pumpkin butter meringues are an easy, spicy-sweet treat!

You can keep your pumpkin pie; these easy, spicy-sweet pumpkin butter meringues are my new fave addition to the holiday dessert table!

you know I love a meringue!

Though not so much of a chocolate person, I’m helpless in the face of a meringue. And I’ve shared my share of meringue treats right here! I’ve baked it into cakes, looped it around popsicles, dolloped it on bars and rolled it into filled cookies.

But my fave way to eat a meringue is straight up, in cookie form. I just love that contrast of the crispy edges with the slightly chewy centers.

meringue cookies for the win!

I’ve already baked meringues into cookies, filling them with nutella, blueberry puree, biscoff and chopped strawberries. I had some pumpkin puree left over from a client shoot, and had no doubt about how delicious it would be in a meringue.

what’s in pumpkin butter meringues?

For these easy, fall-spiced cookies, you’ll need:

• egg whites
• cream of tartar
• granulated sugar
• pumpkin butter

how do you make them?

You’ll start by making a basic meringue – as always, I’ve shared my foolproof, no-fail technique below. From there you’ll dollop spoonfuls onto baking sheets.

Top the meringue with some pumpkin butter.

Use a toothpick to swirl, bake and cool! You can use store bought pumpkin butter if you don’t want to make your own, but I’ve included my recipe here because it is SO good and easy!

tips for success!

If you follow my recipe exactly I promise you will create perfect meringue. Cookies are a great starting point if you’ve never made meringue before because they are very forgiving and require no special skills to shape them – just use a spoon! That said, there are a few “keys” to ensuring success:

• Start with room temperature egg whites – while eggs are easiest to separate when cold, you want to let those whites get 100% to room temperature to whip them up to their maximum potential. When I’m making meringue I will separate the eggs before I even have my coffee, then go about my morning to give them plenty of time.
• Beat the whites low and slow to start – to achieve stiff meringues that do not deflate, start beating them on low speed. This creates tiny bubbles which are more stable than the large irregular ones you get on high speed. And you want to beat the whites on low till the entire surface is covered in those tiny bubbles, with no “hole” in the center. You’ll now have a strong base that won’t collapse when you add your other ingredients.
• Use cream of tartar – even if the recipe doesn’t call for it, I always add cream of tartar for extra insurance when beating whites. A good rule of thumb is 1/4 teaspoon for every 2 egg whites.
• Add your sugar gradually – once your whites are covered in those tiny bubbles, you can then add the sugar. But do so slowly so that you avoid deflating the whites. Once the sugar has been completely added you can then raise the speed to medium.
• Learn what stiff peaks look like – the biggest question I get about meringues is around stiff peaks. It can be tricky to know when the whites are stiff but here’s my tip: when you remove the whisk attachment you should be able to see a little peak at the bottom. Turn the attachment upside down, and if that peak droops over you do not have stiff peaks yet. Re-attach the whisk and keep going!

The addition of pumpkin butter takes the mostly one-note quality of meringues and adds a spicy, delicious flavor and a bit of chewiness that is divine. The fact that these cookies are 100% fat free and gluten free is not a bad thing either, and whether you serve them on a platter or sandwich them with freshly whipped cream (or even ice cream!) I guarantee everyone will love them.

Let me know if you make them!

Pumpkin Butter Meringues

sherisilver

These easy, spicy-sweet pumpkin butter meringues are my new fave addition to the holiday dessert table!

3 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Servings 24

Calories 57 kcal

Equipment

• lemon squeezer
• Sheet pans
• parchment paper
• silpats
• stand mixer
• wire rack

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

For the pumpkin butter:

• 1 can, 14 – 16 ounces pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup unsweetened apple juice
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon each ground nutmeg and cloves
• pinch of kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

For the meringue:

• 1 cup sugar
• 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Instructions

 

Make the pumpkin butter:

• Place all ingredients except the lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes or till thickened, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, stir in lemon juice and let cool completely. Store covered, in the fridge, for up to one month (can freeze for longer storage).

Make the meringues:

• Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit; line 2 baking sheets with Silpats or greased parchment paper.
• Using the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer  on low speed till frothy, and the surface is completely covered in tiny bubbles (don’t rush this step). Add the cream of tartar and increase the speed to medium. When tracks begin to form add the sugar, a little at a time, then increase the speed to high. Beat till mixture is stiff and glossy.
• Using two spoons, dollop mounds of meringue onto your prepared baking sheets. Spoon a bit (about 1/2 teaspoon) of pumpkin butter on top of each and gently swirl with a toothpick. Bake for 2 hours, rotating the pans from top to bottom halfway through. Turn off the oven and leave the door ajar for one hour. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

1. You can substitute 1 1/2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice for the spices in the pumpkin butter if you prefer.
2. These pumpkin meringues can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature, but they are best served within a day or 2 for the crispiest texture. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 57kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 1gFat: 0.04gSaturated Fat: 0.002gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.001gSodium: 10mgPotassium: 34mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 7IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 8mgIron: 0.1mg

Keywords cookies, gluten free, meringue, pumpkin, pumpkin butter, pumpkin butter meringues

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About the author

Sheri Silver

Sheri Silver is a New York-based food photographer and recipe developer who has been cooking and baking for over 30 years. She works with brands, authors and restaurants to create recipes that are as beautiful as they are foolproof - and every recipe on this blog has been made, tweaked and eaten in her own kitchen.

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