Meringue Cookies (Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Paleo Friendly)

Yesterday was my oldest child’s birthday, and as usual, he asked for his favorite cake: German Chocolate. 

Since I long perfected an “our safe” recipe for this, it was a no brainer how to go about making it happen…

But then as I sat and looked at the 6 egg whites that remained after making the Coconut Pecan Frosting, I knew I wanted to do something more than my usual egg white omelet. 

So, I whipped up a batch of these beautiful, easy meringue cookies, and later shared an image of them on my personal Facebook page.

Much to my surprise, I had many requests for a recipe! 

I guess because Meringue Cookies have been around so long, I figured everyone had their favorite recipe…kind of like chocolate chip cookies, you know? 

That being said, there might be a thing or two different about my recipe compared to the one your mom makes.

First, I use sugar-free, homemade vanilla extract. 

This is literally a vanilla bean soaked in vodka and pressure cooked to infused the flavor. It makes for a perfect and safe vanilla extract, but you can use any unsweetened vanilla extract you prefer.

Second, I do use maple sugar instead of traditional white sugar. Because maple sugar is lower on the glycemic index scale, is Paleo friendly, but doesn’t add a tremendous amount of color like coconut sugar would or moisture like actual maple syrup would. It also adds a nice, delicate maple flavor to your cookie. 

You can totally use white sugar in the same ratio, if that is your thing, but nutritionally white sugar is void of nutrients and not something I recommend keeping on hand. 

Even so, with four little ingredients, this is a delicious recipe that you are sure to use for generations to come!

Enjoy!