These Eton Mess Pots are one of the easiest and tastiest desserts you will ever make! They are no bake, so simple to put together with only a few ingredients, and perfect for strawberry season. Layers of whipped cream, crunchy meringue, fresh strawberries and strawberry sauce all combine into this classic British dessert that is so summery and fresh!
Ingredient Tips & Equipment Information
- I used shop bought meringue nests for this recipe, but you can make your own, or this recipe would be a great way to use up leftover meringue.
- You can add other berries to this recipe like raspberries, blackberries or blueberries.
- You need to use double cream of whipping cream for this recipe, single cream will not work.
- I used a stick blender to make the strawberry sauce. You can also use a foor processor, or another kind of blender. Or you can just mash them up with a fork and a have a slightly thicker sauce.
- Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales*. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
- For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons* and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.
For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.
How to make Eton Mess Pots
Hull and chop up half of the strawberries into bite sized pieces. To make the strawberry sauce, hull the other half of strawberries, then mash them up with a fork or whizz them in a blender. Add the lemon juice and icing sugar and stir it in.
Whip up the double cream with the icing sugar and vanilla extract, then break up the meringue nests and gently fold them into the whipped cream. Layer up your dessert glasses starting with a layer of meringue cream, then chopped strawberries, then strawberry sauce. Repeat the layers. Then top with the remaining cream, broken up meringue pieces and a whole fresh strawberry.
What is Eton Mess?
Eton Mess is a British dessert that originated from Eton College, which is a boarding school located near London. The dessert is served at their annual cricket match with Harlow School. It is called a 'mess' due to its appearance.
What size serving glasses do you need?
The serving glasses I used are actually small drinking glasses. I think they are designed for short drinks like whisky. They have a 250ml capacity. If you don't have any small glasses that would be suitable, you can serve the Eton Mess in bowls. If you want a more elegant look, you could serve them in martini or wine glasses.
Can this recipe be made in advance?
I would recommend making this the same day you want to eat it, as it's fresher. But you can eat it the next day too.
How long do the Eton Mess Pots last?
They are best served immediately, but they will last in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Can this recipe be made gluten free?
Great news, this recipe is already gluten free! Please do check the labels of everything you use if you are serving this to anyone with an allergy or intolerance.
Can this recipe be made dairy free?
Yes, to make this recipe dairy free use a dairy free cream alternative that is suitable for whipping. Such as coconut cream, Oatly whippable or Elmlea Plant. Please do check the labels of everything you use if you are serving this to anyone with an allergy or intolerance.
More tips for making the Eton Mess Pots:
- If you want the Eton Mess pots to look neater, you could pipe the whipped cream into the serving glasses instead of spooning it in.
- When you break the meringue up, don't make the pieces too small. You want them to be noticably crunchy amongst the soft cream.
Troubleshooting
If you have any questions about this recipe, or if something went wrong and you need help, please use the comment form below and I will get back to you. You can also get in touch with me on my Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. I'd love to hear from you!
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More strawberry recipes...
Eton Mess Pots
Ingredients
For the strawberry sauce
- 150 g Fresh strawberries stalks removed and hulled
- 2 tsp Lemon juice
- 1 tsp Icing sugar
For the dessert
- 150 g Fresh strawberries stalks removed and hulled
- 325 ml Double cream
- 1 tbsp Icing sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 3 Meringue nests broken up
For decoration
- 1 Meringue nest broken up
- 4 Fresh strawberries whole
Instructions
- To make the strawberry sauce, add all of the ingredients to a mixing bowl and blend them using a stick blender. You can also blend them in a blender, or mash them up with a fork
- Use an electric whisk to whip up the double cream with the icing sugar and vanilla extract
- Break up the meringue nests for the dessert into chunks with your hands and gently fold it into the whipped cream
- Layer up the desserts starting with the cream and meringue mixture, then add some fresh chopped strawberries, followed by some strawberry sauce
- Next, add more of the cream and meringue mixture to your serving glasses, then the remaining fresh chopped strawberries, and the remaining strawberry sauce
- Finally top with the remaining cream and meringue mixture, then top each one with a fresh strawberry and add some extra pieces of broken up meringue
- Serve immediately, store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 days
Notes
- I used shop bought meringue nests for this recipe, but you can make your own, or this recipe would be a great way to use up leftover meringue.
- You can add other berries to this recipe like raspberries or blueberries.
- You need to use double cream of whipping cream for this recipe, single cream will not work.
- Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales*. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
- For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons* and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.
Alison
Delicious and easy to make a big hit with my family🥰