Candy Cane Meringue Cookies
on Dec 05, 2013, Updated Aug 22, 2024
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
These easy Candy Cane Meringue Cookies will make holiday snacking fun and festive! They’re crunchy and sweet cookies with the perfect balance of chocolate and peppermint!
The holidays are the best time to try your hand at some more creative and out-there baking projects. And these cute and crunchy candy cane meringue cookies should bump to the top of your baking to-do list. They are so fun and whimsical and remind me of a sweet treat you’d see in one of those holiday cartoon movies like Rudolph or the original Grinch.
Candy Cane Meringue Cookies are like little snowdrops of sweetness, peppermint, and a hint of chocolate. If you’re a mint and chocolate person like me, you have GOT to try these. They’re easy to make, but a bit time-consuming because they bake for an hour and then cool in the turned-off oven for one to two hours. That slow cooling period is super important for meringue cookies to allow them not to crack.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- You can be doing other things while you wait for these cookies to finish in the oven! I can’t wait for you to bake and bite into these all holiday season long!
- Meringue cookies will last up to two weeks in an airtight container after they’ve completely cooled.
- This is a great recipe to have on hand for when you have made something that is egg-yolk heavy, like homemade pudding or creme brûlée.
Recipe Ingredients
- Sugar
- Cornstarch
- Egg whites
- Vanilla extract
- Cream of tartar
- Chocolate chips
- Candy canes or peppermint sticks
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Candy Cane Meringue Cookies
- Combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt, and whisk to combine.
- Whip the egg whites, vanilla, and cream of tartar, and add the sugar mixture.
- Fold in chocolate chips then make meringue kisses on the baking sheets.
- Sprinkle with crushed candy canes and bake!
Recipe FAQs
Yes. You can store them in the fridge, as long as they are kept in an airtight container. The way to keep them nice and crispy is not allowing humidity to hit them.
Sugar pulls moisture from the air and into the cookies, so leaving the cookies in the oven for at least an hour (or two, if you live in a humid or rainy climate) is important to get them nice and crisp. If they’re still chewy, bake them for another 10 minutes at 225 degrees
Meringue cookies are very sensitive to the air—both its humidity and temperature —so leave them in the turned-off oven after baking for at least an hour. They’ll crack if they cool too quickly, so better safe than sorry… The longer time left in the oven, the better!
Expert Tips
- You can freeze meringue cookies, but when you defrost them, be careful that they don’t absorb any moisture and soften the meringue. Layer them in an airtight container between parchment papers, and freeze for up to a month.
- Keep meringues crispy by storing extras in an airtight container if you live in a humid area.
- Be careful not to overbeat egg whites, as this can cause the meringue to become dry and grainy.
More Christmas Cookie Recipes to Consider
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ review and share it on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!
Candy Cane Meringue Cookies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 4 large egg whites
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 2-3 candy canes or peppermint sticks, finely crushed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F., and adjust two racks so that they are in the upper-middle and lower-middle position.
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt, and whisk to combine.
- Whip the egg whites, vanilla, and cream of tartar together with an electric mixer on medium-low speed, until the mixture is foamy, about 1 minute.
- Increase the mixer speed to medium-high, and whip until the whites are soft and “billowy.”
- Gradually, add the sugar mixture while the mixer is running, and whip until the whites are glossy and form stiff peaks, 1 to 3 minutes.
- Fold in chocolate chips.
- Use a spoon or a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip to make 1 1/4-inch wide meringue kisses on the prepared baking sheets, spaced about an inch apart.
- Sprinkle with crushed candy canes.
- Bake the meringue cookies for 1 hour. Turn off the oven, and let the meringues sit in the oven for an additional 1 hour (or 2 hours, if in humid or rainy conditions). Remove the cookies from the oven, and let the cool before serving, about 10 minutes.
- Keep meringues crispy by storing extras in an airtight container if you live in a humid area.
Notes
- Be sure that there is NO egg yolk in your whites— even a little will stop your egg whites from whipping up properly.
- Don’t overbeat egg whites, it can cause the meringue to become dry and grainy.
- Along that line, make sure your bowl and mixer are free from grease; this will also cause your egg whites not to whip up correctly (egg whites hate fat).
- This is a great recipe to have on hand for when you have made something that is egg-yolk heavy, like pudding or creme brûlée.
I am obsessed with desserts! Absolutely love your creative idea with candy cane meringue cookies! Never seen something like this! Definitely i will try to make it too! Thx for sharing Melissa!
These look great! Any info on how to store them or how long they last (I usually do my Christmas baking well in advance)…thank you!
I honestly don’t know! They never last that long…
3/5 of a cup??? you’re killing me, Smalls.
What, your measuring cup set didn’t come with a 3/5 cup? That’s odd 🙂 I changed it to 3/4 of a cup! Thanks for pointed that out.
I love meringue! And with peppermint, it just screams Christmas!
Thanks for joining the Cookie Exchange!
~Liz@HoosierHomemade
These look wonderful! About how many cookies do you get from each batch?
About 2 dozen, but you can make them bigger or smaller so they can get more or less out of them!
I have yet to make meringue cookies! What am I waiting for? These look delicious 🙂
These look amazing!! I love the addition of peppermint to a meringue cookie – YUM!!
These are so pretty and festive! Melt in your mouth goodness:)
I love meringues! They’re so fun to stir into hot chocolate!
This is one of my favorite holiday recipes. I had them a few years ago and couldn’t wait to get home and make them myself! Such pretty pictures!