How to Make Almond Meringue Cookies

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If you're intimidated by making meringues, don't be! Learn how to make these super easy Almond Meringue Cookies...light and crisp on the outside, with a slightly chewy center, these sweet little morsels of goodness are super addictive!

This recipe was originally published in April 2018. It has been updated for content. 

I used to have a love/hate relationship with meringues. I loved to eat them, but hated to make them. Until recently. I don't know what I hated so much.

These almond meringues are not hard to make.  The hardest part is to make sure nothing gets in your egg whites that's not supposed to.

This includes egg shell, egg yolk, water, or any type of oil or fat.

A perfectly crisp outer shell with just a hint of chew in the middle, and an unbelievable almond taste, these almond meringue cookies are super duper addictive. In a good way. 

Why This Recipe Works

1. Slowly adding the sugar while beating the egg whites keeps the meringue from being grainy.
2. Letting the meringues cool slowly in a turned off oven helps to keep them crispy on the outside.

Step By Step Instructions

Use your mixer to beat the egg whites until they become frothy. Add the cream of tartar and continue whipping for another 15-20 seconds.

Start adding the sugar, just 1 tbsp. at a time (while continuing to whip), until all sugar has been incorporated. Adding the sugar slowly will help it dissolve faster.

Once your sugar is added continue whipping until stiff peaks form. Then mix in the almond extract.

Preheat the oven to 225F degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Spoon the egg whites into your pastry bag and make 1-2" meringue cookies, like so:

Pop these babies in the oven for 60 minutes, turn the oven off, and leave them in the closed oven for a few hours, or overnight.

I typically bake these in the evening and just leave them overnight.

Expert Tips

1. Like I said above, this is going to be easier if we work with room temperature egg whites.
2. Also, make sure there is no yolk or other foreign object in your egg whites; otherwise you may have a hard time getting them to whip up.
3. The egg whites should be just frothy when you start adding the sugar. If you whip the whites too long before adding the sugar, they may not whip up correctly. 
4. If you don't have a pastry bag, just use a spoon to spoon the meringue in 2-3 tablespoon portions on the parchment paper. 
5. The meringues should be light and crisp when done - they should not be browned. If it can be lifted off the parchment paper without the bottom sticking, then it is done. 
6. Meringues should always be stored in an airtight container to prevent them from absorbing moisture. The more moisture they absorb, the chewier they will become. 

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How long do meringue cookies last? They will last up to a week in an airtight container. This also depends on humidity - if you live in a more humid climate, they may get mushy faster. 
2. Can meringue cookies be stored in the fridge? I don't typically recommend storing them in the fridge due to the high humidity. If you, make sure they are wrapped airtight.
3. Why did my meringue cookies crack? Meringue usually crack if it is cooled too quickly. Leave the meringues in the oven for several hours after turning it off to let them cool slowly. 
4. Can you freeze meringue cookies? They can be frozen, but wrap them tightly in an airtight container. When defrosting them, be careful not to let them absorb too much moisture. I don't typically recommend freezing meringue cookies. 

Related Recipes

Simple Almond Tart
Strawberry Almond Galette
Almond Buttercrunch

Rate the recipe and leave a comment to let me know how it turned out!

Recipe

Almond Meringues

 Learn how to make these super easy Almond Meringues...light and crisp on the outside, with a slightly chewy center, these sweet little morsels of goodness are super addictive!

4.50 from 18 votes

Print Rate

Course: Cookies, Dessert

Cuisine: French

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Rest time: 3 hours hours

Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 20 servings

Calories: 42kcal

Author: Danielle Wolter

Ingredients

• ▢ 4 egg whites room temperature.
• ▢ 1 cup sugar
• ▢ ¼ tsp. cream of tartar
• ▢ ½ tsp. almond extract

Instructions

• Let the egg whites come to room temperature.
• When separating the egg whites and yolks, be very careful not to get any egg yolk in the whites. Otherwise, it may be difficult to make the meringue.
• Beat the egg whites until frothy and add the cream of tartar. Continue beating for another 15-20 seconds.
• Add the sugar, 1 tbsp. at a time until all sugar is incorporated.
• Continue beating until stiff peaks form.
• Mix in the almond extract.
• Preheat the oven to 225F degrees.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Put the meringue mixture in a pastry bag with a regular tip, and make meringues 1-2" in diameter, with a swirl on top (see photos in body of post above).
• Bake for 1 hour, turn off heat, and leave meringues in the closed oven for several hours or overnight.

Expert Tips:

Expert Tips:

1. Like I said above, this is going to be easier if we work with room temperature egg whites.
2. Also, make sure there is no yolk or other foreign object in your egg whites; otherwise you may have a hard time getting them to whip up.
3. The egg whites should be just frothy when you start adding the sugar. If you whip the whites too long before adding the sugar, they may not whip up correctly. 
4. If you don't have a pastry bag, just use a spoon to spoon the meringue in 2-3 tablespoon portions on the parchment paper. 
5. The meringues should be light and crisp when done - they should not be browned. If it can be lifted off the parchment paper without the bottom sticking, then it is done. 
6. Meringues should always be stored in an airtight container to prevent them from absorbing moisture. The more moisture they absorb, the chewier they will become. 

Nutrition

Serving: 2cookies | Calories: 42kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Sodium: 10mg | Potassium: 19mg | Sugar: 10g

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