• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Plated Cravings logo

  • Recipe Index
  • Air Fryer
  • German Food
  • About
    • Contact
    • How to Subscribe
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Air Fryer
  • About
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Air Fryer
    • About
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home > Recipes > Cookies, Brownies & Bars

    Meringue Cookies

    ↓ Jump to Recipe · By: Julia Foerster · Posted: 01/31/19 · Updated: 01/31/19 · This post may contain affiliate links

    Meringue Cookies

    Meringue Cookies are crispy and light cookies made with only 4 ingredients that are perfect for using up leftover egg whites! This easy recipe works for any amount of egg whites and uses no Cream of Tartar.

    Making these cookies is always a good idea if you have leftover egg whites from other recipes like my Easy Creme Brulee Recipe, Linzer Cookies, or Oreo Banana Cream Cake.

    Meringue Cookies in a glass bowl.

    Meringue Cookies are one of my favorite cookie recipes to make for the Holidays but these cookies are also perfect to make all year round! You can easily make different flavors of Meringue from this Vanilla Meringue Cookies recipe like peppermint meringue cookies by adding a few drops of peppermint extract or lemon meringue cookies by adding lemon extract.

    What are meringue cookies?

    Meringue cookies are crispy, delicate cookies made from whipped egg whites and sugar. The cookies are shaped using a piping bag so you can make any shape you want.

    How to Make Meringue Cookies

    This Meringue Cookie Recipe breaks making these cookies up into easy steps so you get the best results.

    A meringue cookie sitting on a grey surface

    Tips and Tricks for Making the BEST Meringue Cookies

    • Use the freshest eggs possible! Fresh eggs are acidic and create a stable foam that doesn’t need too long to form without the need for adding cream of tartar or lemon juice.
    • The egg whites need to be at room temperature for the best results!
    • Crack each egg in a separate bowl before adding them to the mixer bowl when separating the whites! This way you avoid ruining a whole batch of egg whites because of a tiny bit of yolk.
    • Don’t reduce the amount of sugar! The sugar makes the meringues crispy.  If not enough sugar is added to the meringue, the mixture will not be stable enough, and not enough moisture will evaporate during baking so they won’t crisp up.
    • Don’t add sugar too soon! Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form then add the sugar otherwise the mixture might not hold its shape
    • Add the sugar gradually! To be on the safe side, add 1 Tbsp about every 1 minute, whisking well between each addition
    • Whisk on medium-high speed, not on high speed! This way the mixture will get lots of tiny, uniform bubbles and will be easier to shape
    • Avoid over-whisking – only whisk until the sugar just dissolves
    • Bake the meringue as soon as possible after mixing to prevent it from splitting. Preheat your oven before starting to whip the egg whites and prepare your baking sheets.
    • Meringues should not get dark or get color during baking. If this happens make sure your oven has the right temperature. Some ovens run hotter.
    • Moisture is the biggest enemy of baked meringues! As soon as they are cooled put them in an airtight container and avid making Meringue cookies on a very humid day

    How to scale this Meringue recipe

    Use at least 1/4 cup sugar per egg white if you want to make this recipe with less or more egg whites. For example, when using only 4 egg whites use 1 cup (or a little bit more) sugar, 6 egg whites use at least 1.5 cups sugar. 

    Three meringue cookies sitting on a grey surface with some Cranberries

    Can you make meringue cookies without cream of tartar

    Yes, you can make meringue cookies without cream of tartar. You can leave it out completely if you use really fresh eggs or you can substitute it with some lemon juice which has the same effect if you don’t know how old the eggs are or you’re using eggs that are not fresh.

    Cream of Tartar (or lemon juice) lowers the eggs pH and makes them more acidic (similar to fresh eggs) which makes them more stable. Add 1 tsp lemon juice for 5 egg whites or 1/2 tsp cream of tartar for 5 egg whites before whisking.

    How long to bake meringue cookies

    Bake for 60 minutes, then turn off the oven and leave the cookies in the oven but don’t open the door completely until they are cool. This way they dry out completely.

    When are meringue cookies done?

    The cookies are done when they are crisp on the outside, lift from the baking sheet without sticking. and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.

    How to Store Meringue Cookies

    When the Cookies are completely cooled down transfer them to an airtight container. They keep fresh and crispy for at least 2 weeks.

    Looking for more cookie recipes?

    • Cornflake Cookies
    • Nutella Cookies Recipe
    • Vanillekipferl (German Vanilla Crescent Cookies)
    • Valentine’s Day Chocolate Sugar Cookies

    Want to try this Meringue cookie recipe?

    PIN IT TO YOUR COOKIE BOARD TO SAVE IT OR SHARE ON FACEBOOK!

    Follow Plated Cravings on Pinterest for more great recipes!

    Meringue Cookies in a glass bowl.
    Servings: 50

    Meringue Cookies

    Meringue Cookies are crispy and light cookies made with only 4 ingredients that are perfect for using up leftover egg whites!
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour
    Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
    Course: Cookie
    Cuisine: French
    Calories: 25kcal
    Author: Julia Foerster
    5 from 25 votes
    Print PIN RECIPE Rate

    Ingredients

    Cups - Metric
    • 5 egg whites, room temperature
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
    • 1 lemon slice
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 220F.
    • Make sure your bowl and whisk are completely clean and the egg whites don’t have any egg yolk in them. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
    • Wipe the inside of the stand mixer bowl and the whisk with the lemon slice.
    • In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites and vanilla extract at medium-high speed until the mixture forms soft peaks.
    • Slowly add the sugar, about 1 Tablespoon at a time, with the mixer running and beat well after each addition until all the sugar is incorporated.
    • Once all of the sugar has been added, beat until sugar has just dissolved and the mixture is glossy and stiff about 4 minutes. The sugar should be completely dissolved and the mixture should not be gritty if you rub it between your fingers. It should not be dry, avoid overmixing.
    • Spoon the meringue into a large pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe 1.5-inch cookies onto the lined baking sheets, leaving 1 inch between each cookie. They will increase in size a little bit as they dry out.
    • Bake for 60 minutes, then turn off the oven and leave the cookies in the oven (don’t open the door) until they are cool so they dry out completely. The cookies should be crisp on the outside, lift from the baking sheet without sticking. and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
    • As soon as the meringue is cool, transfer the cookies to an airtight container.

    Nutrition Information

    Calories: 25kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 4mg | Sugar: 6g
    Did you Make this Recipe? Tag me Today!Share it on Instagram and tag @platedcravings or #platedcravings!

    NEVER MISS A RECIPE!

    PINTEREST / FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM / TWITTER

    If you’ve tried this or any other of my recipes, don’t forget to rate the recipe and to leave me a comment. I love hearing from you!

    « Air Fryer Pickles
    Carrot Cake Cupcakes »

    Plated Cravings owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. If you enjoyed the recipe and would like to publish it on your own site, please re-write it in your own words, and link back to my site and recipe page. Read my Disclosure and Privacy Policy. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. mia says

      October 02, 2022 at 12:41 pm

      5 stars
      would lime juice work?

      Reply
      • Julia Foerster says

        October 03, 2022 at 9:54 am

        I haven’t tried it with lime juice, so I don’t know if it works.

        Reply
    2. Erika says

      March 01, 2022 at 10:00 am

      What if I don’t have a stand mixer -just hand held.

      Reply
      • Julia Foerster says

        March 01, 2022 at 11:11 am

        You can use a hand mixer, it will just take longer.

        Reply
    « Older Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome!

    Julia Foerster from Plated Cravings

    Hi, I'm Julia! Born in Germany, I call Canada now my home and love to share my favorite dishes with you! Here you'll find hundreds of recipes, all made from scratch with lots of tips and detailed step-by-step instructions. ➝ Visit my about page and ➝ subscribe to never miss a new recipe!

    Favorite Recipes

    • Black Forest Cake
    • Brioche French Toast
    • Butterscotch Cookies
    • Blueberry Bread
    • Easy Creme Brulee Recipe
    • Chocolate Mousse Cake

    Top Posts

    • Moist Lemon Cake Recipe
    • Air Fryer Donuts
    • Air Fryer Onion Rings
    • Apple Strudel Recipe
    • Air Fryer Chicken Wings
    • Oven Roasted Potatoes

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy & Disclaimer
    • Accessibility Policy

    As Featured On

    Press Images

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Work with us

    Copyright © 2022 Plated Cravings