Tender and chewy chocolate meringue cookies filled with coconut flakes and walnuts are the best! Sometimes called Beacon Hill Cookies or Chocolate Pavlova Cookies, these delicate and delicious cookies are made with simple ingredients and are gluten-free and oh-so delicious!
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What Are Meringue Cookies?
Meringue cookies are made by beating egg whites until they form stiff peaks. There is no butter or flour in these cookies -- basically it's just egg whites and sugar.
The beating process takes about 10 minutes...so it is easier to use a stand mixer than a hand mixer - but a hand mixer will do the trick too! And don't let the meringue scare you - these are chewy delicious, chocolately cookies! Bonus? They are gluten-free.
Why You Will Love Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies
- Simple Ingredients! All you need are SIX easy ingredients to make a batch of these meringue chocolate chip cookies!
- Naturally Gluten-Free! If you're looking for a gluten-free option to add to your cookie baking this is it! They aren't made with any flour substitutes either and taste really great so no one will even know they're gluten-free too!
- Unique Cookie! These cookies are light, slightly chewy, and filled with plenty of chocolate flavor!
Ingredients
For this chocolate meringue cookies recipe, you'll need a few simple ingredients. Here's a look at each one.
- Chocolate chips: Semisweet chocolate chips taste great because they have a nice balance of sweetness and bitterness. You can still use dark chocolate or milk chocolate chips but the flavor will change.
- Egg whites: It's crucial when making meringue that you carefully separate the eggs. Even the tiniest amount of egg yolk can ruin your meringue.
- Salt: A crucial ingredient when baking! It enhances the flavor of the cookies, especially the chocolate.
- Vinegar: The vinegar is used to stabilize egg whites and helps provide the characteristic high peaks and prevents crystallization.
- Vanilla: Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- Coconut: I love using Angel Flake coconut which is slightly sweetened.
- Walnuts: My favorite nuts for these cookies but pecans also work well!
How To Make Chocolate Meringue Cookies
Preparation: Melt your chocolate - either in the microwave in 30-second increments stirring in between each increment, or in a double broiler. Set aside to cool.
- Separate your yolks and whites. You can do this by cracking your egg and transferring the yolk back and forth between the two shells allowing the white of the egg to drain into a bowl. Discard the shell and yolk.
- Place the egg whites in a stand mixer and add the salt. Beat the egg whites and salt until the mixture is frothy.
- Add the sugar to the mixing bowl gradually, beating well in between each addition. Continue beating until the mixture forms stiff peaks.
- Add the vinegar. Pour in the vanilla extract and beat again. The entire beating process will take you about 10 minutes (a little less if using a stand mixer.)
- Add the walnuts and coconut to the egg white and sugar mixture and gently them fold in.
- Pour in the melted chocolate. Be sure it's fully cooled!
- Gently fold in until no more white is showing. Do not stir. Just gently fold it in.
- Use a scoop to drop the cookies by the teaspoon onto a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 9-10 minutes. Let sit on the pan for one minute and then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling.
PRO TIP: Using a stand mixer makes this recipe much easier! I really love using my Kitchenaid Artisan stand mixer for mixing cooking, whipping meringue, making whipped cream, and many many other uses. I highly recommend investing in this stand mixer.
Expert Tips
- Room temperature egg whites are much easier to whisk up, so before you begin, place refrigerated eggs in a bowl of warm tap water for a few minutes to bring to room temp.
- Use a hand or stand mixer to whip until you have stiff peaks.
- Add your sugar very slowly.
- These are delicate cookies so make them small -- about one tablespoon is perfect.
Recipe FAQs
For both desserts, you will beat egg whites until foamy along with sugar and then bake them at a low temperature until dry. They differ in their texture. Meringue is crispy and dry throughout while pavlova is crispy on the outside, but fluffy, soft, and marshmallow-like on the inside. This recipe is technically a chocolate pavlova cookie but this term isn't commonly used.
For best results, store your cookies in an airtight container. Do not store with other cookies as it may affect the texture of the different types of cookies. Store at room temperature for 3-4 days.
Yes, you can! Well, at least this recipe. Freeze your cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy allow them to thaw on the counter before serving.
More Cookie Recipes
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Chewy Chocolate Meringue Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chip pieces chocolate chips or chopped both work
- 2 egg whites
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon vinegar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup angel flake coconut
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preparation: Melt your chocolate - either in the microwave in 30 second increments stirring in between each increment, or in a double broiler. Set aside to cool.
- Separate your yolks and whites. You can do this by cracking your egg and transferring the yolk back and forth between the two shells allowing the white of the egg to drain into a bowl. Discard the shell and yolk.
- Add in salt.
- Using a stand, or hand mixer - beat eggs whites and salt until frothy. Gradually add the sugar, beating well in between each addition. Beat until mixture forms stiff peaks.
- Add in vinegar.
- Pour in vanilla extract and beat again. The entire beating process will take you about 10 minutes (a little less if using a stand mixer.)
- Add walnuts and coconut. Gently fold in.
- Add cooled, melted chocolate.
- Gently fold in until no more white is showing. Do not stir. Just gently fold it in.
- These are a delicate cookie, so make them small. Drop them by the teaspoon onto a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 9-10 minutes. Let sit on the pan for one minute.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Video
Notes
- Room temperature egg whites are much easier to whisk up, so before you begin, place refrigerated eggs in a bowl of warm tap water for a few minutes to bring to room temp.
- Use a hand or stand mixer to whip until you have stiff peaks.
- Add your sugar very slowly.
- These are delicate cookies so make them small -- about one tablespoon is perfect.
Lois Hershberger says
They are great cookies! I used half the sugar and dark chocolate (53% cacoa) and it was plenty sweet and very rich!! I made these for a party where I had a diabetic friend and a gluten intolerant friend and with some restraint, the diabetic should be ok. :)
Easy baking...no low-bake-and-leave-it-in-the-oven meringue product. You could leave the coconut out, but it gives it a chewy texture, vs a typical meringue cookie. I want to try peanut butter chips and peanuts next time!!
Rakhee Nandrajog says
Hi,
Thank you for the recipe
I made these cookies, they tasted really great but my top did not have the glaze. What could be the reason?
Thanks in advance
Rakhee
Kadee says
Hey Rakhee, after the cookies cool they won't be shiny. But they should be a delicate chewy cookies.
Emily Kemp says
Mmmm chocolate meringue cookies sound like the best thing ever!