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Perfect Swiss Meringue Recipe

Stella Parks
Published: Last Updated:
Serious Eats

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[Photographs: Vicky Wasik. Video: Serious Eats]

With the right technique, Swiss meringue is fluffier than a French meringue made with the same ratio of ingredients, and every bit as stable as its Italian cousin. The trick is to warm the egg whites and sugar over a gently simmering water bath. With toasted sugar, cream of tartar, plenty of salt, and a little vanilla, the finished meringue whips up with lots of flavor, aroma, and a well-balanced sweetness, too. Use it in your favorite recipes for meringue cookies, Swiss buttercream, pavlova, and any meringue-topped pie.

Why It Works

  • Sugar keeps the egg whites' moisture content in check, for a glossy and stable meringue.
  • Toasted sugar brings the overall sweetness into balance, adding complexity of flavor.
  • Cream of tartar is acidic, adding a counterpoint to the sweetness of the meringue.
  • Cooking to 175°F (79°C) ensures that the egg white proteins are coagulated despite the high concentration of sugar, creating a more stable meringue.

Read more: Rethinking Swiss Meringue: Lighter, Fluffier, and More Stable

  • Yield:Makes 6 heaping cups
  • Active time: 25 minutes
  • Total time:30 minutes
  • Rated: 4.25

Ingredients

  • 6 ounces egg whites (2/3 cup; 170g), from 5 to 6 large eggs
  • 9 ounces plain or lightly toasted sugar (1 1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon; 255g) (see note)
  • 1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; use half as much if iodized
  • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • Scraped seeds from 1 split vanilla bean (optional)

Directions

  1. 1.

    Fill a wide pot with at least 1 1/2 inches of water, with a thick ring of crumpled tinfoil placed inside to act as a "booster seat." Place over high heat until steaming-hot, then adjust temperature to maintain a gentle simmer. Combine egg whites, sugar, salt, cream of tartar, and vanilla seeds (if using) in the bowl of a stand mixer. Set over steaming water, stirring and scraping constantly with a flexible spatula, until egg whites hold steady at 175°F (79°C), between 8 and 10 minutes. Transfer to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whip at high speed until meringue is glossy and beginning to ball up inside the whisk, about 5 minutes. Use immediately.

Review: Which Stand Mixer Should I Buy?
Review: What to Do With an Instant-Read Thermometer
This Recipe Appears In
Rethinking Swiss Meringue: Lighter, Fluffier, and More Stable So Long, Whipped Cream: Why Light, Airy Meringue Belongs on This Chocolate Cream Pie

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