My Pavlova dessert recipe is an airy, cloud-like meringue that looks simply stunning on a plate and literally melts in your mouth. The texture is crisp on the outside and marshmallow-soft on the inside, and what’s more, the make-ahead recipe comes out perfectly, even for beginners!
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Helpful Reader Review
“I have made this recipe several times for my family. Never disappoints. SO good!! I use lemon curd, raspberries and Chantilly cream for mine. Unbelievably good!!” – Molly ★★★★★
Pavlova Video
I love the elegance of pavlova, and it doesn’t surprise me how often I see you all making this as a party dessert (I love seeing your posts on Instagram!). The single serve size keeps the Pavlova looking beautiful, unlike a large single Pavlova Cake, which always gets smooshed while slicing. It looks fancy, but I promise it’s simple to make when you follow my step-by-step instructions. Watch my video for all the tips!
Pavlova Recipe
What is Pavlova? There’s some debate about the origin of Pavlova, but the facts are – it’s a show-stopping meringue dessert, made by beating together egg whites and sugar. The addition of lemon juice and cornstarch helps form a smooth and crisp exterior, along with marshmallow-like soft centers. To serve, pavlovas are topped with lightly sweetened Whipped Cream and fresh berries.
Ingredients
Temperature and timing are important in this failproof pavlova recipe.
- Egg whites – room temperature – since the eggs separate from the yolk more easily when chilled, I prefer separating the egg whites into a bowl and then set it on top of a second bowl of warm water for 15 minutes. P.S. Save the yolks for my easy Hollandaise Sauce to top Eggs Benedict.
- Granulated Sugar – provides sweetness and structure so the dessert doesn’t collapse. I don’t recommend reducing the amount.
- Cornstarch – vital to form the crisp exterior and marshmallow-soft interior. You can substitute with potato starch.
- Lemon juice – adds a light, fresh flavor and prevents the sugar from forming crystals, creating a smooth meringue surface.
- Vanilla extract – adds perfect flavor. You can substitute with peppermint, almond, or lemon extract.
- Cream Topping – you’ll need granulated sugar and COLD Heavy whipping cream. You can even refrigerate your bowl before mixing.
Toppings for Pavlova
For this post, I used a mix of 4-5 cups of washed and dried berries and fresh mint leaves. The toppings for pavlova are endless:
- Berries – Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, etc.
- Tropical fruits – kiwi, pineapple, or mango
- Stone fruit – peaches, plums, apricots, nectarines
- Garnish – fresh mint or basil
- Chocolate – a reader suggested painting the cup with Chocolate Ganache and adding chocolate shavings
- Saucy drizzle – Caramel Sauce, Strawberry Sauce, or Blueberry Sauce
- Jelly – Plum Jam or Peach Preserves
How to Make Pavlova
For pavlova meringue, I use my stand mixer. 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!
- Beat – Preheat the oven to 225°F and line an XL baking sheet or 2 cookie sheets with parchment. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
- Fold in the lemon juice, then vanilla, and finally cornstarch, until well blended.
- Pipe the meringue mixture into nests using a Wilton 1M Tip. Use the back of a spoon to indent the center. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, and then turn off the oven and leave it in there another 30 minutes to dry.
- Cool – transfer with the parchment paper to wire racks.
- Make Whipped Cream: Beat the cold heavy whipping cream with the sugar until light, airy, and pipeable.
- Assemble Pavlovas: Pipe the sweetened cream onto the cooled pavlova just before serving and top with fresh fruit.
Tips for the Best Pavlova
This easy pavlova dessert recipe comes out perfectly sweet and beautiful every time with these easy tips:
- Fully preheat your oven and bake right away; otherwise, pavlova can start melting or forming a layer of brown sugar 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. You’ll need enough space for air to circulate, but they don’t expand much.
- Make sure to use parchment paper for easy removal from the baking sheet (do not use wax paper – it sticks like crazy).
- Let pavlovas rest in the warm oven for 30 minutes before removing from the oven to ensure the exterior dries appropriately.
Make-Ahead and Storage
The individual parts can be can be made ahead, but once the pavlova is assembled, it’s best to enjoy within 4 hours since the cream will immediately start to soften the meringue.
- Make-Ahead: Make the meringue up to 3 days ahead and store loosely wrapped at room temperature (away from humidity). Store the whipped cream separately.
- Refrigerate Cream: Whipped cream refrigerates well in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Add cream to pavlovas just before serving.
- Freezing: Freezing pavlova can be tricky but you can store un-assembled meringue in the freezer, because it’s just dry enough to keep the meringue crispy. Store cooled meringue in the freezer in an airtight container. Thaw in the container for a few hours at room temperature before serving.
My fool-proof Mini Pavlova recipe makes show-stopper single-serve desserts and the mixer does most of the work for you. You’ll love how simply stunning these are when piled high with smooth whipped cream and tart berries. Try this recipe to impress your guests!
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
- Beat – Preheat the Oven to 225˚ F. Line a large 3/4 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 minutes on high speed, or until stiff peaks form. It will be smooth and glossy.
- Fold – 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 minutes, then turn the oven off and without opening the door, let the meringue sit in the hot oven another 30 minutes. Outsides will be dry and crisp to the touch and very pale cream-colored, and insides will still be marshmallow soft.
- Cool – Transfer the pavlova with the parchment paper onto the counter or a cookie rack and allow it to cool to room temperature.
- Make the Frosting – in a large, cold mixing bowl, combine cold whipping cream with 2 Tbsp sugar and beat on high speed for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes or until whipped and spreadable.
- Assemble Pavlovas – Pipe frosting onto the pavlova and top with fresh fruit or your desired toppings.
Notes
- Fruit – berries, mango chunks, kiwi slices, diced peaches, etc.
- Syrups – Chocolate Ganache, Caramel Syrup, Blueberry Sauce, Strawberry Sauce
- Herbs – mint or basil sprigs
- Make Meringue in advance, storing it loosely wrapped on the counter up to 3 days ahead. Avoid humidity.
- Make whipped cream 2-3 days in advance, storing it in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to assemble.
- Assembled pavlova should be eaten within 4 hours since the meringue will absorb moisture from the cream and soften.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
More Individual Desserts
I love making mini Pavlovas for parties because they’re easy to serve and impressive looking. Here are more single-serving, bite-sized desserts you’ll love:
- No-Bake Mini Cheesecakes
- Chocolate Covered Strawberries
- Creme Brûlée
- Lemon Posset
- Mini Chocolate Cupcakes
- Eclairs Recipe
- Homemade Cream Puffs
- Panna Cotta
- Eton Mess
- Chocolate Souffle
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,
Can I use corn flour instead or corn starch? Is there any difference in these 2?
Hi Linda, I honestly haven’t experimented on that to advise.