Cinnamon Maple Meringue Cookie Recipe
Are Meringue Cookies Gluten Free?
Meringue is basically just egg whites, sugar, and a stabilizer. No gluten. Depending on which type of meringue you’re making, there may be other ingredients added, but those 3 are the basics.
How Meringue Cookies Are Made
Meringue cookies are based on the Swiss meringue method of whisking over a double-boiler and then whisking until thick and glossy, like marshmallow cream.
Once you’ve achieved the perfect meringue consistency, you can then pipe the meringue into any shape before drying out in the oven on a very low heat. The drying-out process can be a little difficult if you are impatient, but it’s not something to be rushed. You want to dry them, not cook them.
Are Meringue Cookies Fat Free?
Due to the fact that the presence of fats (ie: egg yolks) in meringue will cause the egg whites to deflate, and therefore never really able to achieve their trademark pillow-like texture, meringue is a naturally fat-free food. This is why it’s extremely important not to get even a speck of yolk in your egg whites when separating your eggs.
I often think of meringues as being a little too sophisticated to serve to my kids, but they beg to differ. Every time I make these, they are right there at the oven waiting for a taste. And trying to keep little hands out of the cookies once they’re completely dried out is basically impossible. They love the combination of maple and cinnamon in these fun-to-eat treats.
Maple Meringue Cookies
Meringues are also a fun departure from the standard Christmas cookie for your annual cookie swap. Just 2 egg whites and 1/2 cup of maple syrup turns into 70-80 meringues. That’s a pretty decent ROI, and if you’re using a KitchenAid stand mixer, you could double the recipe and have meringues all week long. Who wouldn’t want that?
Cinnamon Maple Meringues {refined-sugar-free}
Ingredients
- 2 Egg Whites, reserve the yolks to make some eggnog or pudding
- 1/2 cup Pure Maple Syrup
- 1 Pinch Salt
- 1-1/4 tsp Ground Ceylon Cinnamon, plus more for dusting
- Ground Nutmeg, for dusting
Instructions
- In a medium pot, bring a couple inches of water to a low simmer.
- In a large heatproof bowl (I use my KitchenAid stand mixer bowl or a glass mixing bowl), add the egg whites, maple syrup, and salt. Place bowl over the simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water.
- Whisk the egg whites over the simmering water until the mixture is warm to the touch. This may take about 3-5 minutes, depending on how low your simmer is. Remove from heat.
- Right away, start beating the egg whites on high speed using the whisk attachment on the stand mixer.
- Beat until the egg whites have turned thick and shiny (like marshmallow creme) with stiff peaks. This takes about 3 minutes with my KitchenAid.
- Gently fold in the cinnamon with a silicone spatula to combine evenly.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 200°F.
- Transfer meringue to a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip (or tip of your choice) and pipe cookies onto the parchment lined baking sheet. I make my meringues on the smaller side, about 1" diameter, but get creative if you want a different piping tip/shape/size.
- Sprinkle just a tiny bit of nutmeg and ground cinnamon on top of each meringue. I prefer to grate fresh nutmeg.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 1-1/2 to 2 hours, or until dry to the touch. Turn off the oven, crack the oven door with a wooden spoon, and leave the meringues in for 1 more hour to finish drying them out.
- Keep in mind that humidity affects meringues. These are best made on low-humidity days. Winter is the best season for making meringues and ensuring they dry out completely.
Storing
- Meringues are destroyed by humid environments. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. So long as they are kept airtight, they should last for weeks.
- These are delicious eaten on their own or used as decoration on the Grain-Free Chocolate Mud Cake.
Nutrition Information
Yield 75 Serving Size 1 meringueAmount Per Serving Calories 10Total Fat 0gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 4mgSodium 8mgCarbohydrates 2gFiber 0gSugar 2gProtein 0g
Nutrition is calculated by a third party and may not be 100% accurate
Melinda
Saturday 2nd of December 2023
My meringues are beautiful and taste amazing, but they are sticky on the bottom. What can I do to prevent that?
Thank you! Melinda
Kendra Benson
Tuesday 9th of January 2024
It's possible they needed a little more baking time to dry them out completely.
Louisa
Tuesday 18th of October 2022
These look amazing! Maple syrup is very expensive here in the UK, do you think it would work with honey?
Kendra Benson
Monday 24th of October 2022
Yes, you can definitely use honey, it will just affect the flavor a bit.
Amanda McNeil
Friday 7th of October 2022
My husband and I are both allergic to real maple syrup. Could we use a “pancake” syrup instead?
Kendra Benson
Saturday 8th of October 2022
I haven’t personally tried that but it should work. You could also use honey, which would give a slightly different, but equally delicious flavor.
Vanessa
Wednesday 27th of January 2021
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
Kendra Benson
Thursday 28th of January 2021
They don't last too long here (5 mouths eat a LOT of treats!), but I would suggest keeping them in an airtight container to help increase the shelf life. If you're in a humid climate, they may start to soften quickly if left out or stored loosely-covered for too long.
Suzanne
Wednesday 27th of January 2021
This looks so good! What a fun way to add some flavor to meringues!