11 Meringue (Egg White) Cookie Recipes Without Cream Of Tarter | FAQ Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

What is a substitute for cream of tartar in meringue cookies? ›

What is a Good Cream of Tartar Substitute when Making Meringues? You can substitute lemon juice for cream of tartar when making meringues. The substitution ratio is 1:2 — for your recipe's measurement of cream of tartar, use double that amount of lemon juice.

The bottom line: For smooth, stiff beaten egg whites that keep their shape, don't skip the cream of tartar. If you don't have cream of tartar, substituting 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar per egg white works almost as well. To avoid meringues that weep, don't skip the cream of tartar...

If a recipe calls for 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar, add one teaspoon of vinegar instead. The only downside of using vinegar is the strong flavor can sneak through. For this reason, white vinegar is the go-to vinegar for substituting cream of tartar, since it has the least distinct flavor.

Use 1/2 cup of buttermilk for every 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar, then eliminate 1/2 cup of liquid from the recipe. Yogurt: Also a decent substitution for baked goods, yogurt can be used as a substitute for cream of tartar.

Can I use corn starch or baking powder instead of cream of tartar? Cornstarch is totally out of the question. Baking powder (or baking soda) can be used but results may vary.

Adding it to cake or cookie batters prevents sugar from banding together and crystallizing, meaning that it results in more of a tender chew—snickerdoodles and sugar cookies wouldn't be the same without cream of tartar. The same effect is why it's added to some frostings and syrups, where it helps keep things smooth.

Can I go without cream of tartar? You technically could — egg whites will still whip to stiff peaks without cream of tartar — but we highly recommend including it whenever it's called for in a recipe.

Use eggs at room temperature. Cold egg whites tend to reduce meringue volume. Never let any yolk get into the whites. Don't overbeat egg whites.

As we've already determined, baking powder is made from cream of tartar and baking soda. So, if you have baking powder, you technically have cream of tartar too! You can substitute 1.5 teaspoons of baking powder for every 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar.

Is cream of tartar the same as baking soda? No. Although they are similar in appearance, cream of tartar and baking soda are completely different ingredients. Baking soda, which also goes by the name sodium bicarbonate, is a leavening agent that reacts with acids in a recipe.

Can I replace cream of tartar with apple cider vinegar? ›

Here are some alternative substitutes for people with allergies to the common substitutes for cream of tartar: Apple Cider Vinegar: For people with allergies to white vinegar, apple cider vinegar can be used instead.

Cream of Tartar

Stick to a 2:1 ratio of cream of tartar to baking soda for best results. Replace 1 teaspoon (5 grams) of baking powder with 1/4 teaspoon (1 gram) of baking soda plus a 1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) cream of tartar.

If you want to make snickerdoodles without cream of tartar, you can substitute the cream of tartar AND the baking soda with 2 teaspoons of baking powder.

What Is Cream of Tartar Used For? Adding a small amount of cream of tartar when you're beating egg whites—usually 1/8 teaspoon per egg white—speeds up the creation of foam and helps stabilize the structure of those minuscule air bubbles you're whipping up.

For example, if you have 3 teaspoons of baking soda, it can replace 2 teaspoons of cream of tartar.

Culinary uses. Bakers often use cream of tartar in baked goods by mixing it with egg whites to help create stiff peaks in meringue. This prevents the formation of sugar crystals. Cream of tartar can be a substitute for anything from buttermilk to baking powder and lemon juice in your favorite recipes.

The cornflour and vinegar that is added strengthens the egg white and make it more stable and you get the marshmallowy centres from the shorter cooking time.

The most common is adding a little acid, such as vinegar, more lemon juice, or cream of tartar, to the mixture, after the sugar. According to Larousse Gastronomique, this also helps to make it "crisp on the outside, soft and sticky on the inside".

Without cream of tartar, you'll get the same baked good in the end, but the consistency may not be as flawless. If you're worried about your cake coming out too flat or your lemon meringue pie going runny, adding cream of tartar is an effective way to prevent it.

Cream of tartar prevents the sugar in cookie dough from crystallizing when cooking. Without it, cookies tend to form a crispy texture. EHow claims that cream of tartar also encourages cookies to bake lighter by creating more air bubbles when it comes into contact with liquid.

Does cream of tartar change the taste of cookies? ›

Cream of tartar helps cookies rise, keeps them from overbrowning, and can affect both taste and texture.

Cream of tartar, a byproduct of wine and grape juice processing, is an acidic salt that acts as a stabilizer in recipes that require whipped egg whites, such as meringue, angel food cake, and soufflé.

Acid (lemon juice, vinegar, tartar powder) stabilizes the cross-linking of the proteins; the egg white mass becomes firmer. Even small amounts of egg yolk or fat can prevent stiffening.

The most common reason is because there is some sort of fat (egg yolk, grease/oil/butter) present. This can happen if you get egg yolk into the whites, or there is residue from past cooking or baking projects on your bowl or the beaters.

Don't forget the secret ingredient

For the strongest and most stable meringue, add 1/8 teaspoon of cream of tartar for every egg white before beating—it's an acid that stabilizes the egg white. If you don't have any on hand, use 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice for every egg white.

The presence of even a small amount of fat (yolk) can be enough to ruin your meringue rendering it flat and useless. By separating the whites from the yolk over a separate bowl, then adding the whites into the large bowl of your standing mixer one-by-one, you eliminate all risk of introducing fat into the whites.

Meringue rule 3: Use room-temperature egg whites

Room temperature (68°F to 72°F) egg whites will whip up faster. Cold eggs are easier to separate. The solution? Separate your eggs while they're cold, placing the whites into a small container before adding them to the mixing bowl to come to room temp.

Cream of tartar has a slightly tangy, acidic flavor, but it's not typically used in large enough quantities to impact the flavor of dishes. While you'll find cream of tartar in spice jars and tins in the baking aisle, it also makes appearances in cleaning solutions.

Baking Soda

Also called sodium bicarbonate, it helps by softening tartar. It also balances the acids in your mouth that create plaque and stop it from turning into tartar. As it is mildly abrasive, it's an effective option to scrub away stains and whiten your teeth. Although, it cannot remove deeper stains.

Cream of tartar: A leavening agent which changes the texture of the cookie from simply a sugar cookie into a Snickerdoodle. When used in conjunction with baking soda, Snickerdoodle cookies have a tangy taste and are chewier and slightly taller than a standard sugar cookie.

Can you put cream of tartar in coffee? ›

If you add 1 tsp of cream of tartar to a cup of water/juice/tea/coffee and drink it, you will soon get rid of acne. It is because cream of tartar aids in good digestion. A healthy gut is a key to healthy skin. The cream of tartar detox properties keeps the skin acne-free.

"Cream of tartar is a powder, similar in appearance to baking soda or baking powder," said Phil Campbell, chef at Klaw, a seafood restaurant in Miami. "It's the byproduct of wine making. And if we wanted to get all scientific, it's actually called potassium tartrate or potassium hydrogen tartrate."

The cost is high because the only known source or tartaric acid is from grapes, and because of the costs of processing involved in purification, as well as packaging, shipping and handling.

Baking soda mixed with apple cider vinegar

Combining apple cider vinegar with an alkaline compound, such as baking soda, may help neutralize some of its acidity.

While cream of tartar can successfully stand in for lime juice to provide leavening, it will significantly change the flavor and texture of your batter. There are other acidic ingredients that can be substituted for lime juice with greater success.

If a recipe calls for 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar, add one teaspoon of vinegar instead. The only downside of using vinegar is the strong flavor can sneak through. For this reason, white vinegar is the go-to vinegar for substituting cream of tartar, since it has the least distinct flavor.

Use one teaspoon of baking powder to replace 1/3 tsp of baking soda and 2/3 tsp of cream of tartar. Since baking powder is really just a mix of cream of tartar and baking soda, this substitution won't change your recipe at all."

There are many vegan substitutes for cream of tartar. You can use lemon juice, white vinegar, or baking soda. Just add one teaspoon of any of these ingredients to replace one tablespoon of cream of tartar.

Why do snickerdoodles taste bitter? ›

Why do snickerdoodles have an aftertaste? Many people identify snickerdoodles as having a tangy aftertaste. Cream of tartar is what gives snickerdoodles that tanginess. I've found that a lot of people are very sensitive to the tangy flavor of cream of tartar and the bitter, metallic flavor baking soda can have.

If you find yourself in a pinch in the kitchen, you can swap white vinegar for cream of tartar. This substitute works best when stabilizing egg whites for recipes like soufflés and meringues. Simply use an equal amount of white vinegar in place of cream of tartar when you're whipping egg whites.

Cream of tartar is an added safeguard; it gives more stability to that foam structure, therefore setting up your meringue for success. Cream of tartar helps these Cranberry-Lime Swirled Meringues retain their cloud-like texture.

White vinegar is another simple substitute that many people have on hand. Like cream of tartar, the acid in white vinegar will react with the other ingredients to stabilize or leaven the recipe. While the taste of white vinegar is not as distinct at lemon juice, it does have a very strong flavor profile.

Yes, but the acid in the cream of tartar makes for a sturdier meringue that is less prone to weeping.

Just in case you don't always have cream of tartar on hand, it's helpful to know some good cream of tartar replacements. Lemon Juice or White Vinegar – Remember, cream of tartar is an acid, so you can use an acid like lemon juice and white vinegar instead.

You can substitute cream of tartar with 2 teaspoons of lemon juice. Add more powdered sugar until desired consistency.

Cream of tartar is primarily an acid that helps to stabilize whipped egg whites, while meringue powder is used as a substitute for fresh egg whites. While they can be used similarly, they are different ingredients with distinct properties.

Don't forget the secret ingredient

For the strongest and most stable meringue, add 1/8 teaspoon of cream of tartar for every egg white before beating—it's an acid that stabilizes the egg white. If you don't have any on hand, use 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice for every egg white.

What happens if you leave cream of tartar out of cookies? ›

As you can see, there's a science to using cream of tartar, so if your recipe calls for it, we always suggest using the real thing first, or the worst case scenario is you just skip it—if the cream of tartar is being used as a leavener, it means baked goods may not come out as fluffy or they may collapse slightly, but ...

Baking powder

You can use 1.5 teaspoons (6 grams) of baking powder to replace 1 teaspoon (3.5 grams) of cream of tartar. This substitution is ideal because it can be used in any recipe without modifying the taste or texture of the final product.

The Best Substitute for Cream of Tartar

For every 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar in the recipe, use 1 teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar. As an example, if your cookie recipe calls for 1 teaspoon baking soda, add 2 teaspoons lemon juice instead of the cream of tartar.

Baking Powder

For example, if you have 3 teaspoons of baking soda, it can replace 2 teaspoons of cream of tartar.

There may be times you make royal icing with egg white and if you do, you should add it so your royal icing will have volume. Cream of Tartar will help prevent sugar crystallization.

Meringue Powder in Royal Icing

Meringue powder takes the place of raw egg whites, which is found in traditional royal icing recipes. Both create a very sturdy and stable icing that hardens quickly on top of cookies.

Use an acid: Cream of tartar works better than lemon juice to stabilize meringue. If you're not following this recipe, a good formula is to add ⅛ teaspoon of cream of tartar for every egg white you plan to use. If you don't have any on hand, use ½ teaspoon lemon juice for every egg white.

Price when purchased online. Corn Starch, Egg Whites, Sugar, Gum Arabic, Calcium Sulphate, Citric Acid, Cream of Tartar (Potassium Acid Tartrate), Artificial Flavor, Silicon Dioxide.