Fall in love with these light and airy Meringue Cookies! Made with just four simple ingredients (plus optional food coloring), they're easy to whip up and come out beautifully crisp. The orange hue adds a festive touch, making them irresistible for both kids and adults. Get ready to impress your guests with these delicious and appealing Meringue Cookies.
These little meringues? My kids love them! It's the texture. They are crunchy but melt in your mouth. They are kind of between a cookie and a candy! I've also made green Christmas wreath meringues and they are so pretty and delicious! If you want to make other simple cookies with just a handful of ingredients, you can also try these traditional shortbread cookies.
Why I love these
Simple Ingredients: With only four ingredients (plus optional food coloring), these cookies are incredibly easy to make, even for beginners.
Versatile: The basic meringue cookie recipe can be customized with different flavors, colors, and shapes to suit any occasion or preference. This recipe is fall-themed with the orange tint. You can also change the color for different themes (pink for Valentines Day!) My green Christmas wreath meringues are obviously Christmas!
Beautiful Results: Meringue cookies are pretty because of their simplicity! Their delicate, airy texture and crisp exterior make them visually appealing and they are a nice contrast to traditional cookies. Plus a few drops of food coloring totally turns them into themed treats!
Dietary Considerations: Meringue cookies are naturally gluten-free and vegan, making them a great option for those with dietary restrictions.
Humidity Issues
My Mom always told me never to make these when it's humid outside. There is science behind that advice! Humidity can be a major challenge when making meringues. The excess moisture in the air can interfere with the drying process, causing the meringues to become sticky, chewy, or even deflate.
Ingredients
It only takes 4 simple ingredients plus the optional food color (to make them orange and fall-themed).
- 3 egg whites at room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¾ cup superfine sugar *
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- Food color (I used 12 drops of yellow and 4 drops of red to get the pastel orange. This may vary depending on what kind/brand you are using. To get a more intense color, use gel so you are not adding too much liquid to the recipe)
*I have used regular fine sugar but you have to beat it longer to get it to dissolve into the egg white. If you beat the egg whites too long, it can cause texture issues.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 225°F. Line the baking pan with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
Step 1
Using your stand mixer, add eggs and cream of tarter. Beat until foamy.
Step 2
Add sugar, a couple of tablespoons at a time into the egg white mixture beating constantly. Beat to dissolve added sugar before adding more sugar. Continue until all the sugar has been added and the mixture becomes sticky and has stiff peaks.
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Step 3
Add the vanilla and food coloring, mixing just long enough to fully incorporate.
Step 4
Bake at 225°F for 1 ½ hours. You are not looking for the bottoms to brown. Turn the oven off - the meringues must be left in the turned-off oven for at least 2-3 hours (I leave them overnight). This is what helps them become dried and crispy.
Storage
Keep in a sealed container at room temperature. Parchment is recommended between the layers. These are fine on the counter for a week. Due to humidity, they don't do well in the refrigerator or being frozen.
FAQs
They attract water and that is why they get sticky. I have put them into a 225°F oven for 15 minutes to dry them and keep the crispiness. After 15 minutes turn the oven off and let the meringues sit in the oven until they have cooled (about an hour or a little more).
Use either a silicone liner or parchment paper. Do NOT add oil or no-stick spray. If they still brown, your oven may be too hot.
Printable Recipe Card
Meringues Cookies (for the fall)
Ingredients
- 3 egg whites room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¾ cup super fine sugar regular sugar is ok but you need to beat longer
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- Food coloring (I used 12 drops of yellow & 4 drops of red to get the pastel orange. If you want darker I would recommend going to a gel food color.
Instructions
- Preheat to 225 Fahrenheit. Line baking pan with silicone mat or Parchment paper.
- Add cream of tartar to egg whites and beat until foamy. It's best to do this with a stand mixer.
- Add sugar, a couple of tablespoons at a time, to egg white mixture, beating constantly. Beat to dissolve sugar before adding more sugar.
- After mixture reaches the stiff peak stage, add vanilla and food coloring. Beat until well mixed in.
- Bake at 225 Fahrenheit for 1 ½ hours. Turn oven off but leave meringues in the oven for at least 2 - 3 hours. (I leave them in overnight). This is part of the drying process that makes them crispy.
- Store in a sealed container. Waxed paper is recommended between layers.
Notes
Nutrition (I am not a nutritionist. These are estimates only)
Try these hard meringues! They are so easy! Oh, and if you are not sure what the silicone mat that I mentioned is, check out the link here. I love mine. I have never had anything stick on mine and the cleanup is super easy. Have you found something you love that makes baking cleanup easier for you?
**First published Sept. 29, 2015.
Kylee
This recipe was amazing! I loved it and my teacher did to!