Thinking about making mini meringues that go well beyond standard? Look no further than this colorful meringue cookies recipe! Add a dash of color to your sweet table with these brilliant and cheerful meringue treats that any beginner can make!
Did you know that you can make this small meringue cookies recipe with only 6 ingredients? Bearing no more than 15 calories each, they are by far one of the lightest recipes. Meringues are light and fluffy with dry, crisp hearts. Asking yourself how can you make so many cookies out of so few ingredients? Well, they do increase in volume a lot when preparing the batter, so don’t worry!
The colored batter adds shading and style to this sweet mini meringue recipe, and a big 1M decorating tip helps give these treats their notable shape. One clump of this simple meringue formula makes many treats, so this is an incredible sweet reward for a huge gathering or wedding party. Actually, meringue cookies are incredible for birthdays, holidays, baby showers and a lot of festive occasions, and you can use any color combination to best suit your event.
Meringue cookies recipe
Ingredients you need:
For this recipe you’ll only need 6 ingredients: egg whites, sugar, lemon juice, pinch of salt, vanilla extract and food coloring (if you want to make your meringues colorful, and why wouldn’t you when they look this adorable?)
As for the equipment, I recommend using a stand mixer to beat the egg whites with sugar as it takes a bit of time. You’ll also need 1M decorating tip (you can use other tip sizes if you wish), piping bag, parchment paper and a cookie sheet to bake the meringues.
Instructions to make the mini Meringues
It takes a little bit of practice and a long time spent in the oven, but I’ll guide you through the steps in the recipe so that you can make your own perfect colorful meringue cookies! Those of you who had made angel food cake, Swiss meringue buttercream or whipped cream might be a bit more familiar with beating the meringue batter, but don’t panic, as it’s not that hard as it seems. So let’s get to it!
1. Beat the egg white until foamy then add lemon juice.
2. Add sugar and beat until glassy and dense.
3. Add vanilla extract.
4. Separate for colors and add food coloring to each batch separately.
5. Pipe onto the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes at 300 F then 20 minutes at 275 F.
6. Leave the cookies to cool and harden in the oven before removing and storing in an airtight container, at room temperature.
Tips and tricks for perfect meringue cookies:
- Egg whites are very important and even a little yolk can ruin the batter. So be careful not to mix them! Crack each egg in a separate bowl before adding it to the main bowl;
- Check that the bowl and beater are extremely clean, dry and grease-free. Grease and moisture will ruin your meringues;
- Only add the sugar one spoon at a time and make sure it’s completely dissolved. You can check by rubbing the batter between your fingers. If it’s smooth, you can add more;
- Beat continuously until you get stiff peaks, but don’t over-beat the batter. The moment you get the peaks, stop, because you can damage it by over-beating;
- Meringues that get soft after baking can easily be put back in the oven at 225 F for about 10-20 minutes and let to cool for another hour in the oven. Just be careful, if you see the edges turning golden brown, turn the heat off immediately.
Frequently asked questions
Should Meringue Cookies be chewy?
If baked properly and stored under the right conditions, meringue cookies should be a little crisp, not chewy!
Although it only requires a few ingredients, this meringue cookies recipe can be a little finicky! As weather can affect the final result, maybe the best time to try them would be during winter. This is because the air is drier, and humidity is the greatest enemy of these tasty treats.
Adding too much of the wet ingredients (such as lemon juice to flavor lemon meringues or vanilla extract) will contribute to making the meringues chewy instead of crisp.
Also beating the egg whites with sugar too much or not long enough will make the meringue cookies too soft and chewy. The raw meringue batter should look glassy and dense, not airy or soft.
How can you tell when meringue cookies are done?
There are two methods to check if your cookies are done.
First, pull the baking paper and if you can lift the cookies easily, they’re done.
Another way of checking is tapping the meringues lightly. If the top is crusty, in a light golden color and the cookies won’t deflate when tapped, they’re done.
Can I open the oven when cooking meringue?
Air should not enter the oven while the meringues are baking. Once done, you can open the door after the cookies have cooled a bit.
Does granulated sugar work in meringues?
Any type of sugar should work in meringues but I have best success with white granulated sugar.
Do meringues harden as they cool?
Yes, they will harden as they cool! Meringues should not harden completely in the oven (that would cause them burned edges). While cooling in the oven and then stored at room temperature they will continue to harden. But if kept for too long outside, at room temperature they’ll start to soften so as soon as they’re hard enough to your taste, store them in an airtight container, at room temperature.
Howto store meringue cookies
Meringue cookies should be stored in an airtight container, at room temperature and they will last from 1 to 2 weeks, depending on the room temperature and humidity.
Meringues should not be refrigerated. The moisture in the fridge will cause them to become soft and chewy.
More desserts you will love:
- Cranberry white chocolate cookies
- Chocolate caramel cookies
- Lemon almond cookies
- Blueberry streusel muffins
- Cookies & cream Oreo macarons
- Quick and easy s’mores bars
- Vegan meringue cookies
- Almond macaroons
After mastering the technique, you can play with colors and flavors to spice up this meringue cookies recipe a bit! You can even dip them in chocolate and add some nice sprinkles to make them look more festive.
I’m curious to learn how you managed to personalize your meringue cookies, and what other delicious meringue dessert have you made so far. So please drop a comment below and let me know! And if you liked this recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe card! Happy baking!
The Mini Colorful Meringue Cookies You've Been Waiting For
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup sugar granulated
- 3 egg whites
- 1 tsp lemon juice strained
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3-4 drops food coloring gel
Instructions
- Beat egg whites on high until foamy
- Add lemon juice and a pinch of salt and continue beating
- Slowly add in sugar and beat for 10 minutes or until the batter is glassy and thick and the sugar granules are completely melted. You may need to add a bit more sugar so keep some handy
- Add vanilla extract and beat to incorporate completely
- Separate the batter for colors and add 3-4 drops of food coloring per batch
- Pre heat the oven at 300 F. Pipe the batter onto a baking sheet, in small dollops, leaving about 1" between them.
- Bake at 300 F for about 10 minutes then turn the oven to 275 F and continue baking for 20 minutes.
- Turn the oven off and keep the cookies in the oven until cool then transfer to an airtight container, stored at room temperature.
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