Monster Meringues
These monster meringues are the perfect Halloween dessert! They’re light, airy, and perfectly crunchy on the outside with chewy centers.
This Recipe At a Glance
- Flavor: Lightly sweet with vanilla or almond flavor
- Texture: Crisp on the outside with soft, chewy centers
- Skill level: Intermediate, but the visual cues make them easy to troubleshoot
- Perfect for: Halloween parties, dessert tables, and cookie boxes
- Makes: About 40 small meringue monsters when piped with a Wilton 1A tip
- Time: About 10 minutes of prep + 3 hours of baking and cooling time
How to Make These Monster Meringues
While the recipe below is quite detailed, I find visual cues to be super helpful! Below are some photos of the process to help guide you through this recipe.
Step 1: Preheat the Oven & Make the Meringue
Preheat the oven to 200°F/93°C and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Set aside.
Before you whip up the meringue, make sure there are no traces of grease on the whisk attachment or in your bowl.
Grease can prevent the meringue from whipping up properly. If you see or feel any grease, moisten a paper towel with vinegar and wipe the inside of the bowl and the whisk attachment to remove any grease.
Then add 4 large, room-temperature egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and mix on medium speed until the surface of the egg whites is covered in small bubbles.
Add 1/4 tsp cream of tartar and continue to mix until it reaches the soft peak stage and leaves visible tracks.
Gradually mix 1 cup of granulated sugar, 1 Tbsp at a time, into the egg whites over a few minutes while mixing on medium-low speed. Once all the sugar has been added, increase the speed to medium-high.
When the meringue gets close to reaching stiff peaks, add 1/2 tsp of vanilla or almond extract. Keep mixing until stiff, glossy peaks form.
Step 2: Pipe the Meringue
Scoop about a third of the meringue into a separate bowl and color it green with gel food coloring.
Mix just until it’s evenly colored, then scoop it into a small piping bag fitted with a large round piping tip. If you don’t have one, cut an opening at the base of the bag that’s 3/4 inch wide. Seal the top of the bag with a clip or rubber band and set aside.
Repeat the prior step to make neon purple and orange meringue. Scoop each color into its own piping bag.
Pipe dollops of meringue on the prepared pans. I layered some of the dollops to make the monsters different heights. You can get creative with this part and make each monster unique.
These don’t spread as they bake, so they can be piped about 1 inch apart.
Step 3: Bake & Gradually Cool the Meringues
Bake the tray on the middle rack of your oven for 2 hours, then turn the oven off and let the meringue sit in the oven for another hour without opening the door.
Letting them gradually cool helps prevent them from cracking. At this point, the meringues should be fully cooked and look and feel dry to the touch. If they still seem wet or moist, leave them in the oven for another 30 minutes, then check them again.
Let the meringues cool fully to room temperature, then add candy eyes onto each meringue with a bit of melted white chocolate (I added 1-3 eyes per meringue).
Store the cooled meringues in an airtight container in a cool, dry place at room temperature for up to two weeks.
How Many Monster Meringues Does This Recipe Make?
The yield can vary a lot based on how large you pipe the monsters and what piping tip you use. I like to pipe them pretty small and usually make about 40 when I use a Wilton 1A tip.
Tips for Making the Best Meringue Monsters
- Note that with the total bake and cool time, these need to be in the oven for at least 3 hours, if not overnight. I like to make these at the end of the day, so it doesn’t get in the way of any other baking/cooking I need the oven for.
- Separate your eggs while they’re still cold! While we want the egg whites to be room temperature when we whip them up, it’s easiest to separate them when they’re still cold.
- Use gel food coloring to color the meringue. If you try to use liquid food coloring, it can throw off the consistency and cause the meringue to be less stable.
- Beat the meringue on a medium-high speed instead of the highest speed. This will help you create a more stable meringue with smaller air bubbles that will be easier to pipe.
- Bake time can vary based on how large you pipe the monsters and what piping tip you use. After they’ve baked and cooled in the oven, test them for doneness by gently trying to peel one off the baking mat or parchment paper. It should peel off cleanly.
Monster Meringue FAQs
Can I Use Carton Egg Whites?
I recommend using fresh egg whites for the most reliable volume and stability. Some carton egg whites are pasteurized in a way that makes them harder to whip, so results can vary by brand.
Why Are My Meringues Sticky?
Sticky meringues usually need more time to dry or have absorbed moisture from the air. Leave them in the turned-off oven a little longer if needed, and store them in an airtight container once they’re completely cool.
Why Did My Meringues Crack?
Cracking can happen when meringues cool too quickly. Letting them cool gradually in the turned-off oven helps reduce sudden temperature changes and keeps the shells from cracking as much.
How Do I Know When Meringues Are Done?
The outside should feel dry, and the meringues should lift cleanly from the parchment paper or silicone mat. If it still feels sticky or wet, leave the tray in the turned-off oven for another 30 minutes and check again.
Can I Make Monster Meringues Ahead of Time?
Yes. Once they’re completely cool, store them in an airtight container in a cool, dry place at room temperature for up to two weeks. Wait to add the candy eyes until the meringues are fully baked and cooled.
Can I Use Liquid Food Coloring?
I don’t recommend it. Gel food coloring adds much less liquid, so it colors the meringue without making it noticeably looser or less stable.
Let Me Know What You Think!
If you try this recipe for monster meringues, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a rating and comment below.
Tag me @chelsweets and use #chelsweets on social media so that I can see your amazing creations!
Monster Meringues
Equipment
- 3 Large Round Piping Tips – Like a Wilton 1A
Ingredients
Monster Meringues
- 4 large egg whites, room temperature 120g
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar – optional
- 1 cup superfine caster or granulated sugar 200g
- 1/2 tsp vanilla or almond extract – optional 3g
- orange, neon purple, and neon green gel food coloring
- candy eyes
Instructions
Monster Meringues
- Preheat the oven to 200°F/93°C and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Set aside.
- Before you whip up the meringue, make sure there are no traces of grease on the whisk attachment or in your bowl. Grease can prevent the meringue from whipping up properly. If you see or feel any grease, moisten a paper towel with vinegar and wipe the inside of the bowl and the whisk attachment to remove any grease.
- Then add 4 large, room-temperature egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment and mix on medium speed until the surface of the egg whites is covered in small bubbles. Add 1/4 tsp cream of tartar and continue to mix until it reaches the soft peak stage and leaves visible tracks.
- Gradually mix 1 cup of granulated sugar, 1 Tbsp at a time, into the egg whites over a few minutes while mixing on a medium-low speed. Adding the sugar gradually makes a huge difference in the stability of the meringue. Increase the mixing speed to a medium-high speed (6 on a KitchenAid). When the meringue gets close to reaching stiff peaks, add 1/2 tsp of vanilla or almond extract. Keep mixing until stiff, glossy peaks form.
- Scoop about a third of the meringue into a separate bowl and color it green with a generous squirt of gel food coloring. Mix just until it's evenly colored, then scoop it into a small piping bag fitted with a large round piping tip (like a Wilton 1A). If you don't have one that size, cut an opening at the base of the bag that's 3/4 inch wide. Seal the top of the bag with a clip or rubber band and set aside.
- Repeat the prior step to make neon purple and orange meringue. Scoop each color into its own piping bag.
- Pipe dollops of meringue on the prepared pans. I layered some of the dollops to make the monsters different heights. You can get creative with this part and make each monster unique. These don't spread as they bake, so they can be piped about 1 inch apart.
- Bake the tray on the middle rack of your oven for 2 hours, then turn the oven off and let the meringue sit in the oven for another hour. Letting them gradually cool helps prevent them from cracking. At this point, the meringue should be fully cooked and look and feel dry to the touch. If they still seem wet or moist, leave them in the oven for another 30 minutes, then check them again.
- Remove the tray from the oven. They should have a crunchy exterior and a soft, chewy center. Let the meringues cool fully to room temperature, then add candy eyes onto each meringue with a bit of melted white chocolate (I added 1-3 eyes per meringue). Store the cooled meringues in an airtight container in a cool, dry place at room temperature for up to two weeks.
Video
Notes
Tips for Making the Best Monster Meringuess
- Note that with the total bake and cool time, these need to be in the oven for at least 3 hours, if not overnight. I like to make these at the end of the day, so it doesn’t get in the way of any other baking/cooking I need the oven for.
- Separate your eggs while they’re still cold! While we want the egg whites to be room temperature when we whip them up, it’s easiest to separate them when they’re still cold.
- Use gel food coloring to color the meringue. If you try to use liquid food coloring, it can throw off the consistency and cause the meringue to be less stable.
- Beat the meringue on a medium-high speed instead of the highest speed. This will help you create a more stable meringue with smaller air bubbles that will be easier to pipe.
- Bake time can vary based on how large you pipe the monsters and what piping tip you use. After they’ve baked and cooled in the oven, test them for doneness by gently trying to peel one off the baking mat or parchment paper. It should peel off cleanly.
- Wait to add the sprinkle eyes until the meringues are fully baked and cooled. If you add them before they bake, they can sink into the meringue and cause the meringue to bake up improperly.
Nutrition
Other Recipes You Might Like:
How do you keep your meringues looking glossy after baking? Mine turned out cute but definitely became matte and dull after baking
Hi Daisy,
Meringue cookies do become matte once they’re baked! And that’s a good thing, because that’s what gives them that light, crisp, airy texture 🙂
In the pictures included in this post, the ones where they look shiny are before they’re baked, but the finished ones (the ones with eyes) are actually matte! I photographed them in the natural light, but they definitely do look different once they’re baked. Hope that helps, happy baking!
How far in advanced can I make these?
Hi Jessica,
These can be stored at room temperature for up to two weeks in an airtight. The only thing is that they can sometimes become less crisp and get a little sticky overtime, especially if it rains or is humid outside! They’re best when they’re fresh 🙂 Hope that helps, happy baking!
These are the most adorable Halloween treat you can ever make!!! You do need to order the neon gel food coloring ahead of time so that the colors POP but once you have that … then the recipe comes together easily with whipping the egg whites and then the bake and cooling time. Honestly, these are a showstopper, and I highly recommend that you make them! 🙂
Yes exactly!!!!! It’s a pain to have to get the special food coloring for them, but it makes them so perfect!!!!!! Thank you so much for sharing Jolyn 🙂
Made these for my kids for Halloween! They turned out so cute and dainty!!!
That’s wonderful to hear Joscelyn!! Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
Looking forward to making these tonight! Quick question on the eyes: How do they stay on if not being applied until after baking? I understand why you don’t put them on before baking, but I’m afraid if I press them in, they will crack the outer “shell”. Thank you!
@Karen D,
You use melted white chocolate or royal icing to “glue” the eyes on once they are baked and completely cooled.
@JB,
Thank you! I just went back through the tutorial & saw that. Feeling silly, but thank you for this!
Absolutely Five Stars!!! This is the perfect meringue recipe and thank you so much for sharing, additional notes appreciated as well. Made a batch with my son last night and it was a wonderful morning surprise after we left them in the oven overnight. Simple to follow and seeing the huge smile it brought to my boy’s face was the best part. I’m saving this one forever??
Hi Engie,
So happy to hear you loved this recipe!!!!! That does sound like the perfect way to wake up, with meringues in the oven 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing!
I was wondering how important is the tartar ca you me this without it??
Hi Rubi,
It helps stabilize the meringue, but you can still make them without it and they should bake up just fine! Hope that helps, happy baking!