Making sugar free meringue is so simple! These 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.
This recipe can be used for French meringue pie, Eton mess or any keto recipes that require a meringue topping.
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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.
🌟 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Crispy texture - airy and light
- Sweet vanilla flavor
- Only 3 basic ingredients
- Naturally sugar-free, gluten-free and keto
- 0.2g net carbs per meringue cookie
Ingredients
You only need 3 basic ingredients:
- 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.
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.
Instructions
(This section contains step by step instructions and photos that show how to make this recipe. Find the recipe card with ingredient amounts and nutritional information at the bottom of the post.)
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!
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.
Related recipes
- Keto Pecan Pistachio Biscotti
- The Ultimate Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Keto Sugar Cookies (Sugar Free, Low Carb)
- Almond Flour Peanut Butter Cookies (Keto)
- Sugar Free Keto Butter Cookies (Spritz Cookies)
- Sugar Free Keto Gingerbread Cookies
- Sugar Free Cinnamon Stars (German Christmas Cookies)
- Sugar Free Keto Ginger Snaps
Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating below!
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Recipe
Keto Sugar Free Meringue Cookies
from Sugar Free LondonerNote: 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 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
Nutrition
This post contains affiliate links. If you click on one of these links and purchase a product, I may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting Sugar Free Londoner.
First published in December 2019. Updated in September 2022 with new recipe tips.
Nadia
Perhaps you know our popular Swiss Zuger Kirschtorte? In addition to the sponge, it also has two Japonais bases. That's exactly the kind of base I made with your recipe. I simply mixed in ground almonds. Then I stored them in a tin and put rice on the bottom. After two days, they were just perfect. Just like the original, crispy and not too sweet!
Thank you for the recipe and your great work
Katrin Nürnberger
Sounds delicious!!
Mehj
Can you switch out the inulin for psyllium husk?
Katrin Nürnberger
No that would not work. You can use erythritol instead.
Jen
???? How many days in advance can I make these meringues ?
Katrin Nürnberger
Mine stayed fresh for 3 weeks. Do store them in an airtight container. If there's moisture in the air, they will soften over time.
Gillian
Truvia has both inulin and erthritol, would I use same amount as just inulin, or increase the amount?
Katrin Nürnberger
I don't know how much of either Truvia contains, therefore I can't say if you'll get the same result. All sweeteners behave differently! If you test Trivia in this recipe, please let us know how it turns out.
Donna
Just wondered is the oven temperature of 200F is correct on this recipe? Mine were very brown and oven smoking after 15 mins? Thanks
Katrin Nürnberger
What a shame! My oven operates in Celsius, but Google does say that 90 Celsius is 194 Fahrenheit. Therefore, the over browning could perhaps have something to do with you using a different sweetener. I am assuming that you baked on the lowest shelf as directed?
Donna
I’d never made Meringue before and what a learning curve lol
Luckily this recipe made a lot of little Meringues so whilst the first batch went in the bin, after sorting the oven out, the next 2 batches came out fab.
Whilst they were soft an hour after, popped them in an airtight and the next day they had crisped up, just like the real thing, amazing and delicious with lemon curd.
My friend came over the following day and said it’s best to leave in the oven to cool over night, will try that next time.
Sinead
Thank you for a really great recipe. My first keto meringue success. Because it worked so well I made another batch recently as bigger cookies with a well in the middle which I filled with sugar free citrus curd after baked and completely cooled. Delicious.
Cassandra K
Katrin, thank you for this terrific recipe! The inulin is brilliant for giving some substance to the egg whites and adding some sweetness. I didn't follow the recipe very precisely but loved the result - added a pinch of salt, used granulated monkfruit and erythritol but didn't mind the texture which did not feel grainy - maybe because I also ended up with quite browned meringues so there was lots of chew and delicious caramel notes. I always like the brown tips best on my mother's lemon meringue pies. Finally, I divided the batch into three - added unsweetened shredded coconut to one for coconut macaroons. To the third, added almond flour and almond extract for a quick "amaretti". All worked well.
Roger Trujillo
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
How amazing yours stayed white!! What a success 🙂
emily
how much powdered lakanto did you use? thank you so much
Luisa
Hi, I only have in hand agave inulin. Do you know if using this one will still be keto friendly?
Katrin Nürnberger
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
Holland and Barrett do it, also you can get it from Amazon
Amanda
Hello,
I can't get powdered erythritol where I live, just the granulated kind. Would that work?
Katrin Nürnberger
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
I used Stevia and they worked!
Rebecca
How much stevia did you use?
BevanR
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
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
So sorry! Yes, the recipe card can only change the first number in the list, which is the US measurements.
Leigh
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
Hi Leigh, I've never tried it!
Wendy
Has anyone tried the recipe with xylitol? Perhaps the "cool" feeling would go well with peppermint?
Katrin Nürnberger
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
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
Yes, of course!
Ana
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
I would think that they are.
Julia
Hi, could you tell me what kind of inulin you use? There's a few different ones on Amazon, I ask because your link isn't working. Thank you!
Katrin Nürnberger
I used this one - any inulin sourced from 100% natural chicory root works.
Catherine Monelle
Cannot get crisp meringue. Followed all the tips, still got something rubbery. What am I doing wrong?
Katrin Nürnberger
You have to put them back in the oven for longer! That should do the trick 🙂
Mia
White food colouring, perhaps?
Katrin Nürnberger
I didn't know there was such a thing??!!!!
Mia
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
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
Hi Beth, I did experiment quite a few times as well and almost gave up! Glad you liked the recipe.
coraline
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
Mine were quite small, that's why 😉 I think this is also the reason why your 16 took so much longer to bake 🙂
sharon
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
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
I don't have inulin. Is there a substitute for it?
Katrin Nürnberger
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
Is there a substituted fro the inulin powder?
Thanks!!
Katrin Nürnberger
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
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
That's such a great idea, I bet it looks lovely!!
Beth
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
Can't wait to see how they turn out with this recipe!!
Gigi
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
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.