Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies

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Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies

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These light-as-a-cloud, kiss-shaped chocolate chip meringue cookies have a crisp outer shell and marshmallowy-soft interior.

Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies

These light-as-a-cloud, kiss-shaped chocolate chip meringue cookies have a crisp outer shell and a marshmallowy-soft interior, reminiscent of the meringue portion of a pavlova. They’re gluten-free and somewhat guilt-free. Yes, I know—sugar and chocolate—but as cookies go, they’re pretty innocent. This recipe comes from one of my mom’s best friends, Kathy Hattendorf, who’s like an aunt to me. Thank you, Aunt Kathy!

“These are absolute perfection. Easy to make and the most delicious merengue cookies!”

Kathleen

What You’ll Need To Make Chocolate Chip Meringues

ingredients for chocolate chip meringue cookies

Step-by-Step Instructions

Begin by combining the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat until frothy, soft peaks form.

beating the egg whites until foamy

Add the sugar very gradually, beating all the while. It should take about 2 minutes to add it all. Then continue beating for 4 to 5 minutes more, until the meringue is glossy and stiff, with a shaving cream-like consistency.

beating the meringue to stiff and glossy peaks

Add the vanilla and mix well.

beating in the vanilla

Set aside 3 tablespoons of chocolate chips and add the rest to the meringue. Fold with a rubber spatula to combine.

folding in the chocolate chips

Drop heaping mounds of the meringue onto lined baking sheets and dot with the reserved chocolate chips.

meringue mounds on baking sheet ready to bake

Bake in a 250°F oven for 30 minutes, then turn the oven off and allow the meringues to cool in the oven for 30 minutes more.

baked chocolate chip meringue cookies cooling on baking sheet

Let the cookies continue cooling on the baking sheet on the countertop until the chocolate chips are no longer soft. The cookies are best enjoyed fresh on the day they are made but leftovers can be stored an airtight container for several days. Be careful when stacking the cookies; they are fragile.

Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies

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Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies

These light-as-a-cloud, kiss-shaped chocolate chip meringue cookies have a crisp outer shell and marshmallowy-soft interior.

Servings: 18 to 20 cookies
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Total Time: 45 Minutes, plus about 1-1/2 hours to cool

Ingredients

  • 3 large egg whites, at room temperature
  • ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Set two racks in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 250°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt on medium-high speed (or high speed if using a hand mixer) until the egg whites are frothy, white, and hold a soft peak when the whisk is lifted out of the bowl, about 45 seconds. Continue to beat on medium-high speed, adding the sugar very gradually, taking about 2 minutes to add it all. Beat for 4 to 5 minutes more, until the meringue is glossy and stiff, with a shaving cream-like consistency. Beat in the vanilla extract. Set 3 tablespoons of the chocolate chips aside. Add the remaining chocolate chips to the meringue and fold with a rubber spatula to combine.
  3. Use two soup spoons to drop 1.5-in mounds of meringue onto the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Dot the meringues with the reserved chocolate chips, pressing them into the meringue just slightly. Place the meringues in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Turn the oven off and let the meringues cool in the oven for 30 minutes more. Let the meringues finish cooling on the baking sheets on the countertop for about 1 hour, or until the chocolate chips are no longer soft. The cookies are best enjoyed fresh on the day they are made but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for several days. Take care when stacking the cookies; they are fragile.
  4. Note: It's best to make these cookies on a cool, dry day. Humidity may cause them to become sticky.

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Per serving (20 servings)
  • Serving size: 1 cookie
  • Calories: 63
  • Fat: 2 g
  • Saturated fat: 1 g
  • Carbohydrates: 12 g
  • Sugar: 11 g
  • Fiber: 0 g
  • Protein: 1 g
  • Sodium: 24 mg
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

Gluten-Free Adaptable Note

To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.

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Comments

  • I make meringues several times a year, weather permitting.
    Your step by step pictures are great for new comers to the “peaky” world.
    I too add different flavors to my cookies. I’m not a big chocolate fan, so I use things like instant coffee powder, TrueLemon & TrueLime powders (can be found in the spice aisle); the last 2 make the cookies taste just like pie…yum!
    Thanks for another winner……..

  • I love this recipe – it’s definitely a staple in our house. I especially love to play with it. I’ve added mint and green food coloring to make them mint chocolate. I’ve also done orange flavoring and orange color, which is really good with the chocolate chips as well. I find that the recipe does call for a LOT of chocolate chips, so I tend to scale back a bit and I like to use the mini ones. This is definitely a fun recipe to play around with and come up with other “flavors” and colors – coconut is next on the list!

  • This was excellent, my family loved them. Much easier than I thought thanks to your great instructions.

  • These sound great! I’ve seen so many different versions of how to cook meringue cookies (oven temp, length of time in the oven, etc.) and I’m still trying to figure out the trick of keeping the centers chewy…any suggestions?

    • Hi Kay, If you want the centers to be chewy, you should undercook them. You might like my Double Chocolate Fudge Meringues; they have a very fudgy center.

  • These taste so good and really easy to make!

  • I love meringue cookies and your recipe is so easy to follow and fool-proof. Taste much better than the store bought meringue cookies. I love your tips on how to get the eggs to room temperature and how to separate the eggs. Very helpful.

    amy [at[ utry [dot] it

  • this question is irrelevant to this recipe, but will you ever do a recipe on french macarons?

    • Reyna, Love French macarons so yes, I definitely will!

  • Hi Nancy, A hand mixer will work fine for any recipe that suggests a stand mixer. Hope you like the cookies!

  • I’ve made these for years – tint them green with a little mint extract (instead of vanilla), add crushed candy canes (instead of chocolate chips) and tint them pink. Can also substitute orange color/flavor for Halloween (with the choc chips).

  • Hey there. Loved this article and your recipes. Am planning to try a couple. Just a quick question. I noticed that most recipes suggest mixing ingredients in a stand mixer. I was wondering if you could use a hand mixer instead as I do not have a stand mixer. Thanks for your help.

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