How to Make Meringue Perfectly Every Time
Meringue is a staple in many baked goods and desserts, and it’s important to know how and when to make each of the different types. This post will teach you what it is, when to use it, and how to make meringue perfectly every time.
What is meringue? What are the different types of meringue?
Meringue is a whipped mixture of two parts sugar to one part egg whites, and it is used in a variety of desserts. Depending on how the sugar and egg whites are prepared decides the type of meringue. There are three types of meringue: French, Swiss, and Italian. French is uncooked and the least stable while Swiss cooks the whites with sugar before whipping providing medium stability. Finally, Italian cooks just the sugar before adding to whipping egg whites and is the most stable. Each type has a different method of preparation and different use because of each unique’s stability.
Equipment & Ingredients to Make Meringue
- Egg whites: Always use fresh egg whites when making meringue because fresh will always whip up while carton does not. However, you can use a mixture of carton and fresh, but make sure there is more fresh than carton.
- Granulated sugar: Use only granulated or super fine sugar. Do not try raw, brown, or powdered.
- Salt/vanilla: For flavor and optional. Vanilla will turn your meringue off white. However, vanilla beans or paste will show the cool seeds.
- Cream of tartar: You do not need cream of tartar to make meringue, but it does help keep meringue peaks from drooping.
- Hand or stand mixer: You can make a meringue by hand, but speaking from personal experience, it is a huge challenge. A stand mixer is best, especially for Italian, but a hand mixer will work well for French and Swiss.
- Candy thermometer: Used to temp the sugar syrup for Italian meringue.
What Desserts Use Meringue?
- Homemade marshmallows and baked meringues (also known as meringue cookies)
- Semifreddo and mousses
- Toppings and decorations for cakes, cupcakes, tarts/pies, and really anything!
- Pavlova and baked Alaska
- Swiss and Italian buttercreams
- Sponge cakes, souffles, and lady fingers
How to Make Meringue:
How to Make French Meringue
French meringue is completely uncooked and provides the least amount of stability. Using the two parts sugar and one part egg whites ratio, whip the egg whites on high speed until soft peaks. Reducing to medium-low speed, slowly stream in the granulated sugar and continue to whip on high speed until stiff peaks. Once you hit stiff peaks you have to use right away. The longer you whip after stiff peaks, the more it will deflate. If you choose to use cream of tartar mix with the egg whites, and if you choose to add salt and vanilla, add after you’ve finished adding in the sugar.
How to Make Swiss Meringue
Swiss meringue cooks the sugar with the egg whites over a double boiler before whipping and provides medium stability. Set up a pot with boiling water with a bowl that can fit on top where the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Cook the sugar and egg whites until 120*F or until the sugar is fully dissolved while whisking occasionally. Add in the optional cream of tartar, salt, and vanilla and whip on high speed until stiff peaks. Unlike French meringue, Swiss meringue can whip for long periods of time without deflating. However, if I’m not quite ready for it, I will reduce the speed to low. If you stop all together, the meringue gets chunky.
How to Make Italian Meringue
Italian meringue cooks the sugar and it’s streamed into whipping egg whites while providing the most stability. In a pot combine the sugar with just enough water to make wet sand and cook to 245*F. At the same time, whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks. This takes some coordination as you go back and forth between checking the whites and checking the sugar. If the sugar is cooking too fast, add a splash or two of water to bring the temperature down; same applies if you overcooked the sugar. If the whites are whipping too fast, reduce the speed.
Once the sugar is up to temperature, remove from heat, reduce the mixer to medium-low, and slowing stream the sugar in down the sides of the bowl. Once all the sugar is in, add in the optional salt and vanilla and whip on high speed until stiff peaks. Unlike French meringue, Italian meringue can whip for long periods of time without deflating. However, if I’m not quite ready for it, I will reduce the speed to low. If you stop all together, the meringue gets chunky.
The Trick to Making Meringue
- Wipe your bowl and attachments with vinegar. Having any fat in the bowl or on your attachments will not allow your whites to whip up when you make meringue. The vinegar will “kill” any fat left behind.
- Use cream of tartar. Start a quarter of a teaspoon and add more if you need more stability.
- Use room temperature, fresh egg whites. Carton egg whites will never whip up the same so always use fresh. Room temperature egg whites will give the best volume.
- Add your sugar gradually. If you add your sugar too fast, it will deflate fairly quickly. Slowly and gradually add in the sugar.
When To Use Each Type of Meringue
When to Use French Meringue
French meringue has the least amount of stability since nothing is cooked. This type of meringue is good for cakes and souffles as those desserts get their stability from other ingredients and just want the incorporated air. French meringue is also good for decorating but only if its not piped. Piped will need something stronger to hold the shape. Meringue cookies can also use French meringue as well as all the other type of meringues.
When to Use Swiss Meringue
Swiss meringue has medium stability since it is lightly cooked. This type of meringue is best for decorations including piped and frosting, and speaking of frosting, Swiss buttercream uses Swiss meringue! Other uses for Swiss include meringue cookies, pavlova, and baked Alaska.
When to Use Italian Meringue
Italian meringue uses a cooked sugar syrup and has the most stability. It is best used for mousses (especially for free standing mousses), marshmallows, semifreddo, and can also be used for decoration and meringue cookies. It’s most frequent use is for Italian buttercream. You can really use Italian meringue for anything, but vice versa is not option. It just depends how much extra work you want to do for those desserts than can use less stable meringue types.
Why is My Meringue Not Whipping Up?
To make meringue that doesn’t whip up can be quite disappointing, but meringue can be fussy. Read below to troubleshoot possible reasons for your meringue not whipping up.
- You used carton egg whites instead of fresh. Fresh versus carton egg whites have a different processing to them that will cause carton egg whites to not whip up the same. If you’re low on fresh, you can use a combination of both carton and fresh; just make sure there is more fresh than carton.
- Fat came in contact with the bowl, attachment, or ingredients. Fat will immediately destroy any chances of whipping up your whites. If you spilled a little bit of yolk into the whites, just scoop it out with a shell and white any equipment with vinegar before starting.
- Your stand mixer bowl is too big. This happens to me where I have too little egg whites in too big of bowl and the whip attachment just doesn’t reach all of the whites. Either use a hand mixer, make more, or physically hold the bowl up.
- You added your sugar too fast. Adding sugar too fast will immediately deflate. Make sure to add in slowly and gradually.
- You over or undercooked your sugar or whites/sugar. When making Italian, the temperature is very important. Undercook and you’ll get medium peaks at best. Overcook and you’ll cook the egg whites. Make sure you have a working candy thermometer.
- You over-beat your meringue. For French meringue, if you keep whipping past the point of stiff peaks, you’ll actually beat all the air out of it and cause deflation. Make sure that you’re keeping an eye on French meringue and using it right away.
Frequently Asked Questions to Make Meringue:
What is the trick to making meringue? The trick is to follow the recipe, use fresh and room temperature egg whites, and wipe the bowl and attachments with ven
Do I need cream of tartar for meringues? No! You do not need cream of tartar to make meringue. However, cream of tartar will definitely help stabilize and prevent drooping. I would use cream of tartar for decorations, meringue cookies, and pavlova.
Can I make meringue by hand? You sure can make meringue by hand! I have made all three types by hand and it is quite the effort. Italian was the toughest and French was the easiest, but make sure you have time and elbow grease.
How long to whip eggs for meringue? This will definitely depend on the type of meringue, but the rule of thumb for almost every recipe that uses meringue is to whip until stiff peaks. After stiff peaks form for Italian and Swiss, turn down to low speed to keep in motion until needed, and for French you will need to use it right away.
Have another question? Reach out and I’ll try to answer it!
How to Make Meringue
Equipment
- Stand or hand mixer with beaters/whip attachment
Ingredients
- 1 Part Egg whites
- 2 Part Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract optional
- Salt optional
- Cream of tartar optional
Instructions
How to Make French Meringue
- Combine in your mixer bowl the egg whites, vanilla, salt, and cream of tartar.
- With your stand mixer and whip attachment or hand mixer and beaters whip the egg whites on high speed until very soft peak.
- Reducing the speed to medium low, slowly and gradually, sprinkle in the granulated sugar. Once all in, return to high speed and whip until stiff peaks. Use immediately.
How to Make Swiss Meringue
- Combine in your mixer bowl the egg whites and sugar and place over a pot of simmering water. Do not let the bottom of the bowl touch the water.
- Cook while whisking occasionally until the sugar dissolves, and remove from the double boiler.
- Add in the tartar, salt, and vanilla and whip on high speed until stiff peaks.
- If not using immediately, reduce speed to low/medium-low until needed.
How to Make Italian Meringue
- Add the sugar with enough water to make wet sand and bring to a boil.
- At the same time, combine in your mixer bowl the egg whites, cream of tartar, salt, and vanilla, and whip on medium speed. Do not allow this to whip up further than soft peaks.
- Cook the sugar until 245℉ then remove from heat. While the egg whites are whipping on medium low speed, slowly stream in the cooked sugar syrup down the side of the bowl.
- Once all the sugar is in, whip on high speed until stiff peaks. If not using immediately, reduce speed to low/medium-low until needed.
