Roasted rhubarb crazy berry meringues showcase my two favorite seasonal fruits. Spoon this bright red compote of tart rhubarb and juicy red strawberries on top of crunchy white meringues for this just a little bit crazy dessert.
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If youโve ever cooked with rhubarb, you know that its color is rarely vivid red. You expect red, but you get dull pink. The cure is to roast the rhubarb in an orange scented raspberry sauce.
Taking a cue from the Italian โcrazy strawberryโ dessert, fragola pazzo, this rhubarb raspberry sauce is spiked with pungent balsamic vinegar and freshly ground black pepper. It’s a crazy combination with delightful flavors!
Spooned over crisp meringue, it’s kind of like Australiaโs pavlova, the sweet meringue and contrasting tart fruit. Except these meringues are baked until theyโre crisp all the way through. The meringues go all marshmallow-y creamy underneath the crazy rhubarb and berries. For color and crunch, finish with a sprinkle of toasted pistachios.
I’m including two meringue recipes, one is vegan, the other, a classic egg white meringue.
Instead of the usual egg whites, the vegan meringue is made with the liquid you drain from a can of chickpeas. Vegan meringues? Crazy?
Coming from a pastry chef background, I was excited to compare the vegan and egg white meringues. Mind-blowing. If I didn’t tell you, I bet you couldn’t say which was which, the two different baked meringues are so close in looks, texture, and flavor.
Actually, the vegan aquafaba meringues are easier to make. Instead of being watchful not to overbeat egg whites, you whip the bejeezus out of aquafaba. Plus, thereโs no separating whites from yolks, and no figuring out what to do with the yolks.
Roasted rhubarb crazy berry meringues are mouthwatering beautiful desserts. Made with the amazing aquafaba meringues, they’re deliciously vegan as well.
Put your roasted rhubarb crazy berry meringues together at the last minute, just before serving.
For a casual affair, let guests assemble their own: Offer the meringues, the rhubarb, the strawberries, the crazy sauce, and the pistachios in separate bowls. Place a pepper grinder front and enter. First demo how to assemble their own–you make one first. Theyโll love the final flourish of freshly ground pepper!
Roasted Rhubarb Crazy Berry Meringues notes:
- If you donโt want to make meringues, or if youโve short on time, spoon this crazy rhubarb and berry compote over ice cream. Cookies would be nice on the side.
- Meringues can be made several days ahead of time. They keep well in the open air in our dry mountain climate, but if it is humid where you are, store in an airtight container.
- Ideally, garbanzo beans for vegan meringues should not contain salt, but many brands do. Both Eden Organic and 365 Everyday Value (Whole Foods) have no salt added. If itโs all you can find, use the salted aquafaba.
- If you eat dairy, you could gild the lily with a dollop of softly whipped cream.
- You might also like my date-sweetened vegan Strawberry Ice Cream Pie with its stellar gluten-free almond crust.
Do you have more rhubarb than you know what to do with? Make Rhubarb Honey Chutney with dried cranberries.
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Roasted Rhubarb Crazy Berry Meringues
Ingredients
Roasted Rhubarb Crazy Berries:
- 2 cups frozen raspberries
- 2 teaspoons grated orange zest
- ยฝ cup fresh squeezed orange juice
- 5 or 6 stalks fresh rhubarb, ends trimmed, about 1 pound
- โ cup maple syrup
- ยฝ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups fresh strawberries, cut in quarters
- 3 tablespoons chopped roasted pistachios or almonds
Vegan Meringue:
- ยฝ cup liquid (aquafaba), drained from a can of chickpeas/garbanzo beans (see note)
- ยผ teaspoon cream of tartar
- โ cup organic cane sugar (see note)
- 2 teaspoons arrowroot or cornstarch
- ยฝ teaspoon white balsamic or apple cider vinegar
- ยฝ teaspoon vanilla extract
Egg White Meringue:
- 3 large egg whites, (about 1/2 cup)
- ยผ teaspoon cream of tartar
- โ cup sugar, ideally superfine
- 2 teaspoons arrowroot or cornstarch
- ยฝ teaspoon white balsamic or apple cider vinegar
- ยผ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Roasted Rhubarb Crazy Berries:
- Preheat oven to 375ยฐF. Put the raspberries in a saucepan with the orange zest and juice. On low flame, cook just until the raspberries are hot and have broken down, but do not boil. Using a sieve, strain the juice from the seeds, pressing to get as much raspberry juice as you can. You should have about ยพ cup of thick raspberry juice. Set aside in a bowl.
- Cut the rhubarb stalks in half lengthwise, then cut on a sharp diagonal into 1-inch pieces.
- Stir the rhubarb and maple syrup into the raspberry sauce. Transfer to a 9 x 13-inch casserole and bake until the rhubarb is just tender but still holding its shape, about 15 minutes. Resist the urge to bake longer–the fruit softens as it cools.
- Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove the rhubarb. Stir in the vanilla, balsamic vinegar, and several grinds of black pepper.
To serve:
- Stir the strawberries into the raspberry sauce. Place meringues on plates. Spoon rhubarb to one side and strawberries into the center. Drizzle sauce around the plate. Sprinkle with pistachios and freshly ground black pepper.
Vegan Meringues:
- Preheat oven to 200ยฐF. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment. Pour the bean liquid (aquafaba) through a strainer. With an electric mixer or stand mixer with whisk, whip the liquid with the cream of tartar until white and foamy, 2 to 5 minutes, less with a stand mixer. The liquid will double in volume.
- Continue whipping, adding the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. Whip until the meringue forms stiff glossy peaks. This can take a while, 5 minutes or more, again depending on your mixer. Make a slurry with the arrowroot, vinegar, and vanilla. Add the slurry and whip some more.
- Scoop 1/3 cup mounds onto the parchment-covered baking sheet. (I use a #16 cookies scoop) Use the back of a spoon to hollow out the centers. Make the hollows deep, because they are not as deep when the meringues expand in the oven.
- Bake about 2 hours, until the meringue is dry. (see note)
Egg White Meringue:
- Preheat oven to 200ยฐF. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment. With an electric mixer or stand mixer with whisk, whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until soft peaks form. Gradually sprinkle in the sugar, whipping until the whites form glossy, stiff peaks, 3 to 5 minutes. Be careful not to overbeat. Make a slurry with the arrowroot, vinegar, and vanilla. Add to the meringue and whip until incorporated.
- Scoop 1/3 cup mounds onto the parchment-covered baking sheet. (I use a #16 cookie scoop.) Use the back of a spoon to hollow out the centers. If you are comfortable with a pastry bag, you can pipe the meringue through a large star-shaped tip, and form nestsโhigher on the edges than the center.
- Bake about 2 hours, until the meringue is dry. (see note)
Notes
- Ideally the garbanzo beans should not contain salt, but many brands do. Both Eden Organic and 365 Everyday Value (Whole Foods) have no salt added. If itโs all you can find, use the salted aquafaba. A 15-ounce can of garbanzo beans contains ยฝ to 3/4 cup aquafaba.
- Organic cane sugar is relatively coarse. To make it as fine as possible, give it a spin in the food processor. You can substitute superfine sugar, but regular sugar is generally not vegan.
- You canโt truly tell if the meringue is dry until it cools a minute. So, pull the baking sheet from the oven and gently lift a corner of one of the meringues. If it bends, return it to the oven for more baking time.
Nutrition
Nutrition amounts are for the vegan meringues, though the egg white meringue calories are similar.
Oh I’ve been wanting to try aquafaba for a while now, but I haven’t yet. I need to change that ASAP! I’m eating tons of rhubarb right now, so I’m super excited to try these meringues! · 8 May, 2017
Thank you Liz. I’m sure you will be blown away as I was. · 8 May, 2017
How crazy interesting about aquafaba! These look just as white and beautiful as the egg white ones. Thanks Letty · 8 May, 2017
Cool, right? I have memories of meringues not working with moister sweeteners–even brown sugar- so I stuck with the pure cane stuff. Next can of beans I think I will play with maple syrup. · 8 May, 2017
WOW…my mind is blown. It’s unbelievable that aquafaba can make a vegan meringue that is comparable to classic meringue! And the roasted rhubarb crazy berries sounds like something I’d be crazy about. This is so lovely Letty! · 8 May, 2017
Aquafaba really is amazing. Who ever figured it out? · 8 May, 2017
This recipe is absolutely gorgeous and the meringues are genius!! · 8 May, 2017
Ahh shucks–thank you! · 8 May, 2017
Ok this is amazing! I’ve been intrigued by aquafina and now you and seriously made me want to use it asap…to make these meringues! · 8 May, 2017
Thank you Laura. I look forward to hearing what you say about them! · 8 May, 2017
This is what I don’t understand about diets. How can canned bean liquid (full of sodium, calcium chloride, and bisphenol A) be better than an all-natural egg white? GREG · 9 May, 2017
Especially an organic egg–nothing better. I do find aquafaba interesting, especially for someone who is committed to following a vegan diet. The best aquafaba will of course come from dried chickpeas you cook yourself. If one is buying canned, they should look for high quality–like those from Eden Foods. Besides no added salt or calcium chloride, I would bet Eden use cans that are not lined with bisphenol A. · 9 May, 2017