Golden Crust Baking
Golden Crust Baking

Mini Pavlovas

Mini pavlovas on a plate garnished with fruit and icing sugar.

December 2025

Light, airy and wonderfully fresh, these mini pavlovas are an exceptional Australian dessert (or New Zealand... but let's not start that argument!). The sweet meringue provides a crisp base for the vanilla cream and raspberry coulis. Topped with fresh fruit, this dessert is joy to assemble and eat.

The Meringue

The addition of cornflour (starch) is crucial. Its starch content helps to retain moisture for that soft, marshmallowy centre while also keeping any weeping of the sugar at bay, especially on humid days. Vinegar is used to stabilise the structure, but another acid can be used - ⅛ tsp cream of tartar of a squeeze of lemon juice.

For uniform nests, trace circles onto the baking paper and flip it over, to use the lines as piping guides. Place a small dot in each corner of the baking tray to glue the paper in place and prevent shifting. Pipe the meringues, starting in the centre of the traced circle and spiralling outward to form the base. Then, continue piping in a spiral inwards, as you lift the piping bag to create a peaked mound. Don't worry about perfection! The rustic look is part of the charm, and there will be plenty of cream and fruit to hide any imperfections.

After baking, the nests are cooled slowly inside the turned off oven to prevent cracking and ensure they dry out properly.

Customising the Recipe

While the crisp-on-the-outside and marshmallowy-on-the-inside meringue base is the star of the show, toppings can be changed and customised to suit your taste.

This recipe uses a raspberry coulis for delicious flavour and pops of colour, but this can be easily changed to create the primary flavour note of the dessert. A lemon or passionfruit curd brings a tartness to contrast the sweet meringue. For an even richer flavour, a chocolate or caramel drizzle can be used.

Use the best fruit available for the season to ensure vibrant flavour and visual appeal. For extra texture, sprinkle crushed pistachios or toasted coconut flakes on top.

Mini Pavlovas

Makes 10 mini pavlovas.

Mini pavlovas on a plate garnished with fruit and icing sugar.

Special Equipment

Ingredients

For the meringue nests

For the raspberry coulis

For the Chantilly cream

For topping

    • Fresh strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, passionfruit, kiwi, mango or other seasonal tart fruit
    • Canned fruits can be used like peaches and mandarins

Method

Meringue

  1. Preheat oven to 100C conventional mode or 80C fan mode. Conventional is preferred, as fan mode can burn the edges of the pavlova. Line 1 or 2 baking trays with baking paper.
  2. Prepare the 200g caster sugar in a small bowl with a spoon for easier scooping later.
  3. Using a hand or stand mixer, begin whipping the 4 large egg whites until foamy. Add the 2 tsp cornflour and 1 tsp white vinegar.
  4. Increase the speed to high and start adding the sugar one spoon at a time. Once all the sugar is added, continue to whip on high until the meringue forms stiff, glossy peaks, about 10 minutes.
  5. Add the meringue to a piping bag and pipe the nests onto a baking paper lined baking tray. Pipe the mounds with a 6-7cm diameter, and so they peak at the top. If you don't have a piping bag you can use 2 spoons to dollop the meringue onto the tray. Use the back of a spoon to create a well in the centre for fillings.
  6. Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes until crisp. Turn the oven off and let cool in the oven with the door closed, at least 3 hours.

Raspberry Coulis

  1. Add the 200g raspberries, 25g granulated sugar and 1 tbsp lemon juice to a small saucepan.
  2. Set over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce to low and simmer for 5 minutes until the raspberries have broken down, using a fork or potato masher to mash the raspberries and help release the juices.
  3. Use a fine mesh sieve to strain the coulis into a heat proof bowl. Let cool completely.

Chantilly Cream

  1. Using a hand or stand mixer, whip the 240g cream, 10g caster sugar and 2 tsp vanilla extract until medium peaks. Cover and chill until ready to use.

Assembly

Assemble close to serving as the fillings will begin to soften the crisp pavlovas.

  1. Spoon or pipe Chantilly cream into each pavlova.
  2. Add a spoonful of raspberry coulis over the cream.
  3. Top with fruit and optionally garnish with mint leaves and icing sugar.

Recipe Notes

  • The unfilled pavlovas can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 day.
  • The filled pavlovas are best served soon after assembly. They can survive up to 1 day in the fridge but will soften as the pavlovas absorb the moisture from the fillings.
  • To stabilise the Chantilly cream if storing for longer than a few hours, replace about a third of the thickened cream with mascarpone, then whip. Mascarpone will stabilise the cream and help prevent weeping or deflating.
  • For maximum stability and shelf life for the unfilled pavlovas, consider using the Swiss or Italian meringue method. This involves heating the mixture before whipping, creating a pavlova that is highly resistant to humidity.