Cinnamon Vanilla Bean Meringues

Light, airy, sweet, and delicious, these cinnamon vanilla bean meringues are a perfect confection. You’ll love how they look on your cookie platter!

Meringues are pretty much a health food. Completely non-fat and only 27 calories each!

Can we please agree on meringues having a health food status? No? Too much sugar to make them a health food, I guess. 

Well…they are better for you than a triple-chocolate-caramel-oreo-cookie-dough-brownie-milkshake, right?

I think they are the perfect treat. Not one bit heavy, just a touch of sweetness to satisfy that craving. And they are perfect for the holidays for that very reason! The perfect bite after a heavy meal.

These meringues combine one of my favorite ingredients, vanilla beans, with spicy cinnamon. Again–in my own humble opinion, perfect for the holidays!

About these vanilla bean meringues

With only 10 minutes hands on prep time, you can quickly “whip” these meringue cookies up and pop them in the oven. No peeking until the time’s up! Seriously! You don’t want the meringues to fall. They need that nice low steady heat.

Make them your own:

• Beat in 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder instead of the cinnamon. 
• Fold in finely chopped nuts, like pecans, walnuts, or pistachios after the meringue has been whipped.
• Fold in mini chocolate chips, or chopped chocolate into the meringue before baking.

Vanilla beans are so good!

So flavorful and pretty, too, with the little brown flecks, I can’t resist creating recipes that include vanilla beans. Here’s a sampling:

 

• Homemade Vanilla Bean Ice Cream (only 3 ingredients and you won’t need an ice cream maker)
• Easy Crème Brûlée (in the slow cooker, made for two)
• Clementine Vanilla Bean Yogurt Cake
• Vanilla Bean Cookie Bars
• Vanilla Bean Candied Walnuts
• Almond Vanilla Bean Granola
• Vanilla Bean Buttercream Frosting

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Cinnamon Vanilla Bean Meringues

Yield: 24 meringues

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

Light, airy, sweet, and delicious, these cinnamon vanilla bean meringue cookies are a perfect confection. You'll love how they look on your cookie platter!

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Ingredients

• 3 large egg whites, room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped (I used a Mexican vanilla bean)
• large pinch of salt
• large pinch of cream of tartar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 200°F. Prepare 2 baking sheets by lining with parchment paper.
2. Combine egg whites, sugar and vanilla bean seeds in a heat-proof bowl (I used the metal bowl of my stand mixer). Set bowl over a pot of simmering water and stir until sugar dissolves and mixture is warm (not hot), about three minutes. Add salt, cream of tartar, and cinnamon.
3. Beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form and meringue is mostly cool. This will take 5-7 minutes depending on your mixer.
4. Fill a pastry bag (fitted with your tip of choice–or you can just cut the end off after filling) with the meringue. Pipe meringues into circular shapes about 1 3/4- to 2-inches in diameter on 2 parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
5. Bake the meringues until crisp on the outside and still slightly soft on the inside, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Notes

• When separating eggs, make sure to not get any yolk in the whites. If there is any yolk whatsoever, or grease of any kind in the mixture, you won't be able to whip the whites into a meringue.
• If you don't have a pastry bag and tip, use a sandwich bag with one corner snipped off. Or, just use a spoon to make small dollops. Not as pretty, but still just as good. I've made them that way plenty of times!

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1 meringue
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 27Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 12mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 0gSugar: 6gProtein: 0g

RachelCooks.com sometimes provides nutritional information, but these figures should be considered estimates, as they are not calculated by a registered dietitian. Please consult a medical professional for any specific nutrition, diet, or allergy advice.

Did you make this recipe?

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Verdict: These are so delicious. The vanilla and cinnamon are subtle yet very much there. I think this is such a classy holiday dessert. Pretty and light!
Husband’s take: Loved these! He’s really not all that picky.
Changes I would make: None.
Difficulty: Easy.

Now…I’m off to go create that triple-chocolate-caramel-oreo-cookie-dough-brownie-milkshake.