Lemon Drop Meringues

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Last Updated: February 22, 2022
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Lemon Drop Meringues - light meringues infused with lemon.  Lemon juice and zest provide the perfect balance to these sweet, melt-in-your-mouth cookies.  Garnished with lemon zest and sparkling sugar to give them a pretty, shimmery look.

A large plate of five Lemon Drop Meringues

These meringues are fantastic!  The sweet yet slightly tart flavor is in perfect balance.  The crispy exterior shell gives way to a light melt-in your-mouth texture.  In a word, I'd call these Lemon Drop Meringues "heavenly".

The recipe calls for egg whites, cream of tartar, sugar, lemon juice and the zest of a lemon. For this batch of Lemon Meringues, I added some lemon zest and white sparkling sugar to the tops as they baked in the oven. Next time, I might use yellow sparkling sugar to give the cookies more color!

Why This Recipe Works

  • This meringue cookies recipe is the perfect cookie recipe to use when you have leftover egg whites from a recipe.
  • These cookies are so easy to make. They require just a few pantry staples and are so incredibly delicious.

Ingredient Notes

See recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.

  • Egg whites: Meringues require egg whites and this meringue recipe needs two. See ways to use the leftover egg yolks below.
  • Cream of tartar: This ingredient helps the whipped egg whites stiffen and hold their shape.
  • Sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest: For flavor.
  • Sparkling sugar: Optional topping.

Overhead view of five Lemon Drop Meringues on a large plate that is placed on a metal tray with three lemon wheels

How To Make This Recipe

  1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until fluffy.
  2. Add the sugar very slowly, about 1 tablespoon at a time while still beating.
  3. Add the lemon juice and continue beating until the meringue is shiny and holds stiff peaks.
  4. Fold in the lemon zest.
  5. Drop by heaping teaspoons onto cookie sheet and place about 1-inch apart.
  6. Top with extra lemon zest and sprinkle with sparkling sugar (optional).
  7. Place baking sheets in the preheated oven and turn the oven off.
  8. Leave the cookies undisturbed in the oven for at least 2 hours.

Expert Tips For No-Fail Meringue Cookies

I have a few baking tips showing how to make perfect meringues:

  • Be careful not to leave any of the egg yolk with the egg white. This will interfere with the egg whites foaming.
  • If your egg whites have been kept in the refrigerator, bring them to room temperature. Warmer eggs whip faster than cold eggs.
  • Use glass, copper or stainless steel bowls when making meringues. Plastic bowls can sometimes harbor traces of grease which will prevent the egg whites from getting stiff.
  • Use super-fine sugar when making meringues because it dissolves faster than regular sugar and gradually add the sugar, a tiny bit at a time while beating continuously.
  • Try not to over-whip the egg whites. The meringue should be shiny and glossy so stop whipping when stiff peaks form.
  • If possible, try to avoid making meringues on humid or rainy days. This could affect how the meringue cookies turn out. If necessary, you might need to increase the baking time.

Ways To Use Leftover Egg Yolks

If you have any egg yolks leftover from this meringue cookie recipe, you might consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes.

If you're looking for a small batch of Meringue Cookies, you can find that recipe as well as many other single serving recipes by visiting our One Dish Kitchen site. 

Enjoy!

Lemon Drop Meringues - light meringues infused with lemon. Lemon juice and zest provide the perfect balance to these sweet, melt-in-your-mouth cookies. Garnished with lemon zest and sparkling sugar to give them a pretty, shimmery look.

Lemon Drop Meringues

Lemon Drop Meringues - light meringues infused with lemon. Lemon juice and zest provide the perfect balance to these sweet, melt-in-your-mouth cookies.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Course: Dessert
Servings: 25 meringues
Author: Joanie Zisk

Ingredients

  • 2 egg whites , large eggs, at room temperature
  • ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
  • ⅔ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest (plus more for garnish)
  • 1 teaspoon sparkling sugar (optional)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until fluffy.
  • Add the sugar very slowly, about 1 tablespoon at a time while still beating.
  • Add the lemon juice and continue beating until the meringue is shiny and holds stiff peaks.
  • Fold in the lemon zest.
  • Drop by heaping teaspoons onto cookie sheet and place about 1-inch apart.
  • Top with extra lemon zest and sprinkle with sparkling sugar (optional).
  • Place baking sheets in the preheated oven and turn the oven off.
  • Leave the cookies undisturbed in the oven for at least 2 hours.

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

About The Author

Joanie Zisk is the creator of OneDishKitchen.com, the number one go-to site for single serving recipes. The aim of One Dish Kitchen is to inspire individuals with access to single serving recipes that will enable them to enjoy the preparation of a meal that will nourish both body and soul. Her website is filled with hundreds of easy, flavorful recipes that are tailored for those cooking for one. Joanie is the author of "The Ultimate Cooking For One Cookbook" and her recipes and food photography have been featured in various publications including, TODAY.com, Huffington Post, Real Simple, Self.com,Women’s Day, Buzzfeed, and others. Come say hello and follow Joanie on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and LinkedIn.

44 thoughts on “Lemon Drop Meringues”

  1. Becky Hardin | The Cookie Rookie

    5 stars
    These look SO GOOD! I love love love lemon but have only made meringues once. This is a must try!

  2. Justine | Cooking and Beer

    Meringues are one of my favorite things to make! Love all of the lemoniess going on in this recipe!

  3. Andi @ The Weary Chef

    5 stars
    Lemon in meringue? That sounds fantastic! I love meringue but I haven’t tried this before. It is really a must-try. Thanks for sharing. 🙂

  4. Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious

    Where I live (So Calif.), lemons are all year, so we eat lemon-flavored things any month. Wonderful sweets!

  5. Trisha

    I don’t think these are just limited to summer anyways. When I first saw them it immediately made me think of snow puffs. So they can totally be a winter dessert too 🙂

  7. Susan | LunaCafe

    These look so pretty. And lemon is a flavor I use year round. Our fridge is always filled with lemons and limes. 🙂

  8. Kathy | Mom Learns To Cook

    I love meringues, but have always had a terrible time making them. Your recipes and instructions make it seem pretty easy. I may have to give them another try.

    1. Joanie

      I hope you give them another try, Kathy. It’s a great dessert to make when you have leftover egg whites from another recipe.

  10. Neli @ Delicious Meets Healthy

    5 stars
    Meringues are so addicting! I have never tried lemon drop meringues but I will have too try them soon! Look amazing!

  12. Cynthia/What A Girl Eats

    I love a good meringue…they’re naturally gluten free which is a bonus! Your lemon meringues sound delish!

  13. Dee Dee (My Midlife Kitchen)

    I’m with you here in Texas–it’s 94 here in San Antonio today. Ugh. Fall, puh-leez. I wish it were Fall! But at least you and I (and a bunch of other people here) can enjoy these Summer-themed goodies without guilt! Yum!

    1. Joanie

      I hope it cools off and begins to feel like Fall soon, Dee Dee – maybe by December 😉 Thanks for taking the time to comment.

  16. Mirlandra @ Mirlandra's Kitchen

    Yum! Thanks for sharing. I adore lemon. Meringues would be so perfect with a touch of the zest. Great idea!

    1. Joanie

      I love the lemon flavor in these meringues. It gives them just the right amount of tart flavor. Thanks, Mirlandra!

  19. Ludmilla @brazilianflairintheusablog

    I love meringues! They are so light and airy, sweet and crisp that seem to just melt in your mouth. I love how the outsides of the meringues are nice and crisp, yet the insides remain wonderfully soft and puffy. Yummy!

  21. Sharon @ What The Fork Food Blog

    5 stars
    I just started making meringue a few months ago and can’t get over how easy they really are and SO delicious! Lemon sounds dreamy 🙂

  23. Kacey @ The Cookie Writer

    Psh, I will eat lemon desserts any time of the year!! They do look heavenly and I bet my dad would love them (he used to tease me for picking the meringue off my lemon meringue pie, haha.)

  24. Arman @ thebigmansworld

    Meringues are SO dangerous for me- Because of their texture and taste, I can literally polish off an entire batch. Not that I’ve ever done that…the lemon flavor is a great touch! 🙂

    1. Joanie

      They’re so good, Arman. I fool myself into thinking “just one more” is really okay because they’re so light and delicate. Thank you!

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