Meringue Cookies
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These baked Meringue Cookies are sweet, crisp, and practically weightless. They are like biting into a little sugar cloud. They melt in your mouth and look so pretty on a cookie tray, especially when piped into delicate little kisses and tinted with a hint of color.
I have a lot of recipes here on this site that begin with meringue. Recipes like chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream, angel food cake, and coffee macarons. It may seem pretty simple to whip egg whites and sugar together until fluffy and stiff, but it can actually be kinda tricky if you're not sure what you're doing.
And I get a lot of questions about it! So I thought it was about time I put together a comprehensive guide for how to make meringue. And these cutie-patootie baked meringue cookies are the perfect place to start!
For these meringue cookies, we aren't so much baking the meringue as drying it out.
These bake at a really low temperature (only 200 degrees F), for a long time. This gets them nice and crisp all the way through, without browning at all.
How To Make Meringue
The overall idea of meringue is pretty simple. It's really just egg whites and sugar whipped together until fluffy and stiff.
I like to add a few other ingredients as well, such as cream of tartar to make the meringue more stable, vanilla extract, and salt to balance the flavors.
If you want to make meringue without cream of tartar, just sub in a few drops of lemon juice or white vinegar. They all pretty much do the same thing.
And you can get creative with flavors too. Vanilla isn't the only option! Try adding almond extract, rosewater, lemon, or orange blossom water for example. You could even fold in freeze dried fruit (like raspberries) that's been ground to a powder in the food processor.
Here's Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Light & Airy: Crisp on the outside and slightly chewy in the center, just like the best bakery-style meringues.
- Naturally Gluten-Free & Low-Calorie: Just 10 calories each and made without flour or butter.
- Customizable: Swap out the extract or add color for different flavors and themes.
- Make-Ahead Friendly: These cookies keep beautifully and don't lose their crunch.
Ingredients You'll Need
The recipe card at the bottom of the post contains the full list with all of the amounts. Refer to that when you're cooking.
- Large egg whites: The star of the show. Make sure they're at room temperature for the best volume.
- Cream of tartar: Helps stabilize the egg whites and create those strong, stiff peaks.
- Kosher salt: Just a pinch to balance the sweetness and enhance the flavor.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens and gives the meringues their signature crisp texture.
- Vanilla extract: Adds classic flavor; feel free to substitute other extracts if you like.
- Icing color (optional): A drop or two of gel color gives a beautiful pastel hue without deflating the meringue.
In Photos: How To Make Meringue Cookies
Step 1: Prep the Oven
Start by preheating your oven to 200°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.
Step 2: Whip the Egg Whites
Place the egg whites in a clean, grease-free mixing bowl. Add the cream of tartar and salt. Begin mixing on medium speed until the mixture becomes foamy and opaque.
Step 3: Add the Sugar Slowly
Increase the mixer speed slightly and begin adding sugar, just a little at a time. This step is key! Go slowly (about ¼ teaspoon at a time) to ensure the sugar dissolves fully.
If the sugar is added too quickly, the meringue may collapse or become grainy.
Step 4: Whip to Stiff Peaks
Once all the sugar is added, turn the mixer to high and continue whipping until the meringue is glossy and holds stiff peaks. You should be able to turn the bowl upside down without it budging.
Step 5: Add Flavor & Color
Mix in the vanilla extract, and if you're using color, fold it in gently with a spatula.
Step 6: Pipe the Meringue
Transfer the meringue to a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe small 1-inch diameter kisses onto your prepared baking sheets, spacing them slightly apart.
Step 7: Bake Low & Slow
Bake in the preheated oven for 2 to 2 ½ hours. They should feel dry and crisp, but not take on any color. Once baked, let them cool completely in the oven with the door cracked open.
Tips & Troubleshooting
Why Won't My Meringue Stiffen?
While the ingredients may be simple, the technique could really make or break you.
The most important thing when making meringue is timing. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Add the sugar in too early and your whites might never get fluffy enough.
- Add it in too late and your meringue might weep because the crystals didn't have time to dissolve.
- Add it in too fast, and it could deflate all the air out of the meringue.
It's a really delicate balance! But if you start adding the sugar when the whites are starting to look foamy and a little white, and keep it going in S-L-O-W-L-Y (I'm talking like ¼ teaspoon at a time!) you should be ok.
There's one other thing that is SO important when it comes to making meringue, and that's to make sure that everything is SUPER clean!
Make sure your bowl and your whisk are 100% free of any trace of fat. If any of your tools are at all greasy, your whites won't whip up properly. Wash everything in very hot, soapy water and dry it well. Even the most microscopic trace of fat could make it impossible for your meringue to reach that critical stiff peak stage.
And do you know what contains fat? Egg yolks! So be really careful when you separate the eggs too. If you accidentally pierce the yolk you can forget about ever making a proper meringue.
Meringue Cookies FAQ
You might be able to get away with baking meringues ahead, but you'd be taking a big chance.
If it's a dry day, that's probably your best bet. But if it's at all rainy or humid, you're going to have trouble. They might come out of the oven just right, but over time they will re-absorb moisture from the air and become sticky.
I've had this problem a few times before and it's so frustrating. You will be so much better off if you make them just before you plan to serve them.
If you live in a really dry environment, and you want to take your chances, place the meringue cookies in an airtight container and seal it tightly to keep the humidity out. They can last for a few days at room temp without spoiling, but they may become a bit sticky.
Hopefully this info will come in useful for you the next time you need to make a meringue-based confection! And if you have a question I didn't cover here, feel free to leave it in a comment below, and I'll get back to you with an answer as soon as I can.
These little meringue kisses are super cute and fun to snack on by the handful. But once you have meringue making mastered, there are all sorts of things you'll be able to make with ease.
Here are a few examples:
-> Pipe the meringue into a cup or nest shape, and it can be filled with lemon curd, berries, or ice cream.
-> Try your hand at Pavlova - it's baked a little faster so it remains soft and marshmallow-y inside.
-> Top a lemon meringue pie or baked Alaska - the meringue that tops these desserts doesn't get baked at all; instead it's toasted with a brulee torch or under the broiler.
-> If you can make a proper meringue, you're halfway to making French macarons!
-> You can also make my favorite ever frosting: Swiss meringue buttercream!
More Meringue Recipes
- Lemon Meringue Pie
- Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Pumpkin Meringue Tarts with Whole Wheat Shortbread Crust
- Raspberry Meringue Sandwiches with Whipped Dark Chocolate Ganache Filling
- Chocolate Peppermint Meringue Christmas Trees
- Pomegranate Meringue Tart with Brown Butter Shortbread Crust
- Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Ingredients
- 4 egg whites, (large)
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon ) cream of tartar*
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) kosher salt
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) vanilla extract**
- 1 drop icing color , (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
- Place the egg whites in a large, clean mixing bowl, and add the cream of tartar and salt.
- Whip the whites on medium speed until foamy and just beginning to turn white.
- While continuing to whip, add in the sugar very slowly (about ¼ teaspoon at a time).
- When all the sugar has been added, turn the mixer up to high speed and whip until the meringue is glossy and very stiff.
- Stir in the vanilla extract, then fold in the color (if using).
- Transfer the meringue to a clean piping bag fitted with a French star tip, and pipe 1-inch diameter kisses onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake the meringues in the warm oven for 2 to 2 ½ hours, or until light and crisp (do not brown).
- Serve immediately.
Notes
**Other types of extracts can be substituted to taste.
Hello, i have tried making the meringue, but i left it on the table to cool down and it become sticky, i have tried to put it inside the oven again and now its super soft, should i oven it more?
Yes, I would do that! As noted in the headnotes, these will quickly pick up moisture from the air on a humid day, and they are best served right away. Good luck!
Hi, Thanks for sharing the recipe. It looks yummy. Can I bake them in the OTG oven, if so what temperature and time should I select.
Looking for your Reply.
This is Aswini from India
What is the OTG oven? Sorry I am not familiar with this term.
Do you think if you absolutely HAD to make them earlier that putting them in a container with some sort of moisture absorber would help prevent any stickiness? Kind of like the stuff in New shoes or the moisture absorbers for houses. But obviously something safe to be near food lol
I have not tried it so I can't say for sure- but it does sound logical...???
I could only make half of my meringues at a time, what do I do if they have had to sit out for a little while?
Can yogurt be added to make bites f8r a toddler? If so how much & when?
Sorry I've never tried that so I can't say.
Please tell me how to do I bake it on stovetop?
Sorry it's not possible to bake on a stovetop.
These meringues turned out AMAZING! I flavored them lemon, and I colored them pink and yellow swirl. They were super easy and everybody LOVED them! Thanks!
Sounds so good! Thanks for the great feedback!
Oh, and the tips are star tips.
How much will it matter if I use a 'size 32' tip to pipe the meringue? I also have a 'size 21' tip. Which one would work better?
Hello, I have a question of a different nature..what music did you use for your video? It's so pretty!! This recipe looks yummy. Looking forward to giving it a try. Thank you!
Hey there! I always use royalty-free music that I download online for all my videos. I'm happy you like it! I believe this one came from Pond5.
Hi! So I live in Hawaii and I was wondering if the heat would effect the Meringue at all. I am very excited to try this recipe! Thanks!
Humidity can definitely affect them. There's info on this under the headings "CAN BAKED MERINGUES BE MADE AHEAD?" and "HOW TO STORE MERINGUE KISSES." Good luck, I hope you enjoy!
Thanks!
Is it Ok to store the Meringues in the fridge?
It's ok but as noted these do tend to become sticky if they hang around too long. Good luck!
I made these for my friends and family and they loved them. During my social distancing i try to do things that are positive and keep us busy. I made these and handled them with gloves to package them and deliver them personally. They were a hit! thank you.
That's so nice! I love that you are doing that for your loved ones.
Hi!
Can I use an all egg white product - basically pre Packaged egg whites that come in a carton? If I leave the carton out on the counter for an hour they’ll get to room temperature but just wondering if boxed egg whites will work given that you mention using fresh egg whites.
Sounds like it should work but I have not tried it myself so I can't say for certain. Good luck!
What is the reason for the batter not stiffy
Meringue of u it buaetiful, I make it but Why did I bake and the color faded? so sad
Hey there, I don't know what kind of color you used to tint your meringues, but it's not uncommon for color to fade as it bakes. It's always a good idea to compensate, knowing that, when you're tinting.
I am baking in oven with timer and low, med, m high, high, grill, combo1 options.. what do I need to select while baking this receipe.. I did with low for 3min.. it was melted n burnt
I'm not sure what kind of oven you're using, but these need to be dried out at a very low temperature. No more than 200 degrees F. If you're oven doesn't go that low then you will have a problem.