Meringue Nests

These Meringue Nests make the perfect light-tasting summer dessert that’s gluten-free and packed with fresh fruit and vanilla whipped cream!

 

Estimated reading time: 11 minutes

Fresh berry season is our favourite time of year! There’s almost nothing better than bringing home fresh berries from the farmer’s market and using them almost right away in an amazing summer dessert recipe while they’re fresh and ripe and almost as sweet as candy. This Meringue Nests recipe is one of our favourite ways to enjoy fresh summer berries right now, and it’s an impressive dessert that’s so much easier to make than it looks!

There are so many reasons we love this meringue dessert recipe. Here are just a few!

1. It’s made with only a FEW SIMPLE INGREDIENTS. If you’ve never made meringue before, these Meringue Nests are a great recipe to start with – only a few basic ingredients and supplies are required to make the meringue.
2. It’s SUPER VERSATILE. Make the meringue nests and fill them with whatever flavoured cream and fruit you want! We love fresh berries, but lemon curd, chocolate ganache, or tropical fruits are also great options for this dessert.
3. It’s LIGHT and DELICIOUS. The meringue nests are light and airy and made with simple ingredients that are deliciously enjoyed with whatever filling you want.
4. It’s super IMPRESSIVE. There’s nothing like a dessert that’s easy to make but looks like it’s from a professional bakery! These meringue nests are perfect for entertaining!

Meringues are light and airy desserts made by whipping egg whites with sugar until stiff peaks form. The mixture has a sweet and very fluffy texture, and it’s sometimes served as a topping for desserts (like lemon meringue pie) or baked and then served as the dessert itself (like pavlova or these meringue nests). It can be made by mixing egg whites with granulated sugar, powdered sugar, or even a hot sugar syrup that cooks the egg whites as they whip, making it safe to eat without baking.

Be sure to follow these PRO tips and tricks to make the best no-fail meringue nests!

Make sure your bowl is extra clean and dry. Any leftover oil in the bowl from previous recipes or even from oily dish soap will prevent the egg whites from getting to full volume and it can cause your meringue to collapse while baking. Be sure your bowl is perfectly clean and dry, and better yet, use a glass or metal bowl for best results.

Wait until the egg whites have whipped to a nice foamy texture before adding the sugar slowly in a steady stream. Any harsh movements can deflate the air bubbles you’re working so hard to build into the meringue to give it structure as it bakes.

Be patient! Nobody likes a browned, burnt, or collapsed meringue. Bake at a low temperature for a long period of time so the meringues can dry out sufficiently, but don’t let them become brown – this will cause them to taste burnt!

Once your meringues are baked and cooled completely, fill them with whipped cream or whipped topping and top with the fruit of your choice – we love berries, but almost any fruit works! On their own meringues aren’t too flavourful – they need the addition of a filling and fruit to make them something special.

Follow all my BEST TIPS for how to work with Meringue!

Room temperature egg whites whip a lot more easily than cold ones, and they give more volume. It’s easier to separate the eggs while they are cold then allow the whites to sit on the counter to come to room temperature before whipping (approx. 30 mins).

Using a mixer with a whisk attachment is quicker, it creates a consistent texture, and it helps achieve stiff peaks much more easily than whipping by hand or with a paddle attachment.

Use an acid to help the whites maintain their shape and keeps them glossy. We use cream of tartar, but other recipes may use a teaspoon of lemon juice or white vinegar.

Gradually add the sugar to the bowl while mixing. This helps keep the meringue stay light and fluffy. Be patient.

Test for graininess with your fingers by rubbing your thumb and fingers together to determine if the sugar has been completely dissolved. Keep whipping until the mixture is completely smooth, with no grains of sugar left.

Heat low and slow as the meringue nests only need to dry out, not bake. You can even leave them to cool with the oven door open to cool slowly. This will help prevent the nests from cracking.

If you are having trouble with this meringue dessert recipe, follow the solutions we recommend below.

The meringue nests can crack or split if the oven is too hot or if they cool off too quickly. Follow the recipe for bake times and oven temperature, and cool the meringues in the oven with the door propped open so they cool slowly.

Your meringue nests can lose their shape if the egg whites are under-whipped or if the sugar is added too early. Make sure to to whip the mixture until stiff peaks form, add the sugar slowly, and stop mixing once it is thick and the grains of sugar have completely dissolved.

The meringue nests can have a grainy texture and crack easily if the sugar does not dissolve in the mixture. Add the sugar slowly and mix until smooth. Feel the mixture with your fingers to check for smoothness before you form them into nests.

The meringue nests can be sticky if they do not dry out completely which can happen if they do not stay in the oven long enough or if they are not stored in an airtight container once cooled.

Meringue absorbs moisture so add the filling right before serving so the nests do not become soggy. You can make the meringues ahead of time, but wait to fill them until right before serving.

Dumping the sugar in all at one will crush the air out of the egg white mixture and can make the nests dense. It is important to add the sugar slowly to keep the meringue light and airy.

You need only a few items to make these fruit meringue nests (paid links):

• large mixing bowl
• Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer
• measuring cups and spoons
• Piping bags
• large baking sheet
• Parchment Paper

To make this meringue dessert recipe, you will need these ingredients on hand (paid links):

• 4 egg whites at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups whipping cream (or use 2 to 2 1/2 cups whipped topping)
• 2 teaspoons powdered sugar (leave out if using whipped topping)
• 1 vanilla bean
• 1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries, strawberries, and/or blueberries washed and dried

When it comes to modifying this recipe, we suggest you proceed with caution. Desserts made with whipped egg whites are notoriously easy to mess up and one wrong move can cause the whole cake to deflate or prevent it from rising in the first place. We recommend leaving the base recipe the same, baking the meringues as directed, and adding different flavours by switching up the fillings and toppings.

1. Lemon: Serve with lemon curd and whipped cream, and add some candied lemon slices and raspberries for serving.
2. Matcha: Fold a small amount of Matcha powder into the whipped cream filling for a green tea twist! Serve with fresh raspberries.
3. Almond Cream: Add some almond extract to flavour your whipped cream. Serve with some fruit and slivered almonds.
4. Chocolate: Fold some chocolate ganache into the whipped cream and top with more shaved chocolate and strawberries.

We hope you enjoy these Meringue Nests as much as we do! Let us know in the comments below, what’s your favourite summer dessert featuring fresh berries? We’d love to know!

• Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Mascarpone Buttercream
• Double Chocolate Cupcakes
• Black Forest Icebox Cake
• Chocolate Mocha Tiramisu Icebox Cake
• Strawberry Cheesecake Fruit Dip
• Easy No Bake Oreo Cheesecake
• Lemon Raspberry Glazed Bundt Cake
• Angel Food Cake
• Vanilla Bean Custard Fruit Tarts with Honey Glazed Fruit
• Vanilla Bean Angel Food Cake Trifles with Fresh Berries

Watch the video below to see exactly how we make this fresh dessert. You can find more delicious recipe videos on our YouTube channel