How to make Easy Mini Berry Pavlovas

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Christmas is getting closer and closer and I’m finalising the menu for our Christmas day lunch. As a good New Zealander, I feel honour bound to include pavlova in some form in the festivities, and my Easy Mini Berry Pavlovas always go down a treat!

Table of Contents

A Christmas Tradition from Down Under

For me pavlova will always conjure memories of childhood, groaningly full of food after a huge Christmas lunch, but with just enough space left for a towering slice of pavlova.

Loaded with berries, cream and that most patriotic of fruit, tart, green kiwifruit, no Christmas table is complete with out it.

In many Kiwi households the leftover pavlova is a traditional Boxing Day breakfast too – if it hasn’t all been eaten!

Who invented Pavlova?

Us Kiwis and Aussies have a long running rivalry over who exactly invented this delicious dessert, with both sides claiming the crown.

Teams of dedicated researchers (Yes! Really!) at major universities in both countries dive ever deeper into historical cookbooks to find the answer, and while we’ll probably never agree, we all know that this tasty sweet treat is an absolute must on every festive table.

I’ve been making pavs for a long time, and I’ve included lots of little helpful techniques that I’ve learned along the way to make sure your pavlova is a success.

Ingredients

To make pavlova, you’ll need the following simple ingredients:

Caster or superfine sugar: It’s best to use fine sugar when making pavlova to ensure that it dissolves into the egg whites. Udissolved sugar will lead to cracking and weeping in the finished pavlovas.
Egg whites: It’s easiest to separate your eggs when they are cold, then allow the whites to come to room temperature as they will fluff up much more. Be sure to save the yolks! You could make some delicious Vanillekipferl cookies!
Vinegar and Cornstarch: These ingredients give pavlovas their. mashmallowy texture. You can’t taste the vinegar in the final product, I promise!
Cream: Heavy or whipping cream is suitable for this recipe.
Fresh fruit: Traditional fruits include strawberries, blueberries, kiwis and mango. Switch it up and top with your favourite fruits!

Preparing Pavlova collage. Separated eggs, beaten egg whites.

The complete ingredient list and detailed instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to warm the sugar before I start?

While it’s not necessary to warm the sugar before you start, warm sugar will dissolve much easier in the egg white mixture, which means the meringue is more stable and less likely to crack and weep.

Why do you add water to the egg whites?

Adding a tablespoon of cold water to the egg whites helps to break the structure down a little – they’ll whip up much better this way.

What can I substitute for Cream or Tartar?

Cream of tartar or tartaric acid will create more stable egg whites, but isn’t necessary. Simply leave it out if you can’t find it.

I’ve heard that it needs to be cool to make meringue, is this true?

Meringue and pavlova famously hate humidity, so try to make them when it is a little cooler. In saying that, in my part of the world we always make them in high summer when it is very humid and they seem to come out just fine. Plenty of cream and fresh fruit will hide a multitude of sins.