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How To Make Meringue | The 1 Trick To Getting It Perfect

How to make meringue

Meringue is a delicious and easy topping to make for pies, to make into cookies, pavlova, meringue nest desserts and more.

That is why you need to know the best kept secret for how to make meringue. It is a simple trick that will make your meringue perfect every single time, and it comes down to food science.

We hope you will take this meringue-making tip and apply it to all your favorite meringue desserts in the future! And be sure to pin any photo in this page to your 'how to make meringue' or 'meringue desserts' Pinterest board so you can always come back to this perfect meringue-making recipe.

How To Make Meringue

To make meringue, you need to mix egg whites, sugar and cream of tarter with an electric mixer. The rule of thumb for making meringue is 1/4 cup white sugar per large egg white. Then you will bake the meringue according to your meringue recipe directions.

To make perfect meringue, you need to add your sugar at the proper time, and this is the key for how to make the best meringue.

Read on to see when to add sugar for perfect meringue, as this is the key for getting it perfect.

Meringue Ingredients:

  • 4 large egg whites: room temperature preferred
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 tsp cream of tartar

  • How to make meringue: Directions

    Step 1. Start your recipe by separating your egg whites from the egg yolks.

    TIP: Do not get ANY egg yolk into your egg whites. Your meringue will not set properly if you do.

    TIP: Make sure that there is absolutely nothing, not even a drop of water in the bowl you are going to make the meringue in. Give the bowl a quick, dry wipe with a clean paper towel before you start adding your egg whites.

    Step 2. Add the egg whites to your clean mixing bowl and start your mixer. You can use a hand mixer or a stand mixer such as a KitchenAid mixer from Amazon, which is much easier when making meringue as the meringue needs to be whipped for a long time.

    Start mixing meringue BEFORE adding any other ingredients. Why? It all comes down to food science. See the tips below

    PERFECT MERINGUE MAKING TIPS:
    The science behind whipping egg whites for meringue and timing when to add the sugar is so important, and it is often why people have problems with making meringue.


    Sugar adds sweetness to meringue, but also just as important, it adds stability. As you mix the egg whites, the mixer is breaking down the egg white proteins, which creates air bubbles.

    If you add your sugar too soon when making meringue:

    • it interferes with the breakdown of egg white proteins so the air bubbles don't form properly.
    • You will get lots of tiny air bubbles in the meringue, resulting in questions such as "Why is my meringue so crumbly?" and "Why is my meringue dull or not very fluffy?" You need to add the sugar later and in increments.

    If you add your sugar too late when making meringue:

    • The sugar will not be able to dissolve properly and you will get grainy meringue.
    • Adding your sugar after the mixture has been mixing for several minutes and is starting to form peaks, is too late.

    When making meringue, add sugar 30 seconds - 1 minute after mixing: when the egg whites in the meringue are foamy and bubbly, but before you see any kind of peaks forming.

    This is the optimal time to add your sugar to make the best meringue. If you do this, you should get perfect meringue every time. The air bubbles have had a chance to form from the egg white proteins being broken whipped, and there is still enough time for your sugar to dissolve.

    How to make meringue for pie

    Step 3. After about 1 minute of mixing with your mixer at the highest speed, slowly add in your sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, letting it incorporate and mix thoroughly before adding the next 1/4 cup of sugar.

    Continue to do this until it is all mixed together thoroughly.

    Step 4. Add in your cream of tartar after the sugar is all mixed in to the meringue.

    Step 5. Continue to mix until the meringue looks glossy and peaks form: anywhere from 4 to 7 minutes.

    Here is how your meringue should look in the mixer:

    How To Make Meringue

    There you have it! The best way to make meringue and the trick to getting perfect homemade meringue every time.

    From here, you can use your meringue in many ways, such as

    • in meringue cookies
    • on top of lemon meringue pie
    • for Easter egg meringue nests
    • for fruit meringue nests
    • for Christmas meringue wreaths
    • for meringue pavlova
    • for mini meringue chocolate kisses

    and more.

    How to make meringue for cookies

    More helpful articles:

    How to make chocolate meringue cookies

    Easter meringue nests

    Gift Guide: Best Gifts For Bakers

    Also, be sure to check out our Easter store on Amazon right here! We found edible Easter grass, DIY Easter chocolate egg molds and more.

    We hope you learned the best way for how to make meringue, and that you will save a pin for your future reference to this meringue-making recipe. Here is one just for you to find us again:

    How To Make Perfect Meringue

    Happy baking!




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