Meringue Cookies are a staple in French bakeries and it's a shame that they aren't more common everywhere else! These simple cookies make the perfect sweet treat and they are naturally gluten and dairy-free! This recipe for Meringue Cookies is great for meringue pops and cake decorations too!
What are meringue cookies?
Meringue Cookies are crisp on the outside and slightly chewy on the inside. Some people wouldn't call them cookies at all since they are nothing more than egg whites and sugar instead of being loaded with chocolate chips or oatmeal.
Some people bake them until they are crisp throughout but I prefer a slightly soft center. The baking time does vary depending on the size or your meringues so getting the perfect center will take some practice.
The ingredients are simple and usually on hand in most kitchens. And the best part is that meringue cookies only take a few minutes to make - although they take quite a while in a low-temperature oven to fully bake!
Meringue Cookies piped on a stick make an amazing treat for birthday parties or Valentine's Day! Choose your favorite colors and then pipe roses, hearts and kisses.
Tips for the perfect meringue
- The first step that is absolutely required when making any type of meringue is to ensure that your mixing bowl and whisk are completely fat free. The easiest way to do this is to wash them as usual and then wipe them both down with a paper towel that has some lemon juice or vinegar on it. This will remove any trace amounts of fat.
- Make sure that your egg whites have no trace of yolk in them! When separating your eggs, do them one at a time into a bowl. If the egg white is completely free of egg yolk, pour it into your clean mixer bowl. Continue with each egg. The reason for this is that if you have a yolk that breaks, you will only need to start over with one egg instead of all of them in the bowl.
- Don't skip the cream of tartar! Cream of tartar is an acid that helps to stabilize the air bubbles that create the meringue. This will give you a stronger mixture to work with when piping.
- Add the granulated sugar slowly - VERY slowly! If you dump all of the sugar in at once, it will deflate the air bubbles that been created while whisking. You should add the sugar about 1 tablespoon at a time, beginning when the whites are opaque - just past the foamy stage.
- Make sure that you whisk until you have stiff peaks. The meringue should be shiny and hold the lines of the whisk. When you pull the whisk out, the meringue should hold it's shape very well. Once you get to this stage - STOP! You don't want to overmix your meringue to the point that it appears dry.
- When you make this recipe for Meringue Cookies, don't throw away the egg yolks that are leftover! There are so many ways to use them! Try my Rumchata Pot de Creme to use them up or a fruit-flavored curd like my Lingonberry Curd .
Why are my Meringues chewy?
Humidity is the biggest enemy of meringue cookies. Making them during the summer can be frustrating, especially if you live in a high-humidity location. (I live in the midwest where we have many, many days at 100% humidity! I don't make meringues on these days. 😉 ).
While it is possible to make meringue cookies on humid days, they will take longer to dry out in the oven and they will become chewy at room temperature.
This doesn't mean that you can't do it though! If your meringues become chewy, just pop them in the oven at 200°F and bake them for 10 to 15 minutes. This will crisp them back up. (If they are very large, it may take slightly longer.)
How to flavor and use Meringue Cookies
This recipe for Meringue cookies is so versatile and can be used in so many ways!
Vanilla is a great flavoring to use in your meringue cookies. You can also use other extracts depending on your preference and what you are serving the meringues with.
I particularly like to use coconut extract, lemon extract or mint extract.
Meringue Cookies look amazing on a cookie tray for the holidays or for a party. You can use colors that suit your theme and even make shapes to suit the season. Green Christmas trees for Christmas, pink or red hearts for Valentine's Day, or red, white and blue stars for 4th of July!
I love to add popsicle sticks or paper straws before baking. You can make lollipops that are large or small. Either serve them as lollipops or use the straw as a support which allows you to stick it into a cake as a decoration!
One of my all time favorite uses for meringues in to make Eton Mess.
Eton Mess is a classic British dessert that is simple but so delicious! It is basically whipped cream, crumbled up meringues, berries and a berry syrup. Give it a try and, I promise, it will become a family favorite!
So how do plan to eat your meringue cookies? On their own, on a cake, in another dessert? Let me know in the comments!
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Meringue Cookies
30-60
servings10
minutes1
hour15
minutesIngredients
3 egg whites, at room temperature
150 grams (¾ cups) granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract (or other flavor of your choice)
Food Coloring, optional
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 215°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat and set aside.
- Make sure that the mixing bowl and whisk are free from grease and that the egg whites do not have any bits of egg yolks in them. I like to wipe them both down with lemon juice or vinegar on a paper towel. In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl with a hand mixer, begin whisking the egg whites with the whisk attachment on medium-low speed.
- Once the whites are foamy, add in the cream of tartar and vanilla or other chosen flavoring.
- Increase the mixer to medium and gradually start adding in the sugar a little at a time.
- Slowly rain in the sugar as the whites reach soft peaks.
- After the whites begin to hold their shape, bump up the mixer to medium-high speed until they hold stiff peaks.
- Firm peaks are achieved when the whites hold their shape. If you pull the whisk straight out of the bowl, it will form a peak. At this stage, the tip of the peak will fold back over onto itself.
- Add gel food coloring as desired.
- When you reach the stiff peaks stage, the whites will be glossy and smooth. If you rub a little bit between your fingertips, it should feel silky (there is no grittiness and the sugar has completely dissolved.)
- Gently fold in chopped nuts, chocolate, etc. with a large rubber spatula.
- Fit a piping bag with a plain or star tip. Use a rubber spatula to fill the bag with the meringue. Fill the bag about ¾ full to stop the meringue from spilling out the top of the bag.
- To pipe meringue kisses, hold the bag perpendicular to the baking sheet. Hover the top slightly over the sheet and pipe a "kiss" of meringue. You can also use a large spoon to scoop rustic meringues or pipe shapes with various piping tips to create hearts or put several shapes together to create lollipops.
- Bake for 60 to 90 minutes. The bake time will vary with the size of your meringues. Bake until the outside is crisp and the inside is dry yet chewy. They should feel light and hollow. When they are done, the meringues should peel off the parchment paper easily. Turn the oven off, crack the door open, and let the meringues cool completely in the oven for at least one hour.
- Store your baked meringue in a covered container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Do not refrigerate!
Mickey Kitterman says
Beautiful, I love them on the side of an ice cream sundae
sallybr says
you definitely took meringue cookies to a whole new higher level!!!! love them!
Tanya Ott says
Thanks Sally! They are favorite of mine since I love something sweet after meals but don't want a big dessert. Plus, they look so pretty in my cookie jars!