I am a huge fan of meringue and meringue desserts such as Pavlova. And if you can make Pavlova you can certainly make meringue kisses! They are so cute, so light and crisp and just the right hint of sweetness when you fancy a treat.

Meringue kisses are perfect for decorating cakes, cupcakes and pavlovas and you can also crush them into whipped cream to make my Eton Mess Cake 🙂

Meringue cookies are also known as meringue kisses, meringue drops or forgotten cookies. In Latin America they are called suspiros (which means “sigh”) or suspiritos – how cute is that?

Bake a big batch and keep in an airtight container and you will always have a sweet cookie on standby.

A layered passion fruit cake with white frosting, topped with delicate meringue kisses (meringue cookies) and halved passion fruits, sits on a round white plate with a slice removed, revealing its moist interior.

Meringue Cookie Ingredients

Technically you can make meringue cookies with just two ingredients – egg whites and sugar. This makes them naturally gluten free and just a handful of calories each.

Large egg whites – fresh or use pasteurised egg whites from a carton for ease and less wastage.
Sugar – caster sugar or granulated
Vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste – vanilla is the classic flavor for meringue cookies but other extracts can be used
Cream of Tartar – this is optional but will help stabilise the meringue
Gel food colors are a great way of coloring your meringue kisses

How to Make Meringue Cookies

↓ For the full ingredients and detailed method, jump to the recipe card.

Make sure your stand mixer bowl and whisk attachment are clean and free of grease. I usually run mine through the dishwasher before making meringue. Add the egg whites and sugar to the bowl. Place this over a pot of barely simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t come into contact with the water.
Stir using a balloon whisk until the sugar has dissolved. If you have an instant read thermometer you can check whether the mixture has reached the right temperature of 55°C/ 130°F. If not, simply check whether the sugar has dissolved by checking it between your fingers – if it is still gritty continue to heat while mixing for a little longer.

A person is whisking egg white mixtures for meringue kisses in a glass bowl placed on a black stovetop.

Dry the bottom of your mixing bowl and attach to the stand mixer. Add the vanilla or other flavourings and whisk at maximum speed for 5-7 minutes, or until the meringue forms stiff peaks.

Transfer the meringue into a piping bag fitted with a star tip (or any other large tip). Pipe meringue swirls onto a silicone mat, spaced slightly apart. Hold the bag vertically over the mat, pipe the meringue and pull the piping bag away to create a little curl.

Rows of small white Meringue Kisses, some with red streaks, are piped onto a sheet of parchment paper on a baking tray. The surface underneath is a light gray countertop.

Bake in a 80°C /175°F Fan Setting or 100°C / 210°F normal setting for 60minutes or until the meringue cookies feel dry to the touch and release easily from the baking mat. Turn the oven off and leave the trays in the oven until it cools down. Store in an airtight container for up to to two weeks.

Recipe Notes and Tips

Meringue is easy to make, especially when you use my Swiss Meringue recipe. Even so there’s a few things to note before baking these meringue cookies.

Make sure the stand mixer bowl, whisk and any other tools used to make the meringue are spotlessly clean and free of grease. Wipe them with vinegar or better yet run them through the dishwasher.
If you are using eggs (and not liquid egg whites) then make sure not a trace of the yolk contaminates the whites. Even a tiny spec will cause your meringue to flop.
Moisture and meringue do not mix! Store your cookies in airtight containers otherwise they will soften and lose their crispness.
Making meringue cookies with sweetener is possible but the texture is not the same and the meringue will not whip to perfect peaks.

A hand holds a metal mixer whisk covered in thick, glossy meringue—perfect for making Meringue Kisses Cookies—against a white background.

Adding Color and Flavor

It’s easy to add color to meringue cookies. You can tint the whole meringue a uniform color of your choice adding a small amount of gel food coloring while you are still whisking.
Use a paintbrush to paint stripes of food coloring on the insides of your piping bag before you add the meringue. This will create colorfully striped meringue cookies when you pipe them.
You can add different extracts to play around with the flavor of your meringue cookies. Do not add oils as they will deflate your meringue.
Sandwich meringue kisses together using a little ganache or jam for a lovely sweet treat.