Lovely little Meringue Cookies that are light and airy, crisp, delicate, and perfectly sweet, plus naturally gluten free and low calorie. They’re so easy to make, delicious with a cup of coffee, and look beautiful on a cookie tray if entertaining. Follow these simple steps and read the tips for flawless meringue cookies every time.
Other easy cookies we love include our Sugar Cookies (only 3 ingredients), Peanut Butter Cookies (only 5 ingredients), and No Bake Cookies (so easy and no oven needed.)
The word “meringue” intimidates people – sounds so fancy, doesn’t it? But don’t be discouraged from making these cookies. Contrary to what some say, I actually think they’re one of the easiest cookies to make. Sure, they have some nuances, but nothing difficult at all. As long as you stay true to the written recipe and pay attention to the baking tips, you will ace this! And then you’ll want to make them again and again and again.
Meringue Cookies – Tiny Clouds That Taste Like Heaven
Ever had Pavlova? This is extremely similar. Meringues are bite-sized cookies made from whipped egg whites and sugar. They bake at a very low temperature for a lengthy amount of time until crisp on the outside and somewhat chewy on the inside. They sort of taste like marshmallow. Lighter than air, perfectly sweet, and low calorie, it’s hard not to eat 50 of them. You can also customize them with different flavors and colors, so they’re great for baby showers and holidays.
Meringue Cookie Recipe
These cookies call for only 5 simple ingredients!
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and exact measurements.)
- Egg whites: The egg whites need to be fresh, room temperature, and completely free of any fat or yolk.
- Granulated sugar: Super fine sugar is ideal, which dissolves faster and better than regular granulated sugar, leaving your cookies smooth instead of grainy. If you can’t find it, you can simply make it by putting regular granulated sugar in a food processor and giving it a few whizzes until finely processed. Yes, you can also use regular granulated sugar, adding it in slowly and in very small amounts at a time, to help avoid grittiness.
- Cream of tartar: So, technically this is optional, BUT we never make meringue cookies without it and highly encourage you to do the same. Cream of tartar adds stability to egg whites when they’re being whipped and helps ensure they’ll reach stiff peaks and not deflate, which is critical with meringues.
- Salt: Just a pinch adds flavor and also balances out the sweetness.
- Vanilla: Just a little vanilla makes a huge difference in flavor. You can also use other flavored extracts or make chocolate meringue cookies with cocoa powder. (See our note in “variations” below.)
Separate Whole Eggs While They’re Still Cold
Meringue Cookie Variations
- Chocolate Meringue Cookies: When I make a batch of these, I almost always divide the batter, then sift in 4 teaspoons of unsweetened cocoa powder to half of the mixture so I have some Vanilla Meringue Cookies and also Chocolate Meringue Cookies. We love them both! You can also make the entire batch chocolate by sifting in up to 3 tablespoons of the cocoa powder. (Watch the video for reference.)
- Try different flavor extracts: You can substitute the vanilla extract with almond extract (this gives the cookies a subtle cherry flavor), peppermint, or lemon. However, these extracts are stronger than vanilla, so use a lot less.
- Tint them different colors: Add 1 or 2 drops of gel food coloring into the mixture for fun colors. If using food coloring, add it in when you add in the extract.
- Add in finely chopped nuts or mini chocolate chips: These are delicious additions to the meringue batter. You won’t be able to pipe them with a star tip, but you can dollop mounds onto the baking sheets.
- Decorate: You can add festive sprinkles to the formed cookies before baking, or dip in dark chocolate after baking and cooling like we did for these Peppermint Meringue Cookies.
How to Make Meringue Cookies
All the details and exact measurements are below in the recipe card, but here’s a brief summary of what’s involved in making these cookies.
- You’ll be adding fine sugar, a little at a time, while beating the egg whites into stiff peaks. The mixture will increase in volume, become thick, sticky, and glossy, like marshmallow cream. You know you’ve reached stiff peaks when you’re able to flip a beater so it’s upright, and the batter is like a peak, able to stand tall and not fold back into itself.
- Transfer the mixture to a piping bag with an open star tip (Ateco 846 is what I use), then pipe 1×1-inch small swirls onto parchment-lined cookie sheets. (The meringue cookies can be pretty close to each other as they won’t spread, and you will want to bake all of the cookies at the same time, so make sure you have enough space on the center rack.)
- Bake at 225 degrees F for 1 hour. Turn off the heat, and do not open the oven door. Allow cookies to cool completely in the oven for 1-2 hours before removing.
Tips for Perfect Meringues
- Use fresh eggs: The fresher the eggs, the better the results.
- Room temperature eggs: Egg whites whip up the best when they’re at room temperature.
- Crack eggs into a different bowl than the mixing bowl: Separate each egg white into a small bowl before adding them to the mixer. This way, if a yolk breaks, you won’t have to toss the entire batch. Even the tiniest bit of yolk will prevent the egg whites from properly whipping to stiff peaks. (Save the yolks to make lemon curd!)
- Equipment should be completely dry and grease-free: The bowl and beaters used to make the meringue should be completely free of any grease or moisture. Either of these can prevent stiff peaks from being formed.
- Don’t skip the cream of tartar: Read about the importance of cream of tartar above.
- Add sugar gradually, a small amount at a time: Drizzle the sugar in very slowly, adding in no more than a tablespoon at a time. This allows it a chance to dissolve properly before adding more, resulting in a smooth cookie.
- Make sure you reach stiff peaks: The batter will take several minutes of beating to reach stiff peaks. You’ll notice it increase in volume and get very thick and glossy.
- Don’t over-beat: Over-whipping the egg whites can make the meringue too firm and without proper moisture, they will lose their crispness and collapse.
- Pipe the meringue right when it’s done: If meringue sits around for a while, it will lose consistency.
- Have oven rack in the center position: Center rack is best for baking these cookies.
- Don’t open the door too soon: After baking, these need to cool in the oven for another 1-2 hours (with the heat off.) Resist the urge to open the door.
Avoid Making These on a Humid Day
How to Tell When Meringues are Done
The cookies should be light, crisp, completely dry, without any color around the edges, and be easily lifted off the parchment paper. (Baking them at a very low temperature for a long time is what dries then out and prevents browning.)
Why Are My Meringues Cracked?
The most common reasons meringues crack is due to the batter being over-whipped, the oven temperature being too high, or the cookies being cooked for too long. Luckily, this is just cosmetic and doesn’t effect how yummy they are.
Why Are My Meringues Chewy?
Chewy meringues can be caused by a few culprits: Under-baking, not letting them dry in the oven long enough, or absorbing moisture in the air (like on a humid day or leaving them out without being in an airtight container.) You can try and crisp them up by placing them back in the oven at 225 degrees F for about 10-15 minutes, then let them cool in the oven for another hour (with the heat turned off.) That should do the trick.
How to Store Meringue Cookies
- Proper Storage: Meringue cookies should be stored in a cool dry place in an airtight container to maintain crispness. They should not be refrigerated. Keep away from heat, moisture, or other foods that contain moisture as it can soften them.
- How long do Meringue Cookies last? They are best enjoyed within a few days after baking them. If you live someplace humid, their shelf life is even shorter. Alternatively, if you live someplace really dry (or in the winter time), they can keep up to 2 weeks if stored properly.
- Can you freeze Meringue Cookies? Yes, although not ideal. Make sure they’re completely airtight and layer them between pieces of parchment paper (being careful not to crush them.) When you defrost them, be careful they don’t absorb any moisture, as that is their biggest enemy. They will keep up to 1 month.
Meringue Cookies Video
More Easy Cookie Recipes
I hope you love this delicious and simple recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Meringue Cookies
Ingredients
- 4 large egg whites , room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup fine granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder , optional (you will only need this if you split the batter to make vanilla and chocolate meringue cookies)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 225 degrees F with the oven rack in the center position. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper (or two regular-sized cookie sheets, as long as they can both fit in your oven side by side.)
- Combine egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt in a large, completely clean, dry, grease-free bowl.
- Using an electric mixer or a stand mixer (with the whisk attachment), beat on low speed until mixture becomes foamy. Then increase speed to high.
- With mixer on high, slowly and gradually add sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time, beating after each addition until sugar is dissolved (about 15-20 seconds between each addition).
- Beat until mixture is thick, glossy, and has increased in volume. Mixture should have stiff peaks and sugar should be completely dissolved (test by rubbing a small bit of the mixture between your fingers – it shouldn't feel gritty.)
- Beat in vanilla extract.
- Transfer meringue to a large disposable piping bag fitted with an open star tip (Ateco 846 is what I use.) Pipe 1×1-inch swirls onto the prepared cookie sheet. (The meringue cookies can be pretty close to each other as they won’t spread, and you will want to bake all of the cookies at the same time, so make sure you have enough space.)
- Bake for 1 hour.
- Turn off the heat, and do not open the oven door. Allow cookies to cool completely in the oven for 1-2 hours before removing. (The cookies should be light, crisp, completely dry, without any color around the edges, and be easily lifted off the parchment paper.)
- Enjoy or store for later.
- {TO MAKE CHOCOLATE MERINGUES: After adding in the vanilla, transfer half of the mixture to a piping back and beat in 4 teaspoons sifted cocoa powder to the remaining half, then transfer the chocolate mixture to a separate piping bag. Alternatively, you can make the entire batch chocolate by adding more sifted cocoa powder – about 3 tablespoons. Proceed with the rest of the written recipe. They cook the same. Watch the video for help, if needed.)
Video
Nutrition
Other Notes
Loved these. Turned out great, thank you so much.
These were a hit at my gluten-free dairy-free co-worker’s baby shower. Thanks!