Alright, so if you’ve ever been mid-baking frenzy and just knew you should’ve started earlier in the day, you’ll get why Pavlova Bombs are kinda my go-to. I first made them for a New Year’s party, after disastrously failing to flip a full-size pavlova off the tray (it ended as a weirdly delicious pile—still don’t regret it). But, mini pavlovas? These little bombs are easier to handle, even when I’m distracted by a phone call, the cat trying to climb the window, or just generally spacing out. Oh, and they look way fancier than they honestly are. Never told my friends that—but you can know!
Why You’ll Love Making These (Yep, Even If Meringue Scares You)
I throw these together whenever I want something showy without needing to be perfect. My niece calls them “cloud munchkins” (she’s four, humor me), and my husband legitimately brags to his mates about them. I make them for almost every birthday now, because 1) they taste unreal with that crispy outside and gooey middle, and 2) they’re small enough that no one can count how many you eat. (Important life skill, I think.) If you’ve ever gotten annoyed at separating eggs—hey, me too—this recipe won’t fix that, but one time I just used bottled egg whites in a pinch. Worked out fine. Also, if you’re ever feeling fancy, these bombs are excellent with a tiny splash of liquor in the cream. Or just, y’know, eat two at once and pretend you did.
Stuff You’ll Need (And What I Swapped In Once or Twice)
- 4 large egg whites (Honestly, I often use those cartons of egg whites when I’m short on time—no shame)
- 1 cup (200g) caster sugar (Regular sugar works too but you might end up with slightly grainier bombs; my gran used to say it was fine, so it’s fine.)
- 1 tsp cornstarch (Or arrowroot if you can’t find cornstarch—once used potato starch, wasn’t a disaster)
- 1 tsp white vinegar (I swap in lemon juice if I’m out; no one’s ever noticed.)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (Optional, but I think it rounds things out; sometimes I use almond.)
- 1 cup thickened cream (for topping)
- Berries—raspberries, strawberries, or whatever is hanging around (Frozen is fine, really. Even that handful of squishy ones languishing at the bottom of the fridge.)
- Optional: Passionfruit pulp, shaved chocolate, pomegranate, fruit curd, or chopped up Tim Tams for an Aussie twist.
How To Make Pavlova Bombs (With Real-Life Sidetracks)
- Set your oven to 120°C (250°F). Line a big tray with parchment paper. (If you can’t find the good brand, use whatever—you might just have a bit of sticking later. Don’t stress.)
- Chuck the egg whites into a clean metal or glass bowl—plastic bowls sometimes hold grease and mess with the meringue, or that’s what my mum says anyway. Whip ‘em with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. You’ll know it because when you lift the beaters, the peaks gently droop over. Honestly, it takes longer than you think—sometimes I watch a couple of TikToks while it whirls away.
- Start adding sugar, one spoonful at a time. This bit feels tedious; don’t rush it, or you’ll end up with sandy meringue. I learned the hard way. Keep going until it’s glossy and thick—seriously, you should be able to almost hold the bowl upside down and nothing falls (don’t try this if you’re superstitious though, or your luck’s as bad as mine).
- Sift in the cornstarch and tip in the vinegar and vanilla. Gently fold these in—don’t go mad with the spatula or you’ll deflate things, and then you’ll just have sweet omelette?
- Spoon mounds onto your tray, about golf-ball size. Sometimes I make a few smaller, just for those little hands in my house. Leave a bit of room—they’ll puff up as they bake.
- Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until just dry on the outside but still a little squidgy if you poke one. Turn the oven off and let them cool inside the oven with the door ajar. Trust me on this! It helps avoid cracks, and anyway, they still taste perfect even if they’re a bit… rustic.
- Once cool, whip the cream (I like it not too stiff, but you do you); plop it on top of each bomb, then artfully (or chaotically, honestly) scatter berries on everything. This is when I usually sneak one before serving. Quality control, right?
Stuff I’ve Learned (The Hard Way, Usually)
- If your kitchen’s humid, the meringues will end up sticky; once I tried blasting them in a low oven later, which sort of worked but not really.
- Forgot to cool them in the oven and they cracked—still delish, but presentation suffered. Honestly, that’s when I started calling them ‘bombs’ anyway.
- You get more volume when the egg whites are room temp, but I’ve done this with cold ones in a pinch.
Experiments You Might Try (And One Flop)
- I sprinkled freeze-dried raspberries in the mix once—good tartness!
- Once tried mixing cocoa into the meringue for ‘choc bombs’ (looked cool, tasted a bit odd, so maybe don’t do what I did there… or do, let me know if it works for you!)
- Swapping whipped coconut cream instead of dairy for my lactose-avoiding mate—tasted spot on.
The Bits You Need (And A Handy Hack If You Don’t Own What I Do)
- Electric mixer—or elbow grease and a balloon whisk if you fancy a workout. Once tried a fork for a single serve. Not recommended unless you need to atone for something.
- Baking tray and parchment. If you’re out, just grease the tray really well and accept things might stick a little.
- Sifter or small strainer for the cornstarch. I’ve used a tea strainer in dire times.
How To Store Your Bombs (Spoiler: They Rarely Survive)
If you actually have leftovers, store the un-topped bombs in an airtight container. They last 2–3 days, but soggify quick in humid weather. Topped ones are best eaten ASAP. In reality? They’re gone before the end of the night here, so that’s a theoretical problem.
Serving Them Up—The Fun (And Slightly Messy) Part
My family prefers to build their own, so I just put everything on the table—cream, berries, maybe some lemon curd if I’m feeling posh—and let people go to town. For birthdays, I add a sprinkle of edible glitter, because, well, why not. A mate of mine just dunks hers straight into the cream bowl. You do you.
Lessons Learned The Hard Way (Don’t Make My Mistakes, Use Yours!)
- Don’t try to make these on a rainy day, unless you want clingy, weepy meringues.
- One time I rushed adding the sugar. Ended up sad and runny. Patience, grasshopper.
- Egg yolk in with the whites is game over—I always keep an extra egg on stand by just in case I mess up.
Your (Very Real) Pavlova Bombs Questions Answered
- Can I make these ahead of time? Yep! Bombs (without toppings) store well in a container. Just don’t top till serving, or the cream turns them mushy. Actually, I think they taste better filled fresh, even if the meringue is a tad chewy the next day, but my husband disagrees. Marital negotiations!
- Help—my mix isn’t glossy after beating forever. What gives? Could be one sneaky bit of yolk or a greasy bowl. Or old eggs. Or maybe Mercury’s in retrograde? If it feels gritty, keep beating, sometimes it suddenly smooths out right when you’re about to give up.
- What’s the best fruit to use? I always say—whatever won’t wilt or make your bombs soggy. Strawberries, blueberries, kiwi (classic pavlova, innit?). On second thought, mango is wild in summer, but makes things slide off if you use too much. Rambling now!
- Can kids help make these? Absolutely. Little ones love dolloping and decorating, but you might lose track of how much sugar they swipe off the tray when you’re not looking.
By the way, if you want geekier meringue wisdom, check out this Serious Eats guide (they test the science). For wild topping inspiration, BBC Good Food always makes me hungry. Or just do what feels right—half the fun is trying.
Ingredients
- 4 large egg whites
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sliced strawberries
- 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
- Fresh mint, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
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1Preheat the oven to 250°F (120°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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2In a clean bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer at medium speed until soft peaks form.
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3Gradually add sugar, a tablespoon at a time, while beating continuously until stiff, glossy peaks form. Fold in cornstarch and white vinegar gently.
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4Spoon or pipe small mounds of the meringue onto the prepared baking sheet, shaping each into a dome with a hollow center.
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5Bake for 60 minutes, then turn off the oven and let the meringues cool completely inside with the door slightly ajar.
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6Whip the cream with vanilla extract until soft peaks form. Fill each pavlova shell with cream, top with strawberries, blueberries, and garnish with mint leaves before serving.
CLICK FOR NUTRITION INFO
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Approximate Information for One Serving
Serving Size:
1 serving
Calories:
185cal
Protein:
3 gg
Fat:
7 gg
Saturated Fat:
0g
Trans Fat:
0g
Cholesterol:
0mg
Sodium:
0mg
Potassium:
0mg
Total Carbs:
28 gg
Fiber:
0g
Sugar:
0g
Net Carbs:
0g
Vitamin A:
0
Vitamin C:
0mg
Calcium:
0mg
Iron:
0mg
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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