Light, airy, and perfectly sweet, meringue cookies melt in your mouth! And, with just 5 ingredients they’re surprisingly easy to make!
We love a good meringue at Partylicious. Whether you're making Swiss Meringue Buttercream, French Macarons, or Marshmallow Frosting, whipping egg whites and sugar together creates a deliciously light and airy dessert.
Meringue cookies are the perfect combination of light, airy, and sweet. With their crisp exteriors and melt-in-your-mouth texture, they're a cookie that feels both simple and elegant.
The best part? They're made with just 5 ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen, making them surprisingly easy to whip up at home.
Whether you're baking for a party, a holiday, or just because, these delicate cookies are sure to impress.
Ingredients
- Egg Whites: When whipping egg whites make sure there are no bits of yolk in the egg whites, or traces of oil left in your bowl, as any fat can deflate the egg whites.
- Granulated Sugar: Both extra fine baker sugar and regular granulated sugar work great.
How to Make
Step 1: Make Meringue
Whip Egg Whites: Using a handheld mixer in a large bowl, or standing mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the eggs, salt, and cream tartar on medium speed a minute or so until very frothy.
Slowly Add Sugar: Once the egg whites are nice and frothy, turn up the speed to high and slowly (and I mean slowly!!) add the sugar, one teaspoon (yes, teaspoon, not tablespoon) at a time. And, mix the sugar after each addition until it is dissolved (about 10-20 seconds) before adding the next.
Mix Until Still Peaks Form: Add vanilla extract (and food coloring if using) and continue mixing the meringue on medium-high until stiff peaks form. This is when the meringues are glossy and smooth, and if you lift the beater, the meringue has peaks that hold their shape and stick up. And, if you rub a bit between your fingers it's smooth, the sugar has totally dissolved and there are no more granules.
Step 2: Pipe and Bake
Pipe Meringue: Working quickly add the meringue to a pastry bag fitting with your desired tip and pipe the meringues onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat I piped rosettes, but you can pipe whatever shape you'd like. New to pastry bags? Check out my post on a how to use a pastry bag and piping tips!
Pro-Tip: No, pastry bag? No Problem! Just use a ziplock bag with the tip cup off. Or, you can drop spoonfuls of meringue on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake: Immediately add the piped meringues to a 225℉ preheated oven in the middle rack and bake for 1 hour. Do not open the oven while baking.
Let Cool in Oven: After the meringues are done, turn off the oven and let the baked cookies sit in the warm oven until cool to the touch, at least 1.5 hours. These can also be made in the evening and sit in the oven overnight. Do not open the oven door during this time. Once done, remove from oven and enjoy!
Tips and Tricks
- Make sure there are no traces of egg yolks or oil/fat in the mixing bowl or egg whites, as any fat can hinder the egg whites from whipping up.
- To ensure the sugar is fully incorporated, rub a bit of meringue between your fingers. If it feels gritty, keep whipping until it's smooth.
- Stop whipping as soon as stiff, glossy peaks form. Overwhipping can cause the meringue to become grainy, lose its smooth texture, and crack in the oven. (See FAQ if you hit stiff peaks before the sugar has fully dissolved).
- Bake in the middle or lower racks and do not open the oven door while baking or cooling (this can cause the meringues to break or crack).
FAQ
For Meringues, I recommend using fresh egg whites as boxed don't whip up as well (and some, like Trader Joe's brand don't whip up at all).
Make sure there are no traces of egg yolks or oil/fat in the mixing bowl or egg whites, as any fat can hinder the egg whites from whipping up. You can rub some lemon juice or vinegar on the mixing bowl to clean it to ensure there is no fat residue.
It's better to prevent this from happening by adding the sugar very slowly! If you add it slowly (one teaspoon at a time) you shouldn't have this problem.
But if stiff peaks have formed but there is still sugar left when you do the sugar test, stop whipping. Meringue cookies are more forgiving of (a tiny bit) of undissolved sugar than say, a Meringue Frosting, and if you overwip the egg whites you're more likely to get cracked meringues.
Yes! Gently fold in any add-ins with a spatula once the stiff peaks have formed. Just make sure your piping tips is big enough to pipe out the add-ins (or just drop spoons on your prepared baking sheet). Bake as directed.
Yes!
Make homemade lemon curd, vanilla pastry cream (for cream puffs!) or French Canelés.
Storing and Making Ahead
These meringue cookies will last up to two weeks in an airtight container at room temperature (do not store in the refrigerator). They can be frozen up to two months as well.
Looking for More French Desserts? Check These Out!
How to Make Meringue Cookies
INGREDIENTS
- 2 egg whites
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- pinch salt
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 or 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 225 ℉.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and fit a medium or large piping bag with a large piping tip.
- Using a handheld mixer in a large bowl, or standing mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the eggs, salt, and cream tartar on medium speed a minute or so until very frothy.
- Once the egg whites are nice and frothy, turn up the speed to high and slowly add the sugar, one teaspoon at a time. Mix the sugar after each addition until it is dissolved (about 10-20 seconds) before adding the next. By the end, if you rub a bit between your fingers it's smooth, the sugar has totally dissolved and there are no more granules.
- Add vanilla extract (and food coloring if using) and continue mixing the meringue on medium-high until stiff peaks form. The meringue should be glossy and smooth, and if you lift the beater, the meringue has peaks that hold their shape and stick up.
- Working quickly add the meringue to a pastry bag fitting with your desired tip and pipe the meringues into the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake the meringues in the preheated oven in the middle rack and bake for 1 hour. Do not open the oven while baking.
- After the meringues are done, turn off the oven and let the baked meringues sit in the warm oven until cool to the touch, at least 1.5 hours but these can be made in the evening and sit in the oven overnight. Do not open the oven door during this time.
- Once cool, remove from baking sheet and enjoy.
Notes
- Make sure there are no traces of egg yolks or oil/fat in the mixing bowl or egg whites, as any fat can hinder the egg whites from whipping up.
- To ensure the sugar is fully incorporated, rub a bit of meringue between your fingers. If it feels gritty, keep whipping until it's smooth.
- Stop whipping as soon as stiff, glossy peaks form. Overwhipping can cause the meringue to become grainy, lose its smooth texture, and crack in the oven. (See FAQ if you hit stiff peaks before the sugar has fully dissolved).
- Bake in the middle or lower racks and do not open the oven door while baking or cooling (this can cause the meringues to break or crack).
- This recipe makes 15 two inch meringues and can be doubled as needed.
- The meringues will last two weeks at room temperature in an airtight container and can be stored for up to two months in the freezer.
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