Oui. Here is the classic french meringues recipe with a twist. The keto meringue cookies are sugar-free (like every other recipe on this page). You can call them keto meringue, low-carb meringue or no sugar meringue. I call them Classic Keto Meringue Cookies.
Meringue Cookies Variants
The traditional recipe goes a little something like this: Use egg whites to which you add almost double the amount of sugar. This is a French version. It is the most classic one where meringues turn out crisp.
The Italian version is made by pouring boiled sugar over beaten or foamy egg whites. Pastry chefs use “Italian” meringue to make creams lighter, to cover whole cakes, or to decorate tarts and cakes simply.
The list goes on. For example, there are Swiss meringues as well. But I hope you don’t mind if I skip the geography class today.
The art of making Keto Meringue Cookies
Luckily, there is nothing complicated about keto meringue cookies ingredients. All you need are egg whites and some sort of sweetener. I used erythritol, and the recipe turned out great. The end result reminds me of the multiple times I was visiting France (minus all the real sugary carbs).
But the road to perfection was paved with sticky meringues. A lot of them. A lot of stickiness. You know what I’m talking about if you are following me on Instagram. You are, right? If not, please do it first and then continue reading on.
In my first attempt, I used regular erythritol and beat the egg whites for too long.
Not a good idea! Meringues turned out too “grainy.” Moreover, the piping nozzle I used was too small. The result looked like some tiny white-colored cat poo. I s**t you not! Hope I didn’t just ruin your appetite for keto meringue cookies.
Second attempt. Powdered erythritol. Again, nothing to be proud of. The non-existent cat in our household did its job again.
Third attempt, or … meh, let’s use real sugar to see where I go wrong. I prepared a double amount of ingredients and baked the meringues in the oven on two levels. Oh, dear, even worse. Sticky and brown because of the sugar caramelization.
Fourth attempt. Back to erythritol. Let’s change the temperature and not beat the egg whites for too long. Then an idea popped into my head. Why not try using a baking rack with parchment paper instead of using a baking tray with parchment paper? The idea turned out great. But only the part where I didn’t beat the egg whites for too long. Forget about the baking rack part.
So in my fifth (and last) attempt, I did the following: I used powdered erythritol, did not beat the whites for too long, and used a silicone baking mat. Voila. The meringues turned out perfectly. Smooth surface, crisp, white, not sticking to the mat, and no carbs. What else can a keto sweet tooth wish for?
How to make the Keto Meringue Cookies
Just two ingredients recipe is no guarantee of success, so follow the recipe carefully. I’ll walk you through the steps for perfect keto meringue cookies!
Ingredients
- 2 egg whites
- 1/2 cup sweetener powdered
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 210°F (100°C).
- Line a baking tray with a silicone baking mat.
- In a large bowl, gently whisk the egg whites until they begin to foam, then whisk vigorously until the whites start to firm up. You can use an electric mixer but do not whisk for too long. Do not let the whites become firm.
- Add powdered sweetener little by little, and keep whipping for about 1-2 minutes.
- Pour the mixture into a piping bag with a large nozzle or use a spoon for a rustical look (and fewer dishes, wink wink). Pipe (or spoon) the meringues onto the baking mat.
- Put the tray in the oven. Every 20 minutes open the oven door for a few seconds to remove moisture. We are making the "dry" meringue cookies here.
- After 50 minutes, turn off the oven and allow the white cookies to cool for several hours in the oven. Ideally overnight.
Notes
Nutrition
You can use this recipe as a base for experimenting with other flavors or ingredients. I’ve found that other keto chefs are using salt, cream of tartar, vanilla extract, almond extract, lemon juice, lemon zest, cocoa powder, various sweeteners (erythritol, Swerve) … you name it. I say you like it; you use it. Once you have mastered the basics of baking Keto Meringue Cookies.
RELATED: Keto cookies, Keto Crackle Cookies
A few extra tips
- When it comes to oven temperature, every oven is calibrated a bit differently. If the meringue cookies start to brown, lower the temperature by 25°F or by 15°C.
- We all like Chocolate Gooey, but gooey meringues? NO! I want crisp meringues, so the best idea is to let them rest in the oven for quite a while. Preferably overnight.
- Store the cookies in an airtight container and use them within a week.
- Don’t like erythritol? Use some other sweetener and let me know how it turned out!
