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.

cookies on a plate and one with bite taken

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Festive mint cookies

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.

Why this recipe is so good

Mint-flavored and filled with miniature chocolate chips!
Easy to make when following my tips for wonderful cookies every time!
Just 2 egg whites yield a batch of 28-36 cookies.
A perfectly festive addition to any holiday cookie platter.

Ingredient notes

ingredients for divinity surprise cookies

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 in an airtight container.

cookies on a plate with glass of milk in background

Tips for making meringue

A stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer is best for making easier work of whipping egg whites.
Use a very clean bowl. Any grease in the bowl prevents 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 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.
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 peaks stage. This means the meringue stands up when the whisk is lifted out of the meringue.
No peeking in the oven! Once the cookies go in the oven, the oven door needs to stay shut until the cookies are done. 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 the oven off as soon as the cookies are put in. The cookies bake and set up as the oven slowly cools. This takes 8 hours, so it's handy to do this overnight.

So fun and festive.. and even more delicious! No one can eat just one!

Equipment

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