How to Fix Runny Meringue (What Actually Works + Common Mistakes)

If your meringue looks more like foamy soup than fluffy peaks, you’re not alone. Runny meringue happens to everyone—even experienced bakers. After dozens of batches, some flop and some float, I’ve learned a few fixes that actually work (and more than a few that don’t).

In this guide, I’ll walk you through what causes runny meringue, how to rescue it when you can, and what to avoid next time.

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🔳 Quick Fix Chart: Runny Meringue Causes + Fixes

Problem	Symptom	Fix That Worked	Fix That Didn’t Work
Grease in bowl or whisk	Won’t whip at all	Rewash everything in hot soapy water and dry thoroughly	Adding more sugar or egg whites (made it worse)
Egg whites too cold	Slow to whip, stays thin	Let sit at room temp 20–30 mins before whipping	Whipping longer (didn’t improve texture)
Overbeaten	Grainy and deflates	Start over with fresh eggs	Adding cream of tartar late (no recovery)
Added sugar too fast	Mixture collapses	Add sugar 1 tbsp at a time only after soft peaks form	Dumping all at once (instant soup)
Humidity too high	Won’t hold shape, sticky	Use cornstarch or bake on low to dry out	Refrigerating (made it weep more)

Here is a flow chart to help you visualize the fixes:

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✅ What Worked for Me (Personal Notes)

• Clean tools are everything. Once I thought the bowl was clean—it wasn’t. Just one greasy fingerprint is enough to ruin a meringue. Now I wipe everything with vinegar before starting.
• Room temp eggs whip better. I used to rush and grab cold eggs from the fridge. Letting them sit out really does make a difference in volume and texture.
• Add sugar slowly. I used to think dumping in sugar early would stabilize the foam—it doesn’t. Now I wait for soft peaks and go slow, 1 tbsp at a time.
• Humidity is real. Living in the South, I’ve seen meringues flop just from rainy weather. I now use a dehydrator or bake longer on low heat to drive out moisture.

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🥗 How to Rescue a Runny Meringue (If It’s Not Too Far Gone)

1. Check for grease → If unsure, stop and restart with clean tools
2. If it’s underwhipped, try adding a pinch of cream of tartar and keep whipping
3. Still soupy? Try mixing in 1 tsp cornstarch to firm it slightly (not ideal for all uses)
4. For humid days, bake low and slow (e.g., 200°F for 60–90 minutes)

If you’ve overbeaten or rushed the sugar, unfortunately, the best move is to start over. No fix I’ve tried brings those back from the dead.

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🍺 Bonus Tip: Test Your Peaks

Before adding sugar, whip until the foam stands up in soft peaks (tip curls slightly). After sugar, aim for stiff peaks (tip stands straight up). Anything past that risks overbeating.

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Final Thoughts

Meringue isn’t as delicate as it seems—but it does punish shortcuts. Clean tools, room-temp eggs, and patience with the sugar make all the difference.

And if it still flops? Don’t toss it. You can bake runny meringue into soft cookies or mix it into batters for extra fluff. Worst case? You learned something for the next batch.

Also read:

• How to Fix Runny Custard in 3 Easy Steps
• Can You Bake a Runny Meringue? (Yes—Here’s What to Expect)
• Why Does My Cheese Sauce Turn Grainy?