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This classic meringue is the crowning touch for your favorite cream pies and custards. Fluffy, sweet, and perfectly glossy, it complements everything from chocolate and butterscotch to tangy lemon or key lime pies.
It’s also the base for meringue cookies. With just a few ingredients and careful technique, you’ll have a reliable topping that looks as good as it tastes.
What You’ll Like About This Dish
Classic pie finish. This meringue is a timeless topping for pies like lemon, butterscotch, and chocolate.
Fluffy and glossy. Properly beaten to stiff peaks, this meringue holds its shape beautifully.
Versatile beyond pie. Spoon it onto puddings or bake it into light-as-air cookies.
Ingredient Notes
- Egg whites: Use room-temperature whites for better volume. Be sure no yolk sneaks in!
- Cream of tartar: Helps stabilize the meringue and improve peak structure.
- Salt: Just a pinch helps balance sweetness and enhance flavor.
- Granulated sugar: Adds sweetness and structure—add it slowly for best results.
- Vanilla extract or paste: Adds flavor depth. Use paste for a speckled look.
Steps to Make Perfect Meringue Pie Topping
- In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on high speed until foamy.
- Add the cream of tartar and salt and continue mixing until the whites become opaque.
- Begin adding sugar 1 tablespoon at a time while mixing on high.
- Once all sugar is added, mix in the vanilla and continue beating until stiff, glossy peaks form.
- Spread over pie or custard and bake or torch as directed by your pie recipe.
Tips for Meringue Topping
- Make sure your mixing bowl is dry and grease-free—avoid plastic bowls.
- Add sugar slowly to ensure it dissolves completely and gives a smooth finish.
- Use the meringue immediately once it reaches stiff peaks for best results.
- Anchor the Edges: When spreading the meringue over the pie, ensure it touches the crust all the way around. This prevents the topping from shrinking away from the edges as it cools.
Recipe Variations
- Vanilla Meringue Cookies: Pipe the meringue onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake in a preheated 225 F oven for 1 hour. Turn the oven off, leaving the cookies for 1 to 2 hours.
- Forgotten Cookies: Make the meringue with3 eggs, 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar, 1 cup of granulated sugar, a pinch of salt, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Fold in 1 cup of chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of chopped nuts, if desired. Drop onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets and bake as directed.
- 4-egg Meringue: Use 4 large egg whites (132 grams), 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar, 2/3 cup (132 grams) granulated sugar, a pinch of salt, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.
Serving Suggestions
- Spoon onto butterscotch, lemon, chocolate, or key lime pies.
- Top individual puddings or ramekins and torch for a brûlée effect.
- Pipe into nests for baked meringue shells or cookies.
- Finish baked custards with a dramatic, fluffy meringue crown.
- Swirl into layered desserts or parfaits for added texture and flair.
How to Store
Refrigerate: If using as a pie topping, store the finished pie loosely covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Freeze: Meringue cookies (baked) may be frozen in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Do not freeze raw meringue.
Perfect Meringue Pie Topping
Ingredients
- 3 large egg whites, room temperature
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar
- Pinch fine salt
- ½ cup granulated sugar, (100 grams)
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
Recommended Equipment
- Stand mixer or handheld
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl with an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on high speed until foamy.3 large egg whites | 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- Add a pinch of salt and continue beating at high speed.Pinch fine salt
- When soft peaks have formed, with the mixer still running, begin adding the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time.1/2 cup granulated sugar
- Once all of the sugar is incorporated, add the vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste and continue beating to stiff peaks.1/4 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- Check for stiff peaks by lifting the whisk. The peaks should be sturdy and glossy, standing on their own.
- Bake the pie with meringue topping for 12 to 15 minutes at 325°F.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer:
Our nutritional information is based on a third-party application that analyzes the ingredients list to determine the values. The information is meant to be helpful, but should be considered an estimate. Values may differ depending on measurements, brands, serving variations, and database availability.
