Making sugar free meringue is so simple! These keto meringue cookies are light as a feather, crispy and melt-in-the-mouth sweet. Even better, they are only 0.2g net carbs per cookie.
Keto meringue cookies have been on my to-try list for a while and I'm so glad I finally got around to making them.
People think that making meringues is difficult. It is not! In this post, I'm sharing all the details you need to know to get it just right. Baking with sweeteners instead of sugar means we are making a few adjustments. However, if you follow all my tips your meringue cookies will taste just like classic meringues.
This recipe can be used for French meringue pie, Eton mess or any keto recipes that require a meringue topping.
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🌟 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Authentic flavor and texture - I did not think it would be possible to make delicious meringues with sweetener - until I developed this recipe. It took me quite a few trial runs. I am so proud that these meringues taste like the real deal, with a lovely sweet vanilla flavor. I did all the hard work so you don't have to!
- 3 basic ingredients - It is a well known fact that the best things in life are simple, and this recipe requires only 3 ingredients.
- Healthy - This is meringue without the drawbacks. No sugar rush, and only 0.2g net carbs per meringue cookie. Yes, I am expecting you to eat more than one!
What Are Meringues?
Meringues are are a popular European dessert or candy made from just 2 ingredients: stiffly beaten egg whites and powdered sugar.
The air that is whipped into the egg whites makes the egg increase in volume and creates a foam. This foam is being stabilised by the icing sugar.
Meringues are baked in the oven like cookies. They are crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside.
There are 3 types of meringue that use different cooking methods: Swiss, Italian and French.
- French Meringue: The classic one. Sugar is beaten into the egg white until it dissolves. Light and airy.
- Swiss Meringue: The sugar and egg mixture is gently heated over a double boiler. Softer and denser, often used for pavlovas.
- Italian meringue: The sturdiest - soft and creamy. A cooked meringue that uses a sugar syrup. Must be made with a candy thermometer. Used for buttercream.
My sugar free meringue recipe follows the French meringue method. Of course, I am using a sugar free sweetener instead of sugar!
In fact, I am using a combination of 2 different sweeteners for best results.
Ingredients
Here is what you need for keto meringue cookies:
- Egg whites - must be very fresh
- Inulin - a sweetener made from chicory root (read more about inulin). The additional benefit of inulin is that it acts like a stabilizing agent as well since it's high in fiber. This means you don't need to add cream of tartar.
- Powdered sweetener - I used an erythritol monk fruit sweetener blend
- Optional: vanilla extract.
I am not keen on the cooling taste of erythritol when it's overpowering. As regular meringues contain mainly egg whites and sugar, I originally wanted to avoid erythritol altogether.
On my first try, I used only inulin. Inulin is gently sweet, high in fibre and does not have an aftertaste. The result was super crisp and bright white. However, the texture was somewhat fibrous and it did not taste authentic.
That's why I settled on using part inulin and part erythritol. This combination achieved the classic crisp meringue texture and had the perfect amount of sweetness.
Instructions
This section contains step-by-step instructions and photos that show how to make this recipe. See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities
Let's get started with making keto friendly meringue cookies!
1.) Put 2 very fresh egg whites into a clean, dry glass or metal bowl. Whisk with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
2.) Mix the inulin and erythritol in a separate bowl. Add to the egg whites a spoonful at a time, while whisking on a high speed. Last, add the vanilla extract and continue whisking until combined.
3.) Fill into a piping bag and pipe cookie shapes onto a parchment lined baking sheet. If you don't have a piping bag, simply spoon little cookie heaps onto the sheet!
4.) Bake for 15 minutes at 110 Celsius / 230 Fahrenheit on a low shelf. Then turn down the oven to 90 Celsius / 200 Fahrenheit continue to bake for around 45 more minutes.
5.) Check the cookies regularly to make sure they don't turn brown. Then turn off the oven and leave the meringues inside for at least another hour so they can dry out.
Tips For Stiff Egg Whites
Your egg whites will be stiff without fail if you
- use extra fresh eggs
- use a glass or a metal mixing bowl. Plastic does not work.
- make sure the mixing bowl is perfectly clean - no fat residue, no water droplets, no egg yolk
- mix using a traditional electric mixer (like the one in the recipe steps image, with metal whisks)
- take your time and mix slowly first. Then increase the speed once the eggs are frothy and are starting to firm up. If you mix at a high speed right from the beginning, you'll create large air bubbles with no staying power and your meringues will deflate.
Some meringue recipes recommend using cream of tartar to increase the stiffness of egg whites. You can add ¼ teaspoon of cream of tartar to your mix if you wish. I have not found it necessary when following the steps above.
Recipe Tips
I have made this recipe several times before I was happy with it. Here is what I learned:
The oven time will depend on the size of the meringues (and on your oven!!). My meringues were only about 1 inch in diameter. Larger meringues will need longer than small ones.
Keep a close eye on them and if they brown, remove them from the oven. Turn the oven on the lowest setting (mine is 50 C / 120 F), wait for the oven to cool a little, then return the meringues into the oven and leave for a couple of hours. If you have a fan oven, use the fan setting. The air circulation helps the meringues to dry.
Sugar free meringue cookies are soft while they're warm. They crisp up as they cool down and should NOT stick to the baking paper.
You can make the recipe with only powdered erythritol - simply use 4.5 tablespoons of erythritol or an erythritol mix such as Swerve.
Variations
- Almond - Use ½ teaspoon of almond extract instead of the vanilla.
- Strawberry - Add 1-2 tablespoon of freeze dried strawberry powder.
- Peppermint - Add 1-2 drops peppermint extract.
- Lemon - Replace the vanilla extract with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and add an additional teaspoon of lemon zest.
- Chocolate - Add 1-2 tablespoon cocoa powder and dip the bottoms of the meringues into melted sugar free chocolate!
- Use food colouring to add a touch of colour.
I have not yet experimented with making sugar free meringue using the Italian or Swiss method as described earlier. I imagine a liquid sugar free syrup could work quite well. I'll keep you posted!
Recipe FAQs
A mix of erythritol or erythritol blends (monk fruit sweetener or stevia) and inulin yields the best result in terms of taste and texture. Using just erythritol also works, but the taste won't be as nice. Don't use allulose as it does not set hard and you'll end up with marshmallow.
This means that they need more drying time in the oven at 50 C / 120 F.
To crisp a soft meringue, simply pop them into the oven at 180C / 350 F for a few minutes.
It seems impossible to make sugar free meringue that stays completely white AND crispy. My best batch (see images) ended up ever so slightly beige on top. This does not affect the taste!
My sugar free meringue cookies contain only 0.2g net carbs per cookie.
Storage
Store at room temperature. Store in an airtight cookie jar for up to 3 weeks. They will soften up over time if kept outside because they attract the moisture in the air. For that reason, don't store them in the fridge either.
Store in the freezer. It's possible to freeze low carb meringue cookies! Freeze in an airtight container for up to 6 months. If you find they are soft after defrosting, crisp them in the oven as above.
More Sugar Free Cookie Recipes
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Recipe
Keto Sugar Free Meringue Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 egg whites
- 4 tbsp / 40g inulin
- 3 tbsp / 30g powdered erythritol
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 110 C electric / 230 F.
- Put 2 very fresh egg whites into a clean, dry glass or metal bowl. Whisk with an electric mixer until stiff - but take your time! Start with a slow speed and increase the speed once the egg whites become foamy and begin to thicken. This will take 2-3 minutes.
- Mix the inulin and erythritol in a separate bowl. Add to the egg whites a spoonful at a time, while whisking on a high speed. Last, add the vanilla extract and continue whisking until combined.
- Fill into a piping bag and pipe cookie shapes onto a baking sheet lined with baking paper. If you don't have a piping bag, simply spoon little cookie heaps onto the sheet!
- Bake for 15 minutes on a low shelf. Then turn down the oven to 90 Celsius / 200 F and continue to bake for around 45 more minutes. Then turn off the oven and leave the meringues inside for at least another hour so they can dry out.
Notes
- almond meringues - use ½ teaspoon of almond extract instead of the vanilla.
- lemon meringues - replace the vanilla extract with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and add an additional teaspoon of lemon zest.
- chocolate meringues - dip the bottoms into melted dark or sugar free chocolate
- add food colouring for a pop of colour
Ann
Thank you for such an amazing life changing recipe!!! My favorite cookie that I had to give up bc of the sugar & now I can have it again means so much. Could you do a vegan version? Thank you.
Katrin Nürnberger
I would have to investigate how to make vegan meringues that are sugar free, too. It certainly is an interesting challenge!
Mia
Can egg white powder be used (with water added of course), instead of fresh egg whites?
Katrin Nürnberger
I have not tried that so would not recommend it. What I do know is that there is a big difference between fresh egg whites over egg whites from older eggs. Fresh egg whites become much firmer when you whip them and make better meringues.
Amy
Will substituting erythritol for stevia work?
Katrin Nürnberger
If the stevia sweetener has erythritol as a filler (check your pack), then yes. If it has another bulk ingredient, I can't guarantee that you'll get the same result. Sweeteners behave very differently, and erythritol is best for anything you want to be crunchy. That said, it COULD work - but it will be an experiment. If you are talking about stevia drops, then the answer is it may not work as well because the powdered sweetener adds stability to the egg whites.
Kat
Erythritol has been linked to increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and blood clots. Will Splenda work as a substitute?
Katrin Nürnberger
Hi Kat, I shared my opinion about the study in this Facebook post. As for using Splenda instead, I don't know whether this would work or not because I have not tried it. From my experience, sweeteners all behave very differently. That's why I continue to use erythritol where is works best - for anything that I want to be crunchy.
Leanne
Could I use monk fruit instead?
Katrin Nürnberger
I have not tried the recipe with pure monk fruit. If it is a monk fruit sweetener that uses erythritol as a bulk filler, then yes!
Marjorie
They look good, but are neither crispy on the outside nor fluffy inside. Not sure whether to let them just dry out more or turn the oven back on. Made according to the directions with inulin+
Katrin Nürnberger
Perhaps they just need longer. Also, which sweetener did you use? It's erythritol sweeteners that will work best in the recipe. Allulose with egg whites, for example, will result in marshmallows rather than meringues.
Margaret
Loved making these so easy. Taste amazing, took them to a friends house who is not on a sugar free diet and everyone said how delicious they were. Thank you.