Peppermint meringue cookies are classic whipped egg white cookies combined with a refreshing burst of peppermint flavor. They’re perfect for your next holiday tray!
Hot tip: While these are the perfect Christmas meringue cookies, feel free to alter the recipe to fit any holiday or celebration. For a St. Patrick’s day theme, use green food coloring. Or, for an Easter theme, use a pastel color.
What Are Peppermint Meringue Cookies?
Peppermint meringue cookies are crispy, light, and airy cookies made out of whipped egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt — with the special addition of a white chocolate and crushed peppermint candy cane coating. These cookies are known for their melt-in-your mouth texture with a satisfying crisp outer shell. Plus, they’re naturally low-fat and gluten-free!
Peppermint Meringues Video
How To Make Peppermint Meringues
All it takes to make peppermint meringues is a little mixing, piping, and dipping. Before you get started, make sure your eggs are at room temperature and your remaining ingredients are prepped.
- Combine the eggs and sugar: Beat the egg whites and sugar together in a mixing bowl with a whisk attachment. A stand mixer is our top pick when making meringue cookies.
- Beat until stiff peaks form: Add in the salt and cream of tartar, then beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form — about 10 minutes. Be careful not to overbeat the meringue, as it may curdle.
- Place mixture into a pastry bag: Add a few drops of red food coloring or food gel into a pastry bag, then spoon in the meringue mixture.
- Pipe out the cookies: Pipe out small-to-medium sized cookies onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Bake: Bake the cookies at 200°F for 1.5 hours. Allow them to slowly cool in the closed oven.
- Melt the chocolate: For the minty coating, place the chocolate and shortening in a small bowl and microwave in 20 second intervals. Stir each time until the mixture is fully melted.
- Crush the candy canes: Crush candies in a ziplock bag with a rolling pin.
- Dip the cookies: Dip the meringues into the chocolate, followed by a roll in the crushed candy canes.
Hot tip: To ensure each cookie gets equally colored, brush the food coloring or gel in vertical stripes along the inner sides of the pastry bag, starting from the bottom then going to the top.
Meringue Cookie Flavor & Color Variations
It’s crazy easy to customize the flavor and color of meringue cookies to your heart’s desire. Here are a few ideas to get you started, but the possibilities are truly endless.
- Chocolate chip meringue: Instead of peppermint and white chocolate, add a cup of chocolate chips and two tablespoons of cocoa powder to the meringue batter. Instead of using a piping bag, place a heaping tablespoon of the batter directly on the baking sheet. Bake at 300°F for 32-40 minutes or until the cookies are just dry.
- Black and white meringue: Substitute the peppermint with ½ cup of dark chocolate chips and ½ cup of white chocolate chips. Place a heaping tablespoon of batter on the baking sheet and bake at 300°F for 32-40 minutes or until the cookies are dry.
- More pepperminty: For more peppermint flavor (or for peppermint flavor without the candy cane coating), add a few drops of peppermint extract to the meringue mixture.
Hot tip: For a quick-hitter guide on different ways to pipe your cookies, check out this recipe.
Tips For the Best Meringue Cookies
Making meringue cookies is quite simple, but following these tips makes the process even more foolproof. Don’t worry — these tips are simple and easy, too!
- Bring the egg whites to room temperature: Make sure the egg whites are at room temperature, as this allows them to whip better and reach stiff peaks sooner.
- Beat just until stiff peaks form: The key to making the perfect meringues is beating the batter until it reaches stiff peaks. It is ready when you’re able able to lift the bowl upside down without the meringue sliding out. Be careful not to over-whip, as then the meringue starts to “weep” and release liquid, which in turn produces clumps that don’t incorporate well.
- Use cream of tartar: Cream of tartar is an acidic salt that stabilizes delicate meringue. Don’t skip this ingredient — it makes all the difference!
- Separate the egg whites in a separate dish: Separate the egg yolks and whites in separate bowls to make sure no egg yolk gets into the meringue batter. Even the smallest amount affects the fluffiness and lightness of the meringue.
- Cool the cookies in the oven: Once the cookies are done baking, turn off the oven and leave to cool in the oven. This will help dry them out more (making them more likely to melt in your mouth) and decrease the chances of them cracking.
Troubleshooting Meringue Cookies
Sometimes, meringue cookies seem to have a mind of their own. Here are the top three ways the cookies may turn out less-than-perfect and a few pointers to ensure your next attempt is a success.
- Chewy/soft: Meringues become chewy and soft due to excess moisture. If your meringues are too chewy, bake them for an additional ten minutes and allow them to cool inside the oven again.
- Cracked: Meringues crack due to a sudden change in temperature. To prevent this, turn off your oven when done baking, but don’t remove the meringues until they are completely cooled. These cookies don’t overbake!
- Flat/shapeless: If the cookies are flat or shapeless, the culprit is likely overbeating the batter. The meringue should be mixed just until stiff peaks form, but not much longer.
Storing Meringue Cookies
Meringue cookies are best stored for up to two weeks at room temperature in an airtight container. Avoid refrigerating or freezing, as this introduces more moisture to the cookie and increases its chance of becoming soggy.
More Holiday Cookies
- Kolaczki Recipe (Polish Cookies) — Dainty cream cheese dough stuffed with a dollop of fruity filling
- Whipped Shortbread Cookies — Irresistibly buttery, light, and moist!
- Pecan Crescent Cookies — Half-moon shaped buttery cookies with pecan chunks and a powdered sugar coating
- Ferrero Rocher Christmas Cookies — Cream-cheese doughy cookies filled with chocolate hazelnut truffles
Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 egg whites room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 cup white chocolate
- 1 tsp shortening
- 5 candy canes crushed
- 1/3 tsp food coloring optional
Instructions
- Prepare the ingredients for the cookies. Choose a food color of your preference. Make sure the egg whites are at room temperature.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites together with sugar on high speed.
- Add in salt and cream of tartar and beat until stiff peaks form; it will take about 10 minutes.
- In a pastry bag or a ziplock bag fitted with a piping tip, put in a few drops of food coloring. Spoon in the meringue mixture.
- Pipe out small-medium sized meringue cookies onto a lined baking sheet. Bake the cookies at 200°F for about 90 minutes. Then, turn off oven and allow them to cool completely in the closed oven to prevent them from cracking.
- For the decorative minty coating, place white chocolate and shortening into a microwave safe bowl. Melt it in the microwave, stopping to stir every 20 seconds. Crush the candy canes in a ziplock bag using a rolling pin, or use a food processor.
- Dip the meringue cookies into the melted chocolate, followed by dipping into the crushed candies. Enjoy!
This looks so good! What a great combination of flavors!
Hey Suzanne, I love this combo of flavors! Such a delightful treat. 🙂
Thank you for this easy and delectable recipe! I’ve always been intimidated to make merengue, but this was a breeze! I didn’t have a piping bag so, I used a ziplock bag and put a stripe of red gel food colouring along the side, cutting the smallest tip off the corner. I added pure peppermint extract, and sprinkled with crushed candy canes on top before baking. Didn’t feel it needed the white chocolate dip. They turned out perfect!
Hey Sherry, Thanks for sharing these great tips! I love that you tried something new, and I hope these cookies become a new holiday tradition! 🙂
Hello! They look beautiful! I wanted to ask can I make these 3 days ahead and how to store them? Thank you!
Hey Tatiana, You can store your meringue cookies at room temperature in an airtight container. They will stay fresh for a few weeks. Enjoy
These taste so amazing! I couldn’t find any peppermint candy canes (4 days before Christmas) lol so the closest I found were the green wintergreen ones! Still tasted amazing!
Hey Eve, I think you sent a picture on IG. I loved the green one even more. I think they are so pretty. Thanks so sharing!
My first time making these little beauties simply because I was intimidated, and wow, they turned out perfectly! I added 1/8 tsp peppermint extract and sprinkled with crushed candy canes, so pretty! I didn’t have decorating tips so I cut a small section of zip lock bag. Worked out great! Thank you!
Hey there! I am so delighted to hear this recipe was a success! Thank you so much for sharing your process. Sounds like they turned out smashing! Enjoy!
Made them for the first time today. I've never worked with meringue before, but it was so easy. Had a little trouble figuring out the right movements with the piping bag, so a few were misshapen, but they got better. Thank you for an easy recipe.
Hi Valerie - Amazing! I love, love, love meringue and find that it's much easier to make than most people think. Happy to hear you feel the same. Happy Holidays!
Made these today and it was my first time making meringue cookies. I added a few drops of peppermint extract and a little vanilla bean paste and they turned out great! Going to have my kids help with the white chocolate and candy cane pieces tonight!
Hey hey Amber - AMAZING! Love that so much. I do so much cooking during the holidays, the only way I can spend time with Ethan and Jacob is having them bake with me. I hope that you guys have a blast making these. 🙂 Happy holidays, friend!
Can these be frozen?
Hey Carol, I would not recommend freezing them but they hold up well in a room temperature, dry place.
I do not have a stand mixture can i still so this with my regular hand mixture?
Hi Naomi - Your hand mixer should work just fine! Let us know how it turns out.
In the recipe you say remove from oven and let cool at room temperature. In your notes you say turn oven off and let them completely cool in the oven . Which one is it?
Hi Chris – Great catch! You’re supposed to allow them to cool in the oven with the door closed to prevent the meringue from cracking (shocking them with cool air will cause cracks). We’ve updated the recipe. Appreciate your eyes on this one!
My grandmother called these Night, Nights, as she would bake them at night before bed, turn off the oven and let them sleep in the oven till morning.
Thanks for the wonderful reminder of my childhood!
I love hearing stories such as yours! This would be a start to a wonderful tradition! Thank you for the idea! Merry Christmas 🎄 to you and yours!
Patti, thank you! Happy Holidays to you!
Oh wow, thats a great idea. Thank you for sharing your story!
What would you say is the size circle that you pipe out in inches so I don't make them too big or too small?
It really is up to your preference. I try to make them about two bites in size.
The single hardest thing was making them as pretty as yours.. Perhaps because I didn't have the tip and just used a bag alone (gulp ?). Thanks so much for the recipe! Got rid of those candy canes, and got something delicious out of it. Love it. ?
Yeah, the tip really makes a huge difference. I tried another tip and it wasn't the same at all.
What size tip did you use?
Hi Shirley- I believe it was a 4B piping tip, but you could use other tips as well. I think any of the standard ones would work (like 1M). Enjoy!
Add 1/2 tsp or less of peppermint extract to egg whites after beating until stiff peaks and it will taste DIVINE!!
Anna, I love that idea. Where do you find peppermint extract?
Hi
I was wondering how many days are they good for?
They can stay fresh for several week if you keep them in a airtight container.
Okay,thank you soo much!! I've been looking for something christmasy to do, and this is perfect!
🙂
Wow Nancy, they are so pretty! Perfect Christmas treat!
Thank you so much! They are so delicious, and simple:) love it:) I wondering if you have the recipe for {ЗЕФИР } please! I am looking for good recipe!
Thank you so much...;)
Hi, you did such a great job. I Love getting the pics!!!! This is the recipe for Zefir that I have been using for years http://momsdish.com/r20
Thank you so much 🙂
Girl these look awesome! Too pretty to eat 🙂
Thank you Katya! You are probably right 🙂
These look so simple and delicious, my son would eat them up. I will have to ask him if he would like to donate his candy canes for the recipe :).
Funny that you say that, my son was concerned about me using his candy canes. He was happy with the turn out. Especially when he was taking the, to the school party.
Hi Hatalya,
Thanks for the recipe, last night I already tried to make them. They turned out to be crunchy on the outside, and soft on the inside. But the next morning they become sticky and gooey. Please can you tell what went wrong? The room temperature or something else? Thank you!
Alla
It may be because they weren't cooked for long enough. Meringue can be tricky sometimes. The weather and oven temperature can play a roll.
Hi, Natalya, I was wondering whether you used parchment lined sheets or a silicone mat? Thank you 🙂
I used silicone mat, either one of those things would work with this recipe.
I did parchment paper and can confidently say that is works super:-)
I was wondering if I can substitute butter for the shortening? Or something else? Thanks! Love this idea for my coworkers but don't want to mess up by substituting something that won't work
You dont have to add shortening, it just helps chocolate melt better. Just melt the chocolate on the low heat, constantly stirring. It will melt just fine, with shortening it's easier.
Thank you so much!!!
Oh goodness gracious these look wonderful!!!!!!!!!!! Just in time for Christmas! I'll be making them 🙂 Спасибо. С Рождеством Христовым!!!!
These look amazing!!! Thank You!
I'm not the one who made these Natalya P. :-). The credit goes to Natalya Drozhzin. This is her site. It seems we have lots of Natalyas lol.
he he he...Hello! the World of Natalyas!!! lol, I love your comments.
I hope you guys will love them, share photos when you do.
Soooo...I couldn't wait and I made them today and i think these are the best meringues that I've made. Tender, crunchy, sweet, and the peppermint candies?????? Ahh ya yay!!! Pure bliss, seriously!!! I did some with milk chocolate, they were awesome too.
Wow, so beautiful! I love the colors. You and your daughter are adorable.
Close up of how mine turned out (without Larisa and me:) as you can see I made mine with green and red colors and did some with white and milk chocolates and they are both great. Thank you Natalya:)
I love dark chocolate so I think that it would work wonderful as well. Thank you so much for sharing your photos. I like getting to know you guys. Makes blogging fun!