Divinity Surprise Cookies are delicate meringue confections that add a festive touch to any holiday cookie platter. Flavored with mint and filled with mini chocolate chips, these sweet treats are irresistible.
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I've been enjoying these cookies every Christmas for as long as I can remember. They are petite, light and airy, and full of minty, chocolatey goodness! No one can resist these pink and green pillows of sweet confection.
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Why you will love this recipe
- Just 2 egg whites yield a batch of 28-36 cookies.
- A festive addition to any holiday cookie platter.
- Mint and chocolate are always a winning combination!
- Follow my tips for perfect cookies every time.
Ingredient notes
- Egg whites - You can save the yolks to make homemade ice cream.
- Cream of tartar - This helps to stabilize the beaten egg whites so they hold their shape.
- Mint extract - Both mint and peppermint extracts are fine. Use your favorite!
- Chocolate chips - I like using miniature ones because these cookies are small and delicate.
- Food coloring - Red and green lend a holiday vibe, but you can use other colors for other seasons.
Step-by-step instructions
See the recipe card for complete instructions and ingredient amounts.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Add the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
- Whisk until the egg whites are thick and frothy.
- Add the sugar slowly - one tablespoon at a time - allowing the sugar to fully dissolve before adding more. After adding ½ cup sugar, the mixture should be thick and glossy with stiff peaks. If necessary, you can continue adding up to ¼ cup of sugar - 1 tablespoon at a time - until the mixture reaches this consistency.
- Add the mint extract and whisk to combine.
- Transfer half of the mixture into another bowl. Add a drop of red food gel to one bowl and a drop of green to the other. If using liquid food coloring, you may need to add a few more drops to get the desired color. Gently stir to incorporate.
- Add half of the chocolate chips to each bowl. Gently stir.
- Using a small cookie scoop or two spoons, transfer dollops of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheets. You can also use a piping bag with a tip large enough for the chocolate chips to pass through. The cookies can be placed closer together because they won't spread.
- Put the baking sheets in the oven. Promptly turn the oven off. Let the cookies sit for 8 hours or overnight. Do not open the oven door during this time.
- Remove the cookies and store them in an airtight container.
Expert Tips for making meringue
- A stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer is best for making easy work of whipping egg whites.
- Use a very clean bowl. Any trace of grease in the bowl will prevent the egg whites from whipping up to their full volume. Glass or metal bowls are best.
- Use room-temperature egg whites. Cold egg whites will not whip up well and won't have as much volume.
- When separating the eggs, do so carefully to make sure no egg yolk gets into the whites. Even a drop of yolk can prevent the egg whites from whipping well.
- Add the sugar slowly - 1 tablespoon at a time. Make sure the sugar is dissolved before adding more. This will result in a smooth meringue.
- Check to see if the sugar is fully dissolved by rubbing a bit of the meringue between your fingers. If it feels gritty, the sugar hasn't dissolved completely.
- Stop whipping the egg whites when they reach the stiff peak stage. This means the meringue stands up when the whisk is lifted out of the bowl.
- No peeking in the oven. Once the cookies go in the oven, the oven door must stay closed. A sudden change in temperature can cause the meringue to crack.
- Make these cookies at night when you won't be using the oven. This recipe calls for turning off the oven as soon as the cookies are inside. The cookies bake and set up as the oven slowly cools. This takes 8 hours so it's convenient to do this overnight.
So fun and festive.. and even more delicious! No one can eat just one!
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📖 Recipe Card
Divinity Surprise Cookies
Delicate meringue confections add a festive touch to any holiday cookie platter. Flavored with mint and filled with mini chocolate chips, these sweet treats are irresistible.
Save this recipe!
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
I will also send you other recipes I know you'll love. Unsubscribe at any time.
EQUIPMENT
Ingredients
- 2 large egg whites (room temperature)
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ⅛ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½-¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon mint extract
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips
- green and red food coloring gel
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375℉ degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt. Beat until thick and foamy.
- With the mixer running, gradually add ½ cup sugar, one tablespoon at a time. Allow the sugar time to fully dissolve before adding more sugar. The mixture should be thick with stiff peaks. If necessary, add the remaining ¼ sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture has stiff peaks.
- Add mint extract and blend. Transfer half of the egg white mixture to another bowl. Add green food coloring to one bowl and red food coloring to the other. bowl. Fold gently to incorporate. Fold half of the chocolate chips into each mixture.
- Using a small scoop or spoon, drop mounds of the mixture on the prepared baking sheets. Place the pans in the oven and turn the oven off. Leave for 8 hours. Do not open the oven door during this time. Store the cookies in an airtight container.
Notes
- Use room-temperature egg whites. Cold egg whites will not whip up well and won't have as much volume as room-temperature eggs.
- When separating the eggs, do so carefully to make sure no egg yolk gets in the whites. Even a drop of yolk can prevent the egg whites from whipping up well.
Nutrition
Calories: 31kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 16mg | Potassium: 13mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 7IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific ingredients used.
Tried this recipe?Please leave a comment and rating below.
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This post was originally published in December 2018 and has been updated.
Kristen says
Hi! My grandma used to make these and I haven’t been able to find the recipe since she passed, so thank you for this! Do you think they would taste good without the mint extract? I can’t have mint due to medical issues. Could I substitute clear vanilla extract, instead, to give flavor?
Abbey McDermott says
Hi Kristen,
Yes, you can absolutely use vanilla. Almond extract would be delicious too. I'm so glad you found this recipe!
Heather says
I made these last night - they are nearly gone! They do seem kind of crumbly though, did I do something incorrectly or are they supposed to be that way?
Abbey says
Thank you, Heather for trying the recipe! They are somewhat crumbly, so you didn't do anything wrong. If there is any bit of humidity in the air, they can turn out a little bit on the chewy side. But during winter, they definitely are a delicate cookie. I just made another batch last night because they do disappear quickly!