Meringue Recipe

Active Time:

20 mins

Total Time:

20 mins

Yield:

4 1/2 cups

Making a perfect meringue is a skill that every home baker should have in their repertoire. A gorgeous topping for cakes, cupcakes, and pies, as well as a great base for cookies and mousses, and more, meringue is a fundamental pastry technique you'll want to know.

If you need a lesson on how to make meringue, our Test Kitchen professionals are here for you. We've got all the tips and tricks you need to know in order to perfect this elegant sweet. Here you'll find key tips for making an Italian meringue—egg whites with a hot sugar syrup whipped in—for a glossy, stable topping that's light as air.

Learn how to make Italian meringue, and discover ways to use it in your favorite desserts.

What Are the Different Types of Meringue?

When it comes to meringue, there are a few main types to know—each with different uses:

French: The most simple of the three meringues, French meringue is made up of egg whites whipped with granulated sugar. This type of meringue is the least stable, and the quickest to make. It's best used for lightening cake batters, souffles, cookies, or other items that will be baked before serving.
Swiss: This marshmallow-y meringue is made by heating egg whites and sugar over a double boiler until the sugar dissolves, then whipping until glossy and thick. While less stable than Italian meringue, it makes a great topping for meringue pies, cupcakes, or as the base of pavlovas.
Italian: Perfect for piping and the most stable, Italian meringue is made by whipping a hot sugar syrup into whipped egg whites, producing an airy, glossy result.

Ingredients for Italian Meringue

To make Italian meringue, you'll need just five simple ingredients:

Granulated sugar: For sweetening the meringue. Can also use superfine sugar.
Large egg whites: Make sure to use large egg whites to keep the proportions of the meringue in check. Note that eggs are best separated when cold, but egg whites whip up the quickest at room temperature (so separate first, then let them sit).
Cream of tartar: Helps stabilize the whippe egg whites.
Fine sea salt: Balances the sweetness of the meringue.
Vanilla extract: Adds a lovely flavor profile.

ingredients for Italian meringue — Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

How To Make Italian Meringue

While Italian meringue is the most stable of the three main types of meringues, it's also the most difficult to master. Make sure you read through the directions before starting, so you know what to expect. Full instructions are below, but here's a brief recap before you get started:

Step 1. Make sugar syrup: Place sugar and 1/3 cup water in a small saucepan, and cook until mixture reaches 240°F on an instant-read thermometer.
Step 2. Beat whites to soft peaks: After about 7 minutes of cooking sugar syrup, beat egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar and salt. Beat until soft peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes.
Step 3. Add sugar syrup: With mixer running on medium, carefully stream in hot sugar syrup.
Step 4. Beat to stiff peaks: Whip until glossy and stiff.
Step 5. Add vanilla: Reduce speed to low, and whip in vanilla. Use meringue as desired.

Tips for the Best Meringue

There are several ways to make meringue, but we prefer this Italian-style method, which is very stable and less likely to "weep" in Southern humidity.

A few tips to ensure that your meringues come out perfectly light and crisp:

Pick a dry day. Don't make meringue cookies during rainy or very humid weather, if possible. Sugar will absorb water from the air, turning them soft and chewy.
Avoid cold eggs. Let the whites stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Or place whole eggs in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes.
Check the bowl. Make sure the mixing bowl is completely clean. If there are any traces of fat, the egg whites won't whip up.
Keep the egg whites moving. If whites reach soft peaks before the sugar syrup hits 240°F, reduce the mixer speed to low until the syrup is ready. Then increase the speed, and gradually add the syrup.
Stream down the side. Stream the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl when adding to the meringue. Avoid pouring into the whisk, which could cause the hot syrup to splatter.
Use a thermometer. An instant-read thermometer is the most accurate tool to measure the temperature of the sugar syrup (240°F). Too hot and the sugar will seize as it's added to the meringue.

Ways To Use Italian Meringue

Meringue is endlessly versatile; we think of it as a blank canvas, ready to be made into any number of confections. Once you've mastered the technique, the opportunities are endless.

Try your hand at piping with our Mini Meringue Kisses, perfect for garnishing elegant cakes or tarts. Experiment with flavor infusion with Raspberry-White Chocolate Meringue Sandwiches or Lavender-Ginger Twists, and whip it up with butter for a perfect Italian Meringue Buttercream that you'll want to put on just about everything.

More Meringue-Based Recipes You'll Love

Once you've mastered Italian meringue, you'll be whipping up meringue-based desserts in minutes:

Editorial contributions by Katie Rosenhouse.

Ingredients

1 cup granulated sugar
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/8 tsp. fine sea salt
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions

Make sugar syrup:

Place sugar and 1/3 cup water in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low, swirling pan occasionally, until sugar is dissolved and syrup registers 240°F on an instant-read thermometer, 10 to 14 minutes.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Beat egg whites to soft peaks:

Meanwhile, after about 7 minutes of cooking sugar syrup, beat egg whites with a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on medium speed until foamy, about 30 seconds.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Add cream of tartar and salt. Beat until soft peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Add sugar syrup to whipped egg whites:

With mixer running on medium speed, gradually stream hot sugar syrup into whipped egg white mixture.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Beat egg whites to stiff peaks:

Continue beating until meringue is glossy and forms stiff peaks and the outside of mixer bowl has cooled slightly, 3 to 5 minutes.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Add vanilla extract:

Reduce speed to low, and beat in vanilla extract. Proceed with desired baked meringue recipe.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you skip the cream of tartar in Italian meringue?

While adding cream of tartar in meringue is usually optional, this or other forms of acid help to stabilize the meringue, especially if it's being piped or folded into batters.
How else can I flavor meringue?

Feel free to add extracts, spices, zest, or other flavorings to the finished meringue, as well as food coloring as desired.
Why won't my meringue reach stiff peaks?

If you had any trace of fat in your bowl before starting, this will prevent the egg whites from whipping up properly. To make sure your bowl is completely clean, swipe with lemon juice or vinegar before using.