mini vegan pavlovas with coconut cream and passionfruit curd

This post and recipe was created for #FreakyFruitsFriday! I was sent products by the sponsor company but as always opinions are 100% mine.

These delicious Mini Vegan Pavlovas are a simple and sophisticated dessert. Airy meringue nests are topped with fluffy coconut whip and a silky passionfruit curd.

Hi friends and happy FRIDAY! Today is my last contribution to #FreakyFruitsFriday, and it sure is a delicious one! I have been meaning to try my hand at making vegan pavlova for quite some time, and when I saw the passionfruit in my Melissa's Produce box... I knew the time had come. Traditional pavlovas are often topped with passionfruit, and inspired me to make my own version of Mini Vegan Pavlovas with Coconut Cream and Passionfruit Curd! These little desserts seriously exceeded all expectations. Sweet, light, tart, and that aquafaba meringue is just perfect. I am so excited to be sharing these with you!

One of the MOST common questions I get as a vegan baker is, what do you use instead of eggs?! There are a bazillion options out there, and it really all depends on what you are trying to make. For cakes, I often use "flax eggs" which are ground flaxseed mixed with water. Some people use chia seeds for this method as well. In denser recipes like banana bread or pumpkin bread, often the fruit itself gives the bread enough structure to where no egg substitute needs to be added. The real superstar of egg replacement though, is aquafaba. I've talked about it before, but aquafaba is the liquid from canned chickpeas. I know it sounds super weird, but also like, eggs are weird too if you think about them too hard soo.... whatever. The aquafaba worked perfectly in place of egg whites for these mini vegan pavlovas!

Once I figured out the egg part of the pavlovas, I had to decide on the perfect topping! I adore passionfruit, and while fresh passionfruit would have been great on top of these desserts, I just knew it wasn't realistic because they are SO EXPENSIVE. And since the flavor is so good, I really didn't want to skimp. Enter - passionfruit curd! This stretched three fruits into a whole jar of curd, and I was able to top 6 pavlovas with about a half a jar leftover for later. Yes, please! The other must was fluffy coconut cream in place of traditional cream. And, ta-da. The ultimate dessert was born! Who needs eggs and dairy anyway?!

Check out our #FreakyFruitsFriday recipes for today!

• Blood Orange Bars by Kelly Lynn’s Sweets and Treats
• Buttermilk Passion Fruit Poundcake with Blood-Orange Glaze by Kate's Recipe Box
• Dragon Fruit and Blood Orange Salad with Pecans by Hezzi-d's Books and Cooks
• Freaky Fruit Cocktails by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Gluten Free Blood Orange Cupcakes with Passion Fruit Frosting by Frugal & Fit
• Grilled Beef Salad with Kiwano Dressing by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Kiwano and Blood Orange Smoothies by Blogghetti
• Mini Vegan Pavlovas with Coconut Cream and Passionfruit Curd by The Baking Fairy
• Muhallebi (Middle Eastern Milk Pudding) by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Passion Fruit & Blood Orange Curd Tart by Savory Moments
• Passion Fruit Coconut Loaf Cake by Strawberry Blondie Kitchen
• Passion Fruit Lemonade by Jonesin’ For Taste

I hope you guys will give these mini vegan pavlovas a try because they are seriously mind-blowingly good! The light and crisp meringue, creamy coconut whip, silky and tangy passionfruit curd... WAH. I am seriously still dreaming of these!

Check out my other #FreakyFruitsFriday creations!

• Vegan Coconut Lime Trifles with Tropical Fruit Salad
• Autumn Harvest Bowls with Blood Orange Tahini Drizzle

{meringue recipe from VeganStars}

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

mini vegan pavlovas with coconut cream and passionfruit curd

These delicious Mini Vegan Pavlovas are a simple and sophisticated dessert. Airy meringue nests are topped with fluffy coconut whip and a silky passionfruit curd.

Prep Time2 hours hrs

Cook Time45 minutes mins

Total Time2 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Course: Pastry

Servings: 12

Author: Valentina | The Baking Fairy

Ingredients

• *for the mini pavlovas*
• 2 cups aquafaba cooked down and reduced to 1 cup of liquid
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon corn starch
• ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• *for the passionfruit curd*
• 3 fresh passionfruits
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup nondairy milk I used almond
• 3 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon vegan butter
• *for the coconut cream*
• 1 can coconut cream chilled overnight
• 2-3 tablespoon powdered sugar

Instructions

• First, place the can of coconut cream in the fridge so it can chill and solidify, at least overnight.
• Next, make the reduced aquafaba. This will also have to sit in the fridge overnight before it's ready.
• Pour ~2 cups of aquafaba in a small pot, and heat over medium. Bring to a simmer, and slowly reduce until it is down to 1 cup of liquid. Pour into an airtight jar, and chill overnight.
• The next day, you can prepare the meringue.
• Preheat oven to 250F.
• Pour the prepared aquafaba in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk, and mix in the corn starch.
• Beat the mixture on low-medium until it starts to look foamy, then increase speed to high until it starts to look thick and fluffy. Add in the sugar a spoonful at a time until it has all been incorporated. Finally, mix in the vanilla bean paste. Mixture should be extremely fluffy, stiff, thick, and glossy like marshmallow.
• Prepare two baking sheets with parchment or silicone liners. Using a spoon, create 6 meringue nests on each sheet. Keep in mind that they will spread and flatten as they bake, so make them relatively small and tall!
• Bake pavlova meringues in preheated oven for about 40-45 minutes. Turn the oven off, crack open the oven door, and allow the pavlovas to finish cooling.
• While the pavlovas bake, you can prepare the passionfruit curd. Combine the pulp of the passionfruit with the sugar and milk in a small saucepan. Heat on medium.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the water and cornstarch until smooth. Add this mixture to the passionfruit.
• Heat, whisking often, until mixture starts to bubble and thicken. Remove from heat and stir in the vegan butter. Set aside to cool slightly before topping the pavlovas.
• Right before serving, make the coconut whipped cream. Carefully open the chilled can of coconut cream, and use a spoon to remove the solids, adding them to a bowl. Discard the remaining liquid.
• Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with a whisk, beat the coconut until smooth and creamy. Add in the powdered sugar, and beat until fluffy like whipped cream.
• Note that the pavlovas will start to melt and get soggy after the toppings have been on for a while, so don't top them until right before serving.
• Top each meringue nest with the whipped cream, and dollop on some passionfruit curd. You can garnish with fresh berries if you like. Enjoy!!