Basic Meringue Cookie Recipe

This sweet and easy meringue cookie recipe can be dressed up in an abundance of ways. Made with only 4 ingredients, these light cookies are a breeze to make and a delight to eat with a crisp outside and slightly chewy inside. This recipe requires meringue powder rather than egg whites, making it suitable for most climates and humidity levels. Add these airy little cookies to the tops of pies and cakes, or dress them up with different colors and sprinkles.

Prep15 min
Total Time1 hr 15 min
Skill LevelBeginner

Amount4 dozen

Ingredients & Tools
Instructions

Instructions

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Preheat oven to 250°F. Prepare baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whip Meringue Powder and water with electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. With the mixer running, gradually add sugar in small amounts at a time. Whip until stiff peaks form, typically 4-5 minutes.
Add vanilla and icing color and continue whipping until well combined, scraping down the bottom and sides of the bowl as necessary.
Fill a piping bag fitted with the 1M tip with meringue batter. Pipe 2 in. diameter circles onto parchment-lined cookie pans, spacing 1 in. apart for medium-sized cookies. Pipe smaller circles for crispier cookies or larger circles for more chewy cookies.
Bake 45-50 minutes or until outsides of meringues feel firm and crisp. Don’t open the oven door while the cookies are baking. Turn off the oven and let cookies sit for an hour to dry them out then remove and cool completely on pan. Peel cooled meringues off of parchment paper.

Notes

- Use grease-free tools: Grease-free tools are a must to ensure meringue sets properly.
- Avoid using a plastic mixing bowl: Plastic mixing bowls can retain fat and grease from past recipes, so use a glass or metal mixing bowl.
- Avoid under or over beating: Make sure to beat until stiff peaks are reached and don’t beat past that point.
- Cookie size: Larger cookies tend to be chewier inside, and smaller ones are easier to get crispy all the way through. For consistent sizing, trace the desired circle size on the backside of the parchment paper with a pencil.
- To flavor: Add a 1/4 teaspoon of your favorite extract such as almond or peppermint to the meringue batter in the same step the vanilla. Add more as needed until you reach the desired flavor.
- To store: meringue cookies will last for up to a week in an airtight container

How To

How to Use Meringue Powder
If you love decorating roll-out cookies or piping flowers, chances are you’ve used meringue powder to make your icing. Meringue powder is a must for making royal icing, meringue cookies and stabilizing marshmallow or whipped cream frosting.
9 Beginner Piping Techniques To Help Make You a Pro
Whether you’re new to cake decorating or just want to brush up on your piping skills, these 9 beginner piping techniques are all you need to get started. From classic cupcake swirls to piping buttercream flowers and borders, these simple cake piping techniques are sure to have you enticed to ice!