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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
Foodie
0Does this recipe work without a sweetener?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Foodie, This recipe would not turn out correctly without the sweetener.
Apple
0if I wanted to make a marshmallowy meringue then does it work without a sweetener? Thank you
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Apple, I have not tried this but I don’t think it would taste very good with just egg whites and lemon juice.
Loisa
0Definitely a 5 star + recipe. I used Meyer lemons which have a bit of a sweeter flavor. These are sooo yummy!!! Great addition to my healthy diet.
Jane
0These are great, crisp and lemony.
NatCat
0Does it matter if the eggs are super fresh or not?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi NatCat, I like to use fresh eggs for this recipe, but the cream of tartar will help to stabilize your meringue even if the whites aren’t super fresh.
Ellen
0I was wondering if I could make these with powdered allulose instead of erythritol?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Ellen, Allulose would make these meringues too soft. Erythritol is the best choice for this recipe.
Kel
0Hi, just wondering how you think these would go without any sweetener ?
Kind thanks
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Kel, The sweetener does help to provide structure to this recipe. I don’t recommend completely omitting it, but you can reduce the amount if you choose. I hope this helps!
Kristina Halbrook
0Hi Maya,
I want to try this tonight. I do not have any lemons but I have cream of tartar & pure lemon extract. Will this extract work, and how much should I use?
Thanks!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Kristina, I have not tested anything like this, so I’m not sure if it will work. Please share your results if you decide to give it a try!
Kimberly Grate
0Hello, I wanted to make these early for the week but I was wondering how long do they last and still taste great 🙂
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Kimberly, Given that you don’t live in a humid area, these will last about a week in an airtight container at room temperature.
Deborah
0Hi Jackie, its probably premature of me to post this, as my cookies are still in the oven, but I belatedly realized that I mistakenly used xanthan gum instead of cream of tartar! They whipped up nicely (I haven’t made traditional meringue in decades!) and they tasted good, but now I’m wondering how they’ll turn out! I baked these for a WW recipe and was so excited to have a 0 point treat! I’ll probably eat them regardless!
Thanks for the recipe. Next batch I’ll use cream of tartar if I want to try a chocolately flavored one. BTW, have you ever used liquid sweetener like Lakanto Monkfruit extract? Or would the extra liquid be a probem? (or NOT having powdered sweetener be a problem in the meringe?) Am curious….
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Deborah, I hope they turn out delicious! I would skip using any liquid sweetener for this recipe and stick with a powdered. Enjoy!
Deborah D
0Thanks. BTW, the xanthan gum didn’t cause a problem. Now I’ll have to try the recipe again CORRECTLY with either lemon juice or cream of tartar to see if the xanthan gum actually helped with the consistency. LOL 🙂 I may have left them in the oven a bit too long as they got a bit golden, but still they tasted good. Great recipe!
Jackie
0Hi,
I’ve been on a full keto WOE for over 5 years now so I’m on board with how it works. My biggest issue-not just here but other sites as well-is that I see nuts, nut butters and nut flours in a large proportion of recipes. While some people CAN use them, there are millions of us that cannot due to allergies. Both myself and my adult daughter are allergic to peanuts and almonds. Imagine when I find a recipe for something we love, banana bred for instance, and the name of the recipe infers it’s made with coconut flour. Upon opening the recipe and checking ingredients, I *always* find that pesky almond flour!
This is a suggestion that we need recipes sensitive to those of us allergic to nuts. It’s almost as bad as someone going vegan/vegetarian who are allergic to legumes!
Thanks!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Jackie, I understand that is frustrating. This recipe you are commenting on, Lemon Meringue Cookies, does not include almond flour. Also, if you hover over the ‘RECIPES’ heading at the top of the screen a drop-down will give you options to search by diet. I do have nut-free on that list. I hope it helps!
Jake
0I cooked this meringue and after 45 minutes they were going to become brown that I turned off the oven. I also let them to sit out for more than one hour. But the problem is that they are too fragile and when you touch them they brake apart. Can you tell me why this is happening?
Arcement Yvonne
0These were so easy to make and taste wonderful! I did use BobEvans egg whites and cream of tartar without issue.
Thanks so much for your recipes and hard work!
Happy holidays
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Jake, Leave your cookies out overnight to crisp up. The set time may vary depending on environmental humidity. I recommend placing them in a cold oven with the door propped open overnight. That should be enough time for them to fully dry.
Rebecca
0Mine failed and I don’t understand why they fell and just fall apart if I touch them and the taste is horrible the sweetener is way too much sweetener taste. I’m gonna try again but this is actually pretty gross I’m sorry to say but ewwww and I do know how to make meringue I have plenty of times but first time making sugar free.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Rebecca, I’m sorry these cookies didn’t turn out as expected. Did you let the meringue cookies crisp up after baking? They need at least an hour (even overnight) to sit out to dry out, this will prevent them from being too delicate or falling apart. I am not sure which sweetener you used, but I recommend Besti Powdered Erythritol which is less sweet than the monk fruit erythritol blend. No cooling or strange aftertaste with Besti!
Robin
0Hi Maya…have you tested a similar recipe with cocoa powder? How much cocoa powder would you add to the above proportions to give it a good chocolate flavor without the meringue being too dry? (Or would you consider cocoa powder too carby to even use in a keto recipe? I use your recipes for reasons other than keto/low-carb, so may not be as carb-conscious as some of your other readers.) Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Robin, Unsweetened cocoa powder is fine for a keto or low carb lifestyle, but I have not tried it with this recipe. For that reason I’m not sure how much, sorry. Let me know how it goes if you give it a try!
Amy
0I would love to know if you test the cocoa powder recipe!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Amy, I have not tested this recipe with cocoa powder. Please let me know how it turns out if you decide to try it!
Amy
0I made the lemon-delish and perfect & the chocolate. I used your recipe and tweaked it based on another recipe for the chocolate. Thank you for introducing me to powdered Erythritol. The lemon flavor in your recipe is absolutely perfect!!
Lauren
0Wanted to do strawberry flavored meringues, so I swapped the lemon juice for 1/4 tsp cream of tartar, and did the vanilla extract in lieu of the lemon zest, and added 1/8 tsp of Strawberry confectioners flavoring. The flavor of mine was okay, need to cut it way back on the strawberry cause it’s leaning towards tasting a little medicine-y (might just do a drop or two next time), but other than that, they turned out perfect: the texture is divine, perfectly light and crunchy, and melts in your mouth. I’ve never made meringues myself before, so I was ecstatic! I made mine quite small (bout silver dollar sized footprint) and baked for 45 minutes, and they were perfect! Next time, I’m going to try to capitalize on the cooling effect of the erythritol and do mint ones with tiny sugar free dark chocolate chips! Thanks for all the tips!
Amy
0I wonder if sugar-free jello mix would work?
Danielle
0Adding gelatin would make you wind up with marshmallows instead of meringue.
Sarah
0Hi! Thanks for the recipe. I made these today, they were good, but could have been better. They dissolved very easily in the mouth, almost a light crumbly type texture. Any ideas how I can get them really firm and crunchy? I followed the recipe and left them in the oven off for hours to max out drying time.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Sarah, It sounds like you’ve got the correct texture from your cookies. I think to make them harder you will need to use cream of tartar to get the desired texture.
Virginia
0Hi Maya. Sheltering in place here like everyone. Don’t have a piping bag available. Can I form the cookies using a cookie scoop instead?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Virginia, The next best option is to use a storage plastic sandwich bag if you have one. Fill the bag and cut one of the corners to use it as a makeshift piping bag. If you are not a plastic bag user, then yes, you can use a scoop or spoon to create these, but you won’t get the traditional meringue shape.
Mary
0This is just a thank you note. Always enjoy reading whatever you publish. Especially at this time that we are all stressed and pressed for what best to do with ourselves. You have found your helping niche with your healthy recipes/comments/ideas. Maybe not as medical personnel, but helpful to so many of us working to stay afloat on the Keto/LowCarb boat. Blessings for your and your family’s continued health. -Mary
Betsy
0I made these yesterday, but vanilla I flavor as I love vanilla! Mine came out nice and crunchy but I actually prefer them marshmallowy inside. How can I achieve this? I know they are usually not like that, but I love the gooey inside!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Besty, Meringues turn marshmallowy when they are exposed to humidity. I think the best way to force this to happen would be to put your meringues in the refrigerator after baking.
Betsy
0Omg, I’m off to make a batch now, I had wondered about the frig or adding a bowl of warm water to the oven during cool down. Thanks a ton! Betsy
sally Sherrington
0made exact to recipe, slightly brown on the tips, left to cool but when I opened one it’s very marshmallowy texture, tastes lovely but not as I would of liked..
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Sally, Leave your meringue cookies out in room temp to harden. They can stay out overnight if need be to achieve the right texture. The length of time will depend on the temperature and humidity in your house.
Lydia
0I made these today and they came out perfectly. Thanks for all of the tips since this was my first time ever making meringue! I used Cream of Tarter instead of lemon juice and the lemon zest gives the cookies a lot of zing. And you are right, they do absolutely melt in your mouth! I can have a lot of fun playing around with this recipe