Easy Mini Pavlovas (Aka Meringue Baskets) {Video}

Have you always wanted to make these adorably easy mini pavlovas? Me, too. Jump to Recipe

I had five egg whites in the fridge leftover from making ice cream earlier in the week and I’ve been wanting to make mini pavlovas for about five years or so. My friend makes these gorgeous little meringues full of cream and fruit to celebrate Australia Day and I always sneak some home with me. Classy. I know. 😂

It took a pandemic to find the time to tackle this super easy baking project.

Two basic ingredients. That’s it. 

Meringues are made with two basic ingredients – egg whites and sugar. I added cream of tartar to help stabilize the peaks when I whipped the whites and sugar together.

The basic ratio of egg white to sugar is 1 egg white to 1/4 cup of sugar. That’s it. That’s all you need to know.

I had five egg whites so I used all five egg whites because, really, what else would I do with them?

Five egg whites makes way too many meringues. Of all the times that I can’t bring extras to friends and neighbors. Sorry! These were so good, too! Jump to Video

Meringues Store Well!

Finished meringues can be stored in an airtight container for a few days and they can even be frozen. These guys are versatile.

Noelle wanted to make some meringue cookies, too, so after I had filled two cookies sheets with meringue baskets for Easter dessert, I indulged her and made a tray of small meringue cookies. They were also delicious!

For five egg whites, I added only 1 cup of sugar, not quite following the ratio, and they were still really sweet.

Meringue pro tip 1: Don’t let any egg yolk get into the egg whites. Also, make sure your bowl and whisk is really clean.

Get Started Making Your Meringue

To start making the meringues, whip the egg whites until they start to get a little frothy. Add the sugar about 1/4 cup at a time and add the cream of tartar at the beginning.

Whip the egg whites and sugar until firm peaks are formed. Your meringue should look shiny. When you lift the beater, the meringue should stay relatively well-formed.

Use A Piping Bag

Using a large piping bag, add a large tip – I just used a circle. I’ve seen people use the star and that looks neat, too. You really don’t even have to use a tip. You can just cut a corner in the bag and use that. Or, you can use a spoon. The bar is low for success with these things. They’re all great.

Fill your piping bag using a spatula or large spoon. Twist the top and pipe your nests or cookies. I use a very large mason jar to give my piping bag some stability while I fill it with the meringue. Be warned, this part is a little messy.

Create Little Nests 

If you want to make little nests – or baskets – pipe small circles onto parchment paper and build up the walls a bit with a few extra twists of meringue. Move onto the next one. These can be created really quickly.

You can make these pretty close together because they don’t really spread at all. They might rise a tiny bit.

I read a lot of different suggestions for cooking time. I read 225, 275, 300 … I decided to go with 275 and cook for an hour. Use the lower levels of the oven.

Cook Low and Slow

When the time is up, test to see if the meringue is done by checking if the meringue will come up easily from the parchment paper. If it is still shiny, it might need a little more time. You can also turn off the oven and give it a little more time.

Remove from the heat and let cool.

Fill With Sweet Cream And Berries

I whipped up some heavy cream with a little bit of sugar and added a spoonful to each little basket and topped with berries.

I made individually sized meringue nests, but you can make any size you want. These are very kid-friendly.

Some other favorite desserts …

Victoria Sandwich Cake

Dark Chocolate Ganache Without Cream

Gluten-free Jelly Donuts

Browned Butter Banana Bread With Ginger and Pecans

Easy Mini Pavlovas With Fresh Berries

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Easy Mini Pavlovas With Fresh Berries

Course Dessert

Cuisine Gluten-free

Keyword gluten free

Servings 24

Calories 76 kcal

Author Erin Brighton

Ingredients

Meringue Ingredients

• 5 egg whites
• 1 c sugar
• 1 t cream of tartar

Filling For Pavlovas

• 1 c heavy cream
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 1 T sugar
• 1 c mixed berries

Instructions

Make The Meringue

1. Preheat oven to 275.

2. Meringue pro tip 1: Don’t let any egg yolk get into the egg whites. Also, make sure your bowl and whisk is really clean.

3. To start making the meringues, whip the egg whites until they start to get a little frothy. Add sugar about 1/4 cup at a time and add the cream of tartar with the first addition of sugar.

4. Whip the egg whites and sugar until firm peaks are formed. Your meringue should look shiny. When you lift the beater, the meringue should stay relatively well formed.

How To Pipe The Meringue Baskets

1. Using a large piping bag, add a large tip - I just used a circle. I’ve seen people use the star and that looks neat, too. You really don’t even have to use a tip. You can just cut a corner in the bag and use that. Or, you can use a spoon. The bar is low for success with these things. They’re all great.
2. Fill your piping bag using a spatula or large spoon. Twist the top and pipe your nests or cookies. I use a very large mason jar to give my piping bag some stability while I fill it with the meringue. Be warned, this part is a little messy.
3. If you want to make little nests - or baskets - pipe small circles onto parchment paper and build up the walls a bit with a few extra twists of meringue. Move onto the next one. These can be created really quickly.
4. You can make these pretty close together because they don’t really spread at all. They might rise a tiny bit.

Cook The Meringues

1. I read a lot of different suggestions for cooking time. I read 225, 275, 300 ... I decided to go with 275 and cook for an hour. Use the lower levels of the oven. You might need to adjust time or temperature based on your own oven.

2. When the time is up, test to see if the meringue is done by checking if the meringue will come up easily from the parchment paper. If it is still shiny, it might need a little more time. You can also turn off the oven and give it a little more time.
3. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Prepare The Filling For Pavlovas

1. I whipped up some heavy cream with a little bit of sugar and added a spoonful to each little basket and topped with berries.
2. I made individually sized meringue nests, but you can make any size you want. These are very kid friendly.

Recipe Video