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Sweets · British

Eton Mess

Juicy strawberries, softly whipped cream and crunchy shop-bought meringue, tumbled together in ten minutes.

Hands-on
10 min
Total
10 min
Makes
6 servings
Serves
6

No cooking: the meringues are ready-made (already baked). About 10 minutes of slicing, whipping and folding. Assemble just before serving.

  • easy
  • vegetarian
  • summer
  • no-bake
  • quick-dessert
  • party

Verified against at least two trusted test kitchens or food-safety guides · Last checked · What this means

Illustration of Eton Mess
Amount
Units

Ingredients

You need: large mixing bowl · whisk or electric mixer · large spoon or spatula for folding · 6 glasses or bowls

Contains: egg · milk

Method

  1. Slice the strawberries

    Halve or slice the 450 g (1 lb) strawberries, keeping any juice. Set a few aside for the top.

  2. Whip the cream

    Whip 570 ml (about 2 1/2 cups) cold double cream, with 1 tbsp icing sugar if you're using it, until it just holds soft peaks. Don't over-beat.

    Otto tried this firstOtto keeps whisking 'for extra fluff' until the cream is stiff and heavy. He starts again and stops at soft peaks this time.

  3. Fold in the fruit

    Fold the strawberries and their juice into the cream.

  4. Crush in the meringue

    Break the 6 meringues into rough pieces about 2.5 cm (1 in) across and fold them through, keeping a few pieces for the top.

  5. Spoon and serve

    Spoon into glasses or bowls, top with the reserved strawberries and meringue pieces, and serve straight away.

Swaps

  • Instead of half the double cream: Greek yogurt
  • Instead of strawberries: raspberries, blackberries, blueberries or kiwi, same weight
  • Instead of ready-made meringues: homemade meringue, baked low and slow until dry, crisp and hollow-sounding when tapped Allow a few hours for baking and cooling.

Make ahead, store & reheat

Make ahead
Slice the fruit, whip the cream and break up the meringue ahead, then keep them separate (fruit and cream in the fridge, meringue in an airtight tin). Fold everything together just before serving; if you mix it early it turns soggy.
Storage
It's best eaten as soon as it's assembled: the meringue softens as it sits. Refrigerate any leftovers within 2 hours.

If something goes wrong

  • Soggy, sloppy mess Why: It was assembled too far ahead.
    Keep the parts separate and fold them together at the last minute.
  • Stiff, heavy cream Why: Over-whipped.
    Stop at soft peaks; whip gently and check often.

Good to know

  • Whip the cream well chilled, straight from the fridge.
  • Layer the creamy mixture in clear glasses with extra strawberries for a party-ready look.

Safety

  • Use store-bought meringues (or homemade ones baked until completely dry and crisp): they're cooked egg white. Don't use soft, raw meringue mixture here.
  • Contains cream (milk) and meringue (egg). Check meringue labels if you need gluten-free.
  • This is a fresh-cream dessert: keep it cold and don't leave it out for more than 2 hours.