Chocolate Chip Meringues for Holiday Cookie Trays

Chocolate chip meringues are crisp, airy meringue cookies with mini chocolate chips folded through the middle. They shatter when you bite in, then melt, and the little bits of chocolate stop them from tasting like plain sugar. You need only 5 ingredients: 4 egg whites, 1 cup sugar, ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar, vanilla and ½ cup mini chips. One batch makes about 24.

They bake low and slow at 225°F for 1 hour 15 minutes, then dry in the turned off oven for another hour. You mostly just wait. They are naturally gluten free, they keep for a week in a tin, and they add a light, white cookie to a Christmas tray full of butter and spice.

Five Ingredients and What Each One Does

Egg whites are the structure. Separate the eggs while they are cold, because the yolks break less, then let the whites sit for about 30 minutes to reach room temperature. Warm whites whip faster and higher. Even a drop of yolk can stop them from foaming, so separate each egg over a small cup before adding it to the bowl.

Granulated sugar makes the meringue glossy and crisp. Cream of tartar is an acid that steadies the foam, so it holds its shape while you pipe and bake. Vanilla is there for flavor. That’s it. Use mini chocolate chips, not regular ones. Big chips are heavy, they sink through the foam and drag the meringues flat.

Whipping to Stiff, Glossy Peaks

Heat the oven to 225°F (110°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment. Wipe the bowl and beaters with a paper towel and a little lemon juice or vinegar. Any grease, even from a plastic bowl, keeps whites from whipping.

Beat the whites on medium until foamy, add the cream of tartar, and keep going until soft peaks form. The tips should fold over when you lift the beaters. Now add the sugar one tablespoon at a time, with the mixer running. Don’t rush this part. Dump the sugar in all at once and the meringues weep sticky syrup later.

Keep beating until the meringue is thick and shiny and stands in stiff peaks. Rub a little between your fingers. If it feels gritty, the sugar has not dissolved yet, so beat another minute or two and test again. Beat in the vanilla briefly.

Folding, Piping and the Long Dry

Fold in the mini chips with a spatula in a few big strokes, just until they are spread through. Transfer the meringue to a piping bag with a large star tip and pipe swirls about 1½ inches wide, leaving a little room between them. They barely spread. Scatter a few extra chips on top if you like.

Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes. They are ready when the outside is dry to the touch and they lift off the parchment cleanly.

Not sure they are done? Pick one up. It should feel light, almost hollow, and the bottom should sound dry when you tap it. Soft or tacky base? Give them another 10 to 15 minutes before you turn the oven off.

Then turn off the oven and leave them inside with the door closed for 1 hour. Slow cooling dries the centers and keeps the shells from cracking.

Small Fixes That Help

• Beads of syrup on the surface: the sugar went in too fast or never dissolved. Add it a tablespoon at a time and do the finger test.
• Sticky or chewy after cooling: humidity, or not enough drying time. Return them to a 200°F oven for 20 minutes.
• Flat meringues: grease in the bowl, a speck of yolk, or regular chips that were too heavy.
• Cracked shells: the oven ran hot or they cooled too fast. Keep the door shut for the full hour.
• Chips all at the bottom: they were folded in too long. Three or four strokes is enough.

Variations for the Holidays

Swap the vanilla for ½ teaspoon peppermint extract and dust the tops with crushed candy canes, or dip the bottoms in melted chocolate once cool. For red and green swirls and more festive shapes, see our Christmas meringue cookies. If you like a warmer flavor, try brown sugar maple meringue cookies.

Storing and Gifting Meringue Cookies

Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Do not refrigerate; the fridge is damp and they turn soft. Skip baking on very humid or rainy days if you can. Packed in a tin with parchment between layers, they travel well, and our Christmas cookie packaging ideas show a few easy ways to wrap them. Crumble leftovers over a chocolate peppermint pavlova or a bowl of ice cream.

Pin these chocolate chip meringues for your holiday baking list. If you make a batch, tell me in the comments how long yours took to dry.