Gluten Free Salted Caramel Meringues with Candied Cocoa Nibs - Light, airy, and naturally gluten free. This recipe is a fun and delicious way to use up egg whites. These cookies will be crisp on the edges but have a gooey center due to the salted caramel sauce. And the added cocoa nibs will give them an extra crunch.
If you love salted caramel, make sure to check out my Gluten Free Banana Snack Cake with Salted Caramel Buttercream.
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Recipe Ingredient Notes
Egg Whites: I like to use leftover egg whites for this recipe. I am not fond of storebought egg whites since they do not whip the same way. Some people say the egg whites need to be fresh but to be honest, I have used egg whites that have been in my fridge for 6-7 days and still achieved those beautiful light and airy meringues. Make sure the egg whites are at room temperature before whipping them.
Sugar: If you can or have access to, use superfine sugar to make meringues. I like to pulse regular granulated sugar in my blender for a few seconds to make it finer. DO NOT use powdered sugar.
Cream of Tartar: Cream of tartar is used to stabilize egg whites and helps provide the characteristic high peaks. If you do not have cream of tartar, try substituting it with ½ teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar.
Cocoa Nibs: I use Valrhona Cocoa Nibs in my recipes but also like Navitas Organic Cocoa Nibs. The recipe for my candied Cocoa Nibs can be found here.
Caramel Sauce: There is no right or wrong amount of how much caramel you use for those cookies. If you like you can use a storebought caramel sauce in this recipe.
How to make Salted Caramel Meringues Cookies
The most important part to make meringue is to make sure the bowl of your stand mixer and your whisk are clean. Fat and moisture in your bowl can ruin your meringues. Make sure your caramel sauce is cooled and ready to be used.
- Preheat the oven to 225°F. Line two sheet trays with parchment paper and set them aside.
- In a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt on high speed until light and foamy.
- Gradually add sugar, about 1-2 tablespoons at a time. Allow the mixture to mix for 20-30 seconds before adding more sugar. If you rush this part, your meringue most likely will end up being gritty.
- Beat your mixture until it is shiny and has increased in volume. This will take anywhere between 5 to 7 minutes. It should have stiff peaks and the sugar should be completely dissolved. You can test this by rubbing some of the mixture between your fingers. If it still feels gritty, allow for the mixture to mix longer.
- When your meringue is ready, turn off the mixer, and with a flexible spatula fold in the candied cocoa nibs.
- Use a large cookie scoop or two large spoons and divide the meringue mixture between the trays. You should have 8 - 10 meringues depending on how large you scoop them.
- If your meringue looks like clouds, use the back of a spoon and a wet spoon to flatten them out a bit. Top each meringue with a tablespoon of salted caramel and swirl the mixture using a toothpick or a butter knife.
- Sprinkle with additional cocoa nibs.
- Bake your meringues (both trays at the same time) at 225F for 75 minutes. If possible, try not to open the oven while they are baking.
- After 75 minutes, turn off the heat and without opening the oven, allow for them to cool off completely in the oven. This will help finish baking them but also dry out the meringue more.
- When ready to serve, sprinkle with flaky sea salt and additional nibs.
- Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3-5 days.
Frequently asked Questions
Can I reduce the sugar?
You can reduce the sugar and use as little as 150 grams for the meringue.
My egg whites are not whipping
My guess is that your bowl or whisk was not clean or that you added by accident some egg yolks to your egg whites. Make sure you only use egg whites.
My caramel meringues are very chewy!
One thing to remember when making meringues - the results can vary depending on the weather. I avoid making meringues or light and airy baked goods on rainy days or very humid days.
This recipe for Salted Caramel Meringues will actually be on the chewy side because of the caramel sauce!
Can I make this recipe without eggs?
I have not tried this with an egg substitute.
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Note about Salt in my Recipes
I use Diamond Kosher Crystal Salt in all of my recipes unless otherwise stated. If use use a different brand or kind of salt in your kitchen please adjust accordingly since some salts can be saltier. If you use Morton’s Kosher Salt please be aware that their salt granules are smaller in size, denser, and crunchier and twice as salty.
Baking in grams
I share my recipes in grams and by weight since baking by weight is the most accurate way to bake. Digital Scales are very affordable and easy to use. You can purchase them on Amazon for less than a set of measuring cups. For small amounts under 10 grams, I like to use this Precision Pocket Scale. Measuring cups are very inaccurate which can cause significant errors when it comes to gluten-free baking or baking in general. Especially since I bake with gluten-free flours which weigh differently than “regular” flours. I do provide some ingredients like spices and leavening agents in measuring spoons. To learn more about Baking with a digital scale, make sure to check out my post about Baking by weight.
Note about Ovens and Oven Temperatures
All my recipes are tested and developed with a conventional oven. I always bake my baked goods on the rack placed in the MIDDLE of my oven. This way the heat coming from the bottom will not burn my baked goods.
If you are baking with convection (fan-forced), please adjust the recipes accordingly. Convection oven can cause baked goods to dry out quickly and still be raw inside. Since takes at least 15-20 minutes for a standard American Oven to be fully preheated. I highly recommend investing in an Oven Thermometer.
Substitutions and Modifications
Any dietary or ingredient modifications/substitutions to this recipe may alter the end result in appearance and taste. I test my recipes several times as published in this post and The Gluten Free Austrian Blog is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe you find on our website.
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Salted Caramel Meringues
Light, airy and naturally gluten free. Meringue Cookies are a fun and delicious way to use up egg whites.
Ingredients
For Meringue
- 120 grams egg whites, at room temperature
- 200 grams granulated white sugar (super fine is possible)
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons Cocoa Nibs plus more for decoration
- ½ cup Caramel Sauce
For Caramel Sauce
- 115 grams water
- 240 grams sugar
- ¾ teaspoon (3g) kosher salt
- 220 grams heavy cream
For Finishing
- Additional Cocoa Nibs
- Flaky Sea Salt
Instructions
How to make Caramel Sauce
- In a small pot combines water, sugar, and salt and bring to simmer over medium heat.
- Carefully bring the sugar and water mixture to a simmer without stirring. Allow to simmer under supervision until it reaches a copper/iced tea color - this depends on your stove. This can take anywhere from 5 minutes to 10 minutes.
- Remove the pan from heat and carefully add the heavy cream little by little and whisk to combine with a whisk.
- Please be careful because the mixture will bubble up and may splatter. And caramel burns are the worst. You may need to return your sauce to the stove on low heat for a minute and bring it back to a low simmer and whisk to combine.
- Your caramel sauce may look very thin but will thicken as it cools down.
- Allow your caramel sauce to cool completely before using it for your meringues.
- Store leftover caramel sauce in your refrigerator for up to 7 days.
How to make Gluten Free Caramel Meringues
- Preheat oven to 225F
- Place the room temperature egg whites, salt, and cream of tarter in your clean bowl of an electric mixer and whisk on high speed until stiff peaks form.
- Gradually add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking for 30 seconds before adding more. If you rush this your meringue will be grainy.
- Beat until the mixture is thick, shiny, and increased in volume. The mixture should have stiff peaks and the sugar should be completely dissolved.
- Turn off your mixer and with a spatula, fold in your candied cocoa nibs
- Line 2 large baking trays with non-stick parchment paper. Use your yellow cookie scoop or two large spoons and divide the meringue mixture between the trays.
- If your meringue looks like clouds, use the back of a spoon a wet spoon to flatten them out a bit. Top each meringue with 1 teaspoon of caramel and swirl the mixture using a toothpick or a butter knife.
- Sprinkle with additional cocoa nibs,
- Bake for 75 minutes at 225F, lower the temperature of your oven if they brown too fast.
- Turn off your oven and without opening the oven door, allow the cookies to cool completely in the oven,
- Sprinkle with Sea Salt and additional nibs if you like when ready to serve
- The meringues should have crispy edges but still, be soft and gooey in the middle because of the caramel sauce.
Notes
Cookies are the best when eaten within 3-4 days. Store them in an airtight container.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 158Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 300mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 0gSugar: 37gProtein: 2g
Steven says
The best Salted Caramel Meringues or meringues, in general, I ever had! Thank you for this easy recipe