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:
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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.
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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.
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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?
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Hello, I love your recipes, but am now following a low carb diet. Is it possible to substitute Swerve (erithritol) or another natural sweetener for the sugar?
Thank you!
Hi Elita, for this recipe, make sure to use the same kind of sugar. It won’t turn out with a substitute.
Hi Natasha, I’ve done this pavlovas and they are the best, perfect, thank you so much for sharing your recipe!!
Tomorrow my grandkids comes to visit, I want to make these for them, but I don’t have Whipping Cream, I was wondering if can I use those whipping cream that come in cans, I have two that I bought at Costco, they are big. Please, can you tell me if I can use them instead the regular whipping cream that you have to make. I don’t want to go to the store again, now with the pandemic I like to go only once a week!
Thank you!!! Blessings!!!!
Hi Cristina! I haven’t tested this with heavy whipping cream to advise.
These are really delicious, but I made the mistake of trying to make them using store-bought egg whites They would not stiffen up despite 15 minutes of beating. So don’t try store-bought egg whites!
Nice to know that you still enjoyed the result despite some issues with the egg. Thanks for sharing that with us, Carol!
I thought these were a little too sweet, even though I cut the sugar to 1 1/4 cups. I will try cutting to 1 cup next time.
Also, the bottoms were VERY chewy – difficult to cut through without a knife. What would cause that?
Hi Kris, cutting the sugar can affect the overall texture – also be sure to bake right away or they can start to pool at the bottoms if they are left out too long before baking which can result in a chewy bottom.
Hi Natasha!
I’m excited to try this pavlova recipe, however, some of my family members don’t like lemon. Do the pavlovas have a lemon taste because of the juice? If so, is their a substitute I could use? Thanks!
Hi Mary, the lemon adds just a hint of flavor, but these do not have a strong lemon taste.
Hi Natasha, I love your recipes, and I had a question. Could we still make these mini pavlovas turn out well without the star tip? I don’t have any frosting tips at home, so could I just use the end of a Ziploc bag instead?
Hi Vanessa, I bet that could work. I hope you love this recipe.
Hi Natasha. Yesterday while making i followed exactly the timing you gave and when I opened the oven to take the pavlovas out I was not able to hold them with my finger. My fingers were going inside. Does it mean pavlova is undercooked? And then again I turned on the oven and kept for another 10 mins and then left inside oven for 20 mins. This time it was cooked. But inside it was dried. A kind of biscuit and chewy. Inside how it should be? Please can you guide me? Sorry for long comment
Hi Ameena, they should feel dry when you tap on them but they will be soft inside when you bite into them. Make sure you are baking on conventional bake mode and not convection which would cook them faster.
I made them yesterday. Thank you thank you thank you for this amzing recipe. It was sooo delicious… ❤️
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
Hi, these pavlova are delicious! I would like to make them half the size. How would you recommend to adjust with baking and drying?
Thank you for an amazing recipe.
Hi Jess, I haven’t tried making these any smaller but I suspect it would take less time in the oven.
Hey! I love your recipes and I wanted to try and make these but I won’t have time to test them before we have some friends over for dinner and the problem is that we are at high altitude. All your other recipes have been fine but this one worries me, do I need to do anything differently for high altitude?
Hi Ardyn, I don’t have any way of testing this at a high altitude, but I would suggest googling a standard baking adjustment for your altitude to be safe.
Natasha, I LOVE your recipes & videos! I have loved every one I’ve tried, and recommend you often!
I made these mini pavlovas for Valentine’s Day, topped with raspberries and blueberries (couldn’t get mint). My husband and I LOVED them as a light dessert after a steak dinner. My kiddos got to try them & liked them so much. I must’ve made them a little small…it made so many! Haha. So we shared with a neighbor, and my sister in laws family. My nieces loved them, I showed them your video to explain how I’d made them. I’m making more today to gift to 2 friends who have birthdays tomorrow! Love these!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sounds awesome! Thanks for your wonderful review, Rebekah. I’m glad you liked it and you were able to share it with others too.
Hi! I was wondering how to get it thicker? Mine didn’t form stiff peaks:(
Hi Emma, make sure to use the same kind of sugar, also room temp whites helps and be sure to beat long enough. A stand mixer is more effective so if using a hand mixer, you would have to beat much longer.
Hi, it’s the 2 time i made them. The first time they came out perfect. I don’t know what went wrong this time. The middle was hard and sticking to teeth. While the outside was dry and crumbling.
Hi Natalia, 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 sometimes 2 hours. ” I Hope this helps.
Hi Natasha!
I am looking to make this recipe for a project. If I substituted potato starch, would I use the same amount of potato starch as corn starch? Thank you so much, and I can’t wait to make this!
Hi Mariana, I haven’t tested substituting to advise of the measurements, but one of our readers reported great results using potato starch.
Any idea if it will turn out the same if I substituted the sugar with monk fruit?
Hi Olga, I haven’t tested that so I don’t know if it would form properly.
I am gonna give it a go, finally found monk fruit sweetener, will let you know how it turns out 😁
I’m going to make these for my daughter’s birthday. Recently, I had them at a restaurant and they used lemon curd instead of the cream. It was delicious so I am going to go with that.
How many does your recipe make?
Hi Carol, the serving size is at the top of the recipe card. I hope you love the pavlovas.
I don’t think it will work on a silicone mat but you can be the first one to try it!
I don’t think it will work on a silicone mat but you can be the first one to try it!
Hi Natasha! Thanks for sharing it with me! These turned out great and I really love this recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoeyd this recipe, Nelly!
I really loved this recipe and am thankful that I found it!
I’m so glad you discovered our blog! Thank you for sharing that wonderful feedback, Nelly!
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe with me! The pavlovas turned out GREAT!
You are very welcome, Nelly. I’m so glad you loved it!
Hi, Natasha, thanks for the recipe. it was a big hit with my friends. I was just wondering if it is possible to reduce the amount of sugar {it was a bit too sweet for me}? will it affect the texture or the density? could i use more lemon juice? any suggestions?
Hi Natalia, it may impact density, but one of our readers did write in saying they used 1 1/4 cup of sugar instead of 1 1/2 cup. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Can I pipe them onto a silicone mat instead of parchment paper?
Hi Nadia, I have only tried this on parchment paper to advise on a silicone mat.
So they did turn out but definitely needed a little longer baking time. They tasted a little raw in the center by the time in the recipe. Gonna stick to parchment for now 🙂
I make pavlova without cornstarch at all just egg whites. Sugar. Vanilla and vinegar and comes out perfect 👌
So good to know that, Christine. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Natasha,
When I tried out this recipe, there was a translucent liquid leaking out of the base of the pavlovas. I assume this to be me being slow in the folding of the vanilla, flour, and lemon juice.
Furthermore, after letting the pavlova cool down in the oven for half an hour, it was still giving a marshmallow consistency.
I am in a very humid country and was wondering if the humidity could be the reason why my pavlovas do not harden?
Hi Chris, humidity is the biggest culprit to why you are getting the marshmallow consistency. You may need to bake it longer and make sure you are not opening the oven door to check on it, letting humidity in.
I have been making pavlova for more than 30 years and have never put corn starch or lemon in mine and they have always turned out perfectly. British recipes that I have used called for cream of tarter and as I usually didn’t have that skipped it too. I’m going to try your recipe and see how it compares
Hi Pat! Thank you for sharing that with me! I hope you like this recipe!
Hi Natasha,
I am planning to make these for Christmas and thinking I will do a test run this weekend, I’ve had a look through the recipe, comments and notes and can’t find if the 225 is Celsius or Fahrenheit?
Thank you 🙂
Hi Kate, that is fahrenheit!
Hi Natasha, the first time I made these they were perfect and delicious. Now they are in the oven for the correct time and f but they turn this yellow/cream color and are sticky as if not ready. What do I do to fix it?
Hi Sofiya, make sure to bake them on regular bake mode and not to increase the heat to speed up the process since that is what causes them to change color. I would reduce the temp and continue baking until they are dry on the outside and firm to the tap.
Hii natasha, why does my pavlova have liquid coming out from pavlova?
HI Lisa, this can happen if you let the pavlova sit for awhile before putting it into the oven. Also, make sure not to refrigerate the baked pavlova since the moisture from the fridge can cause the liquid to form.
Oh, so i have to put it straight away in the oven.. Thank youuu ♥♥
Hi Natasha!! I was wondering what if i bake the pavlova at night but i want to serve it the next day for lunch.. will it be ok
Love your recipe, its very easy to follow…
Thank you, Lisa. Yes that will work, you might want to check this part in the recipe Can I Make Pavlovas Ahead?
How can I make theses chocolate? Love your videos and recipes!!!
Hi Cindy, I haven’t tried a chocolate version so without testing it, I couldn’t really give you instructions.
Hi Natasha, I am planning to practice the mini pavlova serving before making the whole one, it says 6 egg whites needed , but i want to try making in a halves of all the ingredients, the question is how much time i should bake the mini pavlova like 7 pcs only for a try? i am very happy to hear from you soon.Thanks
Hi, great question, they should still be the same size so the bake time shouldn’t change.
Hi! Just wondering if it would work to substitute the cornstarch for cream of tarter?
Hi Serene, it won’t work properly. I would suggest following the recipe as written.
If I halved the recipe, how long would i put them in the oven for
Hi Saipranathi, You may need to cut down the time by some but it shouldn’t be a major difference.
How long u think 5 pavlovas would take?
Hi Pranathi! That would depend on your oven capacity and how many you can bake simultaneously. If your oven fits one at a time then I would say five times the amount listed.
I can fit all 5 at the same time, so would u say around 25 min ?
Since there is more at the same time you may need to increase time slightly but I would watch it closer. Unless you are making 5 small ones out of the original recipe quantities?
Tried this recipe TWICE. Could never get egg mixture to stiff peaks. Don’t have a stand mixer. Even after 90 minutes using hand mixer on high – no luck. Made flat but tasty little cakes. Please advise.
Hi Donna, it sounds like it might be due to the type of mixer being used. Also, make sure if you are using egg whites from a carton that they don’t have any additives. I have had readers report difficulty using carton whites.
Donna, if any yolk gets in the whites, they won’t whip up. It’s best practice to make sure you clean your tools and wipe with a little bit of vinegar on a paper towel to get all of the grease out before starting. A hand mixer doesn’t seem like the cause for it staying flat. Also the carton eggs tend to not work well. Hope this helps!
Hi Natasha, I’ve try this recipe 3rd time now , for some reason mine turns like sugar dust. What I’m I doing wrong ? I let them stay at 225 for 1:15min and additional 30min without opening the door. Also i substitute the sugar for erythritol, wonder if that makes a difference?
Hi Sanda, I am betting it’s probably due to the erythritol. I haven’t tried that substitution and I haven’t had that result so I suspect it’s that.
Ensure you don’t use a plastic bowl, it is best using ceramic, metal or glass, and a quick wipe out with vinegar beforehand will ensure there are no residues in it. As a long time pavlova maker, that can be worst thing to stop your egg white whipping up properly.
Hi Natasha,
It is very pretty but I was disappointed with mine For the texture, I am unsure why the Pavlova is stick to the porcelain base that I use for baking, we did not taste a lot of the meringue, more the topping itself. Unsure what went wrong, it is very sticky when we serve. After the bake it was crispy. Is it because I left 5min in the fridge before serving or reduce sugar? Thank you.
Hi, I would recommend following the baking instructions with using parchment paper. This would stick otherwise. I would also not recommend letting them sit in the refrigerator because refrigeration adds moisture and they can become sticky. I hope that helps!
Is it possible to do the small pavlovas without piping? Just dollop on the parchment?
Hi Anna, they won’t be as pretty but that will work!
These turned out great! I’ll need more practice with getting them on the sheet until they’re as cute as yours but they were absolutely delicious and a huge hit! Thank you – love the individual servings!
You’re welcome! Practice makes perfect, I’m sure it will look so much better next time. Thanks for giving this recipe a try!
Hi Natasha
I just bake this today. I reduced the amount of sugar and baked it slightly longer. The pavlova turns out well. I even shared it with my neighbours. Your recipe is super easy to follow. Thank you so much!
Fantastic! Thanks for your excellent review, we’re so glad you and your neighbors enjoyed it!
Liana, how much did you reduce the sugar to?
Hi,
I use 1 1/4 cup of sugar instead of 1 1/2 cup.
Hi Natasha
Can add color to this recipe.
Hi Fanny, food coloring would be ok in small amounts
I made this recipe to the letter, and it came out SOOO GOOD!
Question for you Natasha,
How can I adjust the recipe to make smaller portions?
I’m making this recipe next month and my guests would appreciate something a bit smaller.
Please let me know!
Much appreciated
Amber
Hi Amber, you are welcome to pipe smaller Pavlovas, you may need to adjust bake time slightly. Also, we have the recipe slider on the printable recipe card where you can adjust how many you would like to make.
Hiii! Made this recipe and it was perfect! I love it! Do you have any tips on storing it because i have to make it the night before and will be serving it in the morning. Thank you! Love your recipes!
Hi Angelica, yes that would work to make them in advance and 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).
Hi Natasha! I made these (just the merengue part) two days ago and they were solid on the outside but Slightly sticky to the touch. I made them again last night in attempts to get a better result so I kept the oven on for 1.5 hrs and left them in overnight to completely cool and they are again slightly sticky to the touch. Are they supposed to be sticky or am I doing something wrong? Thank you!
Hi Masha, 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 sometimes 2 hours. ” I Hope this helps.
Watch out for overuse of Cornstarch, that can increase “chewiness” and stickiness. This recipe is exactly perfect, if you follow it step-by-step and measurement by measurement it should turn out perfect :). Please note that Cornstarch is 2 tea spoons (not table spoons). Good luck!
Fantastic recipe Natasha! Followed it to the T and the result was perfect pavlovas. Everyone loved it. Only thing is it was too sweet for my taste but kids enjoyed! Btw, all recipes of yours I’ve tried so far did not disappoint once. Keep up the good work!
Yay, that makes me so happy! Thank you so much for your good comments and feedback.
I needed to make something for my friend who’s celiac, and thought this would be a great option – they were delicious! I sadly didn’t have my piping tips with me, but i just formed them with the spatula for a “natural” look. Thanks for the recipe
You’re welcome, Marissa! I’m so happy you enjoyed that!
Heey! I loved this recipe! I was wondering, if I want to do even smaller pavlovas, should I bake them the same amount of time? and also, could I add food coloring?
Again thanks, really good recipe!
Hi Mariana, food coloring would be ok in small amounts. I haven’t tried these even smaller so it is difficult to guess on the bake time.
Absolute perfection. Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe. Eva
You are so welcome! I am glad you loved the pavlova.
This recipe is one of the best that I have tried! Great for mini or adjusted for a large pavlove. Quick info though, pavlovas are not Ukrainian or Russian. They are in fact Australian. They were made for when the famous Ballerina Anna Pavlova came and visited and it was named after her.
Yes you are correct but Anna is actually from Russia. Also anyone know how can make dairy free whipped cream without coconut, and the meruinges were delicious. Off the charts on this one!!!!
These pavlovas are the best ones I ever tasted! Thanks for the recipe😘
So lovely to hear that. Thanks for your excellent review, Tatiana!
Such a great recipe! They came out perfectly. All of your recipes are absolutely fantastic. Thank you for all your help in the kitchen! 🙂
My pleasure! Thanks also for trying out this recipe, I am so glad you loved it!
hii what if i bake the meringue with two racks, will it affects the texture of the meringue?
Hi Delilah, we have done that just fine. Make sure they are not too close to each other.
Would it work with less sugar..??
It may work with less but I haven’t tried cutting back since sugar is important for the meringue to form properly.
Perfect recipe! Turns out perfect every time, thank you!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
my pavlova was more like a biscuit. it was hard from inside too, was it because of over baking? should i bake it for less period of time as my oven was on 120 degree celsius. And can we save the pavlova mixture for later or should it used at the same time?
It sounds like overbaking – 225˚F converted is 107˚C. 120 celsius is too hot. The pavlova mixture should be baked after making it or it will start to melt at the bottoms as it sits.
I have some in the oven now. It is the first time I’ve ever made pavlova and I am excited to try them. I’m going to put my freshly made rhubarb curd in them with some other delights…I just don’t know what yet.
Thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome! I hope you love this recipe!
Hi Natasha.What ars you making with the leftover yolks?
Hi Tatyana, I don’t really have many egg yolk only recipes. My custard cake uses a lot of egg yolks.
ekleri? with egg yolks
i made lemon curd with the leftover yolk! So delicious
How did you use the lemon curd?
I made eggs Benedict earlier in the day and the hollandaise sauce required egg yolks so nothing left over
I made creme brûlée with the the leftover egg yolks. Found a recipe on Pinterest!
i wanted to ask if we can use 2 days old stored egg whites. and also i have a gas oven so at what temperature should i bake it and it should be in degree celcius
Hi Fatima, that should be ok as long as they are covered and refrigerated for those 2 days. The less air the better though – so pick a container that isn’t too large.
I really like it. I do Pavlova every time when I have guests and they are surprised. Thank you soo much for this recipe
That’s nice! I agree this is one of our favorites at home too.
Nom! These were so easy and so good! I had never even heard of pavlova, but I was looking for recipes to use up extra egg whites. I’m so glad I found this recipe! The recipe worked perfectly and is delicious. It even turned out looking pretty although I’ve only piped something once before. Natasha’s video was really helpful to show me what to do, particularly for piping and shaping the pavlova “nests”. I’ll definitely be making these again. They make a really nice, light dessert.
I’m so glad this was helpful! Thank you for sharing that amazing review with me Jamie!
Hi Natasha, I kept them in the oven for 1hr 15min, and then left them there for 30 more min, but they’re still not dried out like they should be. What can I do?
Hi Kelly, It sounds like they are not quite done. I would recommend double-checking your oven temp. Moisture can also affect the texture.
Omg. I made this recipe and the pavlovas turned out perfect. Thank you for the wonderful recipe. I love all your recipes
Love it! So glad you enjoyed it, Maria.
Hello Natasha,I just tried zour recipe, but my mini Pavlovas are not made, they are still creamy…I will let them 20min more, with ventilation on…Did this ever happened to you? Thank you
Hi Stefana, It sounds like they are not quite done. I would recommend double-checking your oven temp. Moisture can also affect the texture.
Hey Natasha, I tried your recipe to a t, but for whatever reason, they were crumbly. What I mean is..You couldn’t Use your hands to hold one up. I had to use a spoon to eat them. Idk if I have to refrigerate them before putting whipped cream on them or what. Mind you I have a hand mixer. Any tips? Otherwise they taste nice. It’s just not in a cookie form.
Hi Brie, they shouldn’t crumble and you should be able to move them with your hands. After adding the toppings, you would need to eat them with a spoon and that is normal since the weight of the toppings will make it hard to transfer them after.
This recipe is truly amazing. It took me a couple times to master but it was absolutely worth it (I was being stubborn with some of the instructions).
Natasha is such a great cook
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Hi, Natasha!
Thank you so much for this recipe! This was my first time making pavlovas, and I am now in love with this dessert. I have researched many other recipes for making pavlovas, but I chose this one because it used simple ingredients and seemed easy to make. I followed your recipe exactly, and the pavlovas turned out amazing – I loved the gentle and almost goey of the meringue. I was also surprised to get 26 pavlovas instead of 15 (even though they were pretty big in size), but it is always nice to get more than expected 😀
That is so awesome to hear, Anna. Thank you for sharing your experience with us and for giving this recipe great feedback. I’m so glad you loved it!
These are amazing! Thank you for great recipe. Anything I’ve tried from your website, always turn out great!
I’ve followed the recipe and for some reason they turned out sticky. What could be the problem? Could it be the eggs? I’ve used organic ones. So, I put it back in the oven For another 20-30 min. Turned it off and just left it there over night. They turned ivory color and dried up inside. Just a little bit of stickiness was left, but much better. I’m sure that’s not how they supposed to turn out, but they still tasted amazing!
Also another question. For the cream, it says “very cold’. Cold as in put it in a freezer for a little? My cream turned out like a spray one in the bottle that they use for coffee drinks. Is it how it’s supposed to be?
HI Ale, 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 sometimes 2 hours. ” I Hope this helps.
I tried again. This time, I used non organic eggs, and it worked! So, I think, in my case, eggs where the issue last time.
What brand of whipping cream do you use? Mine turns out too light… And gets little watery after some time.
Hi Ale, we buy heavy whipping cream at Costco or at our local grocery store. Brands can vary but most recently Darigold from Costco.
Hello! My pavlovas turned out perfect with color and how it baked. But I was wondering why did they crack? I cooked it at 225 (non conventional) for 1 hr and 20 min. And let them sit in oven for 30 min. After I turned oven off
Hi Katy, 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 always use organic eggs for all my baking, so I doubt that was what caused your problem!
I would add 6 stars if I could. Perfect recipe! I fell in love with pavlova in Ireland and have always been afraid to make it. I tried it tonight and they turned out perfect! They were brilliant white, crispy on the outside and marshmallow goodness on the inside. I followed the recipe exactly. Thank you for making my pavlova dreams come true!
Thank you so much for your great comments, Kristy. It’s very inspiring and motivating for me to read this. I really appreciate it and I’m so glad that you found the perfect recipe that you’re looking for!
Very tasty, but mine cracked really badly! I baked it on “bake” then changed it to “conventional” because they came out completely raw inside. I think this recipe needs to specify how large these should be, because depending on their size, one would need to bake it more or less. But other than that, family loved them!
Just kidding, it does have the size. I missed that part. I think mine were close to 4.5 inches wide.. th ook longer to bake
Hi Zoe, make sure to bake these on regular or conventional baking mode (not convection). Convection will cause them to bake faster on the outside the way you described. They should be marshmallow soft on the inside.
Tried them yesterday, I must’ve made them smaller cause I got enough extra composition to make mini merengues that everyone devoured in seconds!
Today I try the combination with lemon curd also. Thanks for the great recipe!
You’re welcome, Mirela. Thank you for sharing that with us and I hope you love every recipe that you try.
Looked gorgeous and tasted even better. I must have messed something up in that I never quite got to stiff peaks after adding the sugar, despite beating for ~25 minutes and giving up. However, it was just stiff enough to keep its shape when piped and baked up beautifully. I did did 1.5x everything since I had 9 egg whites to use up. I was worried about making these because I had heard how difficult pavlova can be, but I couldn’t have been happier with how these turned out.
I’m so glad it worked out Sam! That’s so great!
Hi Natasha…love your recipes. What about adding cream of tartar?
Hi Diana, that can work here although the corn starch helps to achieve the correct texture – crisp on the outside and marshmallow-soft on the inside. I’ve made meringue cookies with cream of tartar and no cornstarch but those were fully dry inside.
Hi Natasha,
Could I used cool whip on top instead of whipped cream?
Thanks!
Hi Bridgette, I have not tested that with cool whip but it may work. I worry the cool whip may melt onto and make the meringue sticky. If you experiment I would love to know how you like this recipe.
Hi im Rabia. I’m a great fan of yours and love ur recepies and videos. Tried making pavlovas today. They shaped up well and looked beautiful while in the oven
I was meticulous about the correct measurement, oven speed/temperature and baking time. Made sure I followed all the instructions completely.
My pavlovas once out of oven flattened, very sticky to touch and were ivory coloured. Pls guide what could hv gone wrong
Thanks
Hi Rabia, 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.
It would have been extremely helpful and quite frankly crucial information to include a C or F after the baking temeprature. Because 225° is a common baking temp in C and I have never made meringues before I didn’t think and put them in at 225°C which translates to 437°F. Needless to say they started smelling burnt in about 5min. I don’t know if they will turn out but I’m pissed at such an important piece of information being missing from the recipe and pissed at myself for not realizing they’d obviously not be baking this long at that temp. Oh well.
Hi Gudrun, that is such a bummer. Yes, that would be much too hot for pavlovas. I checked the recipe and we did state 225˚F to specify that it should be in Farenheight.
Hello from Mexico! I’ve also become a victim of the °F oversight. Since it doesn’t seem likely that Americans will be adopting the metric system any time soon, I’d recommend stating the equivalent temperature in Celsius in parentheses. That would be a great help for the rest of the world.
Hi Gustavo, thank you so much for that suggestion! We are currently working on adding metric measurements to all of our recipes but it is taking some time as we have to add them one at a time. Thank you so much for being patient!
It was my first time making these cookies for my wife for valentine’s day and they turned out great. I didn’t have any lemon juice so ì substituted it for lemonade. I also put red sprinkles on top before I put them in the oven. I filled the cookies on top with lemon curd and fresh blueberries and strawberries. These turned out great.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Hi Natasha, I love your recipes and the way you present them. Have tried a few and they were a hit. I so want to make these mini pavlovas but the issue is I dont have an oven. I bake cakes in big pan on stove and they come out fine. Can you please give me a rough idea that (A.) do I have to bake them at low gas (as compared to the cakes) (B.) Can I check them in between as I won’t be able to see throught the steel cover of the pan. Please pls guide, thanks
Hi Rabya, pavlovas are very picky treats. I have not tested that on a stop top to advise. They do require a very low heat for a long period of time. If you end up testing that I would love to know how you like this recipe.
Thank you for a quick response. Really appreciate and would definitely let you know how they came out. Fingers crossed
Hi Natasha. I tried this recipe yesterday on the stove top n it came out perfect. My family loved it n it was gone in minutes. It’s just that mine came out ivory which still is a pretty colour Thx a lot for the great work you do
Hi Natasha. I tried this recipe yesterday on the stove top n it came out perfect. My family loved it n it was gone in minutes. It’s just that mine wasn’t white as yours, rather it came out ivory which still is a pretty colour any tips on how to achieve whiteness. Thx a lot for the great work you do
Hi Rabya, The lower the heat the better! If they are yellow/ beige, that means they baked too quickly or at too high of heat. I hope that helps
Great thanks. Would try baking them at a lower temperature next time 🙂
I made mini pavlovas yesterday from a different recipe and much prefer yours. Mine are not white like yours, more of a beige color. Any idea why and what I can do differently? Thank you so much for this great recipe.
Hi Lisa, it could be that your oven is running hotter (also make sure not to use a convection oven setting, but a conventional bake mode). Also, make sure to use granulated sugar and not a beige-colored substitution (such as the organic sugars).
Would it work to bake 2 batches at one time, as in 2 pans inside? Means one pan would have to wait 10 mins while other one is mixing before placing both into the oven.
One batch is not enough for family of 6.
Hi Olga, That may work! You may need to keep the second one in there a little longer. Be sure to be gentle and be quick with opening and closing the oven door. The pavlova is very sensitive.
Dear Natashaskitchen
I was very excited making this pav looked awesome making it my problem is the oven temp you said 225 well I put my pavs in the oven and not long started smelling burning from the oven they browned up so quickly so I turned the oven down but I’m afraid that my pavs burnt why when the recipe stayed to have oven on 225 please explain thank you
Hi Doris, I have not had that experience. Is your oven calibrated to make sure it is a true 225? Are you using convection or conventional oven?
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!!
I made them for my family and they came out lovely! Everyone enjoyed. One thing though- I made the pavlovas at about the same size as yours, but the number of pavlovas I ended up with was closer to 30, even though I follower the recipe to a T. I ended up having to double the whipped cream for the recipe. They were still amazing, the only trouble being that my family really loaded up on sugar tonight
Hi Lisa, It could be that I piped them taller or wider? I’m not sure why else that would be unless they were piped a different size. I’m so glad you enjoyed the pavlova recipe!
I tried making these today and they were baking perfectly in the beginning but towards the end they got a bit of a beige color and the texture wasn’t that smooth as it is in the picture
Hi Katie, it could be that your oven is running hotter (also make sure not to use a convection oven setting, but a conventional bake mode). Also, make sure to use granulated sugar and not a beige-colored substitution (such as the organic sugars).
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
Thanks! This recipe really helped me make such great pavlovas!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!