Espumillas are a delicious meringue and fruit based dessert popular across Ecuador. You can make this popular street food at home! Choose whatever fruit you’d like to customize your experience.
“Hello Reader! I try my hardest to research recipes as best as I can before posting to ensure I am representing each culture correctly. If this recipe is from your country and I have made a mistake or you have suggestions for how to make it more authentic, I would love to hear! Please leave a comment below letting me know what should be different, and I will rework the recipe. It is always my intention to pay homage and respect to each cultural dish that I cook. Thanks for reading!”
Recipe Origins
Espumillas are an incredibly popular street food and dessert in Ecuador! While it may look like ice cream, this dessert is actually meringue cream flavored with fruit pulp!
Vendors around the country have stands outside to sell this Ecuadorian favorite, including outside of schools when the day is done.
While this recipe for Espumillas is served in a cup, most Espumillas on the streets of Ecuador are served in a cone.
And while it is certainly a popular recipe for Ecuador, and one that we’ve made to celebrate the country, Espumillas are enjoyed in many Latin American countries, including Venezuela, Nicaragua, Cuba, Guatemala, and more.
Why Make this Recipe
- “Travel” to Ecuador: This recipe is massively popular as a street food in Ecuador! If you want to visit Ecuador, but can’t right now, making this recipe at home is a great way to experience the tastes and culture of Ecuador from the comfort of your own home.
- 3 Ingredients: You can make dessert with only three ingredients! Eggs, sugar, and whatever leftover fruit you need to use up. It’s as simple as that!
- Great to Make with Kids: This recipe is so quick and simple that kids would love to help out (they love seeing the egg whites grow). Allow the kids to mash the fruit or whip the egg whites. They’ll love eating their creation!
Ingredients Needed for this Recipe
- Mango: I used frozen mangos that I thawed before beginning the recipe. You can also use fresh mango if you’d like. Alternatively, you can use any fruit you have on hand.
- Egg Whites: I made this recipe after having some egg whites leftover from making some extra tiramisu filling! This is a great way to use up any leftover egg whites that you have.
- Sugar: I used white, granulated sugar.
How to Make Espumillas
Step 1: Make Mango Syrup
Add the mango and sugar into a pot, and simmer over high heat for about 5 minutes, until the fruit begins to release juices. Remove the mango syrup from the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.
When the mango syrup has cooled, add it to a blender to remove any large chunks of mango.
Step 2: Make the Meringue
In a Kitchenaid Mixer or with a hand mixer, whip the egg whites until they turn stiff.
Step 3: Add Mango to the Egg Whites
As the egg whites are still whipping, add the pureed mango syrup about ¼ cup at a time, allowing one addition to incorporate completely before adding the next one.
Continue adding mango syrup until you spy the Espumillas begin to flatten from the weight. We don’t want this, so cease from adding any more syrup at this point! (It took about 1 cup of syrup for me).
Scoop into a bowl and top with any extra mango syrup or pieces. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Heating the fruit with sugar is not the most traditional way to make Espumillas. However, I wanted my meringue to hold a bit more shape, so I thought the fruit syrup would help keep the egg whites stiff and glossy instead of foamy. If you want to make Espumillas the traditional way, simply mix the sugar with the fruit (with no heat) and add to the egg whites.
- Traditionally, the fruit is mashed by hand. You can do this if you’d like, or you can use the blender method referenced in the recipe!
- The most common flavor of Espumillas is guava. If you can find guava, that would be a great option for this recipe as well!
- You can eat this recipe served in a cup as the pictures show, but you can also serve them up in a cone! This will be more traditional to how it is served in Ecuador
- Great topping options include coconut or sprinkles. It’s also popular to top Espumillas with a blackberry syrup called Arrope de Mora (you can change this recipe to English at the top).
Recipe FAQs
Do Espumillas Need to be Refrigerated?
If you walk around Ecuador, you will see piles and piles of Espumillas sitting out under the hot sun. Of course, I would recommend refrigerating your dessert if you are able to, though!
The meringue can stay in the fridge for 2-3 days. I would always encourage fresh Espumillas over the refrigerated kind, however.
Did you like this recipe for Espumillas from Ecuador? If so, don’t forget to leave a comment below and let me know what you thought! And make sure to check out these recipes I picked out just for you:
- Tiramisu
- Strawberry Tiramisu
- Canadian Christmas Fruit Cake
- Caribbean Seafood Salad
- Pupusas from El Salvador
- Pan con Pollo
Espumillas
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 egg whites
- 1.5 cups mango, I used frozen, thawed
- 1 cup sugar
Instructions
- Add the mango and sugar into a pot, and simmer over high heat for about 5 minutes, until the fruit begins to release juices. Remove the mango syrup from the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.
- In a Kitchenaid Mixer or with a hand mixer, whip the egg whites until they turn stiff.
- When the mango syrup has cooled, add it to a blender to remove any large chunks of mango.
- As the egg whites are still whipping, add the pureed mango syrup about ¼ cup at a time, allowing one addition to incorporate completely before adding the next one.
- Continue adding mango syrup until you spy the Espumillas begin to flatten from the weight. We don’t want this, so cease from adding any more syrup at this point! (It took about 1 cup of syrup for me).
- Scoop into a bowl and top with any extra mango syrup or pieces. Enjoy!
Notes
- Mango: I used frozen mangos that I thawed before beginning the recipe. You can also use fresh mango if you’d like. Alternatively, you can use any fruit you have on hand.
- Egg Whites: I made this recipe after having some egg whites leftover from making some extra tiramisu filling! This is a great way to use up any leftover egg whites that you have.
- Sugar: I used white, granulated sugar.
- Heating the fruit with sugar is not the most traditional way to make Espumillas. However, I wanted my meringue to hold a bit more shape, so I thought the fruit syrup would help keep the egg whites stiff and glossy instead of foamy. If you want to make Espumillas the traditional way, simply mix the sugar with the fruit (with no heat) and add to the egg whites.
- Traditionally, the fruit is mashed by hand. You can do this if you’d like, or you can use the blender method referenced in the recipe!
- The most common flavor of Espumillas is guava. If you can find guava, that would be a great option for this recipe as well!
- You can eat this recipe served in a cup as the pictures show, but you can also serve them up in a cone! This will be more traditional to how it is served in Ecuador
- Great topping options include coconut or sprinkles. It’s also popular to top Espumillas with a blackberry syrup called Arrope de Mora (you can change this recipe to English at the top).
Ros Horsley says
The recipe was so easy and delicious. However, I added 4tbsp of sugar to the egg whites and mashed the fresh mango. before adding. The flavour was very fresh. I topped mine with grated dark chocolate as I didn’t have the rainbow ‘hundreds and thousands’.
Thank you for sharing the recipe
The Foreign Fork says
I’m so glad you liked it Ros! Thank for leaving a comment 🙂