Last Updated on 28 March, 2026 by Elby | The Tasteful Pantry
Meringue kisses are so light and airy… you can basically munch away guilt-free. Made from just a few pantry staples, these gluten-free, dairy-free treats are also budget friendly. So go ahead, make a batch and enjoy – after all, calories don’t count when it feels like you’re eating something so light, right?! At least, that’s what I tell myself 😉
Ingredients in the Meringue Kisses Recipe
Meringues are the ideal way to use up egg whites if you have them leftover from another recipe. Alternatively, if meringue kisses are the goal and you have leftover egg yolks, why not make some lemon Portuguese tarts, custard doughnuts, mango trifle (using homemade custard), throw some extra egg yolks in your quiches, or a simple crème pâtissière to serve with the meringues.
The main ingredients for meringue kisses are egg whites and caster sugar.
Cream of tartar stabilises the egg whites and although it can be omitted, I find the meringue kisses work much better with it.
Only add a touch of salt – it sharpens the flavour and slightly balances the sweetness.
How to Make Meringue Kisses
Before you you start, it’s worth noting that meringues take their sweet time cooling down in the oven. ie. if you’re planning on cooking a roast for dinner, don’t bake the meringues in the afternoon!
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 130°C for conventional or 110°C for fan forced and line two or three large baking trays with baking paper.
Step 2: Start whisking your egg whites on a medium speed in the bowl of a stand mixer. They’ll go from clear to frothy quite quickly – this is exactly what you want. Once they look bubbly and light, sprinkle in the cream of tartar.
Step 3: Continue whisking until the mixture forms soft peaks. Now, continue mixing on medium and begin adding the caster sugar one spoonful at a time. It’s tempting to tip it all in at once, but slow and steady gives you a much better texture. Allow the sugar to fully dissolve between additions – you’ll see the peaks firm up as you go.
Step 4: When all the sugar is in, keep beating for another few minutes. You’re aiming for stiff, glossy peaks that hold their shape. A quick test is to rub a little mixture between your fingers – if it feels smooth with no sugar grains, you’ve nailed it.
Step 5: Add the sea salt and give it another half minute of mixing. It won’t taste salty, but it will brighten the flavour.
Step 6: If you want some colour in your meringue kisses, this is the moment to decorate the piping bag itself. Add a few drops of food colouring or swipe streaks of gel on the inside of the bag. When you fill it, the mixture picks up those colours and pipes out in a pretty marbled swirl.
Scoop the meringue mixture into your piping bag (or a large ziplock bag with the corner snipped off). A star tip gives pretty, textured ridges; a round tip makes smooth, modern-looking kisses. Both work beautifully.
Pipe uniform little mounds onto your trays. They don’t spread or rise, so you can place them fairly close together – just not touching.
Step 7: Bake the meringue kisses for 90 minutes. Keep the door firmly shut for the entire time and while cooling – any sudden change in temperature can make them crack or collapse. When the timer goes off, switch the oven off and let the meringues sit inside until everything is completely cool. This will usually take two to three hours, depending on your oven, but I often leave them in longer (just to be safe).
Once they lift cleanly from the paper and feel crisp all the way through, pop them into an airtight container. The freezer is surprisingly the best place to store them. They stay dry, crunchy and perfect – and you can eat them straight from frozen, no thawing required.
Notes
Colouring: Gel is tidy, concentrated and gives you good control, but liquid food colouring is widely available and works beautifully for streaking the piping bag. A few drops are all you need for a colourful marbled effect.
Meringue Recipe FAQs
Why are my meringue kisses sticky?
It can be for a number of reasons. Make sure you measure the ingredients by weight, noting I use large 58 gram eggs, to ensure correct sugar-to-egg white ratio. Ensure you whip the egg whites to stiff peaks, gradually add sugar until fully dissolved, and bake at a low temperature for the full time and let them cool in the oven.
Why do you leave meringues to cool completely in the oven?
Leaving the meringue kisses to cool completely prevents cracking and allows them to completely dry out, slowly.
Can you make meringue kisses without cream of tartar?
Yes, you can. Complete the recipe as stated below and just omit the cream of tartar step. But note that the cream of tartar helps to stabilise the egg whites and improves the texture, so if you have it I definitely recommend using it.
Can I make coloured meringue kisses?
Yes, absolutely. If you want the meringues kisses to be all one colour add a few drops of food colouring to the meringue mixture before scraping the mix into the piping bag. You can also divide the mix into several bowls and make a number of different colours.
Or follow the steps, both in the recipe and post above, if you want swirls of colour through the meringues.
Feedback and More
Did you try the meringue kisses recipe? Let me know via a star rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ or leave a comment below to share your thoughts. Cheers, Elby!
If you enjoyed this recipe, you might like some of my other desserts or bakery favourites.
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Meringue Kisses
*Note: Adjusting servings will not adjust the ‘light grey’ quantities
Ingredients
- 5 egg whites - large, 58 gram eggs
- ½ tsp cream of tartar
- 260 grams sugar - caster
- ¼ tsp sea salt flakes - crushed
Optional
- Food colouring or food colouring gel
Instructions
- Before you start, note that you will need to leave your meringues in the oven for at least 2-3 hours – so make sure you time it well.Preheat your oven to 130°C | 110°C fan forced and line 2-3 large biscuit trays with baking paper.
- Place the egg whites into the large bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium speed until they become foamy.
- Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat the whites until peaks form.
- Turn the mixer to medium and add 1 spoon of sugar at a time – continuing to beat between each addition and letting the peaks form again before adding the next spoon. There is no need to rush this process. Once all the sugar has been incorporated, beat for a further 3-5 minutes. The mix should be white, glossy and forming stiff peaks. When you rub the mix between your fingers you shouldn’t feel any sugar grains.
- Add the salt and beat for a further 30 seconds.
- If you want a colour running through your meringue kisses (like a swirl), drip 4-5 drops of food colouring or a couple of strips of colouring gel down the inside of the piping bag before you load in the meringue mix (see notes).Use a spatula to scoop the mix into a piping bag with whichever piping tip you want to use (both star and round tips are my preference). Alternatively scoop into a large ziplock bag and snip one of the corners – your make-at-home piping bag. Pipe your (preferably uniform sized) kisses onto the prepared trays – don’t have them touching, but they can be close to each other as they don’t rise or spread.
- Place them in the oven and cook for 90 minutes. Do not open the oven door. Turn the oven off and leave the meringues in there until they have completely cooled – this can be at least 2-3 hours (some ovens will take longer to cool down).
- When the meringue kisses are cool and easily remove from the tray, I find the best way to store them is in an airtight container in the freezer – even if you are using them within 24 hours. They stay crisp and there is no need to defrost them – you can literally eat them straight from the freezer.
Notes
Nutrition
*Nutrition and calorie figures are estimates only.
