Pavlova Recipe (VIDEO)
Pavlova is a graceful, beautiful, and romantic dessert. It is perfect for Valentine’s Day or any dinner party (you can make pavlovas ahead!). The texture is crisp on the outside with a marshmallow-soft inside, and they are piled high with whipped cream and fruit. Watch the video tutorial below.
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What is Pavlova?
I had my facts all wrong about Pavlova; it’s not Russian, but named after a Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova. There is a great debate about who made it first; Australia or New Zealand, but everyone can agree they are melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
Pavlova is a show-stopping meringue dessert and it’s easier than you think. It is made of egg whites, sugar, corn starch, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Once baked, a crisp exterior forms around the soft centers. To serve, pavlovas are topped with lightly sweetened whipped cream and studded with plenty of fresh berries. You can make pavlovas as a Big Pavlova Cake or as these easy to serve mini pavlovas.
How to Bring Eggs to Room Temperature:
If your egg whites are not at room temperature, place them in a bowl and set over a second bowl of warm (not hot) water for 15 minutes. Tip: The yolks separate easier from the whites if you use chilled eggs.
Can I Substitute Corn Starch?
Corn starch is vital to the overall result of this recipe. It helps form the crisp exterior and marshmallow-soft interior. Do not omit the cornstarch. I haven’t tested substituting, but one of our readers reported great results using potato starch.
Can I Make Pavlovas Ahead?
You can make the pavlova meringues up to 3 days ahead of time and store loosely wrapped in a plastic bag (in a low-humidity area) then assemble just before your event. Once they are assembled the frosting starts to soften the meringues and they should be eaten within 4 hours of assembling.
Tips for Making Mini Pavlovas:
- Fully preheat your oven and bake right away or pavlovas can start melting or form a layer of brown sugar after baking at the bottom.
- If using this large 3/4 baking sheet, you can fit them all on one sheet, otherwise, bake on 2 separate baking sheets in the top and bottom thirds of your oven.
- Make sure to use parchment paper for easy removal from the baking sheet (do not use wax paper – it sticks like crazy).
- Use your stand mixer for the most effective mixing. If using an electric hand mixer, you may need to add 2 minutes to the mixing time for stiff, smooth and glossy peaks to form. Do not attempt to hand whisk – yikes!
- Pipe meringue 3 to 3 1/2 inches wide onto the parchment paper using a Wilton 1M Tip. Indent the center with a spoon to allow room for cream.
- Let pavlovas rest in the warm oven 30 minutes before removing from the oven to ensure the exterior dries appropriately.
What are the Best Toppings for Pavlova?
The fruit toppings for pavlova are endless. You will want about 4 to 5 cups of fresh fruit or berries. Our favorite options are:
- Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries
- Kiwi
- Mango
- Stone Fruit: peaches, plums, apricots, nectarines
- Mint leaves, to garnish
More Easy and Impressive Valentines Desserts:
If you’re working on a Valentine’s Day menu, make sure you check out all our Valentine’s Recipes. Some of our favorite romantic desserts are:
- Tiramisu Cake – the authentic version
- Affogato – Italian coffee ice cream treat
- Strawberry Shortcake – so simple and tasty
- Chocolate Mousse – as classic as it gets
- Eclairs – with custard filling
- Strawberry Sauce – to pour over everything
Watch Pavlova Recipe Video Tutorial:
These mini pavlovas have a cloud-like meringue that literally melts in your mouth. The tart berries cut the sweetness just right so I always add a generous amount. Serve these at your next party and they will be flying off the plate. They are well-loved by adults and children.
Pavlova Recipe
Ingredients
For Pavlova:
- 6 large egg whites room temperature
- 1.5 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tsp corn starch
- 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract
For Cream:
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream (very cold)
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
For Topping/Decor:
- 4-5 cups fresh fruit blueberries, kiwi, raspberries, sliced strawberries, etc
- 15 Mint leaves for garnish, optional
Instructions
How to Make Pavlova:
-
Preheat the Oven to 225˚ F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Using your stand mixer, beat 6 egg whites on high speed 1 min until soft peaks form. With the mixer on, gradually add 1 1/2 cups sugar and beat 10 min on high speed, or until stiff peaks form. It will be smooth and glossy.
-
Use a spatula to quickly fold in 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice and 1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract, then fold in 2 tsp corn starch and mix until well blended.
-
Pipe meringue into 3 to 3 1/2 inches wide nests onto the parchment paper using a Wilton 1M Tip. Indent the center with a spoon to allow room for cream. Bake at 225˚ for 1 hr and 15 min then turn the oven off and without opening the door, let meringue in the hot oven another 30 min. Outsides will be dry and crisp to the tap and very pale cream-colored and insides will still be marshmallow soft.
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Transfer the pavlova with the parchment paper onto the counter or a cookie rack and allow it to cool to room temp. Once cool, you can top them with whipped cream and fruit or store in an airtight container for 3-5 days at room temperature (in a low humidity place).
How to Make Frosting and Assemble Pavlovas:
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Beat cold whipping cream with 2 Tbsp sugar in the cold bowl for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes or until whipped and spreadable.
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Pipe frosting onto the pavlova and top with fresh fruit.*
Recipe Notes
*These should be enjoyed within 4 hours of assembly.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Recipe updated January 2020 to include more tips and tricks for mastering the perfect pavlova.
Have you tried the Pavlova? What are YOUR favorite toppings?
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Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Everyone at my house really loved it! It was a huge hit!
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Toni!
These really do melt in your mouth! Love the berries on top!
The perfect treat! Thank you for that great review, Natalie!
I especially love making this for my gluten free friends and family members!
Yes! We love to make this cake. It always feels extra special! Especially for our gluten-free freinds
Im certainly going to give these a go with the addition of a few drops of vanilla essence in the cream, as we do in NZ
That sounds wonderful. Please let me know how it goes and also where you purchase your vanilla essence. Thank you!
I made this for Christmas dinner. My thought was that after eating a big (heavy) supper, something light for dessert would be best and that it was!!! It went really well and I make it a lot at the moment. Thanks Mary
That’s so great, Mary! Thank you for that amazing review! I’m so glad you enjoyed that.
I never have reviewed on a recipe before. But I felt compelled to do so.
I had made pavlova years ago which was a total fail. But was determined to try again.
I used your recipe and they were perfect. I distributed them amongst my family as a trial run and they were so happy.
Thank you
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you all enjoyed this recipe!
Just made these,I followed the recipe that used 4 eggs, they are just Perfect ! I am delighted.i am going to use them as part of a pavlova grazing platter for Christmas Day, with a selection of sauces and fruits.
That sounds lovely, Katine! Thank you for that amazing feedback!
Loved it! Just made the recipe tonight for my first dinner party as an “adult”. Very fresh and fun. Also worked well as a gluten free dessert to fit someone’s needs. Actually made 6 of them in a larger form and the recipe worked just wonderfully still.
I’m so glad to hear it, Jessica! Thank you for that great review!
I just wanted to thank you so very much for your superb recipes, site, and the work you put in to this. I am a 76 yr. old widower who loves to cook. Every single recipe I’ve used from your web site has turned out excellent. Again, thank you very much. Best wishes always to you and yours. Kind regards, Kenton Elliott
I’m so happy to hear you are enjoying my blog and recipes. Thank you for sharing that with me!
Have done these so many times and everyone loves them!!! Question… how far in advance can I make a cream? I don’t want to mix anything on Sunday but have everything already prepared so I can just assemble at my moms house
Hi Olha, I like to make whipped cream fresh, but you can beat the cream a day ahead, cover and refrigerate. If it softens (sometimes whipped cream will soften in the fridge), you can use a whisk to whip it back up to the right consistency.
To make stabilized homemade whipped cream, you will want to use an additional ingredient to help it last longer in the refrigerator. I like to use cream of tartar if I know that I will be making mine well in advance of serving. While it is best served immediately, by adding a little cream of tartar to your heavy whipping cream, it will generally last much longer in the refrigerator.
For each cup of heavy whipping cream, add 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar along with the confectioner’s sugar when whipping. Just an observation that might be useful. Thank you so much, Natasha, for a great site.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m certain that will come in handy.
Hello. Can you use organic sugar with this recipe? It’s not exactly white?
Hi Olga, it will work is it has a similar consistency to white sugar. Keep in mind it will affect the color of the meringue too.
I Bake at 225˚ for 1 hour and 15 minutes just like you said but It was completely burned
Oh wow! Burned definitely means your oven is way too hot. They should be white when they are baked. Definitely turn down the heat of your oven. Are you certain you set your oven to Farenheight and NOT CELCIUS? Also, are you using a convection oven? This recipe is intend for regular conventional oven settings. I’ve tried using organic cane sugar that was more coarse than regular white granulated sugar and it did not work well for me – the meringue was cream colored and not smooth when it came out of the oven. If using cane sugar, make sure to process it in a food processor to reach the consistency of granulated sugar, but if the color of the sugar is darker, the meringue color will be off. I hope that helps you when making meringue in the future!
Hi Natasha, I want to know if I can use 100% pasteurized liquid egg whites for this recipe because I want to make use of them as I have lots. Just wondering how much liquid egg whites in millilters I need for the recipe? Please let me know. I also made your mini cheesecake and blueberry cheesecakes and they were a huge hit! I made them for my kids and boss only want me to bake them desserts since then and they said the cheesecakes were the best! Thanks to you Natasha.
Hi Danna, I’m so glad you enjoyed the cheesecake recipes! One large egg white is 30ml so 6 would be 180ml. I haven’ tried pasteurized egg whites for this so I can’t say for sure. Some people have reported having trouble with pasteurized but I can’t say for certain if it was due to the pasteurized eggs or other factors.
Hello Natasha,
I was wondering what type of toppings you could use if fresh fruit were not available. I would like to make these for my holiday dessert trays and using berries in december will kill my budget. thanks for your help.
You can also try frozen fruit such as raspberries or strawberries mixed with some sugar. Or make a chunky puree from frozen fruit and sugar and use that as a topping over the cream.
i have made a Jello lemon pudding and pie filling. once it has set, you can then whip it into the whipped cream. you could then use a couple of blueberries – frozen are cheap. – i love the lemon. or you could try any pie filling, chocolate, banana cream etc.
Canned passionfruit is amazing.
Or
A cherry syrup with chunks of cherries in it goes well.
Or…
Raspberry puree made from frozen raspberries.
Chocolate shavings.
Do you have peppermint crisp?? We have them is Australia and those crumbled on top is sooo good!!
Some people put slices of banana but not really done in Aus as we usually do Pavs at Christmas with our berries & mango etc.
I want to print out a circle template to try and get the pavlovas as uniform as possible. Could you please tell me what the diameter of the base should be? I can’t find that detail anywhere. Thanks!
Hi Lourdes we used a plate to trace it or a large bowl to get it the size we wanted. There isn’t a set diameter
I understand but when you say the recipe makes 15…what size would they be. 3”, 8”? Just looking for a rough number. thanks!
The pavlovas are about 3 to 3 1/2 inches wide and you should get a total of 14 to 15 pavlovas with this recipe. It’s easier to gauge the size/shape if you watch the video. I hope that helps!
Perfect! Thanks!!
Hi Natasha. Love your mini pavlova video. I’m thinking to make them a lot smaller than yours to feed everyone at my daughter’s birthday. How many pavs do you get out of the 6 egg whites. If I make them smaller I should probably be able to get double the amount. Can I make these ahead of time and if I serve them up an hour before everyone comes would that be okay? They won’t got soggy with the cream will they? Thanks for your reply
Hi Vanessa, if you follow our mini Pavlova recipe here we have the serving size towards the bottom of the post. You can make the shell ahead of time but I recommend topping it with the cream shortly before serving them.
My grand mother; her grand mother before her…they all made these often for special occasions & or just a wee treat as I remember growing up as a young girl. They passed down this recipe to all of us. They all came from Sweden….so no matter who first made these…they sure are good & pretty to boot.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Love this magnificent dessert!!! Made a couple modifications, used lemon curd as my first layer, then whip then loads of fresh berries. The meringue is a perfect sweetness and texture, giving a slight crunch to the dessert. Also, I made 9 larger ones instead of the 18 smaller ones. Made for a perfect dessert. Will definitely be making again and again and again!! Wish I could post a picture but can’t seem to on here.
Molly
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Molly!
I’ve fallen in love with Pavlovas, and I’ve made several different recipes. This by far was the best instructions and the best taste and results! I added lemon curd as the 1st topping followed by the whipped cream and then the fruit!
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Karyn. I’m all smiles!
Hey Natasha. These were great, but they weren’t chewy in the inside. Any tips?
Hi Vivi, the pavlova should be dry/crisp to the tap on the outside and marshmallow soft inside and not really chewy. Be sure not to substitute or omit any of the ingredients as each is critical to achieving the proper texture.
I just commented on Natasha’s other post about her pavlova and didn’t realize I could give the recipe a rating here! (If you’re interested, I left some tips on working with egg whites in that comment.)
This is an amazing, delicious recipe! I actually made more pavlovas than outlined (maybe mine were smaller?). I was happy to share with family and friends (who loved it), but I was disappointed when there were no more left for me!
You’re so nice! Thank you!
I have made this several times and every time the middle of my Pavlova’s hollow out. Any helpful suggestions? I am not sure if I am piping them wrong or what!! Please help
Hi Valerie, if there were no other substitutions int he recipe, it could be due to under-beating the egg white, or not baking them right away in a preheated oven. It could also be due to omitting the corn starch. I hope that helps to figure out the problem.
Pavlovas do this, in NZ and Australia it’s generally regarded as not being a problem. Most people just gently smash in the top crust just before serving, and fill the hollow with very loosely whipped cream then top with tart fruit.
I’m going to try the recipe today, thank you very much for sharing this recipe with all of us.
You’re welcome! I hope you love it, Sofia!
I ended up making these for my Australian husband today!! First Pavlova he has had since he moved to the states 4 years ago! They were a HIT! Thank you for the recipe!!
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing that with me!
i want to make sure the meringues stay crispy and don’t turn soggy (i made them today and are serving them day after tomorrow). just wrapping them in plastic wrap is enough? Thank you.
Hi Broch! An airtight container is best, even a ziplock bag that doesn’t allow moisture to get in.
Hi – I am wondering if there is a way to scale down the quantity, I only need about 8-10 mini pavlovas? If I used 4 egg whites, how do the rest of the ingredients needs to scale down?
Hi Numrah, if you hover over the serving size in the recipe card and adjust it to 4 servings, you will get these results: 4 egg whites room temperature
1 cups white granulated sugar
1.33 tsp corn starch
0.33 Tbsp lemon juice
0.33 Tbsp vanilla extract
Hi
I attempted these today and found that they were not dry and crisp.
I think it was my oven temperature..
For all those living in Australia what degrees Celsius for a fan forced oven?
Hi Rena, Pavlovas should only be dry and crisp on the outside and marshmallow-soft on the inside. These don’t get dried all the way through. I hope that helps!
Hi there! I just wanted to ask… What size eggs are used in this recipe? It can get tricky because there are so many sizes that eggs come in!
Hi Aqsa! We used Large eggs.
Hi there,
If I pipe pavlova as first pipe one rose, then pipe another rose right on top of 1st one ), how much time I need to bake them?
Thank you! 🙂
It sounds like you are going for a 2-tiered pavlova. I honestly haven’t tried baking them that way so I’m not sure how it would bake up or if it would collapse on itself since the center is soft and marshmallow like. If you experiment, let me know how it goes!
Hi Natasha. Just want to say this is the 5th time I’m making this and it comes out perfectly everytime!! The 4 other times it never piped out and stayed in its shape but the taste was still there. This time, the 5th time, I got a stand mixer and it took half the time to make and the shape stood!! So happy!! I just wanted to ask if instead of granulated sugar, can I use the same amount in superfine sugar (Castor sugar) ? Not sure what it’s called in the the US. It doesn’t say in the recipe if it’s granulated or fine sugar. Thank you!!
Hi Farzana, I honestly have only tried this with granulated sugar so I’m not sure how would affect the beating or rise of the meringue. If it doesn’t stay when piped, it could be due to under-beating or letting the meringue sit too long before piping or baking it. I hope that helps to troubleshoot.
Thank you so much for responding. I Will continue to use granulated sugar then. It’s just that the sugar never dissolves thoroughly. But I’m not complaining because you don’t notice it when you eating them :).
These are the best!!!! They turned out soooo good!! Love them!!☺❤🍥
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
Hi there,
Absolutely love this recipe, going to make it for a party on Friday. Was just wondering if I could substitute the corn starch and use potato starch instead because I’m allergic to corn.
Thanks again for the recipe!
Hi Maris! The corn starch is important to achieve the proper texture inside the Pavlova and make it marshmallow soft inside. One of my readers reported great results using potato starch if that helps.
I had attempted a pavlova once before and it didn’t come out anything like these. These were wonderful. I need to get a piping bag to make them look nicer, but they turned out perfect. I would also say, try blackberries or raspberries rather than just strawberries to cut a bit of the sweet. THANKS!!!
I’m so happy you you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for sharing that with me, Daniel!
Perfect Pavlovas! Big gluten-free hit for Passover, and I managed to get 30 minis from this recipe. I used the mouth of a drinking glass to trace 15 rounds onto each of two baking sheets. Served half with chocolate whipped cream and peanut butter glaze, and half with strawberry whipped cream and berries. So delicious!
That is so clever Nadja! Thank you for sharing the glass tip with me! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe!
Wonderful!! I followed your recipe exactly as written and it turned out perfectly. Crunchy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. Not too sweet, very refreshing!! Thank you I love your recipes!!
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review Sharon:)
Hi! I plan on making these tonight but I’ll be making a third of the recipe (i.e. two eggs). Should I alter the cooking time?
Hi Charlotte, it make take less time to bake. I hope you love this recipe!
Hi again Natasha. I asked a question about the use of half the called for sugar in this recipe. I would like to know if that’s possible.
Hi Judith! I haven’t tried cutting back since sugar is important for the meringue to form properly. It really helps to use whipped cream that is just barely sweet and adding berries gives it some tart elements to help cut the sweetness. I hope that helps!
Hi Natasha, I would like to cut the size of these mini pavlovas to 1/2 it’s size & make double with this portion. Would I keep the oven temp & timing the same?
Hi Val, you may need to reduce bake time. We do have mini pavlovas here that you may enjoy.
Hi Val, I haven’t tried that so you will have to experiment. I would check on them a little earlier to see if the shell is dry to the tap.
I recently made meringue cookies using half the sugar. They came out great. Will I be able to make this using half the sugar? Also, when making the cookies the cream of tartar was added directly into the egg whites before whipping them. Would we be able to add the corn starch to the egg whites before whipping? That way the corn starch would be completely mixed in.
Hi Judith! I haven’t tried cutting back since sugar is important for the meringue to form properly. It really helps to use whipped cream that is just barely sweet and adding berries gives it some tart elements to help cut the sweetness. I hope that helps!
So I forgot to beat the egg whites first for a minute and added sugar right away, and now beating it while writing this,, should I just re do the whole thing all over ??
Hi Alli, it may still work but will take longer to beat! I hope that worked out okay for you!
Hi Natasha,
This is a great recipe. I use it to pipe out a 9” meringue at 110 degrees celcius( I live in Israel)My meringue comes out high, billowIy like. After an hour and a half, it’s firm on the outside and like marshmellow inside. Perfect. I pull out all the stops to avoid cracking and grind my granulated sugar so it is very smooth, leave the meringue in the oven overnight, and use nonstick baking paper. BUT when it comes time to remove the meringue with the paper the next day it invariably cracks. Not all over and of course the whip cream covers the cracks. BUT I would love to know how to avoid this issue in the future… Thanks in advance! Melissa
Hi Melissa, it could be due to under baking or possibly being in a high humidity area. These are best when made and kept in a dry place at room temperature. If they are sticky, you should continue baking. Also be sure you are baking on the regular bake setting (not convection). One of our readers wrote “the reason they come out sticky is because you change the temperature realy fast like from hot oven to room temp. So what i do is bake them 1 hour and 15 min and then turn off the oven and let them sit there for 30 min like you say in your recipe and then just crack open the oven a little and let them sit there until the oven cools off completely or even longer sometimes 2 hours. ” Hope this helps.
Natasha, I love your receipes. I tried these and they came out marshmallowly but not with a crispy coat. No leakage ansd they kept their shape…just soft. What do you recommend doing to get that crispy coat? Thanks!
Hi Betty! Cornstarch is the key to allowing that to happen. Did you possibly alter the recipe in any way? I’m wondering if it needed some more time in the oven
Hello. I’ve been looking for a Pavlova recipe and this one looks perfect. My question/issue is that I have a gas oven. Meaning everything comes out nice and moist, thanks to the very humid heat. How do you think that heat will effect the outside of a Pavlova? nothing in a gas oven ever seems to get really nice and crispy on the outside.
Hi Ty, generally, humidity is not good for pavlovas and can prevent the hard shell from forming. I don’t have a gas oven to test this so if you try it out, please let me know how it goes since other smay have the same question.
Well. I made it. And I was happily surprised that it came out nice a crispy on the surface and pillow and Marshmellow in the center. The gas oven seems to have effected it very little. Cheers!
I am bringing dessert tonight for our Christmas dinner and wanted something special. This is it! My son’s girlfriend has gluten and dairy sensativities so I will server the whip cream on the side. I think they will love it, Thanks.
You’re so welcome! I hope they love it!
Hi, how many does this recipe make? Going to try them for Christmas in Chile! 🎄
Hi Stef. This makes about 14 to 15 or so Pavlovas, simply depends on the size piped. I hope this helps!
I am going to try my hand at making these beautiful pavlovas this Christmas! I don’t know if you’ve answered this before, but if I don’t have a standing mixer what else could I use to make these delicious treats? Thanks!
I hand mixer will work, it will just take a lot longer to mix that until stiff peaks form. I hope you love it!
Thanks so much!!! I look forward to trying it!
You’re so welcome! Enjoy!
Hi Natasha!
I’m planning to make your lovely pavlovas for xmas and I did a try round today! They were DELICIOUS! Thank you so much for the recipe! I wanted to ask, is it possible to put less sugar in the meringue? And if so, how much? (For my sugar intolerant friends)
Hi Ira, Thank you for the wonderful review! I haven’t tried cutting back since sugar is important for the meringue to form properly. It really helps to use whipped cream that is just barely sweet and adding berries gives it some tart elements to help cut the sweetness. I hope that helps!
Thank you! I’ll definately try that! Maybe also some raspberry syrup, to add some sourness. 🙂
You’re welcome!!
Hi Natasha! Is there a secret to making them turn out white after baking..? Mine are yellow😌☹️🤔
The lower the heat the better! If they are yellow, that means they baked too quickly or at too high of heat. I hope that helps
Yes I think that’s why my batch was burnt, my commercial gas oven was still at 250. They held their shape beautifully though. I will try again at a lower temp like 200 degrees F. Question please: if I am to substitute vinegar for lemon juice, how much do I use please?
Hi Candy, I haven’t tried it personally, but I have seen other recipes online using vinegar so I assume it’s ok, but I haven’t tested it myself so I can not advise on the amount
Natasha this recipe is so perfect, I am a Kiwi living in the US and made these yesterday for Thanksgiving, and they were such a hit, thank you!
Hi Annie! That’s so great! I’m so happy you enjoyed that!
Hi Natasha. I’ve done these many times before and they turned out awesome! Today for some reason the batter is turning out quite runny and isn’t forming into stiff peaks. I already did one batch, after baking they kind of melt and are just big circles instead of that pretty ridged “tower” from using the star tip. Any suggestions? Please help:(
Is it possibly too humid where you are now? Humidity may have that affect.
Thank you so much! I guess I wasn’t beating the egg enough before adding the sugar. I tried beating the egg for 2-3 minutes and got better results every time. I made 200+ for a wedding😩
That’s so great! I’m glad it worked out! WOW! 200 is quite a bit!!
My first time making pavlovas and they were such a hit at my party! I doubled these and made sure to use all your tips and tricks and they turned out beautiful!! I used to be scared to work with meringues but this was easy and successful, thanks so much!
You’re welcome! Thank you for sharing your great review! I’m so happy you enjoyed it
Hello. So I’ve tried making the pavlova but it doesn’t seem to work out. When I beat the yolk alone, it turns out bubbly and yellow and it’s like watery mix, even when I add the sugar it still watery base…it does not turn white and creamy and like shown in your video. Also I’m using the hands on mixer…maybe that’s the problem? Idk what to do! Please advise. Thanks.
Hi Margarita. This recipe doesn’t call for yolks. You need the egg whites part of the egg to make this recipe. This recipe calls for 6 egg whites at room temperature.You can definitely use a hand mixer but it will take a lot longer to mix to stiff peaks than a stand mixer. So watch and adjust the mix time accordingly.
Hi just wanting to check if the measurements are in metric or imperial?
Thanks
Hi Crystal! this is using the imperial system.
Hello, my pavlovas turned out crispy but for some reason quite sticky. Any suggestions as to what I may have done wrong?
Hi Liana, it could be due to under baking or possibly being in a high humidity area. These are best when made and kept in a dry place at room temperature. If they are sticky, you should continue baking. Also be sure you are baking on the regular bake setting (not convection). One of our readers wrote “the reason they come out sticky is because you change the temperature really fast like from hot oven to room temp. So what i do is bake them 1 hour and 15 min and then turn off the oven and let them sit there for 30 min like you say in your recipe and then just crack open the oven a little and let them sit there until the oven cools off completely or even longer sometime 2 hours. ” Hope this helps.
Are you using the lemon juice and corn starch in place of cream of tartar? I’ve seen other recipes that use cream of tartar without corn starch and lemon juice. So I’m wondering if I can just use that instead or is the lemon juice for flavor also?
Hi Audra, the lemon juice does add a hint of flavor as well, but maybe you are thinking of boccone dolce? Pavlovas are typically made with corn starch to get that crisp on the outside and marshmallow soft inside texture.
Oh. Ok. Thanks for the reply and explanation! I’m gonna try making them today!
Hi Natasha. we are having a huge party of over 50 people this sunday and I want to make pavlovas earlier becsue we already have many things to make so can I bake them like 2 days earlier? and then what do I do when I bake them, do I put them in the frigde, the freezer, or just in room temperature? and do I put them in ziplocks? also last question, is it okay if I don’t do the frosting? I want to do like rose pavlovas… thank you so much
Hi Victoria. I added that note to your previous comment. We kept ours in an airtight container at room temperature. Putting it in the fridge or freezer will cause it to catch moisture and can make it sticky. I hope this helps.
Can you not put the frosting and the fruits on the pavlovas? Also when you finish baking then do the freeze for like 2 days and will they melt once you take them out?
Hi Victoria. I’m not sure I understand your question. We usually top ours with cream and fruits. I haven’t tried freezing these, I’m afraid the moisutre would make it sticky. This recipe works well in dry conditions away from moisture. We keep ours in an airtight container until ready to dress up and serve.
Thank you so much for this recipe ! I just made it and they turned out perfect and delicious. I baked them longer since I’ve made them larger. Also I noticed I liked them better the next day with fresh fruit from the fridge and COLD whipped cream. It takes away from the sweetness, it was a light dessert. I recommend to use cold fruits and whipped cream.
Hi Andrea! Thank you for sharing this with us.
Hihi omg I don’t know why my pavlovas failed 😢😢… is it because I doubled the recipe ? The pavlovas didn’t cook in the centre and also stuck to the parchment paper !!!!
Hi, Farrah, it could be due to under baking or possibly being in a high humidity area. These are best when made and kept in a dry place at room temperature. If they are sticky, you should continue baking. Also be sure you are baking on the regular bake setting (not convection). One of our readers wrote “the reason they come out sticky is because you change the temperature realy fast like from hot oven to room temp. So what i do is bake them 1 hour and 15 min and then turn off the oven and let them sit there for 30 min like you say in your recipe and then just crack open the oven a little and let them sit there untill the oven cools off completely or even longer sometime 2 hours. ” Hope this helps.
I hope you don’t mind me jumping in, but I’ve always sprinkled a little bit of cornstarch on the parchment paper to keep pavlova from sticking to it.
Could lemon juice be substituted with lime juice? If so, what proportions? Thank you!
I haven’t tried it with Lime. It tends to be more bitter. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
They turned out perfect!
That’s so great!
Hello, tried this recipe and few days ago and was so shocked that it did not turn out!
Everything I try on Natashaskitchen.com turns out great but this was a complete disaster.
They came out soft and sticky. I threw them back in the oven for 10 min at 200°, but magic didn’t happen…
Something went wrong and I have no idea why! My sister said hers didn’t turn out too.
What went wrong? Please help!
Hi, Lena, it could be due to under baking or possibly being in a high humidity area. These are best when made and kept in a dry place at room temperature. If they are sticky, you should continue baking. Also be sure you are baking on the regular bake setting (not convection). One of our readers wrote “the reason they come out sticky is because you change the temperature realy fast like from hot oven to room temp. So what i do is bake them 1 hour and 15 min and then turn off the oven and let them sit there for 30 min like you say in your recipe and then just crack open the oven a little and let them sit there untill the oven cools off completely or even longer sometime 2 hours. ” Hope this helps.
Delicious!
I love this recipe!!! I am Australian and mini-pavlovas are my go-to dessert whenever we entertain! The only thing I would add to this recipe – is to dust the paper with cornflour before you pipe the meringue – this avoids any instances of the meringue sticking to the paper! 🙂
So happy you enjoyed this recipe, Mille! Thank you for the tip!
Oops! Yes, Andrea! That’s what I meant. Lemon curd. My mistake. So sorry. 🤗
Also, you can use yolks in custard cakes. I like French Apple cake from browneyedbaker.com
What a fantastic presentation! I must try this recipe after watching. Thanks for sharing.
You’re so nice! Thank you, Nana!
Hey Natasha!
Was wondering if substituting the white granulated sugar with icing (powdered) sugar would change the structure of the pavlova.
I am planning to make these tomorrow so if you could reply Asap, that would be great 👍🏻
Hi Sonia, I haven’t tried that but I suspect that it won’t beat the same way.
Cam i add food coloring to the frosting? I want make pink frosting for baby shower
Hi Angelina, I haven’t experimented with adding food coloring, but I think it would work fine in small amounts folded in at the end and a gel food coloring might be the safest so you don’t risk changing the consistency as much.
Hello, I was wondering why my egg whites are not peaking? They are liquid and I have been beating for over 20min? I would hate to throw this away.
Hi Alice, did you make sure you bowl was clean and dry (free of oil, grease or moisture)? Also, I’m not sure if it is the case, but not all egg white carton products work the same way for pavlovas since some have additives. Also, be sure you are using a high powered electric mixer with the whisk attachment.
I ended up starting all over and the second batch peaked almost immediately. I think my egg whites were too cold, and who knows what else.
They turned out great. Thank you.
You’re welcome Alice, I’m happy to hear that!
Love the recipe! Made them a couple of times now and they are always a hit! Thanks Natasha
You’re welcome Katerina! I’m glad to hear how much everyone enjoys the recipe. Thanks for sharing your excellent review!
Thank you so much for this recipe and the video to go along with it! I made these for a High Tea I hosted a few weeks ago (and will make them again tonight for a High Tea I’m hosting tomorrow)!! They were SO delicious and even my very, dry picky guest loved them!
You’re welcome Nancy! I’m glad you and your guests love the recipe. Thanks for sharing your excellent review with other readers!
Hi Natasha!
I will be making these for our engagement party but I will need to double the recipe. Would I be able to bake 2 trays at the same time? I appreciate any tips you have to offer. Thank you
-Zulie
Hi Zulema, if you are thinking about doubling the recipe, I would recommend making it twice. Most mixers cannot handle that amount of egg whites and whip them sufficiently. If you are simply trying to divide the single recipe into two baking sheets, please see my note on that in the “prep” section of the recipe. 🙂
Hi Natasha
So is it safe to make them Thursday and garnish and serve on Sunday ?
Hi Lena, This recipe is easy and you can make the meringues up to 3 days ahead of time and store loosely wrapped in a plastic bag then assemble just before your event.
Hi Natasha! I need to make about 20 of these mini pavlovas so could you please tell me how to adjust the measurements of the ingredients, or would I just have to make 2 batches?
Hi, I would make 2 batches unless you have a double oven that can accommodate them all since it isn’t recommended to leave meringue out for too long before baking.
Hi Natasha. I just made these and they are so tasty! But they came out crispy on the outside and the inside too instead of marshmallow consistency.
I thought I followed the recipe closely. Not sure if maybe the oven is too hot or it’s something else.
Hi Diana, if they were crispy on the outside as well, it sounds like the oven was too hot or maybe the convection setting was used rather than the conventional bake setting. If you think your oven runs a little hot, you may need to experiment and maybe try reducing the temperature next time by 25 degrees or so.
Is the baking temperature for ovens with fan?
Hi Alisa, I haven’t tested this in a convection oven so I can’t provide specific advice on that. Convection bakes faster with the air circulating so I would reduce the temperature since this needs time to dry out properly. Sorry I can’t provide any specific advice without testing it first.
Hi, Natasha, my name is Rebecca!
I had a question concerning the pavlovas!
I am planning to make them today for a party tomorrow, would you suggest me to make the pavlovas tonight and put whipping cream on them tomorrow? The party is at 4:00 pm should I put the cream around 1?
I just don’t want them to melt very fast!
if you can let me know ASAP that would be great!
-Thank you
Hi Rebecca, that would work fine. Store them in a cool dry place (not a humid place and never refrigerate). Assemble them just before serving since the cream will make the meringue soft as it sits. You could use an airtight container or something like a cake carrier, or put them on a baking sheet and cover with plastic bags (which I’ve done before :-O). 😉
Hi Rebecca, I’m sorry I couldn’t answer sooner. I was traveling the second half of the day and just got back to my desk to see your comment at 11:00pm. I definitely suggest making them a day ahead but adding the cream just before serving since the cream will start to soften pavlovas after it is added.
I tried these before and they turned out wonderful but I’m making them again and I had extra batter so I put it on another pan but the pan doesn’t fit on the same rack in the oven. What should I do with the extra pan that’s standing out while the first ones bake?
Hi Anna, I have a note on this in the “prep” section just before step 1, but it’s easily missed :). “(if using this large 3/4 baking sheet, you can fit them all on one sheet, otherwise, bake on 2 separate baking sheets in the top bottom third of your oven)” I hope that helps!
Hi Natasha
If they come out sticky, but inside fully baked what can be the problem?
Hi Diana, I haven’t had that occur, but it could be due to under-baking or possibly being in a high humidity area. These are best when made and kept in a dry place at room temperature. If they are sticky, you should continue baking. Also be sure you are baking on the regular bake setting (not convection).
Mine used to come out sticky all the time and I couldn’t figure out what was wrong it drove me crazy i even tried to bake them longer and that just made them brownish. Untill my sisters mother in law shes a professional cake baker and she uses meringue to decorate cakes, she told me that the reason they come out sticky is because you change the temperature realy fast like from hot oven to room temp. So what i do is bake them 1 hour and 15 min and then turn off the oven and let them sit there for 30 min like you say in your recipe and then just crack open the oven a little and let them sit there untill the oven cools off completely or even longer sometime 2 hours. They never came out sticky again. Thanks for a great recipe Natasha, I make them all the time. My family’s favorite dessert.
My pleasure Tammy, thanks for sharing your helpful tip!
Followed the recipe according to the adjustments to make 8 pavlovas. I even left them in the oven after baking as advised. They came out a sticky light brown on the outside and uncooked on the inside. They also smelled very eggy. I’m sure I did something wrong somewhere. Would definitely try it again so that I can leave a fairer rating
Hi Winnay, it sounds like the oven may have been too hot. Make sure to use the conventional (regular) bake mode and NOT convection. You might try reducing the temperature by 15 degrees, especially if your oven runs hot. They should be crisp to the touch on the outside and marshmallow soft on the inside. Also, could it be that the eggs were under-beaten. Lastly, be sure to make the recipe exactly as stated (without substitutions) for the correct consistency to form. I hope that helps!
Hi Natasha, I want to make these but I don’t have corn starch….:( do you think they will still turn out? I’m wondering how corn starch plays a role in these…..
Hi Lena, the corn starch is important to achieve the proper texture inside the Pavlova and make it marshmallow soft inside. One of my readers reported great results using potato starch if that helps.
Hello Natasha,
I want to make this today, but could you please tell me how much it will be 1.5 cups of sugar in grams?
Thank you in advance.
Hi Valeria, you might find this tutorial on how we measure useful. Also, 1.5 cups sugar is about 300 grams.
Hi Natasha. My name is Tatiyana. I am going to make this very soon and I need to know what brand of eggs did you use, for example: Egg Lands Best, Free Range, The Happy Egg Co., and etc. I want to know this information because i heard that alot of people have been having a hard time trying to figure out which kind of eggs to use. So i want to know which kind, You used to see if I could buy that particular kind. Please get back to me as soon as you can. Thank you, bye Natasha
Hi Tatiyana, we normally use Simple Truth Cage Free brand from Fred Meyer or First Light (the cheaper brand). Pretty much any egg should work – maybe stay away from the ones that say “pasteurized.” I wonder if that is what causes the troubles for people? I haven’t had any issues with any of the various eggs I’ve tried but I do not buy the pasteurized ones.
I’ve made these, followed the recipe to the “T”, but mine came out light brown. It tastes perfect, but it’s not white. What could’ve been the cause?
Hi Michelle, Did you bake them in a conventional oven (not convection) in the center of your oven? Not all ovens are created equal so it also may be that your oven runs a little hot. If they are yellow, that means they baked too quickly or at too high of heat. I hope that helps!
Coul you tell me how large the nests are? I mean approximately the size of their diameter? Thank you
Hi Cindy, if you make them the diameter of a muffin, you’ll get 36 of them 😬
Well muffins can be different sizes but I guess I can look a the diameter of muffin moulds in a muffin pan. Is that what you mean?
Cindy, make them around 3″ in diameter. Have a Merry Christmas 😬
Can you refrigerate the pavlovas with the cream?
Once the cream is on, you want to consume these within 4 hours. In general, do not refrigerate meringue because the moisture from the fridge will soften the meringue.
Actually, I put them in an airtight container and refrigerated them overnight and they were fine.
That’s awesome!! Maybe it was the airtight container that saved them! 🙂 Thanks for sharing 🙂
Yes. I’ve done it everytime I’ve made a Pavlova. Just as what was stated, make sure to put it in an airtight container. I use my cake carrier. You will get a bit of condensation on the shell but it’s not something that’ll make you not want to eat them. In fact, my entire family loves a good piece of Pavlova the next day, even two days later. Refrigerating them helps the whipping cream to hold up even if you mixed say a lemon curd into it. Will say this…. not one piece of Pavlova ever made its way into the trashcan, lol….
Hi,
Any recommendations for the use of egg yolks? Do you have any recipe I could use?
Thank you.
Hi Alexandra, I don’t really have many egg yolk only recipes. My custard cake uses alot of egg yolks. If anyone else has any great suggestions, please share and thanks in advance!! 🙂
scramble them…
Alton Brown’s chocolate ice cream!
I use egg whites in the carton for pavlova.
Use yolks for lemon custard, and you can use it for your mini Pavlovas instead of whipped cream. I use lemon custard recipe from joyofbaking.com It’s excellent and easy to make.
I can’t find a lemon custard recipe on joyofbaking.com/ Do you mean lemon curd?
My husband and I went to Key West for our 30 year anniversary, i chose this recipe because this recipe used 6 egg whites and the key lime recipe also used 6 egg yolks, it was a total win, win! Great to have two options of deserts for our dinner parties
That’s so great, Rosanne!
Ice cream base. Custard for a pie. Lemon curd. All good uses for orphan egg yolks.
Hi!
When we were in Key West, the “famous” key lime pie is Kermit’s, everyone has a key lime pie version and they are all pretty good. I bought a bottle of Kermit’s key lime juice and used the recipe on the label which calls for 6 egg yolks, you can order the juice online. I have made mini/cupcake size as well, they were delish! Hope that helps!
Is one mini Pavlova right for each person. Or using your recipe, can they be made larger with same cooking time. Want to use for Xmas dinner. Great video!
Hi Dan, they can be made larger but will need additional baking time so you’ll have to guess-timate based on how large you make them (maybe 1.5 hours?).
Hi Natasha! I have a question! Can I use carton egg whites from Costco? Would it still turn out good? Thank you!
Hi Larysa, I haven’t tried that product so I’m not sure. Does it have any additives in it? Sometimes they are pasteurized which makes them more difficult to work with and achieve the correct consistency with meringues. Because of this, I think it’s safest to use egg whites directly from the egg.
I have been doing Minipavlovas for years – once are better, once are worse. Sometimes meringues are very spread, sometimes they are very cracked. Up to yesterday – when I discovered your blog, Natasha, and follow your (video) instructions – my minipavlovas are magnificent. Thanks – thanks – thanks. Little piece of knowledge: I assemble them by mascarpone whipped with a small amount of good alcohol , instead of whipped cream. They will remain fresh for longer time.
I’m so glad to hear that Sylva! Thanks for sharing your great review with other readers!!
This sounds Devine !!! Thank you for the tips !
Sylva,
How much mascarpone and alcohol do you use? And what kind of alcohol? Brandy? Rum? Grand Marnier? Thank you for your time.
Hello!
I just made these and they are quite tasty! However, mine were crisp all the way through and the surfaces cracked. I live in Denver. Could the altitude be my problem since the times/temps listed were followed exactly?
Any other recommendations?
Hi Rachel, it could possibly be due to altitude. Does your oven usually run too hot? It sounds like they were baked at too high of heat or for too long. Oh, also, be sure you are using a conventional oven and NOT convection since convection will bake things quicker.
I made this recipe today and it is perfect. I topped it with a cranberry and blackberry relish and fresh whipped cream. Great recipe,
I’m happy to hear that! Thanks for sharing your great review Brendan!
Hello! I was wondering what would happen if I dip the pavlova into melted chocolate? Is the heat going to melt the pavlova itself? Thank you !
Joanie, I haven’t tried that but probably won’t dip Pavlova in hot chocolate but drizzle over instead with melted chocolate.
Hello,
I’ve made mini pavlovas before and once they cooled and hardened I dipped them in melted chocolate and placed them on baking paper to set and they turned out great!
Hello 🙂 I was wondering if it is possible to add coloration to the pavlova? Thank you
Hi Joanie, I haven’t experimented with adding food coloring, but I think it would work fine in small amounts folded in at the end and a gel food coloring might be the safest so you don’t risk changing the consistency as much.
Hi there!! 🙂
Just made these and these were fantastic!! 🙂 🙂
Hello Caroline! I’m glad you love the recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Hi! How many grams of sugar are in this particular cup?
Hi A.R. 1 cup of sugar is 210 grams so 1.5 cups is 315 grams of sugar for this recipe.
Why did my pavlovas turn out a little sticky to the touch ?
Hi Katie, it could be due to underbaking or possibly being in a high humidity area. These are best when made and kept in a dry place at room temperature. If they are sticky, you should continue baking. Also be sure you are baking on the regular bake setting (not convection).
I have 8 egg whites that are already together. What kind of modifications do you think I need to do to make it work, if that’s possible?
Thank you!
Hi Nadia, you will have to scale everything up by 25% or add 1/4 more of all the ingredients. I hope you have a large enough mixer! 😉
Can you freeze this meringue once its cooked?
Hi Greg, meringue should not be frozen or refrigerated or it will soften and become gooey from the moisture.
Hi my mini pavlova became gluey and sticky , can I cook them again?? How can I correct it??? Asap my daughter’ birthday today
Hi Bhamini, that can happen for a number of reasons; if the palvovas were underbaked (they should be hard to the tap on the outside when baked), make sure to keep them in a low humidity area (DO NOT refrigerate or freeze them) and finally, add creamy only just before serving. I have never put them back in the oven so I’m not sure if that would repair them or make the situation worse – you could try but it may be that they need to be re-made.
Okay so I just made these for the first time ever….OMG they are so good and so pretty! Thank you so much for taking the time to post this recipe and the video. I just love your recipes, I made the blueberry cake last week and it was a major success! <3
You’re welcome Nikki! I’m glad to hear you enjoying the recipes so much! Thanks for following and sharing your wonderful review!
I cannot find the video mentioned for this recipe. I’m wondering how many mini-pavlovas this recipe makes? I’ve always made one plate-size serving but would rather make individual serving sizes. How many and how large should they be before baking?
Here is the direct link to the video and recipe for individual pavlovas! I hope this answers your questions Ann!
Hi Natasha, can I prepare whipped cream frosting put it in piping bag and refrigerate for 3-4 hours before using it? Want to come from church and quickly pipe it on, should be fast
Hi Katie, I have done that before and it will work. Whipped cream does tend to soften just slightly after refrigerating awhile but I have kept fully frosted cakes (with whipped cream) overnight and it held up. Just make sure you whip until you have a thick and spreadable frosting consistency (without overbeating and turning it to butter ofcourse ;).
Thank You 😊 thought so too just wanted to make sure
Looks very Nice! But im from Denmark, and have no idea og what corn starch is?? 🙃😕
Hi Sasja, you might try using google translate and see if that gives you a more familiar name for it. I haven’t tested other starches like potato starch so I’m not sure if they would substitute well in this recipe. Sorry I can’t be more helpful!
corn flour is corn starch
Hi Janie, thanks for sharing. Just from a quick google search, it looks like corn starch may be referred to as corn flour in the UK but I’ve never heard of that reference in the US. 🙂
I just made 5 batches of this recipe for a wedding, the last was made using potato starch and they turned out fine, there is little difference between corn and potato. In fact James Pepin recommends the potato over the corn. Great recipe btw.
That is so great to know! Thank you Randy!! 🙂
whoops! Just read this so I guess its fine to use potato starch instead, do I use the same amount then?
Hi Maris, yes the same amount.