This Gingerbread Pavlova is a brilliant alternative Christmas dessert if you want to change things up a bit, or if you're just not a fan of Christmas cake and pudding. Not only is it a stunning centerpiece for any dinner table, but the meringue is sweet and spicy, with a crispy outer shell and soft centre. The soft cream, dark chocolate and crystallised ginger all compliment each other perfectly. And the mini gingerbread men are so cute! It really is a heavenly dessert!

Ingredient Tips & Equipment Information

Make sure your eggs are at room temperature before you start baking.
If you don't have any cream of tartar, you can replace it with 2 tsp white vinegar, 2 tsp cider vinegar, or 2 tsp lemon juice.
You can use either fresh eggs, or to avoid having lots of egg yolks to use up you can now buy cartons of egg whites from brands like Two Chicks. I do find that you get the best and most consistent results with fresh eggs, but the cartons are great for avoiding egg yolk waste.
If you need recipes to use up leftover egg yolks, check out my Leftover Egg Yolks recipe collection.
Make sure your mixing bowl is completely grease free before making your meringue, as grease will stop the egg whites from foaming. You can wipe your bowl down with lemon juice or white vinegar before you start to ensure any traces of grease is removed.
When separating your eggs make sure not to get any egg yolk in the egg whites, as this will also stop it from foaming.
If you can't find mini gingerbread men, you can use gingernut biscuits.
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 Gingerbread Pavlova

To make the meringue, whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form - you know this has happened when you can tip the bowl upside down without the mixture falling out. With the mixer running, add the sugar slowly one spoonful at a time. Then add the vanilla extract and ground ginger. Keep mixing it until it is smooth, glossy and thick enough to hold its shape.

Arrange the meringue into a circular shape on a lined baking tray, making it flat and slightly dipped in the centre and more textured around the edges. Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Turn the oven off (without opening it) and leave the meringue to cool completely inside. To decorate, whip up the cream and spread it in the middle of the pavlova, then drizzle over the melted dark chocolate and add the crystallised ginger and mini gingerbread men.

For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

Can you make the pavlova in advance?

The meringue can be made up to 2 days ahead. To store it, wait for it to fully cool as described in the recipe. Keep it in an airtight container in a cool place. It will not keep well in humid weather. Once you add the whipped cream and other decorations, the pavlova needs to be stored in the fridge and be eaten within 2 days.

What can you do with the leftover egg yolks?

You can check out my post on Things To Do With Leftover Egg Yolks for recipe ideas! Or if you want to avoid any leftovers you can now buy cartons of egg whites only, which you can use for this recipe. I've used Two Chicks egg whites several times, and Happy Egg is another brand I know of.

Is this recipe gluten or dairy free?

Good news for coeliacs - this recipe is gluten free! Do double check the labels though of everything you use as sometimes there can be a cross contamination risk. You will also need to decorate with gluten free biscuits, gluten free gingernuts are a great option if you can't find gluten free mini gingerbread men. To make it dairy free, try whipped coconut cream for the filling, or another dairy free cream option. Also make sure the dark chocolate you use is dairy free. Please also check the labels of all the ingredients you use to avoid cross contamination, and especially if you are serving to someone with an allergy or intolerance.

Do you have to use cream of tartar?

I always use cream of tartar when making meringue as it stabilises the egg whites, speeds up the foaming process and gives meringue it's melt in the mouth texture. If you don't have any, or can't get hold of it, you can substitute it with 2 tsp white vinegar, 2 tsp cider vinegar, or 2 tsp lemon juice. If you don't use cream of tartar, or any substitute, there is a slightly higher risk that your meringue could collapse and/or not puff up when baking.

What size baking tray do you need for this recipe?

The tray I used was 13" square. You can use any similarly sized tray, you will just need to adjust the shape of the meringue. Remember that the meringue will expand slightly when cooking so leave a little space between the edge of the meringue and the sides of the baking tray.

How do you stop the meringue from cracking?

The best way I have found to do this is to not open the oven at all until the meringue is fully cool. This is because meringues do not like sudden changes in temperature, even opening the oven door slightly can cause cracks. Once the meringue is baked, turn the oven off and do not open the door until the oven is completely cold. I find it easiest to make the meringue in the evening and leave it overnight in the oven cooling down.

More tips for making the Gingerbread Pavlova:

Make sure your mixing bowl is completely grease free before making your meringue, as grease will stop the egg whites from foaming. You can wipe your bowl down with lemon juice or white vinegar before you start to ensure any traces of grease is removed.
When separating your eggs make sure not to get any egg yolk in the egg whites, as this will also stop it from foaming.
The gingerbread men will go soft after being in contact with the whipped cream for a while, so add them right before serving.

Troubleshooting

My number one tip for getting the best results is to read through this whole page of tips and recommendations before starting, and follow the recipe exactly. 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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