Making your own sugar free meringues is so simple! These lovely little keto cookies are light as a feather, crispy and melt-in-the-mouth sweet, just like a meringue should be. Enjoy them on their own or use the recipe for any low carb dessert that calls for meringue.
Sugar free meringues have been on my to-try list for a while and I’m so glad I finally got around to making them!
It took me a little trial and error to get it right. I am not keen on the cooling taste of erythritol when it’s overpowering. As meringues contain mainly egg whites and sugar, I originally wanted to avoid erythritol altogether.
In my first try, I chose inulin as a sweetener, which is made from chicory root. Inulin (Amazon aff link) is gently sweet, high in fibre and does not have an aftertaste at all. The result was super-crisp and bright white. However, the texture was somewhat fibrous and you all know I’m picky. A compromise was needed! That’s why I settled on using part inulin and part erythritol.
People tend to think that making meringues is difficult. Trust me, it isn’t – further on in the post I’m sharing ALL the details you need to know to get it just right.
The one thing that’s different about using erythritol instead of sugar in a meringue recipe is that the meringue cookies will turn a very light beige colour. I have made this recipe 4 times in total, using slightly different oven temperatures and lengths each time. Each time I ended up with a colour change (which does not affect the taste whatsoever!). If you should crack it and yours stay as white as freshly fallen snow, please share!!!!
How to make sugar free meringues – step by step:
1.) 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.
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 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 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.
How to get stiff egg whites – every time
I used to have a Huuuuuge problem turning egg whites into cloudy peaks until I did some research. 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 said 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 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar to your mix if you wish. I have not found it necessary when following the steps above.
Personally, I have not found any benefit in using room temperature eggs over eggs that are straight from the fridge.
Keto meringues 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. I think the air circulation helps the meringues to dry.
The meringues will be soft while they’re warm. They crisp up as they cool down and should NOT stick to the baking paper. If they do, 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.
Variations
How about almond meringues? Simply use 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract instead of the vanilla.
Or lemon meringues? You can replace the vanilla extract with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and add an additional teaspoon of lemon zest to the mix.
Chocolate fans – try dipping the bottoms of the meringues into melted sugar free or dark chocolate (minimum 85% cocoa solids)!
Meringue Storage
Store your meringues in an airtight cookie jar. 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.
Some other great keto cookies you’ll love:
- Keto Pecan Pistachio Biscotti
- The Ultimate Low Carb Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Keto Sugar Cookies (Low Carb, Sugar Free)
Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating below!
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Sugar Free Meringues
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Ingredients
- 2 egg whites
- 4 tbsp / 40g inulin
- 3 tbsp / 30g powdered erythritol
- 1/2 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 1/2 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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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.