Valentine Meringue Cookies are light, fluffy and perfect for a cookie tray. This version of these cookies are soft and chewy, rather than traditional crunchy.
Want more sweet Valentine’s treats to share? Try my Valentine Hot Cocoa Bombs and my Strawberry Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats. They are a great way to say you care.
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Why this Meringue Cookies Recipe is a Keeper
I love this easy Valentine cookies recipe because it’s the perfect little treat for Valentine’s Day.
- Simple Ingredients: You likely already have everything you need to make Swiss meringue batter: egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and vanilla.
- Aesthetic Appeal: They are easily piped into hearts, roses, or stars, making them perfect for Valentine’s Day gifting.
- Dietary Friendly: Naturally gluten-free and dairy-free.
- Long Shelf Life: Unlike moist cookies, these stay fresh for weeks if stored correctly.
Why Did my Meringues Kisses Turn Out Chewy or Sticky?
If your cookies turn out too soft and sticky, you probably need to bake them for longer. They need to bake low and slow enough for the water to evaporate, but not brown the sugar too much.
Pro Tip for Making Meringue
Wipe the bowl and beaters with a little white vinegar or lemon juice, then dry completely. This one step alone gives you taller, glossier, more stable meringue that bakes into perfect, crisp cookies.
Ingredient Notes for this Meringue Recipe
You just need a couple ingredients that you might already have in your kitchen.
Get the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions in the recipe card below.
- Egg Whites: Use just the whites to make meringue.
- Cream of Tartar: Adding cream tartar will stabilize the meringue.
Variations – Peppermint or Chocolate Meringue
This melt in your mouth cookie recipe is super customizable. Take this one to the next level by adding other flavors and toppings. You can use caster sugar if you have it to make the cookies.
- Flavorings: Swap vanilla extract for almond, peppermint, or strawberry extract.
- Chocolate: Fold in mini chocolate chips or cocoa powder for a “chocolate cloud” effect.
- Colors: Use gel food coloring rather than liquid. Liquid coloring can change the consistency of the egg whites and cause them to deflate.
- Toppings: Sprinkle with fine sanding sugar or crushed freeze-dried raspberries before baking.
Special Equipment Needed for Valentine’s Day Cookies
You don’t need anything fancy, but these tools make the job easier.
- Piping Bag & Tips: A piping bag fitted with a large star tip or a plain round tip is best for heart shapes.
- Parchment Paper or Silicone Mats: Meringues will stick to a bare pan.
How to Make Vanilla Meringue Cookies
This recipe comes together in just 4 quick and easy steps. This recipe is so good, it’s a great one to have on hand for a galentine’s party or holiday cookie plates.
Get the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions in the recipe card below.
- Preheat Oven and Prep Pans: Preheat the oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make the Meringue: In a mixing bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until frothy. Then slowly add the sugar, beating as you go. Add the vanilla and continue to beat for 10 minutes or until you have soft peaks.
- Dye the Meringue: Split the meringue in half, and dye one red and keep the other half white or make it pink. Add each color of meringue to a piping bag, cut the tips, then add them both to an empty third bag.
- Pipe and Bake: Pipe the meringue into heart shaped cookies onto the prepared cookie sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for an hour, then allow cookies to cool completely before enjoying.
Prep Ahead Suggestions
Start preparing steps to this light and airy recipe ahead of time so that the baking process is as easy as can be.
- Room Temp Eggs: Separate your eggs while cold (it’s easier), but place the egg whites in a bowl at room temperature for 30 minutes before whipping. They will achieve much better volume and foamy.
- Clean Bowls: Ensure your stand mixer mixing bowl is bone-dry and free of any grease/fat.
Alternate Cooking Methods – Air Fryer
Alternatively, you can make this recipe in a dehydrator or air fryer.
- Dehydrator: Use a food dehydrator for a perfectly white, non-browned finish.
- Air Fryer: Some modern air fryers have a “dehydrate” setting. Use the lowest possible temperature for several hours.
How to Store, Reheat and Use Leftovers
- Store Cookies in an Airtight Container: Keep meringue cookies stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Do not refrigerate, as the moisture will ruin them.
- Reheat: If they get soft, put them back in a oven for 10–15 minutes to crisp them back up.
- Use Leftovers: Crumble broken meringues over ice cream, fold them into whipped cream with berries (Eton Mess), or use them as a crunchy topping for lemon tart.
Common Questions About This Recipe
Yes. Be sure to use enough to equal 3 egg whites (typically about 6 Tablespoons).
If your meringue is leaking, it could be due to undissolved sugar or not baking for long enough. Be sure to fully cook and to mix the sugar until it is completely incorporated.
Tips for Making Valentine’s Day Cookies
- Avoid the Egg Yolk: Even a single drop of yellow yolk will prevent the whites from whisking into stiff peaks.
- Add Sugar Slowly: Add your sugar one tablespoon at a time while whipping. This ensures the sugar dissolves and prevents a gritty texture.
- The “Cool Down” Phase: Never take meringues out of the oven immediately. Open the oven. Turn the oven off and leave them inside with the door cracked for at least an hour to dry out completely.
- Serve With: Serve with more Valentine’s treats like Red Velvet Chex Muddy Recipe, Valentine Cocoa Bombs or Cake Mix Strawberry Brownies.
More Recipes You Might Like
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Valentine Meringue Cookies
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Ingredients
- 3 Egg whites
- ⅛ teaspoon Cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ¾ cup Granulated sugar
- Red food dye
- Sprinkles, red, white & pink
Instructions
- First preheat the oven to 200℉. Next, prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside, until ready to use.
- In mixing bowl, add the egg whites and cream of tartar together and beat with a whisk or hand mixer until frothy.
- Once the egg whites are frothy, add in the sugar while mixing with the hand mixer. To slowly incorporate, add one teaspoon of sugar at a time or with a slow continuous pour as you mix.
- Add the vanilla and mix at medium-high speed for about 10 minutes until you have a marshmallow-like soft meringue that barely holds a stiff peak.
- Then split the mixture in half, dye half of the mixture with red food dye and leave the other white or another variation of red or pink.
- Add the meringue mixture into piping bags and cut the tips.
- Place both piping bags in a third empty piping bag to swirl the two colors together.
- Begin to pipe out heart cookies on the prepared parchment baking sheet. Top with sprinkles.
- Bake for 1 hour in the oven. Allow to cool completely after baking.
Christina’s Notes
- This Recipe Can be Doubled: Easy meringue cookies are always a crow pleaser. Simply increase the ingredients proportionately and split it into two baking sheets before baking.
- Slowly Add Eggs: It I important to crack the eggs one at a time, in order to be weary that no egg yolk gets in accidentally added as it will impact the integrity of the meringue.
- Consistency: This meringue is different from classic meringue cookies recipe, which has more of a fluffy crunchy texture, whereas this recipe results in a fluffy soft and chewy texture. This is due to the length of beating the egg white and sugar mixture.
- Additions: A little pinch of salt or mini chocolate chips.
- Clean: Make sure there is no residue on any of your equipment, wipe down with vinegar.
- Scale the recipe: Simply adjust the serving size in the recipe card and the ingredients will update automatically.
- Make your own All Purpose Seasoning: When a recipe calls for All Purpose Seasoning, you can use my homemade All Purpose Seasoning recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
- Meat doneness: I always use a meat thermometer to test for doneness when cooking meat.
- Use unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level in the recipe.
- Preheat the oven: Unless otherwise noted, always preheat your oven before baking.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, check out the blog post.