tartar, salt and lemon oil in a mixing bowl.
3. Using a hand mixer or KitchenAid, whip for 5-10 minutes until stiff peaks form (and if you hold the bowl upside down, it won’t fall!)
4. Add the powdered sugar, 1-2 tbsp at a time and blend until incorporated.
5. Bake for 45 minutes, turn off oven and leave in oven additional 60 minutes (until dry)
6. Enjoy!

*Store in an air-tight container.