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.
Alina
Hi Brooke,
I used the function convection bake at the same temperature indicated in the recipe, 225 F and they come out perfect! I didn’t open the oven for 2 hours and they are crispy and fluffy and delicious! Thank you Sam for the recipe. I’ve tried a few times to make them in the past but they were not as perfect as this ones.
Sugar Spun Run
Thanks so much for the feedback, Alina! I am so glad that this time around they turned out perfectly. 🙂
Ellie
Thank you they turned out perfect
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the cookies, Ellie! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Ruxy
I filled up my two cookie sheets and still have the mix left over in my mixer. Will it be ok sitting on the counter until the oven is available again.
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Ruxy! Yes, that should be fine. 🙂
Ebere
My first try and it came out awesome. Though slightly brown but my kids absolutely loved it. Will try adding some nuts the next time I make it. Thanks for the tips
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that the recipe was such a hit, Ebere! If they were slightly brown they baked a little too long or your oven was too hot. Next time, I would recommend lowering your oven temperature slightly. Regardless, I am so glad you enjoyed them. 🙂
bob
Loved this recipe so much!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Bob! I am glad that you enjoyed the cookies. 🙂
Jill Stewart
I just tried this recipe out. It turned out well, but the cookies are tinged beige. Did I leave them in the oven too long after turning it off? I turned the oven off and left the cookies in the off oven for 5 hours. (I had to coach a soccer game)
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Jill! This is a result of baking at too high a temperature and/or for too long. Regardless, I hope that they taste delicious. 🙂
Nevaeh
Hi there!! I had the same issue! I followed the recipe/directions to the “T”!
I have a gas…propane stove/oven….does that make a difference? My kiddos absolutely love these but I just can’t seem to get it right 😩 They either come out very crisp with a beige tint or very white and super chewy??
Sugar Spun Run
I am so sorry that you are experiencing the same issue, Nevaeh! The browning that you are seeing is usually the result from overcooking. Having a too high of a temperature may cause the meringue to brown slightly. Have you recently checked your oven temperature for accuracy lately?
Gene
To me these scream for pecans. I put some in and am glad I did…. so much better.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that the mix of pecans enhanced the flavor and you enjoyed them, Gene! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Pam
These are a favorite of my granddaughter who is diabetic and has Celiac disease. She can have some while not getting too many carbs and no gluten! Thanks! Love the idea for the Christmas ones ❤️
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that your granddaughter enjoyed the cookies, Pam. Thanks for trying my recipe. 🙂
Jody
Excellent recipe and really appreciated the tips!! Success on the first try 🙂 My husband and kids loooved them!!
Sugar Spun Run
That is wonderful news, Jody! I am so glad that your family enjoyed the cookies. 🙂
Bella Chiemprabha
This gave all the do’s and don’t’s, can’t wait to try it!! Thanks!!
Sugar Spun Run
I am glad that you can appreciate the tips, Bella! Happy Baking. I hope your meringue cookies turn out perfectly! 🙂
Amy
Easy to make and the finished cookies looked great! I’m an amateur baker and amazed they turned out so well! Thanks for the recipie.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you found the directions easy to follow and your meringue cookies turned out well. Thank you, Amy! 🙂
Ashley
I made these with lemon juice instead of tartar and they came out perfect!
Sugar Spun Run
YES! I am so glad that the lemon juice worked so well for you, Ashley, and that you enjoyed the meringue cookies. Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Rachael
should i use the same ratio of lemon juice as i would cream of tartar?
Princess
Thank you for this recipe! I tried making a half batch of this to test out my new oven. It came out good and my friends liked it! I didn’t have cream of tartar so I used lemon juice as a substitute and it was still okay~!
Sugar Spun Run
I am happy to hear that the lemon juice worked well as a substitute and the meringue cookies turned out well, Princess. Thanks for the feedback. 🙂
Ash
Cream of tartar is not available in Denmark. Is it possible to leave it out or would that ruin the meringues?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Ash! I am not sure how they would turn out without cream of tartar. I know that some people have tried making these meringues using a substitution of a bit of lemon juice but I have not tried it myself.
Terry
I used your base recipe, but wanted a raspberry flavored meringue cookie. I added freeze dried raspberry powder just as it reached soft peeks, then continued to whip to stiff peeks. It worked perfectly!
Sugar Spun Run
YUM, that sounds delicious, Terry! I am so glad that your meringue cookies turned out perfectly. Thanks for commenting. Enjoy! 🙂
Brooke
What temperature should I set my oven to if I want to do convection bake?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Brooke! I am sorry but I am not certain at what temperature or time to bake using a convection oven. 🙁
Alisha
Typical recommendations for convention vs non convection is a reduxtion by 25 degrees..hope this helps.