Chocolate chip meringues

These adorable meringues are filled with chocolate in every bite for a deliciously crisp and sweet dessert that, with a little patience, comes together in just a few simple steps.

I originally created this recipe to be mini and minty for the holidays, but the choice is yours to go classic chocolate chip or to add the light minty twist, and to bake them large or small! I'll share guidance for all of these options so you can choose what you like best. And just know, whatever you choose you cannot go wrong.

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Growing up, a good friend of my mom's (hi Sheila!) used to make meringues for and with me often. They were absolutely incredible. Not only were they tiny which made them adorable, but they were also packed with mini chocolate chips which made them even more delicious. The other fond meringue memory I had growing up was at my now mother-in-law's bakery where she sold large chocolate chip meringue cookies and they were absolutely amazing. So you'll understand why I think all meringues should have chocolate chips in them!

I originally made this recipe for my 2025 holiday dessert boxes. For the holidays, I love to make these as minis and with a minty flavor, with the addition of peppermint extract in the meringues and a drizzle of white chocolate and crushed peppermint sticks. While this has become my favorite variation, these also work great without the mint, and baked in a larger size.

Meringues can seem intimidating to make, and they used to make me very nervous. But with practice, and a stand mixer, I realized that they really are quite simple as long as your patient! You'll start with some room temperature egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Once the mixture is a bit foamy, you'll keep your mixer running at a high speed and slowly pour in your sugar. And from here, you will let your mixer run for at least 5-6 minutes. Towards the end of your mixing, you'll add in your extract (just vanilla if you're going classic, and peppermint also if you're going to make the minty version). Once the mixture is shiny, white and the sugar is completely dissolved - if you place a small amount of mixture between two fingers you shouldn't feel any granules of sugar - your mixture is ready. It's also important to ensure you've whipped your mixture to stiff peaks like you see in the first photo below.

After your mixture is fully whipped, it's time to fold in your chocolate. I personally love these meringues best with mini semisweet chocolate chips, but finely chopped chocolate works great here too. From here, you'll scoop your meringues, either with a small (1 1/2 tablespoon) or large (3 tablespoon or a # 20) scooper, and bake at a low temperature for about an hour. After this, it's important to leave your meringues in the oven after shutting it off and without opening the oven door for a minimum of 90 minutes. This will allow your meringues to finish baking and dry out just enough to ensure the perfect texture. These meringues melt in your mouth with the perfect crunch and sweetness and the slightest chew.

When scooping the batter, I like to then take a tool like an offset spatula or spoon to swoop the tops of my meringues. This makes each cookie look perfectly unique and gives nice and crisp swoops on the top too.

For the best results, I highly recommend using the gram measurements provided

Ingredients

• 2 large egg whites (75g) room temperature

• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

• 1/2 cup (96g) granulated sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 2/3 cup (4oz) semisweet chocolate mini chocolate chips or finely chopped chocolate

• Optional additions:

  • 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract (add with the vanilla)

  • 2/3 cup (4oz) white chocolate, for topping

  • 3 mini candy canes (17g), for topping

Prep time: 15 minutes

Bake time: 2 1/2 hours (one hour with oven on)

Servings: 25 minis, or 12 full size

Equipment

• Stand mixer with whisk attachment

• Spatula 

• Cookie sheets

• Parchment paper

• Mini cookie scoop (1 1/2 tablespoons) for minis, or large cookie scoop (3 tablespoons) for full size

• Additional: Spoon, knife, or small offset spatula, and a small bowl or measuring cup

Cooking instructions:

Preheat your oven to 225 degrees.

Place your egg whites and cream of tartar into your stand mixer with the whisk attachment secured. Let your mixer run at a high speed for 1 to 2 minutes until your egg whites are foamy and your cream of tartar is no longer visible.

Pause your mixer, and measure your sugar in a separate bowl (I like to add to a measuring cup after weighing because of the spout). Bring your mixer back to a high speed if you've paused, and slowly sprinkle in your sugar while the mixer continues to run.

Let your mixer continue to run at a high speed for about 5 minutes. Your meringue mix should be bright white and glossy, and if you add some of the mixture between two fingers you shouldn't feel any grains of sugar (or barely any at this point). Carefully use a spatula to scrape the sides of your bowl, knowing the mixture will be sticky.

After you’ve been mixing for 5 minutes, add in your vanilla extract (and peppermint extract if using). Let your mixer continue to run at a medium to high speed for 2 more minutes until you've reached stiff peaks and your extract is completely combined and you can feel no granules of sugar.

Scrape the sides of your bowl and your whisk attachment, and then use the spatula to carefully fold in your chocolate chips or finely chopped chocolate, mixing as few times as you can to avoid removing any air from your mixture while still ensuring your chocolate is evenly dispersed.

Onto a parchment lined cookie sheet, scoop your meringue. If you’re making minis, use a 1 1/2 tablespoon scooper to scoop 25 meringues, or use a 3 tablespoon scooper to scoop 12 large meringues. They will not spread so just ensure they aren't touching.

Place your meringues into the 225 degree oven for 1 hour. After the hour with the oven on, and without opening the oven door, turn your oven off and leave the meringues in the turned off oven for at least 1 hour and 30 minutes, up to two hours before removing. I know this can be the hardest part, but it’s really important to keep the oven door closed the whole time!

Once your meringues have been removed from the oven and are completely cooled, if you'd like, you can drizzle your meringues with chocolate. If you've chosen to do minty chocolate meringues, I recommend melting your 4 ounces of white chocolate, mixing in completely crushed peppermint sticks, and drizzling the mixture on top of your meringues. Let the chocolate set at room temperature. If you need to speed things up, you can quickly place the meringues into the fridge for no longer than 10 minutes at a time, but do this sparingly as it can negatively impact the texture of the meringues if you chill them for too long (refrigeration can cause them to absorb moisture).

Store your meringues in an airtight container at room temperature. They will taste best for the first three days, and then will start to get chewy after this but will still be delicious.

Carb and serving info: 

Carbs for full recipe (no drizzle): 172

Servings (mini, no drizzle): 25 cookies

Carbs per serving (1 of 25): 7

Servings (large, no drizzle): 12 cookies

Carbs per serving (1 of 12): 14

Carbs from mini chocolate chips: 72

Carbs from white chocolate drizzle: 72

Carbs from peppermint sticks: 17

Carbs for full recipe with peppermint stick drizzle: 261

Carbs per serving (mini with drizzle): 10

Carbs per serving (large with drizzle): 22

Note: Carb information is calculated based on the specific ingredients I used to cook with to help guide my own insulin to carb ratio when dosing before I eat my home cooked recipes.