Zefir Recipe with Agar-agar

Zefir is a delicate, airy fruit dessert made with fruit puree, egg white, sugar, and agar-agar. It has a light, almost marshmallow-like texture and a beautiful fruit flavor.

This homemade zefir recipe uses apple puree and agar-agar and doesn’t require a candy thermometer. I’ll show you how to make zefir that sets properly, how to tell when the agar-agar syrup is ready, and what to do if your zefir doesn’t set.

What Is Zefir?

Zefir (or zephyr) is a delicate, airy fruit-based confection made by whipping fruit puree with egg white and sugar, then adding a hot agar-agar syrup. Once piped, it sets into soft, delicate pieces with a slightly chewy exterior and a tender center.

Unlike traditional marshmallows, zefir gets much of its flavor and texture from fruit puree. Apple puree is especially good because apples naturally contain pectin, which helps create a stable zefir mixture.

Which Fruits Can I Use for Zefir?

For zefir, it’s best to use a thick fruit or berry puree. Ideally, use fruits or berries naturally high in pectin, such as apples or black currants. For fruits with less pectin, cook the puree down until thick, combine it with apple puree, or add pectin.

A thinner puree makes it more difficult to whip the egg white to stiff peaks, and achieving this is crucial for a successful zefir.

Why Are Apples Best for Zefir?

Classic zefir is made from apple puree, and I recommend starting with apples. First, apples are inexpensive. Second, apple puree is easy to prepare. And if your zefir doesn’t turn out, you can be fairly confident that the problem wasn’t the puree.

Apple zefir is the easiest version to start with because apple puree is naturally thick and contains pectin, making it more forgiving than watery fruit or berry purees.

The best types of apples for making zefir are sour or sweet-sour: Granny Smith, Antonovka and other green apples. Very sweet apples tend to contain less pectin, so they may not produce a stable enough puree for zefir.

For homemade puree, use fresh or frozen fruit or berries. I don’t recommend canned, dried, or fruit mashed with sugar, as they can have too much liquid or an altered sugar and pectin balance. Ready-made fruit and berry purees sold for confectioners are an exception — they work very well, although they are more expensive.

It’s hard to say the exact amount of whole fruits/berries needed to make the exact amount of puree for the recipe. You can take about 200 g of apples or black currants, and more for other fruits and berries, because they will most likely need to be boiled to a thick consistency.

If you end up with more puree than needed, it’s not a problem: you can freeze the leftovers and use them another time for making zefir or something else.

Where Can I Buy Agar-Agar?

Agar-agar is sold in many supermarkets, confectionery stores, and many spice shops. So, it’s not rare. Working with it is not difficult, the consumption is minimal, so don’t be afraid of the high price, buy in small quantities, literally 25–50 grams, it will last you a long time.

How to Make Zefir with Agar-Agar

Ingredients for Zefir

• apple puree
• water
• sugar
• egg white
• agar-agar
• powdered sugar for rolling

This recipe makes 10–20 zefir pieces, depending on their size.

1. Make the Apple Puree

Peel the apples, remove the core, and cut them into small pieces.

Place them in a saucepan or pot, add water (1) to prevent the apples from burning, and cook over low heat, covered.

Stir occasionally and cook the apples until soft.

Remove from heat and blend. For a completely smooth consistency, strain the puree through a sieve. Cool it down in the refrigerator.

Puree made from other fruits or berries can be prepared similarly. If necessary, cook the strained puree over low heat, stirring constantly to prevent it from burning.

Transfer the prepared puree to a saucepan, add sugar (1), and place over medium heat. Cook until the sugar dissolves; there’s no need to bring it to a boil. Remove from heat and let it cool completely.

Why is sugar needed in the fruit puree?

Sugar is important not only for sweetness but also for the structure of the zefir. When the egg white is whipped with sweetened fruit puree, the sugar helps stabilize the foam and reduces the risk of the mixture collapsing when the hot agar-agar syrup is added.

Additionally, sugar reduces the risk of overwhipping the egg white and ending up with a liquid mixture. As a bonus, it also thickens the fruit or berry puree.

2. Whip the Egg White with Apple Puree

In a mixing bowl (clean, dry, without a single drop of fat, so separate the egg white very carefully from the yolk), combine the cooled sweetened apple puree and an egg white. The temperature of the egg white is not crucial, as it quickly adjusts to the temperature of the puree when combined.

The method depends on whether you’re using a hand mixer or a stand mixer.

If you have a handheld mixer, beat the puree with the egg white before cooking the syrup (have the saucepan with the measured syrup ingredients ready). Beat until stiff peaks form, which may take up to 10 minutes. Then set aside the beaten mixture and immediately start boiling the syrup.

If you have a stand mixer, start beating the puree with the egg white approximately when the syrup starts boiling because both beating and syrup boiling take about 4–5 minutes. However, this depends on the power of your mixer, so yours may take longer than 4 minutes.

3. Make the Agar-Agar Syrup

Mix well sugar (2) with agar-agar. Pour water (2) into a saucepan and add the sugar and agar-agar mixture, place over medium heat and cook, stirring slightly.

From the moment the syrup boils, stir it very actively. It will start foaming heavily and rising up (take this into account when choosing a saucepan for boiling syrup).

Cook the syrup until it reaches 110°C (230°F), usually about 4–5 minutes after it starts boiling.

I recommend using a wooden spoon for stirring – the syrup grips the wooden spoon better, so it’s easier to determine its consistency.

How Do I Know When the Syrup Is Ready?

If you don’t have a thermometer, you can check it by consistency. At first, the syrup drips from the spoon like water. As it cooks, the bubbles become smaller and slower to burst. When the syrup runs from the spoon in a thin, sticky thread, it’s ready.

4. Combine the Syrup and Whipped Mixture

At this stage, we combine both masses: agar-agar syrup and apple & egg white mixture.

If You Use a Hand Mixer

Place the mixing bowl on a non-slip surface, such as a silicone mat. This will keep the bowl from moving while you pour in the hot syrup, leaving your other hand free to hold the saucepan.

Remove the syrup from the heat when it’s ready, turn on the mixer to medium speed, and while beating the puree with the egg white, pour the syrup in a thin stream along the wall of the bowl.

Important! Don’t scrape the remaining syrup from the saucepan, just set it aside and continue beating the zefir mixture.

If You Use a Stand Mixer

With a stand mixer, the process is the same, just without turning off the mixer while boiling the syrup – everything happens simultaneously. By the time the syrup is ready, the egg white mixture in the mixer should be beaten to stiff peaks. Reduce the speed slightly below medium (for me, it’s marked 4 out of 10) and pour the syrup in a thin stream along the wall, then increase the speed slightly above medium.

After adding the syrup, beat the mixture for about 4–5 minutes. As a result, it will cool slightly and noticeably thicken. You should be comfortable touching the mixer bowl, but it should be warm.

Agar-agar begins to gel as the mixture cools, so don’t wait for the zefir mixture to cool completely. Work with it while it is still warm.

Congratulations, the hardest part is behind!

5. Pipe the Zefir

Transfer the zefir mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a piping tip and pipe the zefir halves onto parchment paper.

How to Pipe Zefir Flowers

Zefir can be piped into different shapes, including classic halves, rosettes, and flowers. I use a K855 piping tip for this recipe.

Work quickly after preparing the mixture because agar-agar begins to set as the mixture cools. If you want to make zefir flowers, use a star-shaped piping tip and pipe directly onto parchment paper.

6. Let the Zefir Set

Let the zefir set at room temperature for 4–12 hours.

After setting, join the halves, roll them in powdered sugar — and your zefir is ready. Enjoy your homemade zefir!

How to Store Zefir

Store zefir in an airtight container at room temperature. Zefir is best enjoyed within 2–3 days, as it gradually becomes drier and loses its soft texture.

Troubleshooting

Here are the most common reasons why zefir may not turn out as expected.

Why Didn’t My Zefir Set?

The egg white wasn’t whipped enough.
The mixture should reach stiff peaks before you add the syrup.

The fruit puree was too thin.
Cook the puree down until it is thick enough.

The syrup wasn’t cooked enough.
It should reach 110°C (230°F) or form a thin, sticky stream when tested without a thermometer.

The puree didn’t contain enough pectin.
Try using tart apples or combine low-pectin fruit with apple puree.

The agar-agar wasn’t strong enough.
Different brands can vary in strength, so use a good-quality agar-agar suitable for confectionery.

Why Is My Zefir Too Thick?

The mixture was probably whipped for too long after adding the syrup. As it cools, agar-agar begins to set, so you need to pipe the zefir while the mixture is still warm.

Why Did My Zefir Turn Out Wet Inside?

This usually means the structure wasn’t strong enough. Check whether the egg white was fully whipped, the puree was thick enough, and the agar-agar syrup was cooked correctly.

Zefir Recipe FAQ

Can I use frozen fruit?

Yes. Frozen fruit and berries work well for zefir. If using frozen fruit, thaw it first and drain off any excess liquid. Then cook the puree until it becomes thick enough.

Can I use other fruit instead of apples?

Yes, but the fruit puree needs to be thick and contain enough pectin. Black currants and other fruits and berries naturally high in pectin work particularly well. For fruits with less pectin, cook the puree down until thick or combine it with apple puree.

Can I replace agar-agar with gelatin?

No, not in this recipe. Agar-agar and gelatin behave differently and require different proportions and techniques. Simply replacing agar-agar with gelatin will not give you the same result. If you want to make zefir with gelatin, use a recipe specifically developed for gelatin rather than adapting this one.

Can I make zefir with less sugar?

Unfortunately, I don’t recommend reducing the sugar in this recipe. Sugar isn’t used only to add sweetness — it helps stabilize the whipped egg white and contributes to the final structure of the zefir.

After testing different amounts, I found that 300 g of sugar is the minimum amount that gives me a stable result with this recipe.

How long does homemade zefir last?

Homemade zefir is best eaten within 2–3 days. Store it in an airtight container at room temperature. Over time, it gradually dries out and loses its soft, airy texture.

And one final recommendation — not just a piece of good advice: wash the dishes IMMEDIATELY after making zefir. Otherwise, it will be extremely difficult later! 😉

If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out! Share your experience or any creative twists in the comments below. Happy baking!