These classic Peppermint Meringue Cookies are perfect for your Christmas cookie tray! Meringue drops are light, airy, festive, and easy to make.
Peppermint Meringues
These peppermint meringue cookies are the perfect treat if you are looking for something light, airy, and a little different from the usual chocolate treats.
They are crispy, have the perfect amount of peppermint flavor, and are simple to make.
I was in the mood for something different, and that is when this meringue cookie recipe was born! I wanted to make sure these meringue drops weren’t the average cookie you may see every year.
Some other great cookies I have are these Peanut Butter Ritz Cracker Cookies, Chocolate Chip Pecan Shortbread Cookies, and these Swedish Butter Cookies (one of my favorite cookies!).
Why You’ll Love This Meringue Cookie Recipe
- Only 5 ingredients + food coloring
- The perfect amount of mint flavor
- Simple enough for a beginner
- Delicious flavor
- Great texture
- Stunning presentation
Mint Meringue Cookies Ingredients
- Egg whites
- Cream of Tarter
- Pure Peppermint Extract
- Granulated Sugar
- Red Food Coloring
How To Make Peppermint Meringues
PREP: Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Add parchment paper to two baking sheets.
MERINGUE: Combine the egg whites with the cream of tartar, peppermint, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Mix until soft peaks form, then slowly add sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. Beat well after each addition. Beat until stiff peaks form.
PIPE COOKIES: Place a pastry bag with a star tip inside of a large cup, folding the excess over the edge. Use a paintbrush to paint small stripes of red food coloring up the sides of the pastry bag. Then spoon the meringue into the bag. Pipe 1″ meringue drops on the baking sheets about 1″ apart.
BAKE: Bake the peppermint meringue cookies for 1 1/2 hours or until the cookies appear firm and dry when they are touched. Cool on a wire rack. Serve and enjoy!
About these Peppermint Meringue Cookies:
- Make sure the bowl, beater, and spatula you are using are squeaky clean. Any oily residue will prevent your meringue from reaching stiff peaks.
- When separating the yolks from the whites, be very careful not to get any yolk in the white, or the meringue won’t reach stiff peaks.
- One thing you can do with the leftover egg yolks is to freeze them. The Kitchn has an article on how to freeze egg whites and yolks. They also have this article with recipes to use up leftover egg yolks that you might want to check out.
- This meringue cookie recipe is easy, but it does require a little bit of patience. Add the sugar in a little bit at a time and allow it to mix in well before adding in more. This allows the peppermint meringues to be the perfect texture, so it’s worth it!
- You could also make these for baby showers, wedding showers, or even weddings. Just leave it white or paint the stripe blue or pink to suit your needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
They will last up to 1 week stored in an airtight container. Additionally, they will last up to 1 month in the freezer and should be thawed before serving.
Absolutely! You can simply drop them by the spoonful instead.
No, you will need to use fresh egg whites for the meringue to set up properly. The cartons tend to be pasteurized, and they won’t develop stiff peaks as well.
Peppermint Meringue Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 large egg whites
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/4 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
- pinch of salt
- 3/4 cup (166g) granulated sugar
- Red food coloring (the gel kind works best), optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees F (93 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside.
- In a large bowl beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, peppermint, and salt with a mixer on medium until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time beating on high. Beat well after each addition. Beat until stiff peaks form.
- Place a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip inside a large cup and fold excess over top of the cup. This will help hold the pastry bag in place making it easier to paint the stripes and fill with meringue. If desired, using a small paintbrush paint small stipes up the sides of the pastry bag. Carefully spoon the meringue into the bag. Pipe 1″ diameter cookies onto prepared baking sheet about 1″ apart.
- Bake for 1 1/2 hours or until meringues appear dry and firm when lightly touched. Remove and cool on a wire rack.
Notes
- Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
- If you don’t have a pastry bag you can also drop the meringues by small spoonfuls.
Nutrition
Made a version of these using your recipe as the base. They turned out GREAT! I loved your swirl of color and did that as well. I finished them off by dipping partially in chocolate and man did they taste phenomenal! Thank you for the recipe!!!
Ooooh, dipping them in chocolate does sound phenomenal!! Thanks for sharing!!
Can these be frozen?
Yes they can be frozen. Just be very careful when packaging them in a container as they are a fragile cookie. They can be frozen for up to 1 month. When you choose to thaw, place them on a cooling rack to thaw so they stay crisp. Use them right away. Thanks for asking and let me know how you like them!
Can you use the egg whites that come in a little carton from the grocery store instead of separating eggs?
Unfortunately no. Usually, those egg whites are pasteurized and can negatively affect the outcome. Thanks for asking!!
What amount of Stevia replaces 3/4 c. Sugar?
I can’t say for sure. I haven’t baked with Stevia but I don’t think it would work in this recipe. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help.
These turned out amazing!! They were so good too many got eaten and I had to make a second batch…first one peppermint, second one lemon. ❤️
I’m so glad that you liked them!! I love the idea of lemon, I’ll have to try that!!
I tried making this with granulated sugar the first time, as the recipe doesn’t specify, and it failed epically. Upon reviewing some YouTube, I realized you need to use confectioners sugar, and they are in the oven now!
Thank you for that helpful tip. I would of done the same.
I just made these for the holidays. They came out perfectly! I will dip the bottoms in chocolate!
I’m so glad to hear that and I LOVE the idea of dipping the bottoms in chocolate! I will have to remember that for next Christmas!!!
Nervous but will try these, they would be a great addition to my Christmas Cookies.
Yay!! Let me know how they turn out for you or if I can answer any questions!
These meringues are just SO festive! Love them and the color and flavor they add for this season. It’s past time I tried to make meringue cookies, so this might be my first try!
I hope you give them a try! Let me know how you like them! 🙂
Would these be too delicate to ship?
Yes, I feel they would be a little too delicate to ship. Thanks for asking! 🙂
I will be adding these to my Christmas Cookie trays this year! Thank you!
I’m so glad you will be adding these to your cookie tray!! Thank you!!
The cutest holiday cookies. These would be great for a cookie exchange.
Thank you!
These look so pretty and elegant!
Thank you!
You had me with “peppermint”! So dainty and cute!
Thank you, Danielle!
This seems like a great addition to my Christmas baking!!! Thanks!!!
I like how easy they are! 🙂