Can meringue be frozen?

Meringues are easy to make. These fluffy and light sweets are not only a perfect decoration for cakes and cupcakes, but can also be used in the preparation of other desserts.

However, sometimes too many egg whites are beaten and too many meringues end up coming out.

Can meringue be frozen?

Yes, you can freeze the meringue. Whether it’s baked French meringue cookies or no-bake varieties of meringue, freezing is an option for all types. Avoid contact of the meringues with excess moisture and you can extend their useful life up to several months. 

This article is your guide to freezing meringues. From freezing ordinary meringue cookies to popular meringue desserts, we’ve got you covered in this article.

Read on for step-by-step instructions for freezing meringue, as well as tips for making the process more efficient.

What is the best way to preserve meringue?

Meringue is traditionally made with beaten egg whites and sugar, adding a small amount of acid, such as lemon juice, for stability.

The whipped egg white mixture is either baked or used as is, depending on the meringue variant you are making.

Meringue is widely used as a topping for various desserts and baked goods. It can also be the main component of desserts.

If you’re into baking a bit, you probably know that there are different types of meringue. The most popular and widely baked variety is the French meringue.

The best way to preserve these light and crisp meringues is to keep them at room temperature in an airtight container.

The airtight container will protect the meringues from moisture, keeping them airy and soft on the inside and crisp on the outside. 

As long as you store the container with the meringues in a place in the kitchen where the temperature is not affected by heat sources or direct sunlight, the meringues will keep well for 2-3 weeks.

Can meringue be frozen?

If you’ve baked several batches of meringues and don’t know if you’ll be able to eat them all in a couple of weeks, freeze the meringues.

Freezing works well for meringues if you use a proper freezing technique. 

Having frozen meringues in the fridge allows you to take out the ones you need to decorate or prepare certain desserts, as well as eat the meringues as is as a sweet snack.

Can meringue cookies be frozen?

Meringue cookies are the same as ordinary baked French meringues. So if you have a meringue cookie recipe left over, you can freeze them by following the same instructions below for freezing meringues.

How to freeze meringues

If you’ve baked too many meringues that you know you won’t eat in a few days, freezing them is certainly an option.

When freezing baked meringues, it’s important to freeze them so they don’t break down and lose their crunch.

Here are instructions for freezing the most common variety of meringue: baked meringue, also known as French meringue.

1. Let the meringues cool if they are freshly baked. To speed up the process, place the hot meringues in a container and place it in the fridge uncovered.
2. Choose a container with a tight-fitting lid . Decide the size of the container taking into account the number of meringues you need to freeze and their size.
3. Start putting the meringues in the container creating the first layer. 
4. Follow the first layer of meringues with a layer of parchment paper.  Putting parchment paper between the meringue layers will prevent them from sticking together.
5. Don’t press the meringues . The meringues are very brittle and can easily break if you press the layers.
6. Close the container.  Make sure the lid does not touch the meringues and does not squash them. It is always good to play it safe and leave some space between the last layer of meringues and the lid.
7. Label the container with the date and store the meringues in the freezer. Consume the meringues within 1 to 3 months. 

How do you thaw the meringue?

When defrosting your meringue, the general rule of thumb is to transfer it from the freezer to the fridge and gradually let it come to life.

If you don’t have much time to thaw the meringue, let it thaw at room temperature. However, do not try to speed up the defrosting process by placing the beaten eggs in direct sunlight or near heat sources.

Some people prefer to heat French meringues before eating them. If this is your case, defrost and heat the meringues at the same time by placing them in the preheated oven for a few minutes.

It is important to prevent the meringues from absorbing water when they thaw, as this will cause them to soften.

For this reason, you should not defrost the meringues in the container in which you frozen them, but rather on a plate or, preferably, on a wire rack.

How does freezing affect meringue?

Freezing does not affect the flavor or texture of the meringue if you use the proper freezing and thawing technique.

If you freeze the meringue in an airtight bag or container and avoid contact with moisture, the texture changes will be minimal.

Even if the uncooked meringue separates after thawing, you can easily solve the problem by mixing it for a few minutes.

As for French meringue, distinguishing between freshly baked meringue and thawed and reheated meringue is nearly impossible.

To prevent the flavor of the meringue from changing, don’t keep it in the freezer for too many months, as the flavor deteriorates over time.

Keeping the whipped whites in an airtight container is another important step, as the meringue will absorb freezer odors if the container is loosely covered.

Tips for Freezing Meringue

Here are some tips if you’re thinking about freezing your next batch of meringues.

Freeze when cool

Regardless of the type of meringue you are freezing, it is always best to freeze it when it is fresh.

The fresher the meringue is when you first freeze it, the longer and better it will keep in the freezer.

Do not freeze bagged meringues

You may be tempted to quick freeze your leftover meringue cookies and put them all in a zip-top bag to save space in the freezer.

Although this can be a space-saving storage technique, the meringues will get squashed. Either that or you will have to constantly move the bag with the meringues to the top of all the items in the freezer, which is not very convenient.

Freezing the meringues in a rigid container to protect them is always a better option.

Freeze the egg whites

The main ingredient you need to make any variety of meringue is egg whites. Therefore, in addition to freezing the meringues, you can try freezing the egg whites.

When you decide to make meringues, just scoop out the frozen whites, let them thaw, and beat them like you normally would when making meringues.

Can meringue be refrozen?

Refreezing the meringue is not something you should do.

In the case of baked meringues, refreezing will make them brittle and too dry. As for no-bake meringue, refreezing will affect the consistency a lot.

Can meringue be frozen before baking?

Freezing the French meringue before baking is not recommended, as the mixture of whipped whites is not stable.

No-bake French meringue stored in the freezer will undergo major changes once you thaw it and may not be suitable for subsequent baking.

Swiss and Italian meringue: can they be frozen?

Made with a few simple ingredients, there are multiple variations of meringue. Although all of these varieties of meringue are made with egg whites and sugar, the technique used for each of them is different.

There are three popular varieties of meringue: Swiss meringue, Italian meringue, and French meringue. 

The latter is a variety of meringue that we have discussed in this article. These are egg whites beaten with sugar until they reach firm peaks.

French meringue is the variety that should always be baked, unlike Swiss and Italian. If it is not baked, the French meringue should be added to the masses to give them lightness.

Swiss meringue is made by heating egg whites and granulated sugar to about 160 degrees.

You want to make sure to beat the mixture well so that all the sugar is incorporated. The egg whites and sugar mixture are then mixed together until cool to room temperature.

Next, you have to beat the egg whites until you see peaks form. One of the main differences of the Swiss meringue is that, while the mixture is being whipped, you have to add pieces of butter to the beaten whites piece by piece.

The result should be a silky smooth mixture, perfect for topping desserts and baked goods.

To make Italian meringue, you will need to prepare some hot sugar syrup. You must beat the egg whites until stiff. And as soon as you reach the desired consistency, start adding the syrup heated to 240 degrees.

For the perfect Italian meringue, you need to keep beating the mixture until it has cooled to room temperature.

Italian meringue is the most stable of the meringues and does not require cooking. It’s good for recipes that don’t call for the meringue to cook or just need it to be toasted.

Can Italian meringue be frozen?

Like Swiss meringue, you can also freeze Italian meringue. In fact, if you have leftover Italian meringue, pastry chefs recommend storing it in the freezer, not the fridge.

Storing the meringue in the refrigerator often makes the whipped whites “weep.” The whining of the meringue is when it begins to release drops of water.

Whining is a common problem with uncooked meringue variations. Your meringue may also start to “weep” after a few days in the fridge if it contains too much moisture.

Here are step-by-step instructions for freezing Italian meringue.

1. Let the meringue cool.
2. Divide the meringue into smaller portions.
3. Scoop the mixture into sturdy resealable bags.
4. Squeeze excess air from the bag and freeze it.
5. Put the bags with the Italian meringue in the freezer.

Can swiss meringue be frozen?

Swiss meringue will last about 2 days if you leave it out at room temperature, away from sunlight and heat sources. If you keep it in the fridge, the shelf life of the Swiss meringue will be extended up to 5 days.

But luckily, Swiss meringue freezes pretty well. Freeze it the same way you would freeze Italian meringue. Both Italian and Swiss meringue can last up to 10 months in the freezer.

Can meringue frosting be frozen?

Meringue frosting is essentially egg whites beaten with sugar. This fluffy topping is an easy way to make cakes and cupcakes look pretty and taste better. But what if you have leftover meringue frosting? Can you freeze it?

We do not recommend freezing the meringue frosting , as the mixture is not stable enough to withstand the freezing and thawing processes.

Meringue frosting is best used when fresh. Baked goods covered with meringue frosting can be refrigerated for a couple of days.

Can Meringue Roulade be frozen?

You can freeze the meringue roulade once it is ready . Although you should chill the dessert for a few hours before serving it, freezing it is also an option. But before you put the roscón in the freezer, make sure you wrap it well.

Wrap the roulade with a layer of parchment or parchment paper. Next, wrap the meringue roulade in cling film to prevent freezer burn and absorb odors.

Once you’ve wrapped the roscón, place it somewhere in the freezer where the roscón won’t get squashed.

Before serving the roscón, take it out of the freezer and let it thaw for 2 hours at room temperature.

Can you freeze a meringue pie?

Unlike meringue roulade, freezing a meringue pie is not recommended.

Meringue pies, such as the very popular Lemon Meringue Pie, do not freeze well, as the top meringue then undergoes extensive changes upon freezing and thawing.

Due to the egg whites in the meringue, the top layer of the cake is not stable. Therefore, it is better to freeze everything except the meringue layer of the cake.

Even if you have a store-bought meringue pie, remove the meringue layer with a knife and only then freeze it.

Making the meringue to cover the thawed pie will only take a couple of minutes. However, it will make the dessert look and taste fresh.

Can pavlova with meringue be frozen?

Pavlova is one of the most popular desserts you can make with meringues. It’s easy to make if you already have the ingredients on hand. Plus, pavlova is a luscious-looking dessert that’s the perfect ending to any dinner.

Freezing a fully assembled pavlova is not something we recommend doing, as the dessert will not look presentable after thawing. 

If you want to save time and prepare the dessert components a few days in advance, freeze the berries, meringue, and cream separately. Defrost all the ingredients separately and assemble the dessert before serving it.

If the cream you are going to use for the pavlova dessert does not freeze well, make it before assembling the dessert and save time on the meringues by making them in advance.