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Chocolate Chip Meringues

posted by Liz Berg on April 21, 2020 (updated 11/9/22)

Chocolate Chip Meringues are perfect for leftover egg whites. These sweet, crisp cookies with chewy centers are always a hit!

Chocolate Egg White Cookies melt in your mouth and have little rich pockets of semisweet chocolate. With cocoa powder and chocolate chips, they’ll dazzle any chocolate fan!

Two Chocolate Chip Meringues on a square white plate.

Table of Contents hide

1 Why You Must Make

2 Reader Endorsement:

3 Expert Tips

4 Frequently Asked Questions

5 You May Also Like:

6 Chocolate Chip Meringues

Why You Must Make

They’re a delicious way to use up leftover egg whites.
Meringues are healthier than most other cookies!
Plus, they taste amazing!

Compared to my typical baked goods, these little gems give you a chocolate punch without excess fat or too many calories. I must admit, I added a few extra chocolate chips, but they’ve got to be healthier than most of my cookie recipes! After making creme brulee yesterday, I had 7 leftover egg whites. Adding cocoa powder and chocolate chips to a meringue batter made for a delicious treat. These crisp chocolate chip meringue cookies with a squidgy center were just the ticket. The boys both smiled and commented, “not bad, can I have another?”

Reader Endorsement:

From Anna: O.M.G. Utterly amazing. I made the full batch but made the cookies a bit bigger. Also made 1 large disk to top with fruit. I will make this every time I make fresh pasta as I use the yolks for pasta and wanted to do something different besides quiches with the egg whites.

Chocolate Chip Meringues in a white bowl.

Expert Tips

Egg whites beat best at room temperature. To hurry this along, you can set your bowl of egg whites into another bowl partially full of hot (not boiling as you don’t want the eggs to cook) water for a few minutes. Just make sure not to slosh any water into the egg whites.
PRO-Tip: The bowls and beaters must be scrupulously clean. Any trace of oil (including egg yolk) will prevent the egg whites from forming firm peaks.
PRO-Tip: Eggs separate best when cold and whip best at room temperature.
Make sure to add the cream of tartar as it helps stabilize the egg whites.
If you have access to superfine sugar, it will dissolve more easily when whipped with the egg whites.
If you’d like to try vanilla meringues, try these Simple Meringue Cookies, too. And check out all my Best Cookies Recipes.

3 chocolate meringues, 2 whole and one with a bite removed.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Meringues?

The simple definition of meringue is a mixture of stiffly beaten egg whites and sugar. A meringue can be baked on top of a pie, formed into a large round, and baked into a pavlova, made into meringue cookies, and more.
Many times meringues are baked at a low temperature for a longer period compared with other baked goods to make a crisp exterior.

Why are my Meringues Chewy?

There are two main reasons that meringues are not crisp. The first is humidity. It is best not to make meringues on a very humid day. If they are chewy you can place them in a 200-degree oven for 10 minutes to help re-crisp them.
Underbaking can be another cause, so make sure to leave the meringues in the oven to cool after they’re done baking so any excess moisture will evaporate. Make sure to turn the oven off during this drying time.

How do you store meringues?

These chocolate meringue cookies can be stored at room temperature. PRO-Tip: Since meringues are hygroscopic or a substance that likes to absorb water from their surroundings, they must be stored in a cool, dry, airtight container. Otherwise, they will soften and lose their desired crispness. If stored properly, they’ll be stable for up to 2 weeks.
They also freeze well, stored in an airtight container, for 3 months or longer.

Can You Make Meringues without Cream of Tartar?

Cream of tartar plays an important role in baking meringues as a stabilizer, so it’s best not to omit it. But, if you don’t have any on hand, you can substitute with the same amount of white vinegar or twice the amount of lemon juice. Cream of tartar is acidic (made with tartaric acid) and both vinegar and lemon juice are acidic as well.