Meringue cookies are one of my favorite treats to make for the holidays! You only need a few ingredients and you can flavor them any way you like. I served these peppermint hot chocolate meringue cookies at our first holiday party in our new house and they were a huge hit!
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I recommend making these a day ahead and storing them in the fridge so that the meringue softens a bit and becomes chewy. Or, if you prefer a crispy cookie, fill them with ganache right before serving. They're delicious either way!
Recipe (printable version below)
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Peppermint Hot Chocolate Meringue Cookie Recipe (makes 24 meringue cookie sandwiches)
- 2-3 egg whites (about ½ cup)
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 packet (.73 oz) hot chocolate mix
Ganache filling
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
Instructions:
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1) Combine egg whites and cream of tartar. Beat on high until white and frothy. Slowly add the sugar and continue to mix until peaks form.
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2) Gently fold in the hot chocolate mix.
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3) Fit a pastry bag with a large round tip (I used a tip 804) and pipe the meringue onto a parchment lined sheet tray. You can also cut a hole in the corner of a zip-top bag to pipe the meringue.
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4) Bake the meringue for 3 hours at 200ºF, or until they are crispy.
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5) Bring the heavy cream to a simmer and pour it over the chocolate chips. Allow to sit for 10-15 minutes, add the peppermint extract, then stir until smooth.
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6) Refrigerate the ganache until it thickens, about one hour.
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7) Sandwich the meringues together with the ganache.
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For more delicious holiday cookie recipes, head over to Kin Community's 2nd Annual Christmas Cookie Collab. So many delicious recipes!
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Yield: 24 sandwiches
Peppermint Hot Chocolate Meringue Cookies
4.7 Stars (21 Reviews)
Delcious hot chocolate meringue cookie sandwiches filled with peppermint ganache
Ingredients
- 2 -3 egg whites (about ½ cup)
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 packet (.73 oz) hot chocolate mix
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
Instructions
- Combine egg whites and cream of tartar. Beat on high until white and frothy. Slowly add the sugar and continue to mix until peaks form.
- Gently fold in the hot chocolate mix.
- Fit a pastry bag with a large round tip (I used a tip 804) and pipe the meringue onto a parchment lined sheet tray. You can also cut a hole in the corner of a zip-top bag to pipe the meringue.
- Bake the meringue for 3 hours at 200ºF, or until they are crispy.
- Bring the heavy cream to a simmer and pour it over the chocolate chips. Allow to sit for 10-15 minutes, add the peppermint extract, then stir until smooth.
- Refrigerate the ganache until it thickens, about one hour.
- Sandwich the meringues together with the ganache.
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Hi! I tried this recipe and I have a few questions.
1. Meringues are sticky on the surface after baking. In your pictures, they don’t seem sticky...? Am I doing something wrong? I used a convection oven at 95°C (can’t turn to 93) for about 3 hours.
2. If I want to bake it at a shorter time, what would you recommend?
Hi Judy! They could be sticky just because of the humidity in the air. Unfortunately they can be finicky in that way. I've found that placing them into an airtight container layered with parchment paper overnight can help (without the ganache filling). I don't recommend baking them for a shorter time as they won't dry properly and will be more sticky 🙂
Can I use the same base recipe but change the flavoring? I want to make like a cookies and cream...
Yes, you can use any flavor you like! 🙂
Thank you!
why can't I pr out a recipe
Sorry about that, Carol! I just updated the post to include a printable version of the recipe 🙂
These look delicious! But I'm wondering if you know a measurement for the hot chocolate mix? I don't have packets, just the can of mix and I'm not sure how much to use. Thanks!
Thank you, Rebecca!! The hot chocolate packet I used had 0.73oz of mix in it 🙂
I love these!!!! I often make them without the ganache because they are just so easy and I love meringues on their own too! 🙂 I have made them several times, and I’ll whip up the cookies just after waking up (noon ish lol) and make the ganache right after eating dinner and then we dip them, which is also delicious! I have memorized the recipe by now but I still keep this page bookmarked!!
That sounds wonderful! I'm so happy you are enjoying this recipe 🙂
Hi I am just wondering could you do this with out the hit chocolate powder? So that you could do different flavoured fillings e g caramel?
If do I need to add something in place of the hit chocolate powder or just leave it out?
Thanks in advance
Hi Justine! This post has a recipe for a plain meringue cookie: https://www.sweetambs.com/recipe-2/mermaid-meringue-cookies/
You can certainly experiment with meringue flavors and ganache fillings!
There are many different flavors of hot chocolate, I just received a gift of Caramel Creme, Toffee, Candy Cane, Eggnog and Dark chocolate. Check your grocery isles or specialty stores and find Caramel.
Can this recipe be doubled, or should I make separate batches? Can't wait to try them!
Hello! I haven't tried doubling the recipe, but I don't see why it wouldn't work 🙂
I did double the recipe, and they turned out great. Wonderful recipe, thank you for sharing!
Great! Thank you for letting me know!
Do you typically use large eggs? I only got 1/3 cup of egg whites using 2 large eggs, so I wasn’t sure if I should crack a third or not which I’m assuming would change the amount of cream of tartar needed? I only got about 30 individual cookies, so I’m assuming I need to make them smaller too! Merry Christmas to you and your family! ?
Hi Cara! I do use large eggs, but the size can vary even though they're all labeled "large". I would crack another egg next time and add a little more egg white 🙂
I made these yesterday and they were awesome! I put them in a Tupperware to save to give out today and they went flat and turned into blobs of goo. Can these not be stored? Thank you!
Hi Mary Ann! I’m so glad you like the recipe! They do become soft when stored in the fridge (but I like them that way!). However, they shouldn't become flat. It's possible that they're not holding their shape because they could have been a little under-baked.
As I wrote in the post, if you prefer them to be crunchy, you’ll have to fill them with the ganache just before serving ?
I tried these today and they shrank and are now crinkly ? what did I do wrong?
Hi Kristin! It sounds like they might have been under-baked. To make sure they're done, I take one out of the oven and let it cool for a few minutes then break it open to see if it's dry inside. If it's still chewy, they need a bit more time 🙂
May have been under-whipped, as well.
So I see it says to bake for three hours, yet other meringue recipes say about 40 minutes. Do I bake it at three hours or not?
I bake my meringues low and slow. Other recipes might call for different temperatures and times.
Hi, can I omit the hot chocolate mix or just put cocoa powder?
It won't have that creamy hot chocolate flavor, but you can certainly try it!
I did exactly that. I believe I used 3 Tbsp of cocoa powder in place of the hot chocolate. They came out great! I felt the hot chocolate mix made the meringues too sweet, and I preferred the results with the cocoa powder. The hot chocolate meringues looked prettier, with the speckles... but the cocoa meringues were more my taste because they weren’t as sweet.
Merry Christmas! I'm going to guess you are spending time with loved ones and won't see this, but just in case!! I plan to whip these up tonight for a lunch tomorrow at 12. Can the ganache be stored and not used? Or does it have to be put on the cookies after being set for an hour to thicken? If I don't hear back, I'll just hope I have time in the morning to whip up the ganache instead! 🙂 Merry Christmas again!
Obviously my reply is a bit late, but for future reference, You can store the ganache in the refrigerator if you aren't using it right away 🙂
I love that you replied to this years later. It makes me laugh, but in a good way 😂
I pinned this recipe on Facebook YEARS ago (I think I'll finally name then!), and it's nice to know if I have questions you'll still answer them 😜
I made these tonight to give to my boyfriend's family on Christmas. I already put the ganache on. Is there any way to save them?
Hi Hannah! Just cover them loosely with saran wrap and they should be ok until tomorrow 🙂
Thanks so much! They were an absolute hit 🙂
Is there another type of icing I can use? I probably won't have time to ice the Cookies right before it I'm serving him
Hi Ruth! You don't have to ice them with the ganache immediately before serving, they can be done the morning of. They'll be ok to sit for a day! 🙂
The most beautiful cookies i have ever seen. what is your email address? or website
So delicious and so easy! How do you store them? And how long can you keep them? Thanks!!!
Thanks, Katie! It's best to store them without the ganache because the meringue will absorb the moisture and become very soft. The meringues on their own can be stored in an airtight container for about 4-5 days. You can sandwich them together before you're ready to serve them.
Hi. How long ahead could you make these and whats the best way to store them. Thanks.
Hi Kerri! It’s best to store them without the ganache because the meringue will absorb the moisture and become very soft. The meringues on their own can be stored in an airtight container for about 4-5 days. You can sandwich them together with the ganache before you're ready to serve them.
2 large egg white? Can you use an egg white product? I've heard some people have had success using them for meringue recipes and others not so much. Have you?
I've only used fresh egg white to make meringue cookies, so I can't say from experience how other egg white products would work with this recipe 🙂
You can use the liquid from Garbanzo beans. Alton brown has a recipe that is highly recommended. I’ve never used it but know a few people who have with good results.
Hi! These so so yummy! What kind of chocolate chips do you use? Thanks!
Thanks, Katie! I used Hershey's Special Dark chocolate chips.
How large are they, about the size of a quarter?
They're a little larger than a quarter... about 1-1/4" in diameter