Easy to make and delicious Meringue Cookies with tips and tricks for success every time. PLUS the best ways to use Meringue Cookies to elevate a simple dessert!
More gift-able dessert ideas: Turtle Bark, Buttercrunch Candy, or Candied Pecans!
author’s note
The Best Meringue Cookies Ever!
I used to think meringue cookies were boring (especially with treats like Snickerdoodles or Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies!)—that is, until I visited Detroit last April. The food and drinks at The Grey Ghost were great, but it was the dessert that really impressed me. Mini sour cream cheesecakes with berries, lemon curd, and meringue cookies had me craving it even months later.
Today, I’m showing you how to make simple meringue cookies and a version of that dessert that’s just as good as the one I loved! These light treats are just 22 calories each.
The Prep
Before you start:
- Check the weather—meringue cookies are sensitive to humidity. Avoid making them on rainy days, as they’ll absorb moisture and become soft.
- Ensure your bowl is completely clean and dry, as any grease can prevent the eggs from whipping to stiff peaks. Stick to metal bowls, not plastic.
- Use room-temp eggs for a fluffier meringue. Pro tip: separate the yolks and whites while the eggs are cold, then let the whites reach room temp.
How To Make Meringues
- Beat egg whites steadily: Add a pinch of salt at the start to stabilize them. Avoid under or overbeating.
- Add sugar slowly: Use granulated sugar for a more granular texture, or superfine sugar for a smoother finish. Add it slowly.
- Line the pan: Parchment gives the best results.
- Bake low and slow: Bake at a low temp for 1 hour to dry out the cookies without browning or overcooking.
- Let meringues stand in the oven after baking: This helps them fully dry and cool slowly to prevent cracks or crumbling.
Why Are My Meringue Cookies Chewy?
Most likely one of three reasons: humidity, not beating your mixture to stiff peaks, or not baking long enough.
Is Cream Of Tartar Necessary?
The acid in cream of tartar makes the cookies stronger and stops them from getting sticky.
You can use lemon juice instead of cream of tartar—1/2 teaspoon per egg white—but I still recommend cream of tartar for the best results.
How To Know When Meringues Are Done?
They should be crisp, light, and dry (not shiny) when done. If they easily lift off the parchment and the bottoms are dry, they’re ready!
Favorite Ways To Serve Meringue Cookies:
- Lemon Blackberry Frozen Yogurt: Use store-bought frozen vanilla yogurt or make your own. Top with lemon curd. Add fresh berries and crumbled meringue cookies, or use mini meringues for extra crunch.
- Berry Yogurt Bowls: Start with a base of Greek yogurt. Top with berries, a few spoonfuls of lemon curd, and crumbled or mini meringue cookies. Finish with a sprinkle of raspberries or strawberries.
Storage
Store leftover meringues in an airtight container at room temp for up to 1 week. Avoid moisture to keep them crisp.
More Delicious Cookies:
Meringue Cookies
Equipment
- 2 Large sheet pan (15" x 21")
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
Ingredients
- 4 large egg whites at room temperature
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 cup superfine sugar or granulated sugar, see note 1
- 1-1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract use clear vanilla for a super white meringue
- 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract optional
Instructions
- I like to separate the egg yolk from the white when the eggs are cold. Separate straight out of the fridge, then allow the whites to come to room temperature. It’s very important to have room-temperature egg whites for this recipe.
- Preheat oven to 225°F. Line 2 large sheet pans with parchment paper (not Silicone/reuseable liners). Set aside.
- In a clean and grease-free bowl (preferably metal), combine egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar.
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer (with the whisk attachment), stir at low speed until the mixture becomes frothy. Increase speed to high and beat until mixture is no longer translucent.
- With the mixer going at high speed, gradually add superfine sugar, about a tablespoon at a time, stirring after each addition, until the sugar is dissolved (10–15 seconds between each addition). You want to add sugar gradually so you don’t deflate the meringue.
- Beat until mixture is thick, sugar is completely dissolved, and you have stiff peaks.
- Stir in vanilla and lemon extract. Transfer mixture to a large (new/clean—avoid used and washed piping bags because of possible residue) piping bag that has been fitted with a star tip. (Or just snip the tip off of the piping bag and pipe from that).
- Pipe cookies on prepared sheet pan. Since these won’t spread, you can place them on the sheet pan pretty close together. Pipe large or small meringues—whatever you’d like, but keep the sizes consistent.
- Bake for 1 hour. Do not open oven. Turn off the heat and leave the oven closed for 1 hour before removing the meringues.
- Garnish as desired. See note 2.
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
