Mini Pavlovas Strawberries Cream (Print page)

Crisp meringue nests with whipped cream and fresh strawberries, ideal for light spring treats.

# What You Need:

→ Meringue

01 - 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
02 - 1 cup superfine sugar
03 - 1 teaspoon cornstarch
04 - 1 teaspoon white vinegar
05 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Topping

06 - 1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
07 - 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
08 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Strawberries

09 - 1½ cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
10 - 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
11 - 1 teaspoon lemon juice

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 250°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a clean, dry bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form.
03 - Gradually add superfine sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating continuously until stiff, glossy peaks form and sugar dissolves completely.
04 - Gently fold in cornstarch, white vinegar, and vanilla extract using a spatula until fully combined.
05 - Spoon or pipe meringue into 6 small nests on the prepared baking sheet, creating a slight indentation in the center of each nest.
06 - Bake for 1 hour until crisp and pale. Turn off oven and allow meringues to cool completely inside with the door slightly ajar for at least 30 minutes.
07 - Toss sliced strawberries with granulated sugar and lemon juice in a separate bowl. Let macerate for 15 minutes.
08 - In a chilled bowl, whip heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla extract until soft peaks form.
09 - Place each cooled meringue on a serving plate. Fill the center indentation with whipped cream and top generously with macerated strawberries.
10 - Serve immediately to maintain optimal texture and crispness of the meringue shells.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They look restaurant-worthy but taste even better than they look, which always shocks people.
  • Gluten-free, naturally vegetarian, and made with pantry staples you probably already have.
  • You can prepare the meringue shells a full day ahead, so you're basically just assembling fancy dessert at the last minute.
02 -
  • A single drop of egg yolk in your whites will prevent them from whipping up no matter what, so separate eggs carefully and use a clean bowl—I learned this the hard way by having to start over halfway through.
  • Opening the oven door repeatedly while they bake causes cracks, so trust the process and only peek if you absolutely must check on them near the end.
03 -
  • If your kitchen is humid, bake on a dry day or run the oven a little longer—humidity is meringue's only real enemy and makes them sticky instead of crisp.
  • Make the strawberry mixture right before assembling so the berries stay fresh and bright instead of getting soft and dark from sitting too long.
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