Mini Pavlova Recipe

Impress everyone with this mini pavlova recipe! Mini pavlovas are great finger food desserts for parties, and are so easy to make.

Course Dessert

Cuisine New Zealand

Keyword mini pavlova, mini pavlova recipe, mini pavlovas, pavlova recipe

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 1 20

Total Time 1 50

Servings mini pavlovas

Calories 80kcal

Preheat oven to 320°F. Line two baking tins with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer at high speed, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. You can also use a stand mixer with a whisk attachment.
4 egg whites
Gradually add the sugar and the cream of tartar and keep beating at high speed. Add the cornstarch and vanilla extract. Beat until stiff peaks form.
1 cup caster sugar, ½ tsp. cream of tartar, 1,5 tsps. cornstarch, 2 tsps. vanilla extract
Scrape the meringue into piping bags, or a ziplock bag with a corner cut out.
Pipe the meringue onto the prepared tins. First pipe a small circle about 1.5-2" in diameter and then pipe rings on top of it, around the edges, in order to form a well.
Put one baking tin at a time in the oven and immediately lower the temperature to 245°F.
Bake for 30 minutes, and then lower the temperature to about 200°F.
Bake until the meringue is dry when touched carefully. Turn off the oven and open the door halfway. Leave the meringues inside to cool down. This will prevent the temperature change from being too drastic and causing the meringue to crack.
Let the pavlova cool entirely before moving on to the filling!

In a large mixing bowl, beat the mascarpone together with powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth.
1 cup mascarpone, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, 2 tbs powdered sugar
In another large bowl, whip the cream until thick. Then, using a rubber spatula, gradually add the whipped cream to the mascarpone, folding it in instead of stirring.
1 cup whipping cream
Pipe or spoon the filling into the holes of the mini pavlovas. Top with fresh berries and mint leaves. Serve immediately.
mint leaves, fresh berries

Baking properly is the key. For perfect pavlova bites with no cracks or burns, bake them at a low temperature. The best thing to do is to preheat the oven to a higher temperature, and then gradually lower it during the baking until you switch the oven off.

Don’t take the baking pan out immediately! You need to leave the mini pavlovas inside the oven to cool down, with the door open halfway. This is the best way to avoid cracks in your pavlova meringue.

Add the topping and the decoration right before serving, otherwise, the meringue will get soggy from the moisture.

If you do not have a piping bag, you can make one by cutting the end of a large plastic bag. Or, you can use a spoon. You do not need a piping tip for this mini pavlova recipe.

Discard any egg that splits. If the yolk breaks, it will add oil to the entire egg and make it impossible to whip up. Make sure to thoroughly clean the bowl or cup you're using to separate out egg whites every time a yolk breaks, as invisible oil can cling to the sides.

You cannot make pavlova in a convection oven unless you turn off the convection setting! The fan is too powerful and will blow away the meringue.