All of my best tips for how to make the perfect meringue, with a basic recipe, step-by-step instructions, a video, and tons of advice and troubleshooting tips to ensure your meringue whips up glossy, stiff, and beautiful each and every time!
If you’ve ever wondered, what is meringue? And how in the world can I make it?! You’ve come to the right place!
Meringue intimidates many home cooks, but I’m here to unravel the mystery and give you the confidence to grab your egg whites and start whipping the next time you see it in a recipe. You will be making it like a pro in no time!
You’ve undoubtedly heard of lemon meringue pie, but what else is meringue used for? So many things! It can top other pies and puddings, be baked to create cookies or pavlova, or mixed with butter to create some of the most luscious, silky smooth frostings you’ve ever tasted.
Meringue begins with egg whites and sugar and is transformed into billowy white clouds of pure deliciousness.
Let’s tackle it together!
Ingredients for meringue
Eggs – Fresh eggs are best for making meringue. Using boxed or carton egg whites is not recommended, as they are usually pasteurized, and that processing can sometimes keep the meringue from getting completely glossy and stiff.
Sugar – Can’t have a meringue without the sweetness of sugar!
Cream of tartar – Meringue’s secret ingredient! It creates a strong, stable meringue.
Salt + Vanilla – Flavor, flavor, flavor!
The importance of cream of tartar
This little ingredient is so important, it deserves its own section here.
Cream of tartar is an acid that stabilizes the egg whites and is what gives you those big, beautiful, billowy pillows of fluffy white meringue. To get science-y on you, it keeps the proteins from the egg whites from sticking together, which ensures a super-smooth meringue that will not wilt or deflate on itself.
How much? The general rule of thumb is to use ⅛ teaspoon for every egg white in the recipe.
Substitute: If you are out of cream of tartar and don’t have time to get to the store, you can substitute ½ teaspoon lemon juice (another acid!) for every egg white in the recipe.
Step-by-step instructions
Meringue is a fairly simple process; by following the directions and using the tips outlined below, you will be a meringue master! Here’s how we make it:
Beat the egg whites using a mixer on medium speed (or by hand) until they are broken up and frothy.
Add the cream of tartar, salt, and vanilla extract.
Beat to soft peaks on medium-high speed.
Gradually add the sugar, a couple of tablespoons at a time, until it has all been incorporated.
Continue beating until glossy, stiff peaks form. At this point, you can’t overbeat the meringue, so keep beating until you’ve got those glossy, firm peaks!
Different types of meringue
There are three main types of meringue; while they all combine egg whites and sugar in some way, the techniques used are different, as are the applications. Let’s discuss:
French Meringue – This is the type we’re talking about today! Also known as “uncooked” meringue, it’s simply the whipping together of egg whites and sugar until peaks form; it is typically used to top pies and make meringue cookies and pavlovas and is always baked in some way after preparing.
Swiss Meringue – To make this meringue, the egg whites and sugar are heated together to a specific temperature (I always heat to 160 degrees F so it is safe to eat), ensuring the sugar has dissolved, and then mixed until room temperature, and whipped until stiff peaks form. To turn this into Swiss meringue buttercream frosting, once you have stiff peaks and the mixture is no longer warm, add butter a piece at a time, and whip until it is light, fluffy, and silky smooth. A perfect topping for cakes and cupcakes!
Italian Meringue – Italian meringue is made with hot sugar syrup. Egg whites are whipped to soft peaks in a mixer, then the sugar syrup that has been boiled to “soft ball” stage is gradually poured in while the mixer is running, then the mixture whipped until it has cooled to room temperature. Since the sugar is cooked and added to the egg whites, it is safe to eat without baking, so is perfect for recipes that use meringue toppings that are not baked, or merely torched. It is the most stable of all the meringues, holds its shape very well, and can also be turned into Italian meringue buttercream frosting with the addition of butter!
Recipe tips and troubleshooting
Follow these tips for amazing, picture-perfect meringue every single time:
Use room temperature eggs – Separating eggs is easiest when they are cold, but then let the egg whites come to room temperature (about 30 minutes) before making the meringue; this ensures they whip up with maximum volume.
Use a clean bowl and utensils – Even the slightest hint of fat (egg yolk, residual oil on a bowl or beaters, etc.) can prevent the egg whites from reaching stiff peaks. Ensure that everything is completely clean and dry before beginning.
Gradually add the sugar – It’s important to add the sugar only a little bit at a time (a couple of tablespoons); adding it slowly ensures that the sugar gets absorbed into the egg whites and eliminates a gritty texture, and also reduces the chances of the meringue collapsing and failing to reach stiff peaks (this can happen if a lot of sugar is added all at once).
You can’t overbeat meringue – It’s true! You can’t ruin it by mixing too much, so once all of the sugar is added, be sure that it is glossy and that you have super firm, stiff peaks when you remove the beater from the mixer. Don’t be afraid to mix a little longer if it appears too soft.
Adding colors/flavors – If you want to add different flavors, you should do so when the vanilla extract is added. To make a colored meringue, add food coloring (I recommend gel food coloring to eliminate extra liquid being introduced into the recipe) once the meringue has reached stiff peaks, and beat until the color is completely incorporated.
Recommended equipment: The easiest way to make meringue is with a stand mixer (hands-free!), but I routinely make it with my trusty hand mixer. You can also make it by hand, just use a large wire whisk and some elbow grease! It will take a little longer, but it can be done!
Check the weather: Meringue is notoriously sticky and difficult to whip into stiff peaks on humid days. While central heating and cooling eliminate most problems, I do notice a difference when I work with it or bread dough (my grandma used to say the same about her pizzelles!) on a dry winter day vs a warm summer day, even with central air. To keep issues at bay, opt for a day with low humidity.
All of my best tips for how to make the perfect meringue, with step-by-step instructions, a video, and tons of advice and troubleshooting tips to ensure your meringue whips up glossy, stiff, and beautiful each and every time!
Using an electric mixer with the whisk attachment (or a hand mixer), beat the egg whites on medium speed until frothy, then add the cream of tartar, salt, and vanilla extract.
Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat to soft peaks. While continuing to beat the egg whites, gradually add the granulated sugar and beat until glossy and stiff peaks form.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes:
Eggs - Use room temperature eggs. Egg whites from a box or carton are not recommended.
Clean bowl and utensils - Even the slightest hint of fat (egg yolk, residual oil on a bowl or beaters, etc.) can prevent the egg whites from reaching stiff peaks. Ensure that everything is completely clean and dry before beginning.
Gradually add the sugar - It's important to add the sugar only a little bit at a time (a couple of tablespoons); adding it slowly ensures that the sugar gets absorbed into the egg whites and eliminates a gritty texture, and also reduces the chances of the meringue collapsing and failing to reach stiff peaks (this can happen if a lot of sugar is added all at once).
You can't overbeat meringue - It's true! You can't ruin it by mixing too much, so once all of the sugar is added, be sure that your meringue is glossy and that you have super firm, stiff peaks when you remove the beater from the mixer. Don't be afraid to mix a little longer if it appears too soft.
Adding colors/flavors - If you want to add different flavors, you should do so when the vanilla extract is added. To make a colored meringue, add food coloring (I recommend gel food coloring to eliminate extra liquid being introduced into the meringue) once the meringue has reached stiff peaks, and beat until the color is completely incorporated.
Equipment: The easiest way to make meringue is with a stand mixer (hands-free!), but I routinely make it with my trusty hand mixer. You can also make it by hand, just use a large wire whisk and some elbow grease! It will take a little longer, but it can be done!
Weather: Meringue is notoriously sticky and difficult to whip into stiff peaks on humid days. While central heating and cooling eliminate most problems, I do notice a difference when I work with meringue or bread dough on a dry winter day vs a warm summer day, even with central air. To keep issues at bay, opt for a day with low humidity.
Recipes using meringue: For tons of ideas, see the links in the post above.
Brilliant recipe! I’ve never tried making meringue using cream of tartar before, but this definitely helped. I also never realised that the egg whites needed to be at room temperature. I used this recipe to make little meringue nests. Came out brilliantly crispy on the outside, and lovely and soft inside. Quick question though – Ialways find that my meringues come out quite yellow (not the nice white colour you see in see in photographs)
I baked these at 250 degrees for an hour and half. Any idea why this is?
Hi Ruth, I’m so glad you liked the recipe! As for your yellow color, that can happen when the sugar in the meringue caramelizes and tints the meringue during baking. The remedy is to lower the oven temperature or baking time. For making meringue nests, I usually see an oven temperature of 200 degrees, so I would try that next time and see if it helps you get whiter baked meringue :)
HI Michelle,
I don’t make meringues as I have problems with the egg whites, so I don’t eat eggs, but this is a great tutorial. You’ve gone into detail so it’s easy to follow and ONE DAY, I will try my hand at a recipe and surprise the family with a great meringue topping. Thanks. Keep well and stay safe.
I am not a big fan of Meringue so I usually fold it into my Lemon Pie filling for Lemon Chiffon Pie love that. I have not tried the Italian Meringue but that is on my to do list of things to try. Love your recipes and watching your kids grow up. Keep up the good work.
I haven’t made it yet, but with your excellent directions, I know that I won’t have any problems. I like your recipes because they are so well explained and I never have a problem understanding how to make them. Thank you.
Hi Penny! There a couple of keys to keep the meringue from weeping – the first is to be sure to spread it up against the pie crust and make sure it’s touching the whole way around – this sort of “seals” it. The second is that I always have heard to spread fresh meringue on a warm filling, then bake. It helps them to adhere to one another, which reduces the likelihood of weeping. My lemon meringue pie recipe (https://www.browneyedbaker.com/daring-bakers-lemon-meringue-pie/) goes into a bit more detail, but I hope that helps!
You didn’t include anything about browning the meringue. Which is better, low oven for a long time or hot oven quickly? I always brown the meringue on Lemon pie, coconut cream pie, banana pudding, etc.
Hi Beth, It all depends on what you are using the meringue recipe for – topping a pie, making pavlova, meringue nests, meringue cookies, etc. If you’re talking about the topping for a pie or banana pudding, I would go 325 for about 20 minutes. I hope that helps!
My grandma and now my mom make the meringue with chocolate chip cookies. We call them Go To Bed cookies because my grandma would turn the oven off and then them cool down as the oven cooled. I recently saw an episode of Molly Yeh on Food Network and she heated the sugar on a cookie sheet before adding it to the whipped egg whites. It had something to do with the stability of the meringue. So interesting.
welcome to brown eyed baker!
Hello and welcome! I'm Michelle and I believe anyone can learn to confidently make recipes worthy of celebration.
Thanks for the short and informative article!
Brilliant recipe! I’ve never tried making meringue using cream of tartar before, but this definitely helped. I also never realised that the egg whites needed to be at room temperature. I used this recipe to make little meringue nests. Came out brilliantly crispy on the outside, and lovely and soft inside. Quick question though – Ialways find that my meringues come out quite yellow (not the nice white colour you see in see in photographs)
I baked these at 250 degrees for an hour and half. Any idea why this is?
Hi Ruth, I’m so glad you liked the recipe! As for your yellow color, that can happen when the sugar in the meringue caramelizes and tints the meringue during baking. The remedy is to lower the oven temperature or baking time. For making meringue nests, I usually see an oven temperature of 200 degrees, so I would try that next time and see if it helps you get whiter baked meringue :)
HI Michelle,
I don’t make meringues as I have problems with the egg whites, so I don’t eat eggs, but this is a great tutorial. You’ve gone into detail so it’s easy to follow and ONE DAY, I will try my hand at a recipe and surprise the family with a great meringue topping. Thanks. Keep well and stay safe.
I am not a big fan of Meringue so I usually fold it into my Lemon Pie filling for Lemon Chiffon Pie love that. I have not tried the Italian Meringue but that is on my to do list of things to try. Love your recipes and watching your kids grow up. Keep up the good work.
Thank you, Barbara!
I haven’t made it yet, but with your excellent directions, I know that I won’t have any problems. I like your recipes because they are so well explained and I never have a problem understanding how to make them. Thank you.
You’re welcome, Peggy! I’m so happy to hear that you’ve found the recipes helpful and useful, xo
Do you have much trouble with separating or weeping meringue? I read that sugar granule size can be a factor, hot filling, cold filling…..
Hi Penny! There a couple of keys to keep the meringue from weeping – the first is to be sure to spread it up against the pie crust and make sure it’s touching the whole way around – this sort of “seals” it. The second is that I always have heard to spread fresh meringue on a warm filling, then bake. It helps them to adhere to one another, which reduces the likelihood of weeping. My lemon meringue pie recipe (https://www.browneyedbaker.com/daring-bakers-lemon-meringue-pie/) goes into a bit more detail, but I hope that helps!
You didn’t include anything about browning the meringue. Which is better, low oven for a long time or hot oven quickly? I always brown the meringue on Lemon pie, coconut cream pie, banana pudding, etc.
Hi Beth, It all depends on what you are using the meringue recipe for – topping a pie, making pavlova, meringue nests, meringue cookies, etc. If you’re talking about the topping for a pie or banana pudding, I would go 325 for about 20 minutes. I hope that helps!
My grandma and now my mom make the meringue with chocolate chip cookies. We call them Go To Bed cookies because my grandma would turn the oven off and then them cool down as the oven cooled. I recently saw an episode of Molly Yeh on Food Network and she heated the sugar on a cookie sheet before adding it to the whipped egg whites. It had something to do with the stability of the meringue. So interesting.