These Easy Meringue Cookies are light, airy, crispy, and look so cute on a holiday cookie tray! One batch makes 36 cookies and you only need 5 simple ingredients to get started! While you may think working with meringue is finicky, I’m going to give you all the secrets, so your meringue kisses are perfect every time!
I admit the first time I worked with meringue I was a little frustrated! But as you make different desserts like lemon meringue pie and buttercream it gets easier. I even cranked out a batch of mushroom cupcakes using a Swiss version! Since you will have leftover yolks, use those to make lemon curd, homemade eggnog, or the best chocolate cream pie!
While these dainty little cookies look great on the dessert table, we usually like to mix in a few peanut butter truffles, mini pumpkin pies and cheesecakes, Oreo balls, and Martha Washington candy. All of these are bite-sized treats, so instead of filling up on one dessert, our guests can try a variety!
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Why You’ll Love Simple Meringue Kisses
- Classic Meringue Cookies are perfect for the holidays.
- Very versatile and can be made for many occasions.
- These delicate cookies only requires 5 ingredients.
🥚 Ingredients:
- Egg whites – the key ingredient to this cookie, the FLUFF
- Granulated sugar – sweetens the egg whites
- Cream of tartar – helps keep the form of the cookie
- Pinch of salt
- Vanilla extract – adds that hint of vanilla and warmth to the cookie
For a full list of ingredients and their measurements, 📋 please view my printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Substitutions and Variations
- Chocolate meringues – Fold up to 2.5 tablespoons of cocoa powder in once the meringue has formed just before transferring it to a piping bag
- Different flavors – Use a few drops of peppermint extract, lemon (extract or zest for the most delicious lemon meringue cookies), almond extract, or your other favorite extract.
- Change the color – Stir in some gel food coloring to get different colors.
- Different shapes – Swap out the piping tip to make cookies in other shapes.
- Dip – Use Candy Melts or melted chocolate chips to dip the bottoms or drizzle over top.
- Sprinkles – Add sugar sprinkles before placing them in the oven.
🔪 Instructions:
Step 1: Add all the ingredients except the vanilla to the metal large bowl that belongs to your stand mixer.
Step 2: In a saucepan that is small enough that the metal bowl does not fall in, bring a couple of inches of water to a boil. Place the mixing bowl over the boiling water and whisk until the sugar dissolves completely.
Pro Tip: Separate your egg whites over another small bowl. That way, if you break the egg yolks, it doesn’t ruin everything.
Step 3: Stir in the vanilla.
Step 4: Whisk the meringue batter at medium-high speed with your electric mixer until stiff peaks form using the stand mixer.
Step 5: Transfer the meringue mixture to a pastry bag or piping bag with a #1M tip. Then pipe swirls on the baking sheet one inch apart.
Step 6: Preheat the oven and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Bake for 1 ½ hours. Turn the oven off and leave the oven door shut with the cookies inside for another hour.
GARNISH/SLICE/SERVE: Once cooled, remove cookie sheets from the oven, enjoy these perfect meringue cookies, and eat to your hearts content!
Recipe Tips for Meringue Cookies
- These cookies are highly susceptible to moisture and humidity, best not made on a humid day. They are best when made in the fall and winter. After they have cooled for about 10 minutes, transfer them immediately to an airtight container.
- If the meringue cookies become sticky or lose their crispness, place them back in the oven on the lowest setting for 15-30 minutes.
- Some recipes do not heat the egg white mixture. I like this method because it’s faster. If you don’t want to heat it, then whip the egg whites and a spoonful of sugar at a time.
- Pipe the cookies as soon as you can so the meringue doesn’t deflate.
- Avoid placing the piping tip directly against the pan. Hold it slightly above.
Fun Fact
There were three chefs who invented their own version of meringue which is why there are three different methods. The first inventor was the Swiss chef.
Recipe FAQs
When stored in a sealed airtight container, they will last up to a week on the countertop at room temperature. It’s best to store them immediately once they have cooled.
No, these should not be frozen. They will loose their crunch and form.
No. If your cookies came out with chewy meringues that means they did not bake long enough or have too much moisture. You can try placing them back in the oven at the lowest temperature for a few minutes to bring the crisp back.
Swiss, French, and Italian.
French meringue does not require any heat. Swiss meringue is the technique we used for these cookies, while Italian meringue is the most stable and cooked at the highest heat of three.
While there could be many different reasons, the most common is that they are not being whipped long enough or at a high enough speed.
If you tried this Easy Meringue Cookie Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you liked it in the 📝 comments below.
Easy Meringue Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 large egg whites
- 1 cups granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- Pinch of salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a heat-proof mixing bowl (preferably the metal bowl of a standing mixer), add the egg whites, granulated sugar, cream of tartar, and a pinch of salt.
- In a separate saucepan (small enough that the metal bowl can rest over the water, but not fall in), bring a couple inches of water to a low boil.
- Carefully set the mixing bowl with egg whites and sugar over the boiling water (similar to a double boiler). Whisk the egg whites until the sugar is completely dissolved – rub a bit of the mixture between the pads of your fingers – you should not feel any sugar granules. (about 2 minutes) Add the vanilla to the egg white mixture.
- Place the mixing bowl on the standing mixer. With the whisk attachment, beat the egg white mixture until stiff peaks form (about 3 minutes).
- Transfer the whipped meringue to a piping bag fitted with tip #1M.
- Preheat the oven to 200°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Pipe swirls onto the parchment paper, about 1 inch apart.
- Bake for 1 ½ hours, then turn off the oven, leaving the door closed and the cookies inside for an additional 1 hour.
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Notes
Meringue cookies are very susceptible to moisture/humidity in the air. After removing them from the oven, allow to cool (this should only take 10-15 minutes) and then immediately transfer to an airtight container (I like to use a Ziploc baggy.) Store in a sealed airtight container on the countertop for up to one week. Notes: If meringues become squishy or sticky from moisture in the air, put them back in the oven, set as low as it will go (180°F is the lowest my oven will go), for about 15-30 minutes – this will redry out the cookies. You can also flavor meringues with cocoa powder, mint extract, lemon extract, etc. Add a drop of gel food coloring to the mixture for tinted cookies. There are many different methods for making meringue cookies. Some recipes do not heat the egg whites/sugar mixture. In this method, you will whip the egg whites and add the sugar to the mixture one spoonful at a time, whisking until the sugar dissolves before adding the next spoonful. I prefer this method where you heat the egg whites to dissolve the sugar in it. This takes just 1-2 minutes and then another couple minutes of hands off time in the mixer.
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
Barb says
This is an amazing recipe. I have never had my meringues turn out so good. Thank you!