This Eton Mess recipe is a refreshing no-bake dessert that comes together quickly and easily in a few simple steps. Made with whipped cream, strawberries, and meringue, each bite is both creamy and crisp.
Place a third of the strawberries in a medium bowl and mash with a fork or puree in a blender. Cut the remaining strawberries into quarters and add them to the bowl. Add ⅓ cup sugar, and stir until well combined. Let sit for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream and the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Beat on medium speed until soft peaks form.
Place 8 meringues in a sealable plastic bag and coarsely crush with a rolling pin or the bottom of a heavy glass. Fold into the whipped cream. Break the remaining meringue cookies into various-sized pieces.
In small clear cups or dessert bowls, layer the cream, strawberries, and broken cookies, creating as many layers as you want. Serve immediately or chill for up to 3 hours before serving.
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Notes
If you buy store-bought meringue cookies, try chocolate meringue, swirled meringue, or lemon meringue to change up the flavor.
This recipe works great with all kinds of seasonal berries and fruits. Some of my favorites to swap in are raspberries, blackberries, peaches, cherries, and plums.
If you do not have fresh berries, you can use frozen berries.
Put your mixing bowl in the freezer before whipping the heavy cream. The colder bowl helps whip the cream faster and increases its thickness.
Making this for a crowd? Place each part of the Eton mess out, buffet-style, and let your guests assemble their own bowl.
A drop of real vanilla extract adds a nice touch of vanilla flavor to the whipped cream.
While you can whip the cream by hand, I highly recommend using an electric mixer as it’ll require a lot of elbow grease!
When you fold the meringue into the whipped cream, do so gently as not to deflate the whipped cream.
Allow the whipped cream and crushed meringue mixture to sit in the fridge for up to 3 hours if you’d like the meringue to soften into a marshmallow-like texture. Allow the mixture to sit for a shorter time if you prefer the meringue more crisp.