What is the secret to meringue?

How to Make Meringue Successfully When making meringues, always cook egg whites to avoid salmonella poisoning. Don't use packaged egg whites to make meringue. ... Use fresh egg whites. ... Use eggs at room temperature. ... Never let any yolk get into the whites. Don't overbeat egg whites. More items...

Why do you put hot sugar in meringue?

The hot sugar also partially cooks the egg whites as you gradually add it in . This forms a strong bond and results in a smooth, shiny, stable mixture. Smooth, shiny and stable. Have you ever seen meringue mixture so perfect?

What must be avoided when making meringue?

One of the most common mistakes is not beating the eggs long enough, or on too slow a speed , which means the egg whites won't reach stiff peak stage and instead only reach a soggy droopy stage.

Why do you put vinegar in meringue?

Acid. Whether it be vinegar, lemon juice, cream of tartar, or a combination, an acid will greatly improve the structure of meringue . Acid not only helps meringue whip up and aerate more quickly, it also keeps it stable. Without acid, meringue is more likely to collapse either during or after mixing.

Is cream of tartar or cornstarch better for meringue?

Cornstarch: Cornstarch is an excellent way to foolproof your meringue . Use it to create added fluff and keep your hard-won volume from shrinking. Cream of Tartar: Often added in when making meringues, acidic cream of tartar provides lift and stabilization.

What are the three rules for making a successful meringue?

You simply need to follow just a few simple rules and I promise you will have perfectly beaten egg whites in the end: room temperature whites are KEY! ... beat the whites low and slow to start! ... cream of tartar is your meringue “MVP”! ... add your granulated sugar slowly too! Jan 19, 2023

Is meringue better with cream of tartar or lemon?

The bottom line: For smooth, stiff beaten egg whites that keep their shape, don't skip the cream of tartar . If you don't have cream of tartar, substituting 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar per egg white works almost as well. To avoid meringues that weep, don't skip the cream of tartar...

How to get meringue to form stiff peaks?

Turn on the mixer to medium speed and beat until soft peaks form, then beat on high until stiff peaks form . You've hit stiff peak egg white stage when you have glossy peaks that stand straight.

Why isn't my meringue getting fluffy?

Fats, water, or dirt may compromise the meringue and prevent it from achieving the fluffy heights you desire . Avoid plastic bowls, which can retain traces of oil. Separate your eggs carefully. Enough yolk will also prevent the egg white proteins from binding together in the way you need.

What is the main ingredient in meringue which makes it light and fluffy?

Meringue is a fluffy mixture that is delicious on its own. It is also used to give mousses, macarons, and some buttercream frostings their light and fluffy textures. If you've never made meringue yourself, you might be surprised to learn that the main ingredients are simply egg whites and sugar !

Why add cream of tartar to meringue?

Cream of tartar stabilizes the tiny bubbles in the egg whites, by precluding the egg proteins from sticking together . It thus speeds up the egg white whipping process and contributes to a stable, billowy, glossy meringue, perfect for cookies, topping pies, and folding into cake.

Cinnamon Vanilla Bean Meringues Recipe

Home Recipes by Type Desserts

GFGluten-FreeDFDairy-FreeVGVegetarian5I5 ingredients or less

4.34

1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

35 Comments

Jump to Recipe

By: Rachel GurkPosted: 12/03/2012Updated: 06/15/2021

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Light, airy, sweet, and delicious, these cinnamon vanilla bean meringues are a perfect confection. You’ll love how they look on your cookie platter!

Meringues are pretty much a health food. Completely non-fat and only 27 calories each!

Can we please agree on meringues having a health food status? No? Too much sugar to make them a health food, I guess.

Well…they are better for you than a triple-chocolate-caramel-oreo-cookie-dough-brownie-milkshake, right?

I think they are the perfect treat. Not one bit heavy, just a touch of sweetness to satisfy that craving. And they are perfect for the holidays for that very reason! The perfect bite after a heavy meal.

These meringues combine one of my favorite ingredients, vanilla beans, with spicy cinnamon. Again–in my own humble opinion, perfect for the holidays!

About these vanilla bean meringues

With only 10 minutes hands on prep time, you can quickly “whip” these meringue cookies up and pop them in the oven. No peeking until the time’s up! Seriously! You don’t want the meringues to fall. They need that nice low steady heat.

Make them your own:

Beat in 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder instead of the cinnamon.
Fold in finely chopped nuts, like pecans, walnuts, or pistachios after the meringue has been whipped.
Fold in mini chocolate chips, or chopped chocolate into the meringue before baking.

Vanilla beans are so good!
So flavorful and pretty, too, with the little brown flecks, I can’t resist creating recipes that include vanilla beans. Here’s a sampling:
Homemade Vanilla Bean Ice Cream (only 3 ingredients and you won’t need an ice cream maker)
Easy Crème Brûlée (in the slow cooker, made for two)
Clementine Vanilla Bean Yogurt Cake
Vanilla Bean Cookie Bars
Vanilla Bean Candied Walnuts
Almond Vanilla Bean Granola
Vanilla Bean Buttercream Frosting

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Recipe

Get the Recipe: Cinnamon Vanilla Bean Meringues

4.34 from 12 votes

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Ingredients

▢ 3 large egg whites, room temperature
▢ 3/4 cup sugar
▢ 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped (I used a [Mexican vanilla bean])
▢ large pinch of salt
▢ large pinch of cream of tartar
▢ 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 200°F. Prepare 2 baking sheets by lining with parchment paper.
Combine egg whites, sugar and vanilla bean seeds in a heat-proof bowl (I used the metal bowl of my stand mixer). Set bowl over a pot of simmering water and stir until sugar dissolves and mixture is warm (not hot), about three minutes. Add salt, cream of tartar, and cinnamon.
Beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form and meringue is mostly cool. This will take 5-7 minutes depending on your mixer.
Fill a pastry bag (fitted with your tip of choice–or you can just cut the end off after filling) with the meringue. Pipe meringues into circular shapes about 1 3/4- to 2-inches in diameter on 2 parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
Bake the meringues until crisp on the outside and still slightly soft on the inside, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Notes

When separating eggs, make sure to not get any yolk in the whites. If there is any yolk whatsoever, or grease of any kind in the mixture, you won't be able to whip the whites into a meringue.
If you don't have a pastry bag and tip, use a sandwich bag with one corner snipped off. Or, just use a spoon to make small dollops. Not as pretty, but still just as good. I've made them that way plenty of times!

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1meringue, Calories: 27kcal, Carbohydrates: 6g, Sodium: 12mg, Sugar: 6g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

Verdict: These are so delicious. The vanilla and cinnamon are subtle yet very much there. I think this is such a classy holiday dessert. Pretty and light!
Husband’s take: Loved these! He’s really not all that picky.
Changes I would make: None.
Difficulty: Easy.

Now…I’m off to go create that triple-chocolate-caramel-oreo-cookie-dough-brownie-milkshake.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Review

Rena says
July 30, 2015 at 8:57 am
Can I make these two days ahead of time??
Reply
- Rachel Gurk says
  July 30, 2015 at 3:23 pm
  That should be fine :) Make sure they’re in a cool dry place. :)
  Reply
Sarah says
February 14, 2014 at 9:56 pm
Your meringues are so swirly and smooth. And yes, totally healthy;) Eggs whites are good for you!
Reply
Lavinia says
July 26, 2013 at 10:02 am
Dear Rachel ,
Thank you so very much!! You are a GEM… I cooked these tonight and OMG my better half thinks i am a queen. He always wanted me to cook these but i have been to scared … These were so yum and wonderful.
xxx
Reply
- Rachel Gurk says
  July 27, 2013 at 8:52 am
  Glad you both liked them! Way easier to make than you’d think…aren’t they? Thanks for the comment!
  Reply
Brianna says
January 7, 2013 at 3:02 pm
I’ve only ever had meringues from the grocery store and never tried making them as I didn’t really like what I tried. Well this was my first meringue recipe I’ve made and I’m hooked! I love the cinnamon flavour. They turned out so well! I did end up leaving out the cream of tartar though (I’m in Eastern Europe and its not easy to come by) but it still ended up being nice and fluffy and flavourful. Thanks for sharing! I will be making this again.
Reply
- Rachel says
  January 7, 2013 at 9:34 pm
  So glad you liked them! Thank you for taking the time to let me know.
  Reply
K&B says
December 14, 2012 at 4:07 am
These are so pretty !
ratedkb.wordpress.com
Reply
- Rachel says
  December 14, 2012 at 8:08 am
  Thank you!
  Reply
Stephanie @ Eat. Drink. Love. says
December 8, 2012 at 1:43 am
These look perfect! I tried to make meringues once and they did not turn out! I love the vanilla and cinnamon in these!
Reply
sally @ sallys baking addiction says
December 6, 2012 at 9:07 pm
ok umm… meringues are a health food in my world. AND they are actually one of my favorite cookies. I love who they melt in your mouth! And a vanilla bean variety… sign me up. Rachel, these look SO SO SO good. love the little black vanilla speckles :)
Reply
Kelly Senyei (Just a Taste) says
December 6, 2012 at 9:56 am
Beautiful! Absolutely stunning! I love anything involving vanilla bean, and I’m there with ‘ya — egg whites = health food; meringue = egg whites; so obviously meringues = health food. Duh! :)
Reply
Ashley - Baker by Nature says
December 4, 2012 at 1:57 pm
Can we talk about how pretty these are?! Omg, SO pretty! Love these!!!
Reply
Averie @ Averie Cooks says
December 4, 2012 at 10:27 am
Two of my fave flavors in life are – cinnamon & vanilla! These are right up my alley!
Reply
Lauren @ Climbing Grier Mountain says
December 4, 2012 at 9:43 am
I’m loving this combination! I’ve made lemon meringues before that were pretty tasty, but the vanilla bean and cinnamon definitely make these 11/10!
Reply
Tracey says
December 4, 2012 at 9:42 am
Yep, meringues are totally health food! I love the pretty specks from the vanilla beans :) These sound great!
Reply
claire @ the realistic nutritionist says
December 3, 2012 at 7:16 pm
Oh these look so pretty!!
Reply
amy @ fearless homemaker says
December 3, 2012 at 4:59 pm
Ooh, I loooove meringues but haven’t made them in probably a year. Why not? I have no idea, but I must change that ASAP. I will now be googling/pinning meringue recipes for the next hour, thanks to you! =P
Reply

Older Comments

Cinnamon Vanilla Bean Meringues Recipe - Rachel Cooks® (2024)

About these vanilla bean meringues

Make them your own:

Get the Recipe: Cinnamon Vanilla Bean Meringues

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Nutrition Information

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FAQs

What is the secret to meringue? ›

Why add cream of tartar to meringue? ›

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