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This meringue cookie recipe has me hooked. I can turn just a few simple ingredients into the lightest, crispiest, melt-in-your-mouth treats while the mixer does most of the work. They may look fancy, but they’re a breeze to whip up at home and perfect for holidays, parties, or anytime I crave that airy crunch.
These little cookies look like magic as they bake low and slow, turning from glossy peaks into crisp shells with soft and airy centers. I am obsessed with piping them into fun shapes and swirling in different colors or to match whatever holiday or mood I am in. Every batch tastes like a crunchy little marshmallow that literally melts away instantly, and with their naturally low-calorie, fat-free, and gluten-free goodness, I never feel bad reaching for a second or a third.
Can’t get enough of these melt-in-your-mouth meringues? Try my Chocolate Dipped Meringue Cookies or these bright and citrusy Lemon Meringue Cookies for a colorful twist on the classic meringue cookie recipe.
Key Ingredients
You only need a short list of ingredients to make this recipe. Check the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Large egg whites: Make sure they are completely free of yolk so they whip up properly. Carton egg whites aren’t ideal because they don’t create the same airy texture.
- Granulated sugar: Gives the cookies structure and helps stabilize the egg whites. Superfine sugar works best, but you can pulse regular granulated sugar briefly in a food processor.
- Vanilla extract: Adds a gentle, sweet flavor. Feel free to swap in lemon, almond, mint, coconut, orange, banana, strawberry, or cherry extract for a fun twist.
- Cream of tartar: Helps keep the egg whites stable.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Meringue Cookies Recipe
- Prepare the oven: Preheat to 170°F and line cookie sheets with foil. Set aside.
- Whip the egg whites: Place the egg whites in the mixing bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-low speed until soft peaks form, then slowly add the sugar.
- Add flavor and stabilizer: In a small bowl, mix the vanilla extract and cream of tartar, then fold into the egg whites.
- Beat to stiff peaks: Increase the mixer to medium-high speed and whip until the mixture is glossy, bright white, and forms stiff peaks.
- Pipe the cookies: Transfer the meringue batter to a piping bag or pastry bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe evenly sized shapes about 1½ inches wide, spaced slightly apart.
- Bake and dry: Bake in preheated oven for 2 hours, then turn off the oven and let the cookies cool inside for at least 2 hours, or overnight for best results.
Frequently Asked Questions
Lift the whisk straight up. If the peaks hold their shape without drooping, they’re ready. The meringue should look smooth, glossy, and bright white, not grainy.
This usually means it was over-whipped. Unfortunately, once that happens, the whole batch will be ruined, so be sure to stop mixing as soon as stiff peaks form.
They should be light, crisp, and lift easily from the baking sheet without sticking. They should stay pale and not turn brown.
They probably didn’t dry long enough. Place them back in a low oven and let them cool and dry fully.
Small cracks can appear if the oven temperature isn’t steady or if the air is humid. Don’t worry, they will still taste delicious.
Meringues absorb moisture from the air, so high humidity is usually the culprit. Letting them dry overnight in the turned-off oven usually fixes this.
Gel food coloring works best because it doesn’t thin the meringue. Avoid liquid colors as they can make the mixture too runny.
The oven temperature was likely too high. Meringues should stay pale and white, so keep the heat low for best results.
Make Ahead & Storage Instructions
- Make ahead: You can bake these meringue cookies a few days in advance and have them ready for parties or a sweet treat anytime.
- Store: Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature in a cool, dry place. They stay perfect for up to two weeks, though high humidity may make them slightly sticky.
- Reheat: Not recommended, as heat can change their delicate texture and color.
- Freeze: Freeze cookies in a single layer, then layer them between sheets of wax or parchment paper in a freezer-safe container. They’ll keep well for up to three months.
More Easy Cookie Recipes to Try
- Meringue Wreath Cookies
- Meringue Christmas Trees
- Jello Cookies
- Rainbow Sprinkle Cookies
- Classic Christmas Cookies
Meringue Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 large egg whites room temp
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170°F. Line baking sheets with foil, set aside.
- Place the egg whites into the body of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Start whisking the egg whites on medium-low speed and slowly pour in the sugar.4 large egg whites, ¾ cup granulated sugar
- Once all the sugar is added, add the vanilla extract and cream of tartar.½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
- Whip at medium-high speed until you reach stiff peaks. The mixture will be glossy and bright white. This will take a few minutes.
- Place the meringue into a piping bag and pipe shapes onto the foil that are similar in size, about 1 & ½ inches wide and up to 1 & ½ inches tall. You can pipe them about ½ inch apart as the cookies will not spread while baking.
- Bake for 2 hours. Turn the oven off and let them cool for at least 2 hours but I recommend overnight if you can.
Jenn’s Notes
- To Store: These cookies need to be stored in a cool dry place. If it is humid outside or in your house they may be a little tacky on the outside. You can store them for up to two weeks at room temperature in an airtight container.
- To Freeze: You can freeze these cookies individually on a sheet tray, then layer them between pieces of wax paper in a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- I like to let these sit in the oven overnight to allow enough drying time for them to be completely dry.
- It is important that the egg whites are room temperature, I use 70°F egg whites for meringue cookies. This makes them whip up smoothly and faster.
- Make sure that your mixing bowl and beater are meticulously clean and dry. Any trace of moisture will turn your meringues into an epic fail.
- Use superfine granulated sugar. If you don’t have any in the pantry, simply add regular granulated sugar to your food processor and pulse for a few seconds. (if you don’t do this… not the end of the world….it is just better if you do.)
- Add the sugar slowly to give it time to incorporate.
- Separate your eggs cold, straight out of the fridge and be sure to crack the shell on the flat counter and not the edge of the bowl. The cold eggs separate better and cracking the shells on the counter keeps out pieces of shell and yolk. Then leave them to warm to room temperature, before you start in.
- Beat until the peaks are stiff. When they stand up straight at the end of your beater, it’s ready.
- Resist the urge to open the oven door too soon. After baking, these cookies need to cool in the oven for another 1-2 hours (with the heat off.)
Used egg whites from the carton cold also regular sugar came out fine!!
Attempted to make these twice. Followed all the directions and both times they came out sticky. Even left them overnight in the oven the second time. Not sure what I’m doing wrong?
I saw your response to the egg white cookies..I know from experience if you try to make them on a humid or rainy day…not good outcome! Hope this helps
These were easy and fun to make.
Can I use Splenda or swerve instead of sugar?
Good evening Jenn,
I have a question, can I add food coloring to Meringue Cookies to make them more colorful for Easter?????
You for sure can!!
This was my first time making meringue cookies and I was a little scared. But this recipe was great and very easy. I added a little lemon flavor to my meringue and then did a lime white chocolate drizzle. Loved them and so did my picky eating boys!!
I consider myself quite a tough critic. However, this recipe is fenominal. I wish there was a way to give 4 1/2 stars, because the flavor was perfectly executed, and the center was super soft. The reason I am not giving 5 stars, is because the food coloring makes it bubble over. Otherwise, it is a well done recipe. I recommend doing small cookies, about 1 inch in diameter, and cooking them for 35 minutes if you like a soft center.
Phenomenal