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.
Alex
Hey! I just made this recipe! Unfortunately after they were done I realized while the outside is crispy, the inside parts are a little sticky and mushy. What should I do? Thanks!
Sam
Hi, Alex! There could be a few things going on here; they could have been exposed to too much moisture, or they may need a little more time in the oven. If you check the post I actually give you some tips on how to fix this as I have experienced this myself. Enjoy! 🙂
Michelle
1st time making them and I don’t bake often so it was exciting. I don’t like the vanilla at all. I saw the choc recipe can I do them with out dipping the, and without vanilla or maybe a little less vanilla?
Sam
Hi, Michelle! Yes you can make them without dipping them and less vanilla. You could also substitute an extract you do like. 🙂
Michelle
Thanks. This was super fun and easy, other than trying to get everything into the piping bag and I think I need more trays 2 weren’t enough.
Melissa
My Mom always made these with chocolate chips on them.
Sam
You can never have enough chocolate in my opinion! 🙂
Jenny
Hi, how did you stripe the piping bag with red food coloring?
Sam
Hi, Jenny! I use a clean paintbrush (food use only) and stripe some gel food coloring up the sides. 🙂
COSTERBERG
hello there, thinking of making these for our Christmas cookies! do you know if I were to freeze them, would they hold up ok? thank you much!
Sam
I think you could freeze them, but I would be worried that during the freezing process they would take in some moisture and become chewy. If you do try it, make sure they are in an air tight container and you separate the layers of cookies with wax paper. I hope this helps. 🙂
Martha
Sorry, one more question…. can you use the cake decorating sprinkles on the meringue cookies and if so, do you put the sprinkles on before or after you bake them?
Sam
I have not tried it, but I think it would work. I would put sprinkles on after you pipe the meringues. I hope it works out for you. ☺️
Michelle
What about edible glitter or pearl dust?
Sam
I am not sure if the glitter would melt in the oven or not.
Gayle
You can put the sprinkles in the meringue also. The cookies are to dry for the sprinkles to stay on after they are baked.
Brittany M
I use sprinkle on mine!! Just spur them on before putting them in the oven! Best recipe ever! And super easy, my whole family loves them including my 16 month old daughter 🙂
Martha
Have you tried using the refrigerated egg whites in the carton versus separating the eggs?
Sam
I have not tried do it that way. I know a lot of times there can be issues whipping the egg whites from a carton so I am not sure how it would go. Meringues can be very finicky.
Brittany M
This is my 5th time making your recipe and last night I tried it with the eggs whites in the carton and it was a big fail!! They didn’t get any volume at all, and very runny! I wouldnt recommend it. Definitely use real eggs when making this!
Sam
Thanks for the feedback, Brittany! I was afraid egg whites in the carton wouldn’t work, but couldn’t say for sure. Now I have a good answer if I am asked again. 🙂
Denise
I’ve never made any type of meringue before last night but thought I’d give it a shot. They were difficult to get into the piping bag so I did half with the bag and half with a spoon. They were all good but the texture of the spooned cookies was much less crumbly. Today I made more but added some dry cocoa powder mixed in with the sugar and they smell amazing. I can’t wait to see how they came out. I still added the vanilla, scooped with the spoon and hope I can whip up some of each for our cookie swap at work. I’ve always loved cooking but have been house bound due to an injury so have been giving baking a try. I didn’t think I’d be any good at it but haven’t had anything turn out less than delish. This lower calorie option is much appreciated by my waistline!!!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them, Denise! I actually do have a chocolate version if you’d like to check out my Chocolate Meringue Cookies. ☺️
Meredith
Made these today! I accidentally forgot the vanilla, and they were still wonderful! I took one batch out right after an hour and they were a tad bit chewy (which my sister enjoyed) and the other batch stayed in for 2 hours to cool properly, and they were just perfect. Will definitely make again with ALL of the ingredients 🙂
Sam
If you enjoyed them this way you will LOVE them with the vanilla! Glad they were a hit, Meredith! 🙂 Thank you for commenting, I appreciate it!
Colleen
The meringue turned out wonderful and tasty. Great receipe thank you
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it, Colleen! ☺️
Nila
Hey! Can I replace cream of tartar with lime juice instead? And if so how much do I use for this recipe?
Sam
Hi Nila. I am not sure how it would work in this recipe. If you try it, please let me know how it turns out.
Nila
Turned out just as good! 🙂
Sam
I am happy to hear it! Nothing worse than a dessert that doesn’t turn out.
Sarah Jo
How much lime juice did you use? 🤔
lindsey
hi, do i really need to leave it in the oven after bake that long? can i just live it outside so i can make anthor part?
Sam
If you don’t leave them in the oven, you run the risk of them becoming chewy.
Vanessa
I whipped up meringue for a pie tonight and now I have too much meringue. So, I have one batch of cookies in the oven now with left over meringue still….. Can you store extra Meringue in the refrigerator for a couple days?
Sam
Hi Vanessa. I have not tried it, but I am worried it will degrade in the refrigerator.
Cassandra
Most meringues will be fine, as long as you store them in air-tight containers.
Nathalie Charnell
Hello I was trying these at home I’ve tried them like three times and each time I can’t get a stiff peak. I have made sure everything is room temperature. Do you got any tips for me??
Sam
There could be a few things causing this: if there is any moisture in the bowl at all, if you have even the tiniest bit of egg yolk in the mixture, or if the humidity is too high, then you won’t be able to reach the stiff peaks needed. Meringues are very temperamental.
Caitlin
If the sugar is added too early, you won’t be able to get stiff peaks. I have had the same problem. This helped me. It has different ways to troubleshoot meringue.
https://www.sbs.com.au/food/explainer/make-meringue
Caitlin
Are these cookies really sweet? My family arent much of a sweet tooth kind of people. Will it be ok to add a bit less than a cup of sugar or will that throw off the mixture/consistency?
Sam
Yes they are pretty sweet. I haven’t tried it with that amount of sugar so I can’t really say, I’m sorry.