Gingerbread Meringue Brownies

Yield: 8″ pan gingerbread meringue brownies // Total Time: 1 hr. // Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links.

Rich fudge brownies topped with a spiced crunchy gingerbread meringue.

Gingerbread meringue brownies

Adding yet another brownie recipe to my collection because brownies are ALWAYS in season. This time we’re taking my perfect fudge brownies and topping them with a crispy, spiced gingerbread meringue. These are the perfect holiday brownies and the contrast between the fudgy brownie and the crisp meringue is truly a wonderful experience.

Recipe tips

Weigh your ingredients

Weighing your ingredients is important for getting the recipe perfect and getting consistent results. Not weighing your ingredients can lead to adding too much or too little of an ingredient and can easily throw off a recipe. If you haven’t already, I highly recommend purchasing a kitchen scale. This one is super cheap and worked well for me when I was starting out!

Mix the dough carefully

When adding in the flour, only fold the mixture just until no flour streaks remain. Overmixing the dough leads to more gluten formation, which can make the brownies tough and chewy rather than fudgy.

How to get perfect brownie slices

Brownies and bars can be annoying to cut, especially when they start dragging the batter and it seems like half of the brownies have ended up on your knife! Here’s what I do to get clean cuts every time. First, obtain a clean knife and a tall glass of hot, and I mean HOT, water. Dip the knife in the hot water, then make a slice in the brownies. Clean off any brownie remnants if they’re there, then continue dipping and slicing to be left with perfectly cut brownie slices!

Line your pan with parchment paper

I line all of my pans with parchment paper. This just makes it much easier to lift your baked goods out of the pan and eliminates any worry of having to flip your hard work and hope for the best. I typically butter my pan, then take a small sheet of parchment paper and line the pan so that the parchment is up the walls of 2 sides of the pan.

Ingredients and substitutions

Here is what you’ll need for the gingerbread meringue brownies.

For the brownies:

All purpose flour: lends some structure to the brownies and makes them slightly chewy.

Salt: helps balance and bring out the sweetness and flavor of the brownies.

Unsalted butter: makes the brownies tender and gives them that melt-in-your-mouth feel. You can use salted butter in place of the unsalted, just be sure to omit the extra salt from the brownies.

Semi-sweet chocolate: where the main flavor of these brownies comes from! I use chocolate chips as I have noticed that they are better for bringing out that crackled top when compared to using a baking bar. If you’re able to, I do recommend splurging on some higher quality chocolate chips as this is where all the flavor is coming from in the brownies.

Granulated sugar: sweetens the brownies, helps lock in moisture in the batter, and helps contribute to that perfect crackled top.

Dutch process cocoa: lends a deeper chocolate flavor to the brownies. I love using dutch process cocoa because it has a deeper and richer flavor than natural cocoa, but natural cocoa or even black cocoa powder can easily be substituted in here.

Eggs: binds the brownie batter together, adds moisture to the brownies.

For the gingerbread meringue:

Egg whites: the main meringue ingredient.

Granulated & dark brown sugar: sweetens the meringue, and the dark brown sugar helps contribute to that gingerbread flavor. If you don’t have dark brown sugar, light will work in it’s place as well – it will just have less of that molasses flavor.

Cream of tartar & salt: help to stabilize the meringue. If you don’t have cream of tartar, you can sub in an equal amount of vinegar or lemon juice.

Ground ginger & cinnamon: for gingerbread flavor!

How to: gingerbread meringue brownies

Here are the steps to follow to make my gingerbread meringue brownies. You can find the complete recipe (which is printable!) at the end of this blog post.

1. Oven prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Grease an 8″ square baking dish with butter or nonstick cooking spray, then line it with parchment paper. Lining with parchment paper makes it *much* easier to take brownies out of the pan, even if your pan is nonstick.

2. Melt the butter and chocolate. In a large microwaveable mixing bowl, melt together the butter and the chocolate chips. Microwave the mixture in 30 second intervals, being sure to stir it.

3. Whisk in ingredients. Immediately after the mixture is melted, whisk in the cocoa powder and sugar until combined, then whisk in both eggs until well combined.

4. Mix in flour and salt. Add in the flour and salt, and gently mix the ingredients together *just* until no flour streaks remain. Be careful not to overmix or you will end up with tough and chewy brownies!

5. Partially bake the brownies. Bake the brownies for 15 minutes, until the top has slightly set. While the brownies are partially baking, make the gingerbread meringue.

6. Make the gingerbread meringue. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, start beating together the egg whites, salt & cream of tartar on medium speed. Once the mixture becomes frothy, start adding in the sugar 1 tbsp. at a time, waiting ~20 seconds before adding another tbsp. With the last bit of sugar, add in the spices. Continue to beat until the mixture reaches stiff peaks.

7. Finish baking the brownies. Once the brownies have slightly set, remove them from the oven. Gently top the brownies with the meringue, swirling it into an even layer. Continue baking for an additional 25 minutes. You will know the brownies are done once the meringue has browned and is no longer wobbly.

8. Serve and enjoy! Wait for the brownies to cool, then slice them, serve and enjoy!

Gingerbread Meringue Brownies Q & A

What size pan do I need?

• I used and highly recommend using an 8″ square pan for this recipe. You can use a 9″ square pan but note that the brownies will be thinner and require a tad less baking time.

Can I double this recipe?

• Definitely! Simply double all the ingredients and bake it all together in one 9×13″ pan, or in two 8″ square pans. I already strongly recommend weighing your ingredients, but I recommend it even *more* if you are doubling the recipe!

How do I store these brownies?

• These brownies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Why do you measure in grams?

My recipes are all written in grams because it is the most accurate way to bake. When you use a kitchen scale, you ensure that your baked goods turn out as close to the written recipe as possible. Plus, the cleanup is way easier when using a scale! I will provide standard cup measurements but please note that I have not tested the recipe using cup measurements and therefore can not guarantee your recipe will come out how mine did. Here is my favorite kitchen scale, and here’s an article about why I use a kitchen scale, and why you should too!

A note on oven temperature

Ovens vary and fluctuate in temperature. For example, I always have to set my oven to 330°F if I want it to bake at 350°F. If you love to bake like I do, I highly recommend getting an oven thermometer. They are super helpful for letting you know when your oven might be lying to you! I use this one.

Tools and ingredients

You can find all my favorite tools and ingredients that I use on my Amazon Storefront page, here!