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
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.
Pavlovas taste very good
I’m glad to hear you like them! Thanks for sharing 🙂
I would like to make 6 large Pavlov as how long would it need to bake them for
Hi Rose, I haven’t tested that way specifically but I would guess to keep them in the oven 1 hour 30 minutes then let them sit with the door propped open for another 30 minutes.
Hi Natasha
I try to make pavlova but I can’t.I mad ingredients as you said and ordered the inside of the oven according to the length of time .It’s so bad and very Crisp and fragille .Can you help me about that?
Thank you
Hi Violet, I would suggest watching the video recipe if you haven’t already to see where things started to look different. Also, this recipe is intended for a conventional oven and NOT a convection oven.
Hi Natasha I just want to say your recipes are amazing! I made the pavlovas like you did but mine seem to lose its white color after baking what could have went wrong?
Hi Viktoriya, normally they should stay white even after baking. The ones I have in the video and photos have cooled completely to room temp and are still white. I wonder if your oven may be too hot or they are too close to the burner?
Thank you I’ll definitely try to lower the heat I have a gas oven maybe that makes a difference in the tep but other than that they were so yummy thanks again for sharing!!
My pleasure Viktoriya!
Can these be made a day in advance ? If it can . would you put in the fridge over night? I want to make sure the bottom layer stays crispy.
Thank you
Lucy, you can make these a day in advance, look at the details in the recipe under “Tip”.
Thank you Natasha for such an amazing recipe, this is my third time making Pavlova, however I bake them for 3 hrs and instead of lemon juice I add lemon power(лимонка). Always turns out delicious.
My pleasure! I’m glad you love the recipe Inga! Thanks for sharing 😀
Hello! I just made these and they came out lovely. I put jam and whipped cream on top of mine. Can I leave them out overnight in a container or do I need to put them in the fridge because of the whipped cream? Thank you so much!
Pavlovas should not be refrigerated. I recommend not adding the frosting until you’re ready to serve them because the soon as you add the frosting, they will begin to softer noon. Otherwise, without the frosting, the buffaloes can last a couple of days at room temperature. It is also important to make sure they are in a low humidity area which is another reason they should not be refrigerated.
Hi made them but for some reason mine where not white they became more of a yellow color to them ??? Was disappointed that it wasn’t white pavlova
Hi RM, I haven’t had that experience but it is probably 1 of 2 things – either the oven temperature was too high (or it was cooked too quickly in a convection oven), or if the sugar was a raw or organic sugar with some color to it. I hope that helps for next time!
So if my oven is convection what temp should I be cooking it in?
Hi RM, I haven’t tried baking this in a convection oven, but only a conventional oven so I can’t really advise. You might try googling “pavlova convection oven” and see if you come up with anything. Sorry I can’t be more helpful! I’m thinking it is probably best to do this in a conventional oven to give the pavlova the opportunity to bake up properly.
Hello, I tried watching the video, but once it opens its the video on how make pryaniki 😯
Hi Ruslana, sorry that was our mistake! We flip-flopped the videos. Thank you so much for letting me know!! The issue is now fixed and the correct video should play.
Not sure how big these are suppose to be but if you make them the diameter of a muffin, you’ll get 36 of them!! I now need to find people to give them away too! Haha. Extremely easy recipe though, thanks!
Ha ha! This is definitely party sized – I guess that is the only time I really make them is for a crowd 🙂
I could not transfer pavlova to serving plate as it stuck to the parchment paper.
Hi Dianne, they should come off pretty easily unless they are under-baked or if you put them on wax paper instead of parchment paper. Did they seem under-baked? Were they crisp on the outside to the tap? I hope that helps to troubleshoot! 🙂
Hi, These look delicious. I would like to make them but I couldn’t find corn starch. Could I use flour instead? I once read that you can use 3 tsp of flour for 1 tbs of corn starch. Would that work?
With this recipe, flour will not work well as a substitute. The corn starch is important to achieve the proper texture inside the Pavlova and make it marshmallow soft inside.
Hi, Natasha! I’m making these now and have to use two different baking sheets to fit into my oven. Can I bake both at the same time? How should I position them in the oven?
Thank you
Natasha Z
Hi Natasha, sorry I couldn’t get to your question sooner – If they don’t fit on the same rack, I would position them in the top third and bottom third – evenly spaced in the oven.
Can I make these ahead and store them somehow?
Hi Jennifer, yes absolutely!! Please see the note beneath the second photo in this post. Enjoy!! 🙂
I made these tonight for the first time. And they were beautiful!! I did find them just a little too sweet . Has anyone ever cut back on the sugar amounts?
Hi Phyllis, 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!