Egg White Meringue Cookies are a light and sweet cookie made with only 5 ingredients that melt in your mouth!
The first time I had an egg white meringue cookie I thought that it had to be really difficult and time consuming to make. I had no idea that there were only a handful of ingredients in the recipe and that they're actually really easy to make!
What is an egg white meringue cookie?
A meringue cookie is a light and airy cookie that practically melts in your mouth at first bite. This is a classic meringue cookie, flavored with vanilla extract, which gives makes it taste a little bit like marshmallow. The cookies are baked over low heat for an hour, which keeps that glossy, bright white color instead of browning like a regular cookie baked at higher heat.
Ingredients for this recipe
- egg whites
- cream of tartar
- vanilla extract
- sugar
- salt
Equipment Needed for this recipe
- large baking sheet
- parchment paper
- piping bag
- large star piping tip (I like Ateco #826)
- stand or hand mixer with whisk attachment
Instructions for this recipe
- First, preheat the oven. Preheat to 225 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Then, mix up the ingredients. Combine the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Beat on low speed until the mixture becomes foamy, then increase to high speed.
- Next, add in the sugar. Add the sugar to the mixer, one tablespoon at a time, until dissolved (about 20 seconds each addition). Continue beating on high speed until the mixture is a glossy white and stiff peaks have formed. (About 5 minutes with a stand mixer) Add in the vanilla extract.
- Then pipe the meringues. Fill the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe dollops of the mixture onto the baking sheet.
- Finally, bake the meringues. Bake the cookies for 1 hour, then turn off the oven. Do not open the oven door and let the cookies sit in the oven for 1-2 hours more. After that, remove from the oven and store the cookies in an air-tight container for up to 14 days. (Cookies are best eaten within a few days.)
Tips and Tricks for egg white meringue cookies
- Meringue cookies can be affected by humidity. Bake them on a cooler spring or fall day versus the middle of summer if you live in a humid area.
- Make sure the bowl you are mixing the egg whites in is completely clean and dry. Also ensure that no egg yolks got into the bowl. Otherwise you'll have trouble getting the mixture to become foamy and develop stiff peaks.
- Meringue cookies do not spread while baking, you can pipe them very close together on the parchment paper to ensure that they all fit.
- I place the piping bag fitted with the tip into a tall glass and press the top over the rim of the glass, it makes filling the piping bag very easy.
Meringue Cookie FAQ
Yes, to a degree. They should be stored in a cool, dry place away from humidity and placed in an air-tight container.
The cookies will feel weightless and you'll easily be able to remove them from the parchment paper. The entire cookie will feel dry.
Technically yes, although I have not been successful. You'll need to use ½ teaspoon of lemon juice for every egg white in your recipe. (1 teaspoon for this recipe)
Meringue cookies need consistent temperature. Opening the oven when it is still hot can cause the cookies to crack. When the oven is left closed, the temperature reduces evenly, which will prevent cracking.
No, if your cookie is chewy then it wasn't cooked for long enough or too much moisture (humidity or otherwise) got to the cookies after they were baked. You can "refresh" the cookies by placing them back onto parchment paper and baking for 10-20 minutes at 200 degrees.
What to do with egg white cookies?
I love meringue cookies on their own because they look so fancy, but they are a key ingredient in Eton Mess. Try my Peach Strawberry Eton Mess or Stone Fruit Eton Mess using your own homemade meringues!
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Recipe
Egg White Meringue Cookies
Equipment
- Ateco #826 piping tip
- piping bag
- stand or hand mixer
Ingredients
- 2 large egg whites at room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 225 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt.
- Beat on low speed until the mixture is foamy, then increase to high speed.
- Add in the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until fully dissolved (about 20 seconds after each addition) and the mixture is glossy white and stiff peaks have formed. (See note for stiff peaks)
- Add in the vanilla and let combine.
- Fit a piping bag with a large star tip and add the mixture into the piping bag. Pipe dollops of cookies onto the prepared baking sheet. (Dollops can be close together, these cookies won't spread)
- Bake for 1 hour. Then turn off the oven and keep the door closed for at least 1 hour more, but up to 2 additional hours.
- Gently remove the meringue cookies from the parchment paper and store in an air-tight container, away from humidity, in a cool, dark place for up to 2 weeks.
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