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
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!