These mini pavlovas are a simple, single serve dessert topped with whipped cream, mixed berry compote, fresh berries, and mint! They're the perfect light, springtime dessert or an adorable treat for Valentine's Day!
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What is Pavlova?
Pavlovas are a meringue based dessert that have a crispy shell and soft, melt-in-your-mouth, marshmallowy inside. They're usually topped with whipped cream and fruit (but the options are endless). They're usually served as one large entity, but I prefer these mini single serve pavlovas! They are very light and a great way to use up leftover egg whites!
Pavlovas are named after the Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova. However, there is debate of which country takes the credit for creating this dessert. Both Australia and New Zealand claim to have made pavlova in the 1920's.
You might also like these mini meringue cookies or my French macarons!
Ingredient Notes
You just need a couple of ingredients to make these mini pavlovas!
Egg whites - I've recently started "aging" my egg whites and I've found it helps with my consistency when making meringue. This is absolutely not necessary, but it's super easy to do so I recommend trying it out. Weigh out 133 grams of egg whites (roughly 4 eggs) into a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and poke a few holes in the top. Place in the fridge for at least 24 hours but up to 3 days. Make sure to remove the egg whites from the fridge at least an hour before baking so they can come up to room temperature.
Cream of Tartar - My favorite ingredient when making any type of meringue is cream of tartar! It's very acidic which helps stabilize and the egg whites and helps the meringue puff up properly.
Cornstarch - This helps stabilize the pavlova and gives you that perfect marshmallow texture.
Flavor Extracts - If desired you can add a few drops of gel flavor extract to your meringue! Always use gel if you can because regular extracts add to much extra liquid. I like to use vanilla bean paste or the flavor extract pastes from Taylor and Colledge (coconut, lavender, peppermint, and lemon are all delicious)!
The complete list of ingredients and amounts is located in the recipe card below.
Topping Suggestions
There are endless ways to top these mini pavlovas! Here are a few of my favorite combinations:
- Whipped cream + berry compote + mixed berries and mint
- Homemade lemon curd + whipped cream + mint
- Whipped cream + fresh strawberries + chocolate sauce
- Whipped cream + cranberry sauce + fresh rosemary
How to Make Mini Pavlovas
Preheat the oven to 225°F.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the egg whites and cream of tartar and whisk on medium speed until frothy.
Gradually add in granulated sugar about 1 tablespoon at a time and increase mixer to medium-high speed. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form (about 5-6 minutes).
Add in the cornstarch and very gently fold until completely incorporated. Be careful not to deflate the meringue while mixing.
Spoon meringue into a piping bag fitted with a large tip (I use the Wilton 1M tip for these pavlovas).
This is optional but I like to trace 3 inch circles on a piece of parchment paper. Then place a silicone liner over top to pipe the pavlovas onto.
Pipe 3 inch mounds, at least 2 inches apart from each other, and use spoon to hollow out the surface slightly (so that you have a place for your toppings). Instead of a piping bag, you can also use a spoon to dollop the meringue inside the circles and use the spoon to shape into a nest with a slight hollow at the top.
Bake at 225°F for 1 hour. Then turn off the oven (do not open!) and allow the pavlovas to continue drying in the oven for another 1-2 hours. The outsides should be fully dry to the touch and they should peel off easily.
Once dry, top with whipped cream, homemade berry compote, and fresh berries if desired!
Meringue Tips & Tricks
- Make sure your egg whites are fully at room temperature before you start making your meringue! Cold egg whites take much longer to form stiff peaks.
- Make sure the bowl of your stand mixer is fully clean and dry. Wipe out the bowl with a small amount of lemon juice or white vinegar to ensure there are no residual traces of fat from a previous recipe as that can prevent your meringue from forming.
- Add in the sugar super slowly while beating the egg whites. If you add it in too quickly, you could deflate your meringue.
- Invest in some silicone mats! They aren’t expensive and they will make your life so much easier!
- Also invest in an oven thermometer to make sure your oven isn't too hot or too cold because improper temperature can affect the texture of the pavlovas.
Recipe FAQ's
These pavlovas are best eaten the same day but they will last up to 3 days. Store in an airtight container at room temperature and assemble right before serving. Once assembled they are best if eaten within 3 hours.
The pavlovas will be completely dry to touch and will lift off the parchment paper easily.
When pavlovas cool too quickly, they crack. To prevent them from cracking cool them in the oven after they are cooked completely so that they slowly come down to room temperature. Adding cornstarch to the batter also helps stabilize the pavlova and prevent cracks.
Both pavlovas and meringue nests are made the same way! The only difference is a pavlova has a crisp outside with a soft marshmallowy center whereas meringue nests are baked longer so the entire thing is dried out and crispy. To use this recipe to make meringue nests, simply bake them for 2 hours instead of just 1 and let them cool completely in the turned off oven.
Tips for Success!
For best results I always recommend using weight measurements (especially when baking) because it's the most accurate. Kitchen scales are super affordable and also reduce the number of dishes you have to do! However, all my recipes also include US customary measurements for convince. Use this chart to convert measurements for common ingredients!
Substitutions: In all my recipes, I've included substitutions that I know will work, but I cannot guarantee results if you substitute ingredients that I have not recommended. [For example, granulated sugar and honey are indeed both sweeteners but they have very different properties so they can not always be swapped 1:1. Using honey in a cookie recipe that calls for granulated sugar will yield a giant mess.] In the recipe card you'll find links to the specific ingredients/brands that I use.
A note on salt: I almost exclusively use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt because it's the best all-purpose salt for cooking and baking. If you're not using kosher salt, consult this handy guide for a conversion chart! When in doubt, if you're using table salt just reduce the amount by half for baked goods. When cooking, I prefer to under-salt because you can always add more! If you've over-salted, adding a little bit of acid (like lemon juice) can help.
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Recipe Card
Mini Pavlovas
Special Equipment
Ingredients
Pavlova
- 4 large egg whites, room temperature
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Top With
- homemade whipped cream
- berry compote
- fresh berries
- fresh mint
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 225°F.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the egg whites and cream of tartar and whisk on medium speed until frothy.
- Gradually add in granulated sugar about 1 tablespoon at a time and increase mixer to medium-high speed. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form (about 5-6 minutes).
- Add in the cornstarch and very gently fold until completely incorporated. Be careful not to deflate the meringue while mixing.
- Spoon meringue into a piping bag fitted with a large tip (I use the Wilton 1M tip for these pavlovas).
- This is optional but I like to trace 3 inch circles on a piece of parchment paper. Then place a silicone liner over top to pipe the pavlovas onto.
- Pipe 3 inch mounds, at least 2 inches apart from each other, and use spoon to hollow out the surface slightly (so that you have a place for your toppings). Instead of a piping bag, you can also use a spoon to dollop the meringue inside the circles and use the spoon to shape into a nest with a slight hollow at the top.
- Bake at 225°F for 1 hour. Then turn off the oven (do not open!) and allow the pavlovas to continue drying in the oven for another 1-2 hours. The outsides should be fully dry to the touch and they should peel off easily.
- Once dry, top with whipped cream, homemade berry compote, and fresh berries if desired!
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Kelly Donald says
Easy and delicious! Turned out great. Will definitely use this recipe again 🙂
M says
They look delicious!
What keeps your meringues so White?
Kyleigh Sage says
Low oven temperature is crucial! You can also add a couple drops of pure white gel food coloring to help but I don't typically need to.
MIMIA S. TURNER says
love them it is delicious and very pretty dessert.
Celesta says
An excellent and easy recipe. The maringue remained very white. Hard on outside and chewy on the inside. It was a delicious pavlova. Will make this again.