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.
Kaleigh
I had stiff peaks before all the sugar was added. Did I just add it to slowly? It wasn’t dissolving.
Sam
Hi Kaleigh, it may have been added too slowly, I hope they still turned out for you though!
Mo
I added a cup of chopped walnuts and a cup of semi sweet chocolate chips.
Dropped them on the parchment with a small tablespoon.
Perfect and perfectly sinful 🙂
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that they turned out perfectly and that you enjoyed them, Mo! Thanks for trying my recipe. 🙂
Sarah K.
Worked like a charm! I think I made a few a little too big so the insides were slightly chewy but the smaller ones were perfect. So excited to finally have a recipe like this that works. Thanks!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed them and they turned out perfectly, Sarah! Thanks for trying my recipe. 🙂
Persephone
Mine became really runny when I put them in the piping bag… I’m 13 yrs old and cook/ bake a lot! But is there a reason why I wisked the egg whites for a long time! But They were are delicious!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so sorry that you experienced an issue. If the meringue mixture becomes flat or runny when the sugar is added then it usually means that the egg whites were not quite whisked enough before the sugar was added. Regardless, I am glad that they tasted delicious. 🙂
Sarah
I’m mixing the meringues right now and the sugar won’t dissolve? Any ideas??
Sam
Hi Sarah! Sorry for the delayed response! If you run into this problem again, try adding the sugar a little bit more slowly. If you keep stirring it should eventually dissolve. I hope they turned out for you. 🙂
Emily
My meringues are in the oven right now and I’m so excited to eat one in a few hours! I’ve made them before and they were super easy and quick to make!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much for trying my recipe, Emily! I am so glad that you enjoyed it. 🙂
Nadia atalla
Hi can I use a week old egg whites in this recipe ?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Nadia! For food safety reasons, I am not certain therefore I do not reccomend it.
Emsley
Worked perfectly! Cookies are in the oven!
Sam
So glad you enjoyed, Emsley! 🙂
Tia Makary
The meringues were amazingly delicious.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them, Tia! 🙂
Alana
Do these keep for a couple days or are they meant to be eaten right away? Would it work to drizzle chocolate on top after?
Sam
Hi Alana! You can keep them for a few days, you will want to store them in an air tight container so they don’t absorb moisture and become chewy. You could definitely drizzle them with chocolate. 🙂
claire
Delicious! Recipe turned out perfect! I was even able to only let them cool for 35 minutes in the oven and they were perfect. Also, the recipe made about 60 cookies for me, and have all been eaten by my family.
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed the meringues, Claire! 🙂
kaylee
this recipe sucks it was good at first then when i put it in my pipping bag it would not pipe was too runny
Sugar Spun Run
I am so really sorry that you experienced an issue with the recipe, Kaylee. If the meringue mixture becomes flat or runny when the sugar is added then it usually means that the egg whites were not quite whisked enough before the sugar was added. Heat and humidity can also play a factor in this. I appreciate you trying my recipe and am sorry that this happened to you.
Alex Skylark.
So diplomatic. Kudos to you. I would have had a hard time not saying that it wasn’t the recipe,,,,,,but the execution.
Kathleen
What do you prepare your baking sheet with? Oil? Butter?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Kathleen! I line my baking sheet with parchment paper. It allows for the cookies to be removed easily and makes for a quick clean up. 🙂
Pam m
Turned out perfect always wanted to make them. Thank you for the awesome recipe.
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much for trying my recipe, Pam. I am so glad that you enjoyed them. 🙂
Jasper
Been coming back to this recipe again and again! Never disappoints.
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so very much, Jasper! I appreciate it and am so happy that you have enjoyed my recipe. 🙂
Lynn Burton
Great recipe and excellent instructions. Thanks so much.
Machi
Very easy to follow the instructions for a novice and I loved that I could also see the video for better understanding. I needed them for an Eton Mess so I did not shape mine like cookies but longer. Some turned out a bit chewy (still delicious) so I am not sure if it is my oven or the shape I gave them. When I baked them for an extra 10 minutes they were perfect. Thank you
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the meringues, Machi! I’m glad you were able to salvage them. 🙂
Angelina Borowski
They work great and taste very good! I’m so glad to find the recipe
Sam
Thank you so much, Angelina! I’m glad you enjoyed the meringue cookies! 🙂
Charlene
These were a hit! And we’re usually not meringue lovers. Thanks so much for sharing 😊. Just wondering thou if it’s possible to reduce the sugar?
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that they were a hit, Charlene. I have tested this recipe a lot before publishing it and recommend the amount of sugar that is listed. You can try to reduce the sugar but I am not certain how they will do. 🙂