A classic recipe for meringue cookies! These little meringues only call for 5 ingredients, and at under 25 calories a pop they are easily the lightest recipe on my blog! The technique takes a little bit of practice, and a long time in the oven, but I’ll walk you through the steps in the recipe so that you can make your own perfect meringues!
Sweet & Simple Meringue Cookies
I have another recipe for your holiday cookie tray today — classic meringue cookies!
Meringues only require 5 ingredients to make, but they can be a little bit finicky — even the weather can affect them. Winter is a great time to try them out, as you’re much less likely to have a very humid day this time of year, and humidity is one of the greatest nemesis of meringue cookies.
I’ve been making this recipe over and over again the past few months to make sure that I understood all of the ins and outs of making perfect meringue cookies, and I’m finally ready to share what I’ve learned with you, so that you too can make these addictive little meringue cookies.
If you’ve never had one, meringues are light, airy cookies with crisp interiors. I’m sharing a classic vanilla meringue recipe today (with notes on how to add your own different flavors!). The taste always reminds me of marshmallow 😍.
Making Meringue: Stiff Peaks
This recipe calls for four egg whites and a single cup of sugar. That may not seem like it’s going to yield you very many meringues when you start, but you’ll be surprised by how much these ingredients increase in volume.
As you add the sugar, the mixture will become thick, glossy, and sticky, that’s exactly what you are looking for! You’ll also want the mixture to achieve stiff peaks — that’s how you’ll know that it’s done.
If you’ve made my angel food cake, whipped cream, or Swiss meringue buttercream before, then you’re already familiar with the concept of stiff peaks. It means that when you turn the batter over (like you can see in the image below with the meringue cookie batter), the peak that forms stands tall and does not fold back into itself. I’ve included a video in today’s post so you can see exactly how the meringue should look, in case you haven’t ever made meringue before.
Tips for No-Fail Meringue Cookies
- Make sure that the bowl and beater that you are using to beat your meringue is completely grease and moisture free. Any moisture can ruin your meringues.
- Crack your eggs in a separate bowl when separating the whites. Even a tiny bit of yolk can ruin your meringues, so crack each egg in a small bowl before adding it to the bowl that you will be mixing the meringue batter in.
- Add the sugar gradually, one Tablespoon at a time, and give it a chance to dissolve before adding more.
- You can test that the sugar is completely absorbed by taking a small bit of the batter and rubbing it between your fingers — if it’s not, it’ll feel gritty.
- Don’t stop until you get stiff peaks. The batter will take several minutes, at least, of beating to achieve stiff peaks, but keep going. It will increase in volume and be very thick and glossy — that’s what you’re looking for! See the photo above or the video for a visual.
- Don’t over-beat your batter, either! Once you hit stiff peaks, stop! You can stir in your extract and any food coloring at this point, but don’t push it because over-beating the batter is just as bad as not beating it enough.
- If you’ve found that your meringues have gotten soft after you finished baking them, you can actually pop them back in the oven at 225F for another 10-20 minutes (watch them, if they begin to turn golden brown around the edges turn off the heat immediately) and then let them cool in the oven for another hour, this has always worked for me with meringues that start to get chewy.
Adding Color and Other Flavoring
Once you get the hang of making meringues, feel free to play with lots of different flavors and colors — I made these Peppermint Bark Meringues by adding ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract, striping the piping bag with red food coloring (I used a clean paintbrush that I only use for baking), and dipping the baked, cooled meringue cookies in dark chocolate and crushed peppermint pieces!
Enjoy!
More Christmas Treats You Might Like:
Meringue Cookies
Ingredients
- 4 large egg whites room temperature
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract¹
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 225F (105C) and line a large cookie sheet (or two regular-sized cookie sheets -- make sure they will fit in your oven together) with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Combine egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt in a large, completely clean, completely grease-free bowl².4 large egg whites, ½ teaspoon cream of tartar, ⅛ teaspoon salt
- Using an electric mixer or a stand mixer (with either the whisk or paddle attachment), stir on low speed until mixture becomes foamy.
- Increase speed to high.
- With mixer on high, gradually add sugar, about 1 Tablespoon at a time, stirring after each addition until sugar is dissolved (about 15-20 seconds between each addition).1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- Beat until mixture is thick, shiny, and has increased in volume. Mixture should have stiff peaks and sugar should be completely dissolved (you can test this by rubbing a small bit of the mixture between your fingers, if it feels gritty, the sugar isn't dissolved).
- Stir in vanilla extract and any other extract you may like to use. If using food coloring, add the food coloring at this stage, too.1 teaspoon vanilla extract¹
- Fit a large disposable piping bag with a large tip (I used Ateco 846, but any large star tip will work or you can just snip the edge of the piping bag for a “kiss” formation) and transfer meringue to prepared piping bag and pipe onto 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 make enough space.
- Bake on 225F (105C) for 1 hour. Turn off the oven once the baking time has passed, and do not open the oven. Leave the oven door closed and allow cookies to cool completely in the oven (1-2 hours) before removing.
- Meringue cookies should be crisp and can be stored in an airtight container. Keep away from heat and moisture as it can soften your meringues.
Notes
Recipes to use those leftover egg yolks:
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Janice Smith
I made these meringue cookies for the very first time. This recipe was the best and so so easy. I followed everything as written and I couldn’t be more pleased I am going to try this with almond extract next.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you found the recipe easy to follow, Janice! I hope that you enjoy them with the almond extract as well. Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Maya
The mixture wouldn’t form the stiff peaks…I looked around and other sources said that I should’ve waited for soft peaks before adding in the sugar :(.
Sugar Spun Run
Hello, Maya! I am so sorry that the meringue cookies did not turn out for you. On the blog, there are tips to accomplish no-fail meringue cookies that you might find helpful for next time. Two things come to mind, length of time mixing and the egg itself. It sounds like you may have needed to beat the batter longer. The batter will take several minutes, at least, of beating to achieve stiff peaks. Another thing could have been that the egg was too old or not fresh. I hope that you give this recipe another try. 🙂
Patty
Love these cookies. I make them every year for my daughters birthday. They have always been her favorite cookie and now they are her daughters favorite.
Question can I just leave them overnight in the oven when I turn the oven off if I make them late at night?
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that the cookies have become a family favorite, Patty. I have heard of people leaving them overnight in the oven however I have not tried it. Let me know how they turn out. I hope that you have a wonderful Holiday! 🙂
Sheanna
I have a small oven with two racks and when I bake cookies I have to switch the baking sheets mid way through for them all to bake evenly. Would this ruin the meringue cookies if I did this?
Sam
That will be fine, they may just need a bit longer to cook. I hope you love them, Sheanna!
Sheanna
I just made them and they are in the oven but I’m afraid I overmixed them because it still felt gritty so I kept trying to mix even after stiff peaks formed. I ended up just stopping and baking them even though they still felt gritty. Any tips for this?
Sam
Try adding the sugar a bit more slowly and making sure it is dissolved between the Tablespoon additions, that should help. I hope they still turn out for you!
Marie
Totally a treat from my childhood, these turned out perfectly! Thanks for a great recipe
Sam
So glad to hear you enjoyed, Marie! Adding a video to the recipe soon, I think you’ll love it 😉
Paige
This has been my go to recipe. I have made it probably ten times and the only time it came out wrong was when I tried substituting the store made egg white mix over the actual cracking of egg whites (was making them so often that I was just messing around to see if I could eliminate one step without sacrificing the cookie, but nope! Don’t try using egg whites from the store!), I’ve also found that the sugar dissolves a bit easier if I place the cup of sugar on a baking pan and let the sugar warm up for 5-7 minutes on a low oven (not enough to make the sugar crispy or harden! But just long enough so that it goes into the batter warm!) Thanks for the great recipe!!
Sugar Spun Run
Those are great tips, Paige! Thanks for making my Meringue Cookie Recipe your go-to. I am so glad that you have enjoyed it! 🙂
Laurakathleen
My family loves these cookies – with mini chocolate chips. I also love them with lemon extract…the lemon & chocolate combination is delicious!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much for your comment! I am so glad that your family enjoys the Meringue Cookies. I love the variations as well. 🙂
Terrie Hahn
I was just looking through the comments to see if I could add chocolate chips to this recipe. A neighbor, years ago, used to make meringue cookies with chocolate chips and since I have egg whites and chocolate chips on hand, it seemed like the thing to do. I’ll have to try some with lemon too!
Thanks.
wynn wynn
i love this recipe.
however, my meringue is wet and stick to each other.
Please tell me what should i do?
Sugar Spun Run
Hello! I am happy that you enjoyed the Meringue Cookies but sorry that they seem wet and sticky. It sounds like they just need to bake a little longer. Sometimes this could be a result of humidity as well.
Kenna Ryan
Third time making this recipe and they have been perfect each time. I did sub half powdered sugar last night with no issues, but that was out of necessity – not sure it was any improvement over the recipe as-written.
So excited to have a new candy recipe for my holiday treat baskets 🙂
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy that you enjoyed the meringue cookies, Kenna! Thank you for commenting. 🙂
Maria
Can I use Monk fruit instead of sugar, since I’m doing keto
Sugar Spun Run
Hello, Maria! I have never used Monk fruit as a substitution for this recipe, so not sure how it will do. If you try it, let me know how it works for you. 🙂
Liz
I tried granular Swerve today and it did not end well. The egg whites were not able to absorb the Swerve. The mixture was never able to achieve stiff peaks. I tried recipe with regular sugar and recipe turned out well.
Leah
Try liquid stevia drops instead! It’s still it that same a sugar but it works and isn’t grainy
Kristin
If they are crisp on the outside but chewy in the middle, do I bake them longer?
Sam
Hi, Kristin! Yes I would bake them a bit longer. They should be crisp all the way through.
Jyl
Would powdered sugar work better or just as good as granular?
Sugar Spun Run
Hello, I recommend using a granulated sugar for this meringue cookie recipe. Enjoy! 🙂
Madison Burrell
Great recipe and the cookies turn out great every time I make them! I’ve made them 7 times now and their for sure a family favourite!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Madison! I am so happy that your family enjoys the Meringue Cookies. 🙂
Smeera
How would I know if my meringues are done baking if I shouldn’t open the oven to check ??.?
Sugar Spun Run
Hello, Smeera! Meringue cookies should be crisp and light, but not browned, when they are done baking. Be sure to bake them slowly at low heat as indicated in step 9 of the recipe instructions. You do not want to open the oven during this process. You will know when they are done when the baked meringue can easily be lifted off a cookie sheet and the bottoms are dry. Let me know how they turn out. 🙂
Tiffany
Hi! I wanted to make sure that I can use the liquid extract and food coloring or does it need to be gel?
Sugar Spun Run
Hello, Tiffany! Yes, you can use liquid extract for this recipe. The food coloring does not need to be gel. I hope that you enjoy your Meringue Cookies. 🙂