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.
Fran Smith
We love your meringue cookies! I’ve made them twice according to the recipe. I’d like to try brown sugar. Do you think that would work?
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed them, Fran! I have not tried them with brown sugar, but it should work just fine. You may need to reduce the amount of brown sugar added (start with 1/2 cup) If you try it, keep me posted on how they turn out. 🙂
Danielle
Can you use stevia instead of sugar?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Danielle! I do not have experience using sugar substitutes so I am not certain how it will do. If you try it, I’d love to know how it turns out. 🙂
Sam
So , mine are in the oven now and it’s pouring down rain . They still have almost the hour to bake before I turn the oven off . Could I possibly leave the meringues in the oven , first because of the humidity and second it’s almost 11:00 pm ?
Sam
Definitely! I would just leave them in the oven overnight. I also have some tips in the recipe on what to do if they end up being chewy the next day due to the humidity. Also, if your oven is completely cooled down, sometimes it helps to turn the light on (just the light) and keep the door closed, that helps dry them out a bit too.
Sam Raine
Great minds….. that’s exactly what I did , took them out this morning and immediately placed them in an airtight container . Great recipe Sam , thanks . Floated one in my coffee, fun and delicious!
Sam
I’m glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
Aubrey
I made these for mothers day. I was looking for a simple recipe that would impress my mom. SHE LOVED THEM! I followed everything exactly and they turned out perfect! I added a drop of cotton candy flavoring and that made them even better.10/10 recommend!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy to hear that the cookies turned out so well and your mom enjoyed her special sweet treat, Aubrey! I love the sound of the cotton candy flavoring too… sounds delicious. I will have to try that the next time I make them! Thanks for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Leanne
Hi! How big should each cookie be when piling it onto the cookie sheet? Thanks!
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Leanne! It should be about 1″ high. You can reference images for a better idea of sizing. Enjoy. 🙂
Kim
Can I bake these on two sheets on different racks? If not, how can I store the meringue until I can bake it? Thanks! I’m looking forward to trying this recipe! 🙂
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Kim! You can bake your cookies on two sheets on two different racks in the oven at the same time. Be sure to adjust your oven racks to the low and middle positions. Enjoy! 🙂
Frosty
Thank you for the recipe, tried it today and it turned out great!! However, within a few minutes after taking them out of the oven, the meringues started to become really sticky… not sure why this is so?
Sugar Spun Run
I am happy to hear that your cookies turned out well. I am sorry to hear that they started to become sticky after pulling them out from the oven. The sugar in the meringue pulls moisture from the air, too much moisture will result in sticky meringues. Heat/humidity will play a big roll in this as well. Regardless, I hope that they still tasted delicious. 🙂
Ina
I made them, though I baked it in 2 batches since my oven is small and first batch turned beige(not brown😅) coz having a hard time adjusting my oven temp. But, it tastes good! Thanks for the recipe! Keep sharing☺️
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed them, Ina! Thanks for trying my recipe and for commenting. I hope that you’re able to get your oven perfectly set next time. 🙂
Kelsie
Love the recipe!! I’ve tried at least 8 different recipes and this one is definitely my favorite!! But mine were kind of hollow inside and I was wondering why they were hollow.
Sam
Hi Kelsie! I am so glad you are enjoying the recipes so much! I’m sorry about the meringues. I don’t think I’ve ever run into this issue but I believe it can happen if the egg whites are whipped too quickly. 🙂
Tara
I made these for the first time with a peachy color, and they look so pretty! The only thing was there wasn’t much flavor. What extracts would you recommend for the best amount of flavor other than vanilla? Great recipe though! Thank you!
Sam
Hi Tara! My husband really likes peppermint extract, but you have to use it sparingly because it’s much stronger than vanilla. I also have a chocolate meringue you could try too. 🙂
Sean
Green cardamom!!! 🤤😊
Cinnamon works also, if you’d like to branch out from extracts dried spices are fun to play w/ also…
Linda
Hi, Sam!
Can these be made with egg whites from a carton and monk fruit instead of sugar? I have to watch my sugar intake.
Any feedback would be much appreciated!!
Thank you!!
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Linda! Unfortunately, I have not tried using egg whites from the carton and monk fruit to make this recipe therefore I can not provide you with any personal recommendations. If you try it, I’d love to know how they turn out. 🙂
Kim H.
I tried to make these with granulated monk fruit today, and sadly it did not work for me. I ended up overheating the egg whites waiting for the monk fruit to dissolve.
Sugar Spun Run
I am sorry that it did not turn out well for you using the monk fruit as a substitute, Kim. 🙁
Susan
Will castor sugar work in place of the granulated sugar?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Susan! Yes, that should be fine. Enjoy! 🙂
Susan
Yes, caster sugar worked! I’ve been working on meringue cookies for years. This recipe was the best, they turned out perfect! Thank you1
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy to hear! Enjoy, Susan! 🙂
Anna
Do you have to decrease the amount of caster sugar to equal 1cup of the granulated sugar to avoid over sweet merengues?
Anna
My meringues browned a bit but it was still good; kinda like a toasted marshmallow! These were so easy to make; the waiting was very hard though lol.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed them, Anna! If they browned slightly, next time you just want to remove them from the oven a minute sooner or lower the oven temperature slightly. Regardless, I am glad that you loved them! 🙂
Leah mik
They were delicious, but mine seem to be a bit sticky inside… is there something I might have done wrong?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Leah! If you introduce meringue to any sort of humidity or moisture, they will become sticky. If the meringues are coming out of the oven sticky, you might want to lower the temperature slightly and extend the drying time (to avoid browning). I hope that helps! Regardless, I hope that they still tasted delicious. 🙂
bing
is it ok if i dont put cream of tartar?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Bing! In place of cream of tarter, you can try substituting with either 1 teaspoons of lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon of white vinegar. I hope that helps. 🙂
Anica
What if I don’t have lemon or white vinegar in these times??
Sugar Spun Run
Unfortunately, I am afraid that the cookies will not turn out. 🙁
Padma
how much lemon juice do we put?
Lauren
Loved this recipe!So easy and such clear directions. My 11 year old daughters both helped me with these and they turned out well both times. Definitely a keeper.
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed the meringues so much, Lauren! There’s nothing quite like making memories in the kitchen. 😊