Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies (a.k.a Cloud Cookies)
What do you get when you combine semi-sweet chocolate chips with light and fluffy cloud-like meringue? This scrumptious chocolate chip meringue cookies recipe.
No matter how much I love cooking, there is always a special thrill when I make something that I know one of my kids or auntlings are going to get excited about. That’s why I love these gluten-free chocolate chip cloud cookies so much. They got their name from my nephew, Austin, over 15 years ago. I’ve always been a fan of meringue cookies and I whipped up a batch when Austin was over at my house and decided to stir some chocolate chips into them before baking. Austin waited patiently while they cooked, then took one bite and declared them just like clouds… with the added bonus of chocolate chips!
So if you want to be the cool aunt/mama/grandmama/daddy/uncle who knows how to bake chocolate chips into clouds… I got ya covered today! I know some people are scared of meringue but follow my tips below and you’ll be okay. Seriously, I promise it seems scarier than it is! Plus, the reward is so worth it. These chocolate chip meringue cookies are crisp on the outside and slightly chewy on the inside. They’re light, fluffy, sweet as sugar, and destined to just melt in your mouth.
You only need five ingredients for these cloud cookies: chocolate chips, eggs, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt. We just need to make the meringue, fold in the chocolate chips, and bake for about 20 minutes. Add some sprinkles on top and you have yourself a delicious batch of chocolate chip meringue cookies. Are you ready to give them a go?
Recipe Ingredients
- Chocolate chips
- Eggs
- Sugar
- Cream of tartar
- Salt
- Sprinkles if you’d like to add a little sparkle to your clouds... I mean cookies.
How to Make Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies
Crack your eggs and separate the whites from the yolk.
Add a pinch of cream of tartar and your salt to the egg whites in a medium bowl.
There are all sorts of gadgets that do this but I just use my hands. Usually, I crack the egg and just gently tilt it until the white pours off, saving the yolk in the shell. You can also pour the entire egg into your hand and spread your fingers slightly to allow just the white to slide through while the yolk remains.
Whichever way you go, make sure you don’t get any of the yolk (the dark orange part) in this because our meringue won’t fluff up if we have yolk in it.
Beat egg whites until soft peaks form.
Okay, so what this means is that you need to beat them on high with an electric mixer for a few minutes. They will start out getting frothy and then begin to get foamy, and eventually turn white like this. As you keep on beating, they will start to hold their shape a bit, meaning you’ll see ripples remain in them where the beater has been.
Stop your mixer and pull your beaters up. Where your beaters came out of the egg whites a point will come up. If that droops back down again (kinda like the top of a dairy queen ice cream cone), you have soft peaks.
Add in your sugar and beat some more, unit the sugar is well incorporated.
It will get thick and glossy like divinity.
Oh my, I need to do a post on how to make divinity, don’t I? Oooh Mama has a great recipe for it…
Stir in chocolate chips.
Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and then place spoonfuls onto the greased baking sheet.
I do about a well-rounded teaspoon…or whatever size I’m in the mood for!
Add sprinkles if desired then bake at 200 for 20 to 25 minutes until the meringue is dry and crisp.
Cool the cookies on a baking sheet for two minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.
It’s important to let them cool for at least an hour so they harden.
Store them in an airtight container or just hand them to the kids in your life and watch them disappear!
Enjoy this super easy cookie!
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature (in a cool, dry place) for up to 1 week. Don’t store them in the fridge as this will add moisture to them, which we definitely don’t want!
Recipe Notes
- For extra flavor, add 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract or before you fold in the chocolate chips.
- You can use any kind of chocolate chips. I’m personally using semi-sweet chocolate chips (a.k.a dark chocolate chips), but if you prefer, opt for milk chocolate chips or white chocolate chips. Another idea is to use a combination.
- Make sure the mixing bowl and beaters are sparkling clean, as this helps make perfect meringue.
- It’s also beneficial to use room-temperature egg whites. Just set them out on the counter 30 minutes or so before you begin baking.
- For double chocolate chip cookies, add 2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder when you add the chocolate chips.
- For prettier cookies, use a piping bag to pipe them onto the cookie sheet instead.
Recipe FAQs
What else can you mix into this meringue cookie recipe?
You can substitute the chocolate chips for chopped nuts, such as chopped walnuts, almonds, or pistachios, and dried fruit. You can also mix in a drop of food coloring for different colored meringue cookies.
Do I need to use cream of tartar?
I strongly recommend not skipping the cream of tartar, as it’s what stabilizes the egg whites, which is how we make smooth meringue cookies.
Check out these other tasty chocolate chip cookie recipes:
Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies
Grandma Jenny’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
White Chocolate Chip “Big” Cookie
Chocolate Chip Potato Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 egg whites
- 1 pinch cream of tartar
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1-2 cups chocolate chips
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- colored sugar sprinkles optional
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt until soft peaks form.2 egg whites, 1 pinch cream of tartar, 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Add sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.3/4 cup sugar
- Gently fold in chocolate chips.1-2 cups chocolate chips
- Drop level tablespoonsful onto greased baking sheets. Sprinkle lightly with sugar, if desired.colored sugar sprinkles
- Bake at 300 for 20-25 minutes or until meringues are dry and crisp.
- Cool on baking sheets for two minutes, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container.
Nutrition
This recipe is featured on Meal Plan Monday and Weekend Potluck
I also made these with my best friend in Elementary School, but we called them Forgotten Cookies. (Left overnight in oven that had been turned off). Ours also had chopped pecans and vanilla extract but no Cream of Tartar. What does the Cream of Tartar do? Thank you!
It helps. Stabilize the meringue and gives them a nice dissolving texture on the tongue 🙂
I made these–they were very good; however, next time I will cut the sugar by one half. Also, I only used 1 cup of mini chocolate chips and for my taste that was plenty.
Thanks for the recipie.
Glad you enjoyed it Laura!
Yummy!
Help first time making and there a little wet what did i do wrong other than that there delicious.
Why does out a little wet and what can i other than that delicious fisrt time i make these
What is the correct amount of chocolate chips? I know 24 oz. can’t be right. Thanks.
I’m so glad I found this recipe. We had a Christmas tray we would get every year at my office and it had these cookies on it. We called them “air” cookies. I am going to make these and surprise them at work with them! Thanks!!!
What a fun idea!!