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With an incredible crispy crunch and light, sweet flavor, these sugar-free keto meringue cookies are one of the most impressive desserts you can make with just 4 ingredients! They have a similar prep method to cloud bread and the topping on my keto lemon meringue pie, but with a few key differences that give them extra crunch.
Can You Make Meringue Without Sugar?
Yes, you can definitely make meringue sugar free! However, you need to choose the right sugar substitute carefully to create a texture and flavor profile that comes close to the traditional recipe. Some sugar free meringue recipes use ingredients that create results with an aftertaste or off-putting texture, but it’s totally avoidable.
When preparing any sugar free meringue recipe, the choice in sweetener can make or break the final result. That’s why I decided to use Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend! With a superfine consistency exactly like real powdered sugar, it creates a perfectly crisp cookie that rivals store-bought versions… all with 0 grams net carbs, no gritty texture, and no aftertaste!
Why You Need My Sugar Free Meringue Cookies Recipe
- Light, bright, sweet taste
- Airy, crisp texture
- Just 4 ingredients
- 15 minutes hands-on prep
- 0 carbs per cookie
- The perfect sweet treat to customize with your favorite flavors!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my low carb meringue cookies recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Egg Whites – Fresh egg whites work best for keto meringues, since carton egg whites may make less-defined cookies. Save the yolks for recipes like sugar-free lemon curd, keto flan, or hollandaise sauce!
- Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – The very best sweetener to use for this keto meringue cookies recipe! It dissolves effortlessly into the egg whites for a non-gritty cookie that will still hold its characteristic meringue shape. You can use a different powdered sugar substitute to avoid a gritty result (and see my sweeteners conversion chart for how much to substitute), but for best taste and cookie shape I only recommend this one.
- Cream Of Tartar – Acts as a stabilizer for the egg whites and helps them whip into meringue faster.
- Vanilla Extract – For classic flavor. See other keto meringue flavors you can make below! You can easily swap it with other extracts you have on hand as well, such as coconut extract.
- Sea Salt – With so few ingredients, a pinch of salt helps make the sweet flavor in these cookies pop. It’s optional, but highly recommended!
Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List
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How To Make Sugar Free Meringue Cookies
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Whip. In a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer (or stand mixer), whip egg whites with cream of tartar until opaque and frothy. Add salt and vanilla, and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Gradually add Besti and beat just until incorporated.
- Pipe. Transfer meringue into a piping bag with a star tip and pipe cookies onto a lined baking sheet.
- Bake. Cookies are done when firm (but not browned) and easily released from parchment paper — but don’t remove them just yet.
- Dry. Turn off the oven and prop the door open with a wooden spoon. Leave keto egg white cookies to dry for at least 1 additional hour, or until fully dry and crisp.
My Recipe Tips
- Choose your mixing bowl carefully. For best results, meringues need a clean, dry bowl made out of glass, stainless steel, or copper. Avoid plastic bowls, which can harbor traces of grease on the surface and prevent your egg whites from forming peaks.
- Make sure egg whites are at room temperature. This will help them whip more easily.
- Skip the arm workout. Don’t whip egg whites by hand—an electric mixer makes it way easier!
- Get that perfect swirl. I used an open star piping tip, and it makes all the difference!
- Watch baking time closely. Cookies can go from done to browned quickly.
- Extend drying time if needed. Time to dry can vary depending on the humidity in your home. It’s fine to leave them in the turned-off oven for a day, or even overnight. More time helps develop their crisp texture.
- Larger cookies need more time to bake. Smaller ones can take as little as 45 minutes in the oven, but larger ones will need more time.
Recipe Variations
- Sugar Free Lemon Meringue Cookies – Replace cream of tartar and vanilla with 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice and 1/2 tablespoon lemon zest. Follow recipe steps as written; add lemon juice after egg whites become frothy, and fold in lemon zest just before piping.
- Keto Chocolate Meringue Cookies – Replace vanilla with 1 tablespoon sifted cocoa powder and increase powdered Besti amount to 1/3 cup. Before piping, sprinkle sifted cocoa powder over the meringue mixture and gently fold in until thoroughly incorporated.
- Sugar Free Keto Almond Meringue Cookies – Substitute vanilla with 1/2 teaspoon almond extract and use 1/3 cup powdered Besti. Beat egg whites until opaque and frothy, then add cream of tartar and almond extract and beat at high speed until stiff peaks form. Pipe and bake per the recipe card.
- Keto Peanut Butter Meringue Cookies – Increase powdered Besti amount to 1/3 cup and replace vanilla with 1/4 cup smooth natural peanut butter. Before piping, mix in peanut butter at a low speed until just incorporated.
- Mint Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies – Replace vanilla with 1 teaspoon pure peppermint extract and increase amount of powdered Besti to 1/3 cup. Prepare per the recipe card, adding 1-2 teaspoons of green food coloring (if desired) at the same time as cream of tartar. Fold in 1/2 cup sugar free chocolate chips before transferring to piping bag.
More Keto Egg White Dessert Recipes
No yolks needed! Once you know how to make meringue cookies sugar free, use egg whites to make these rich and sweet desserts next.
Sugar Free Meringue Cookies
By
These easy sugar-free keto meringue cookies are sweet, light, and crispy. Just 4 ingredients, 2 calories, and 0 net carbs!
Instructions
[ See step photos See my tips ]Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F (93 degrees C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
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In a large bowl, using a hand mixer at medium speed, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar, until the egg whites get opaque and frothy.
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Add the salt (if using) and vanilla extract. Increase the speed to high and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.
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Gradually beat in Besti powdered sweetener.
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Carefully to avoid breaking down the egg whites, transfer the mixture into a piping bag (I used the this piping tip), which gives the look of classic meringues). Pipe cookies onto the lined baking sheet, spaced about an inch apart.
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Bake for 1-2 hours, until the keto meringue cookies are firm and release easily from the parchment paper (but don't move them yet!), and before they turn brown. Time will vary depending on the size and thickness of your meringues.
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When they are done, turn off the oven and prop the door with a wooden spoon. Leave the meringues in the oven this way for at least one hour, until dry and crisp.
Did you make it? Leave a review or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 sugar-free meringue cookie
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you whip perfect egg whites, get beautiful swirls, and bake light, crispy meringues without over-browning!
- Store: Keep meringues in an airtight container at room temp—heat and moisture can make them soft! If that happens, bake at 200 degrees F for 10 minutes to crisp them up.
- Freeze: Freeze in an airtight container with parchment between layers for 2-3 months. Thaw at room temp and re-crisp in the oven if needed.
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Note on nutrition info: The nutrition info does not include salt.
📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Keto Ebook Bundle!
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Sugar-Free Meringue Cookies
137 Comments
Tamra Gibson
0I love Lemon anything and these sound so good. I’m also kinda blessed because I’m the only one in the house that likes Lemon. You know what that means right?? I will actually get some unlike most treats I make or purchase. The directions are very easy to understand and I truly appreciate that bc some recipes I wont even try because I’m easily intimidated by those.
Mrs Joanne Davies
0These seem to look as though they are going to bake ok but they never crisp up. Any suggestions? Thanks
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Joanne, These need exposure to air to crisp up. Either prop the door of the oven open for several hours, or let them sit out at room temp. As they cool they will harden.
Mary Rose Hunt
0Made my first batch of these meringues and they were melt in the mouth delicious. My husband’s only complaint was they were not big enough. So guess I will be making these regularly and in double batches
I think I overcooked the peanut butter cookies as the were a little hard but they still were delicious.
Thanks ever so much
Carol
0A question: can you cook these at 175 degrees F for a longer time – say 2.5 to 3 hours? If so I could bake them in my dehydrator that does beef Jerky at 175*.
Wholesome Yum A
0Hi Carol, I haven’t tried it that way. Let me know if you give it a try!
Ashley Boitson
0Turned out great! Just wondering how to store them?? Air tight container? Counter or fridge?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Ashley, Store them in an airtight container, they will hold up nicely at room temperature.
Tamara W.
0HI Maya. This recipe will be perfect for my upcoming THM Fuel Cycle. Do you think carton egg whites would work? TIA
Wholesome Yum A
0Hi Tamara, this is a tougher recipe to make substitutions for, so I wouldn’t recommend that.
Shannon
0I always have cream of tartar, I rarely have lemons. How much cream of tartar should I use?
Lala
0How did it taste with the cream of tartar?
Wholesome Yum
0Hi Shannon, you can use 1/4 tsp cream of tartar instead of the 1/2 tsp lemon juice if you want to.
Liz
0I’m a home baker for 49 years and a diabetic since I’m 10 years old. I’ve been baking sugar free for 34 years by just taking a regular cookie recipe and substituting sugar free sugar and never had a problem. I figured I’d try your recipe but it failed completely. I’ve baked sugar free lemon meringue pie and didn’t have a problem. Read your whole article and was really waiting patiently for these cookies but they failed.
Wholesome Yum
0Hi Liz, I’m sorry to hear this one didn’t work for you. Meringues can be a little fussier than other cookie recipes, so it’s possible the sweetener you used caused the problem.
Maggie
0Hi, I made mine with cream of tartar, 1/3 cup splenda and at the very end used a packet of lemon sugar free jello instead of the zest. They turned out wonderful and very flavorful, thanks for the recipe
Robin Skidmore
0What a great, easy recipe! I made it with the vanilla – a little tricky to fold in but I was patient. I’m a disaster with a piping bag, so I just gently scooped drops and they turned out fine.
sjgrun
0How many cookies does the recipe make? Can you double the recipe and get the same quality outcome?
Wholesome Yum
0This recipe makes 40 cookies. I haven’t tried doubling it, but I suspect you wouldn’t get the best results that way.
Linda
0I doubled the recipe and made 20 larger meringues. I have a fan oven so had to reduce the temperature and they cooked in about 1hr 20 min
Beverly
0I can’t do erythritol, it makes me have severe gastric issues, would I be able to use powdered monk fruit? And if so would it be the same amount or what else would I do to make it come out correct? Also not fond of stevia because of the aftertaste.
Wholesome Yum
0Hi Beverly, I haven’t tried that so I don’t know for sure if it will work. If you do, use my sweetener conversion calculator to get the right quantity! Let me know if you give it a go.
Paula
0I made these for Easter dinner with my two diabetic family members in mind. They turned out perfectly and were a big hit with everyone! I’d love to add some yellow food coloring to emphasize that they are lemon flavored. Do you think this would do anything to mess up the recipe?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Paula, I think it should be ok if it’s just a little bit, so that it’s not introducing too much liquid. I’m glad you liked them!
Kim
0Just made these for Passover. Excellent!
Katherine Taylor
0Hi!
Do you think I could make these flatter with a little divet to make them like a nest?
Thinking of doing them for Easter with a few berries in each.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Katherine, Yes, you can! Sounds delicious!
Diane P
0SO GOOD!! Can’t believe they are keto friendly!!
Kordell
0I added in the lemon zest and any stiff peaks I had completely collapsed…any idea as to why?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Kordell, How did you add it in? It needs to be a gentle folding motion, otherwise they will collapse.
Cyndy
0How much cream of tartar if you are using that in place of the lemon juice?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Cyndy, You can use 1/4 tsp cream of tartar instead of the 1/2 tsp lemon juice if you want to.
Annemarie Bjerke
0That was awful, the erythritol left a very chemically taste even though it is supposed to be a natural product…the texture was great though. I will have to try it with another sweetener.
Annabelle
0Oh my Oh my….sorry….these little pillows of deliciousness are marvelous and soooo simple!!! I can’t thank you enough for sharing. I love your recipes. You are helping me stay keto even when i get a sweet tooth craving. Thank you
Cathy
0What is the difference between erythritol and erythritol powder?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Cathy, Granulated erythritol is like granulated sugar, powdered erythritol is like powdered sugar. Difference is consistency.