Making your own sugar free meringues is so simple! My keto meringue cookies are light as a feather, crispy and melt-in-the-mouth sweet, just like a meringue should be. Only 0.2g net carbs per cookie!
Table of contents
Low carb keto meringues 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.
This recipe can be used for French meringue pie, Eton mess or any keto recipes that require a meringue topping.
Ingredients
You only need 3 basic ingredients for this sugar free meringue recipe:
- egg whites
- inulin - a sweetener made from chicory root (read more about inulin here)
- powdered sweetener (I used an erythritol monk fruit sweetener blend)
- and 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.
In my first try, I used only inulin. Inulin (Amazon aff link) 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. That's why I settled on using part inulin and part erythritol.
How to make sugar free meringues
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!
Bake for 15 minutes at 110 Celsius / 230 Fahrenheit on a low shelf. Then turn down the oven to 90 Celsius / 200 F continue to bake for around 45 more minutes. 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
- mix using a traditional electric mixer (like the one in the recipe steps image, with metal whisks)
- don't try this recipe with a hand whisk. You'll never get the stiff peaks you're after
- 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.
Keto meringue cookies recipe tips
I have made this recipe several times before I was happy with it. Here is what I learned:
It seems impossible to make sugar free meringues that stay completely white AND are crispy. My best batch (see images) ended up ever so slightly beige on top. This does not affect the taste!
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.
ALWAYS 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. If they do stick, they need more drying time at 50C / 120 F.
You can make the recipe with only powdered erythritol - simply use 4.5 tablespoons of erythritol or an erythritol mix such as Swerve.
Flavour variations
Almond meringues - Use ½ teaspoon of almond extract instead of the vanilla.
Strawberry meringues - Add 1-2 tbsp of freeze dried strawberry powder.
Peppermint meringue cookies - Add 1-2 drops peppermint extract.
Keto lemon meringues - Replace the vanilla extract with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and add an additional teaspoon of lemon zest.
Chocolate meringue cookies - Add 1-2 tbsp cocoa powder and dip the bottoms of the meringues into melted sugar free chocolate!
How to store keto meringues
Store your meringues 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.
If you want to crisp them up again, simply pop them in the oven at 180C / 350 F for a few minutes.
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 keto cookie recipes
Cookie monsters - check out my Keto cookie Cookbook!
Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating below!
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Keto Sugar Free Meringue Cookies
Note: The servings slider only changes the first amount in each line and not any subsequent amounts. Please make your own calculations where necessary. ***As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
- 2 egg whites
- 4 tbsp / 40g inulin
- 3 tbsp / 30g powdered erythritol
- ½ tsp 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
Nutrition
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First published in December 2019. Updated in November 2021 with new recipe tips.
Roger Trujillo says
Hi, I've wanted to try making them for a while now, but hadn't looked up a recipe. I like yours. I have an unpredictable oven at home though, so I try not to you it for anything other than broiling and frozen pizza. LOL.
My question is do you think the egg whites are cooked enough after the first 15 min? if so what do you think about finishing them off in a dehydrator? I know we will have to let them cool before transferring them but I'd like a pro's input.
Katrin Nürnberger says
You would have to try it out because we're using quite a low temperature for this recipe. If the outside feels firm enough, transferring them to a dehydrator sounds like a good idea.
Carolyn Stoker says
I am curious about using allulose in place of erythritol? Can I use that with insulin? Does it need to be powdered or will it dissolve in the egg white like granulated sugar?
Katrin Nürnberger says
Hi Carolyn, from my experience, allulose stays softer than erythritol. I have used it in cakes for a softer result and I know that you can make fantastic marshmallows with it, which is basically the same recipe as meringue. That said, I have never tried using allulose in this particular recipe so I don't know if it would harden if you left it in for long enough. It's worth a try! I don't see an issue with mixing allulose and inulin.
Sarah says
Mine went brown 🙁 I think my oven lies about how hot it is. Do you have any tips for reducing temperature or cooking time please? I'm not very good at guessing that sort of thing.
Katrin Nürnberger says
Hi Sarah, make sure that you're baking on a low shelf and that you're using the electric and not the fan setting (which needs to be 20C lower). If you think your oven is hotter than it says, just reduce the temperature by 10C. You need to keep an eye on them and be very patient - long and low is how it works!
Val says
This is the first time ever I have had huge success making keto white meringues and meringues before keto. They always came out brown and soggy but not these. I used organic eggs and powdered Lakanto for the sweetener. I piped small meringues about 1 1/2 " wide. I doubled the recipe and got about 146 mini meringues that I wanted to make Eton Mess with. They stayed white too and didn't brown in the oven. They are melt in the mouth delicious. Thank you for sharing.
Katrin Nürnberger says
How amazing yours stayed white!! What a success 🙂
Luisa says
Hi, I only have in hand agave inulin. Do you know if using this one will still be keto friendly?
Katrin Nürnberger says
I have not yet come across agave inulin. Check the nutrition on the pack and see what the net carbs are - if the fibre is high enough, it may well be keto friendly.
Sandra says
Holland and Barrett do it, also you can get it from Amazon
Amanda says
Hello,
I can't get powdered erythritol where I live, just the granulated kind. Would that work?
Katrin Nürnberger says
Hi Amanda, you need to use powdered sweetener for this to get a result that's not gritty. Simply make your own - I do it all the time. Just blend your granulated sweetener in a food processor or high speed blender until it is powdered.
Sandra says
I used Stevia and they worked!
Rebecca says
How much stevia did you use?
BevanR says
I made these with Swerve (4 1/2 Tbsp) and it was plenty sweet and stayed stark white. I made with lemon juice and vanilla and they were wonderful. Will try lime next and peppermint for holidays!
Rachel Johnstone says
Oh no! I’ve just realised why my meringue is rubbery. I clicked x2 and doubled the egg white but your grams of inulin and erythritol didn’t double! I have only just noticed this.
Katrin Nürnberger says
So sorry! Yes, the recipe card can only change the first number in the list, which is the US measurements.
Leigh says
Came upon this recipe and very excited to try it, wondering if you’ve had any success with making a macaron sugar free?
Katrin Nürnberger says
Hi Leigh, I've never tried it!
Wendy says
Has anyone tried the recipe with xylitol? Perhaps the "cool" feeling would go well with peppermint?
Katrin Nürnberger says
Hi Wendy, from my experience xylitol yields less crunchy results when baked compared to erythritol. I wonder if in this case you'd have to keep the meringues in the oven for longer (but not increase the temperature because they'd become brown). It would be an experiment, these sugar substitutes all behave so differently.
Monika says
It was very easy to make it! But definitely not sweet enough for me... Can I add more inulin or couple of drops of stevia?
Katrin Nürnberger says
Yes, of course!
Ana says
Hi, the inulin powder that you recommend is se out in Amazon. I found one but it’s made from Jerusalem artichokes instead of chicory? Are they equivalent?
Thanks
Katrin Nürnberger says
I would think that they are.
Catherine Monelle says
Cannot get crisp meringue. Followed all the tips, still got something rubbery. What am I doing wrong?
Katrin Nürnberger says
You have to put them back in the oven for longer! That should do the trick 🙂
Mia says
White food colouring, perhaps?
Katrin Nürnberger says
I didn't know there was such a thing??!!!!
Mia says
Neither did I. Stumbled over it when googling for recipes. Haven't tried it myself, but will save the thought for whenever I feel gutsy enough to try to make lowcarb pavlovas... 🙂
Beth says
Thank you so much for this! The mix of inulin and erythritol really makes all the difference. I have tried making meringues in the past, but it never worked. This recipe is great!
Katrin Nürnberger says
Hi Beth, I did experiment quite a few times as well and almost gave up! Glad you liked the recipe.
coraline says
I totally agree. I made several attempts before and they all turned to be a meringue disaster! I added 50g very fine ground coffee to the dough and they taste great. I wonder how on earth one can get 70 pieces out of two egg whites. I had 16 and it took much more time to bake/dry them.
Thanks for the recipe! Coffee meringues + whipped cream mixed with some instant coffee + keto ice cream and I am in keto dessert heaven 🙂
Katrin Nürnberger says
Mine were quite small, that's why 😉 I think this is also the reason why your 16 took so much longer to bake 🙂
sharon says
Hi there, did you try using clear vanilla extract for a whiter cookie by chance? Thanks for the tip on mixing. I did exactly that before reading this. Gonna try them again! 🙂
Katrin Nürnberger says
hi Sharon, that's a good point - no, my vanilla extract was brown. The meringues looked white before baking though - I guess it was just a little. I do think the browning (or beige-ing) has something to do with the erythritol - they remained white when I only used the inulin. I would be interested to hear what yours turn out with the white vanilla extract!
Luci Sosnowski says
I don't have inulin. Is there a substitute for it?
Katrin Nürnberger says
Others have made the recipe with erythritol only (I have given amounts in the post). However, I think the inulin/erythritol mix improves the taste.
Patti Weyers says
Is there a substituted fro the inulin powder?
Thanks!!
Katrin Nürnberger says
Others have made the recipe with erythritol only (I have given amounts in the post). However, I think the inulin/erythritol mix improves the taste.
Kate Snave says
I put some peppermint extract in mine and a couple drops of red food coloring. Don't blend it in to much. When you put it in the piping bag, it will stream the whites, looks very pretty.
Katrin Nürnberger says
That's such a great idea, I bet it looks lovely!!
Beth says
I will have to try this recipe with your tips. In the last week I have made 4 batches of Meringues. 1st batch with real sugar for a non-keto cookie swap, turned out perfectly...light and airy and crisp. Batch 2-4 were complete failures. Flat deflated puffs, dry and crumbly with a offbeat texture. I used a kitchen aid mixer and achieved firm whites but after baking flat... The only difference that I can see is that you state to whip on low first and then on high. All batches were whipped on high immediately, including the real sugar batch. I'm assuming that the sweetener makes a difference also. I used a peppermint extract that deflated my egg whites immediately. Had given up on my favorite holiday cookie but will try one more batch using your methods. Crossing my fingers.
Katrin Nürnberger says
Can't wait to see how they turn out with this recipe!!
Gigi says
Yum.
Can this recipe be used successfully for soft merengue, slightly browned for a pie? Can it be used in French macarons? I’ve tried in the past using powdered erythritol but the taste and texture did not work.
Katrin Nürnberger says
I made the small ones you can see in the pic and a few larger ones. Both worked. But you'd have to figure out the oven times if you're making one big one as a pie topping. It may take longer.