Meringue hearts are pretty and delicate cookies that are perfect for a Valentines Day treat, but make a pretty snack for any occasion. They are beautiful, light and airy, melt-in-your-mouth bites that bring a smile on everyone’s face.

It is such an easy recipe that just takes a bit of patience for the baking time. Meringue scares a lot of people, but it really isn’t complicated at all to make. If you have the right ratios for the egg whites and sugar, you’re good.

Meringue cookies are also naturally gluten-free and dairy-free! I am really fortunate to not have intolerant family members, but I have friends that must really watch their own or their kids diet. I like to be able to spoil them a bit especially since they cannot enjoy most of the treats that are usually served at gatherings.

Meringue Heart Cookie Recipe

Ingredients

• Three egg whites (medium sized eggs)
• 170 g of sugar (3/4 of a cup)
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla / one pack of vanilla sugar
• Half a teaspoon of vinegar or a squeeze of lemon juice.
• Pink or red gel food coloring

Instructions

Beat the egg whites (in a standup mixer or by hand) until firm peaks form.

Add sugar little by little.

Add vanilla and vinegar or lemon juice.

Keep whipping until the meringue is glossy, holds stiff peaks and you can’t feel the sugar any more while rubbing between two fingers.

Heat the oven to 95C/200F.

Pipe heart-shaped meringue cookies on two parchment covered baking sheets.

To form your hearts, just pipe a dollop on the left side, pulling down to form the tip of the heart. Repeat with the right side, joining the two halves of the heart at the bottom. Use a toothpick to fix any errors at the tip of the heart shape.

Piping the heart shapes is absolutely doable for a beginner baker. Remember, they are not supposed to look identical. It is the charm of anything handmade, that no two creations are exactly the same. I used star-shaped piping nozzles, but you can definitely use a round tip or just a freezer bag with the tip of the corner cut off.

You can decorate the meringue hearts with a few sprinkles if you wish to make them even more festive.

Bake for 90-120 minutes until the cookies peel easily off the parchment paper.

Let cool and enjoy!

I hope you got some inspiration here. Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram for more holiday ideas and recipes.

You should also grab my mini-guide of 10 mood-boosting foods where you have five smoothie ideas to make your days a bit brighter. We all need some boosting from time to time😉