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.
Mimi
How do I get stiff peaks. Am I mixing them too long. I used egg whites from a carton. Which said 3tbls = 1 large egg white.
It’s really runny. What am I doing wrong? Everything was super dry, eggs were foamy before adding sugar. Did I beat them too long for 20 sec for each tbsp?
Sam
Hi Mimi! I believe the egg whites from the carton are the issue here, a lot the containers say you won’t be able to whip them to stiff peaks. I know some have had success, but if you have even the slightest bit of moisture or grease in your bowl or on your beaters the egg whites won’t whip properly. I hope this helps. 🙂
Mimi
You’re right!! I ended up trying it for the third time with fresh eggs. Letting the whites warm in a sealed glass container in warm water!! It worked and they turned out fantastic!! Thank you. I used your whipped cream recipe with some fresh berries and smashed the cookies in layers in a mason jar… my husbands favourite dessert!! He’s requested every special occasion.
Sam
Oh wonderful! Glad it finally worked! And I love that combo of meringue, whipped cream, and berries, I’m actually sharing a recipe for “Eton Mess” in the near future, which is just that 🙂
Rati
Hi, can I use powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar? If yes, what would be the conversion?
Thx
Sam
Unfortunately I wouldn’t recommend it with this recipe, sorry Rati!
Rati
Can I use powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar? If so what is the conversion?
Thx
Sam
Unfortunately I am not sure how that would work.
Abby
How long do these last?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Abby! The cookies can be kept at room temperature. When stored in an airtight container and placed in a cool, dry place, they can stay fresh for up to 2 weeks. 🙂
Aly
Hi I was wondering if I should just normally bake them or use the convection option? Thanks!
Sugar Spun Run
I would normally bake them, Ally! 🙂
christine ye
Can I decrease the sugar in the recipe? If so, by how much maximum? Can’t wait to try it.
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Christine! I have tested this recipe multiple times prior to publishing it so I have found that the recipe is delightful as it is. If you wish to decrease the sugar you can, however, I can not advise on how much. Good Luck!
Nader Nassif
Hi. Is there a substitute for cream of tartar?
Chloe
I used a teaspoon of lemon juice, and they worked out well!
Zoey
This is the best recipe. I am 12 and made them and my family loves them so much. I definitely will be making them again
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that your family enjoyed them, Zoey, and I hope that you had fun making them. Thanks for trying my recipe. 🙂
benjamin
Same I am 12 and i just made them.
Ray
Haha. 12 as well. I will definitely make these again, but I was wondering if next time can I add cocoa powder or chocolate chips to make them chocolate?
Sam
Hi Ray! I actually have a chocolate meringue cookie. 🙂
Mary
I tired this recipe and it worked well.
They tasted delicious 😋
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the cookies, Mary! Thank you so much for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Ciara
Thank you for this recipe, I had no cream of tartar but they still came out delicious! Crispy shells but with a soft and ever so slightly chewy centre is just how I like them.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed them, Ciara! Thanks for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Andrew
Thank you for helping me learn! I’ve been on a huge baking show binge watching spree and I just wanted to try making SOMETHING “fancy.” This recipe made it so easy and very approachable. They turned out great, I don’t have cool piping tools but they are still delicious blobs. 🙂 The trouble shooting tips were great too, I made sure to really wipe down all my bowls and mixers before starting. I even went ahead and made some ganache for the bottom of them and they are so cool looking. Now I can try some more complex and fun stuff with these! Thanks again!
Sugar Spun Run
Out of all the fancy recipes out there, thank you for choosing my recipe to try, Andrew! I am so glad that you found the video and tips helpful and that you enjoyed the cookies. I can’t wait to hear what recipe you try next! Thanks again. Happy Baking! 🙂
Efe
I followed this recipe to a T and they were sunken and soggy. What a waste of my egg whites. I feel the oven time was too long and at a too low temperature. I won’t be making these again and will use another recipe.
Sam
Hi Efe, meringues can be tricky. By chance was it a humid or rainy day where you are? Humidity can have an effect on how these cookies turn out. The temperature and time is accurate (though as noted, if you made particularly large meringues you may have needed more time to bake), any higher of a temperature and the cookies will actually burn. This is a very well-tested recipe it just requires some technique and I think it might just be worth another shot for you. Happy to help troubleshoot if possible.
Belinda
I did too and they came out perfect!
Bruce
Made a pie requiring 4 egg yolks yesterday and didn’t want to toss the whites… then thought.. meringue cookies! This recipe was spot on. Adding the sugar slowly really took it to a new level for me. have made meringue a few times recently while making mousee but either the room temp whites (had been sitting out while I made the pie) or the slow add of the sugar made this the thickest, fluffiest meringe I have ever made.
I look forward to making more of these! Next to play with flavor and add-ins. Have seen some with tiny chocolate shavings/chips in them!
Sugar Spun Run
What a perfect solution for your leftover ingredients, Bruce! I am so glad that you enjoyed the cookies. One of my favorite ways to make them is with mini chocolate chips. Delicious. 🙂
Kiki
I loved this! They whipped up quickly and came out great. 🙂 I wanted a base recipe that I could add matcha powder to, and this was perfect. I just mixed a couple spoons into the sugar and followed the rest of the recipe. Thank you!!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that they turned out perfectly, Kiki! Thank you for trying my recipe. 🙂
Kenna
These meringue cookies turned out amazing! I did notice that the meringues on the bottom shelf of the oven dried out much quicker than the ones on the top shelf, but I don’t mind. I actually think drying it more brings out the flavor. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed them, Kenna! Placement of the cookie sheet in the oven matter a lot in baking as it will alter the results. I typically bake them in the center rack. Thanks for commenting and for trying my recipe. 🙂
Coco
Do you need to have the whites at room temperature?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Coco! Yes, it is recommended. You can do this by placing them in a bowl of warm water for a 5-10 minutes before you begin to make this recipe. 🙂
Nicole
You mentioned a video but there doesn’t seem to be a link. Would you add it to the page please? In the past my idea of timing/readiness has been off and I inevitably end up over-beating, causing my peaks to lose their stiffness (apologies for the double entendre).
Watching might be helpful…
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Nicole! I am sorry that the “Jump to Video” link seems to be broken. I will work on getting that corrected. In the meantime, you can find the video on the post just underneath the “SWEET & SIMPLE MERINGUE COOKIES” heading, right underneath the main image. I hope that you find it helpful! 🙂
Sophia
Hi! I always just whip them straight from the refrigerator and they turn out perfectly fine!
Carole
Same here Sophia. Also I used lemon juice instead of cream of tartar
Helene
I have never used cream of tartar and the meringues have always turned out great!
Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for sharing, Helene! 🙂
Cassandra
Glad you mentioned this! I wanted to make these and I remembered making them once some 25 years ago and could have sworn I didn’t use cream of tartar. But since I was a kid I worried I remembered wrong. Happy to know I don’t need to wait to make these because definitely no cream of tartar in my pantry!