Light and airy Meringue Christmas Trees are a festive holiday treat! Easy to make, crispy, and perfect for decorating or gifting.
Meringue Christmas Trees are so much fun to make and eat. Crisp, airy, and delicate, these sweet little trees are perfect for decorating your dessert table. With just a few simple ingredients, you can create a show-stopping holiday treat in no time.
What makes these meringue trees so special is their melt-in-your-mouth texture and whimsical appearance. They’re ideal for holiday parties, family baking sessions, or simply as a festive snack to enjoy with hot cocoa.
Christmas tree shaped desserts are perfect for the holidays. Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies Recipe and Ice Cream Cone Christmas Trees also adorn our holiday table each year.
What's in this post: Meringue Christmas Trees
Why We Love This
- Light and airy: Crisp, melt-in-your-mouth texture that’s easy to enjoy.
- Festive and fun: Perfect for holiday decorating, gifting, or adding a whimsical touch to your dessert table.
- Easy to make: Requires just a few simple ingredients and minimal prep time.
- Customizable: Decorate with sprinkles, edible glitter, or chocolate for endless creativity.
Ingredients
- Large Egg Whites (room temperature): Room temperature egg whites whip more easily and reach their full volume for a light, airy meringue.
- Cream of Tartar: Helps stabilize the egg whites and creates a firmer, glossy meringue.
- Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the meringue and helps achieve a crisp, glossy texture.
- Green Food Coloring: Adds festive color for the Christmas tree shape.
- Multi-Colored Sprinkles: Perfect for decorating and adding a playful, festive touch.
Get the complete ingredient list in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Variations
- Powdered Sugar. Sprinkle a light dusting of powdered sugar on top of each tree. It will look like snow!
- Extract. Try using different extract for new flavors. You can use peppermint, vanilla or mint.
Step By Step Instructions
Step 1. First, preheat the oven to 175 degrees. Then combine the egg whites and cream of tartar in a bowl of a stand mixer. I used a stand mixer on medium speed until the egg whites become frothy. It takes about 2-3 minutes.
Step 2. Next, increase the speed to medium high and gradually add in the sugar. Turn the speed up to high and beat for 4-5 minutes until it forms stiff peaks.
Step 3. Lower the mixer to a low speed and add the vanilla extract.
Step 4. Mix in the green food coloring and carefully stir it in to dye the meringue. Be careful that you do not over mix or you will remove the air from the mixture.
Step 5. Use a piping bag with star tip to pipe Christmas tree shapes directly on the prepared baking sheets and then gently top with the sprinkles. Bake the cookies until they are crisp but not brown.
Step 6. Serve and enjoy!
Pro Tips
- Prepare the Baking Sheet: Line your pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to prevent sticking and make cleanup easier.
- Whip Carefully: Don’t overmix the meringue once the sugar is added. Overmixing can deflate the mixture and result in dense, flat cookies.
- Use Cream of Tartar: This stabilizes the egg whites, helping the meringue hold its shape while baking.
- Room Temperature Egg Whites: Make sure eggs are at room temperature for maximum volume and a light, airy texture.
- Pipe Evenly: Use a piping bag with a star tip to create uniform tree shapes for consistent baking.
- Decorate Before Baking: Add sprinkles just before baking so they stick well but don’t melt.
- Bake Low and Slow: Bake at a low temperature to dry out the meringues without browning, keeping them crisp and delicate.
- Cool Completely: Let the meringues cool on the baking sheet to fully set before moving or decorating further.
Frequently Asked Questions
These cookies will last for a few weeks stored at room temperature in an airtight container.
You can easily remove them from the pan and they hold their shape. They are also hard to the touch.
There are a couple of culprits. Either the cookies were underbaked or they absorbed too much moisture. It is an easy fix.
Place the cookies back in the oven for about 10 minutes and they should return to a crispy texture.
Place the cookies inside an airtight container. Leave the cookies at room temperature. Do not refrigerate the cookies as this can make them chewy.
More Christmas Treats
- Christmas Wreath Cookies Recipe
- Best Christmas Crack Recipe
- Christmas Pancakes Ideas
- Easy Hot Cocoa Cookies Recipe
- Strawberry Santas
- Christmas Truffles Recipe
I can’t wait for you to make these delicious cookies. Once you do, please leave a comment and star recipe rating. It makes my day to hear from you!
Meringue Christmas Trees
Ingredients
- 4 large Egg Whites room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon Cream of Tartar
- 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- Green Food Coloring
- Multi-Colored Sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Fahrenheit and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place the egg whites and cream of tartar in a large mixing bowl. With an electric mixer, beat on medium speed until the egg whites become frothy (2-3 minutes).
- Increase the speed to medium high and slowly add in the sugar (1 tablespoon at a time) until all the sugar is added. Turn the speed up to high and beat for 4-5 minutes until stiff peaks start to form.
- Turn the speed on the mixer down to a low speed and mix in the vanilla extract.
- Add in the green food coloring and carefully stir it in to dye the meringue but you do not want to over mix and remove the air from the mixture.
- Put the meringue in a piping bag fitted with a small star tip.
- Pipe seal Christmas tree shapes directly on the prepared baking sheets and then gently top with the sprinkles.
- Bake the cookies until they are crisp but not browned (approximately 1 hour 45 minutes). Then turn off the oven but leave the cookies in the oven for 30 minutes. Test a cookie and if it’s still chewy in the middle, let them continue to dry out in the oven.
- Let the cookie cool completely on the baking sheets on wire racks and then they are ready to serve and enjoy!
