MINI PAVLOVAS topped with fresh fruit, whipped cream, and fruit syrup is the ULTIMATE holiday dessert. This mini pavlova recipe is the perfect dessert for Christmas or any celebration. They’re beautiful, delicious, and EASY to make!
Easy Pavlova Recipe for Christmas
This Mini Pavlova recipe is the perfect thing to serve over the holidays. This beautiful meringue-based dessert is so flavorful, and it fits right in on the Christmas dessert table.
Holy beautiful dessert alert! These Mini Pavlovas blow me away with how pretty they are, how AMAZING they taste, and also how easy they are to make. They aren’t the quickest dessert on the sweets table, but they are worth that little extra bit of time and TLC. They are the absolute star of the show, and will leave everyone with happy stomachs and a smile on their face this Christmas. Aren’t they just lovely?
This mini pavlova recipe is the perfect thing to serve during the holiday season. The bright berries are so cheerful, and the meringue feels so decadent. Add in the whipped cream and fruit filling, then top it off with the most amazing sauce. Yum! It all comes together to create something so delicious.
Make this dessert to celebrate Christmas, New Year’s, Valentine’s Day, or any time you want something extra special.
This Mini Pavlova recipe is the most beautiful dessert to serve on holidays or special occasions. Meringue filled with cream, topped with fresh berries, and finished off with a sweet sauce.
Easy Holiday Dessert Recipe
Don’t these Mini Pavlovas just scream Christmas? The colors, the beauty, the little powdered sugar “snow”. I’m obsessed. I love the combination of flavors and textures, and (BONUS) they aren’t all that bad for you.
The bottom layer is made of meringue (egg whites), the middle from freshly whipped cream (Mom makes me use fresh whipped cream…and I have to say…she’s right), and on top is fresh fruit. I mean, this is kinda diet food…right? At least for holiday recipe standards.
How to Make Mini Pavlovas
There are essentially four parts to this mini pavlova recipe: the meringue “bowls”, the whipped cream filling, the fresh berries, and the sauce. The meringue is the most intricate part, while the other three parts mostly just require mixing ingredients together.
To make the Meringue:
- Lay out a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet, and trace 3.5 inch circles (this will be your guide for creating the meringue bowls).
- Using a mixer, whisk the egg whites until they look like clouds.
- Slowly add in the sugar as you continue whisking, until egg whites become stiff.
- Combine cornstarch, vinegar, and extract in a bowl, and then add that into the egg whites by whisking for about 5 seconds.
- Pile the meringue in the middle of each circle, then use a spoon to push it outwards. You want to create a bowl shape with the meringue, so the sides come up higher than the middle.
- Bake the meringue bowls for about 1 hour at 200°F, then turn the oven off and let them sit in there for another hour.
- Let the meringue cool completely before assembling the mini pavlovas.
Once each part has been made, you’ll assemble the mini pavlovas. Fill each meringue bowl with the whipped cream filling, spoon on the fruit, and then drizzle the sauce over top. Add fresh mint and sprinkle with powdered sugar to finish them off, and then serve immediately. Check the recipe card below for detailed instructions.
Can you make Pavlova ahead of time?
This recipe definitely takes some time, but you can make the meringue bases ahead of time and freeze them until ready to create your Mini Pavlovas. You won’t want to put them together until right before serving, to make sure your egg white meringues stay crisp, but it’s a great way to cut time and think ahead. I love recipes like that! These are just too perfect, don’t you agree?
Christmas tunes are blaring on Pandora, Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate is in the crockpot, Dill is in the Christmas tree creating an utter mess, and we are serving MINI PAVLOVAS! Come on over!
See the recipe card below for details on how to make this Mini Pavlova Recipe. Enjoy!
If you like this mini pavlova recipe, try these other delicious desserts:
- Chocolate Pecan Pie Recipe
- Easy Raspberry Tart
- Homemade Sweet Potato Pie
- Easy Lemon Meringue Cookies
- Triple Berry Tiramisu
- Mini Red Velvet S’mores Tarts
Mini Pavlova Recipe
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Ingredients
For the Pavlovas
- 4 large egg whites 140 grams
- 1 cup caster sugar 200 grams (SEE NOTE)
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch 3 grams
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar 5 grams
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 gram
For the Filling
- 1 cup heavy cream 227 grams
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 4 grams
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar 7 grams
- 1 pint fresh strawberries hulled and quartered
- ½ pint fresh blueberries
- ½ pint fresh blackberries
- ½ pint fresh raspberries
For the Sauce
- 1 cup seedless raspberry or strawberry jam 340 grams
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 28 grams
- 1 teaspoon fruit liqueur 5 grams (optional) such as Crème de cassis or Chambord
Recommended Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 225°F.
- Line an un-rimmed (if available) baking sheet with parchment paper. Draw 3½-inch circles on the parchment paper, and turn the paper over so no pencil markings get on the meringue.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites on high speed until they look like clouds. Keep whisking the whites, adding the sugar slowly until the whites are stiff, glossy, and smooth. Rub a little of the meringue between your finger and thumb – once no sugar granules can be felt, the meringue is ready.4 large egg whites, 1 cup caster sugar
- In a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch, vinegar, and extract. Add this mixture to the beaten egg whites and whisk on high speed for 5 seconds (just until it is incorporated in the whites).1 teaspoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar, ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Place a tiny dab of meringue under each corner of the parchment to keep it in place. Pile the meringue into the middle of each circle. Gently push the meringue toward the sides to create a rimmed “bowl” of meringue. The sides should be higher than the middle, and the meringue should have a rim to hold the filling. Smooth the middle of each circle with the back of a spoon.
- Place meringues in the oven, and reduce the oven temperature to 200°F. Bake for 60 minutes, or until they are firm to the touch and still white. Check on the meringues after the first 15 minutes. If they are darkening or cracking, reduce the oven temperature by 25°F. Once baked, turn off the oven and leave the meringues inside for another hour. Transfer the meringues to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- While the meringues cool, pour the cream into a mixing bowl and whisk on medium-high speed for 1 minute. When it begins to thicken, add the powdered sugar and vanilla and continue to whisk just until firm. Do not overbeat (the cream will solidify). Set aside.1 cup heavy cream, 1 tablespoon powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Combine all fruit in a bowl and mix gently. Set aside.1 pint fresh strawberries, ½ pint fresh blueberries, ½ pint fresh blackberries, ½ pint fresh raspberries
- Place the jam and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat until the sauce reduces and thickens a bit. If desired, add liqueur and mix.2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1 cup seedless raspberry or strawberry jam, 1 teaspoon fruit liqueur
- Fill each meringue with whipped cream mixture and spread it out to cover the top of each meringue. Be sure to leave a little “bowl” space for the fruit.
- Spoon the fruit into the middle of the whipped cream and drizzle the sauce over the Pavlovas. Garnish with mint leaves & sprinkle with powder sugar.
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
- Sugar: If you can't find castor sugar, granulated sugar also works. Look for the finest sugar you can find.
- You can use almond extract in place of the vanilla, if you prefer.
- Make sure to beat the egg whites just until they reach a stiff peak (clumping around the whisk with one single peak that sticks straight upward). Under-beating the egg whites will result in a runny meringue while over-beating the egg whites will result in cracked pavlovas.
Nutrition Information
Tell me how to make these to serve as handheld at a buffet – love these! Or can I make them in cupcake liners to serve?
How many does this make?
It should make about 6
Can the mergingues be made ahead of time…like the night befoe?
If so, how can they be stored?
I was looking for something different for Easter and these look great. Can’t wait to try them.
These are DELICIOUS!!! What an impressive yet surprisingly easy dessert to make for guests (or my kids, as practice). Thanks for sharing!
OH MY GOSH!! This is the best dessert – ever! It is perfect for any holiday or special gathering. Darn! It is perfect for any gathering or dinner! It is the BEST!!1
Loved the idea for the filling used here with berries of different kind along with cream…It looks a perfect recipe this Christmas season…