Mini Pavlova Recipe with Chocolate (VIDEO) (2024)

This crispy Mini Pavlova Recipe with Chocolate ganache is filled with chopped pecans and topped with whipped cream and fresh berries. It’s the best summer dessert!

Do you love meringue? You absolutely have to try these mini meringue bites with chocolate cream and berries and these chocolate meringue cookies.

Recipe Details

I love this Mini Pavlova recipe with chocolate in the summer. It’s light and delicious, making it the perfect treat, especially when you add fresh seasonal berries.

• TASTE: The meringue base is sugar-sweet with a rich chocolate filling and nutty pecans inside. The creamy whipped topping and ripe berries are the perfect addition.
• TEXTURE: These mini pavlova are made with thick ganache, airy meringue, and fluffy whipped cream. The texture is very light, crisp, and mild.
• TIME: This recipe will take about 2 hours to make.
• EASE: With a few simple ingredients and step-by-step photos to guide you, you’ll find this dessert is a lot easier to make than it looks.

What You’ll Need

Ingredient Notes

• Eggs- The meringue base for these mini pavlova is made from egg whites. Be sure to separate the yolks out carefully and let them come to room temperature.
• Cream of tartar- This ingredient keeps the proteins in the egg whites from sticking together, holding the air bubbles as they are whipped into soft peaks.
• Semisweet chocolate- Go with chips as they will melt quickly and easily.
• Heavy cream- This will be the base for the whipped cream, as well as what gives the chocolate ganache it’s creamy smoothness. You’ll need both hot and cold for this recipe.

Add-ins and Substitutions

• Make it dairy-free- Substitute dairy-free chocolate chips to make your ganache and this dessert will be gluten-free and dairy-free, great for those with food allergies.
• Substitute other nuts- You can substitute the pecans with walnuts, cashews, macadamia nuts, or hazelnuts. Or if anyone has an allergy, skip the nuts altogether.
• Add different toppings- Besides berries and whipped cream, try these mini pavlova with mascarpone, kiwi slices, almond slivers, powdered sugar, or strawberry jam.
• Substitute another filling- Fill the pavlova with blueberry pie filling, Nutella, lemon curd, or an infused mascarpone cheese, among other options.

How to Make Mini Pavlova Recipe with Chocolate

• Prepare the parchment paper. Start by lining your baking sheet with parchment paper, then tracing 12 circles (3 1/2 inches in diameter) on it. Flip it over and set aside.
• Make the meringue. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg whites, cream of tartar,and salt, and whisk on high speed until soft peaks form. Then slowly add the sugar. Once you see stiff peaks form (about 10 minutes), add thecornstarchand vanilla, and beat until incorporated.
• Pipe the mini pavlova meringue. Fill adisposable pastry bag with the meringue andpipe it in a circular motion, starting from the center. Then pipe out a border on the top.

Pro Tip:When piping the meringue, I like to use a Wilton 1E piping tip. It’s perfect for the shape and size I want for these mini pavlova.

• Make the pavlova. Bake in the oven at 225 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour and 30 minutes on the conventional setting. Then turn the oven off and let the pavlova sit in the oven for another 30 minutes.

• Make the ganache. For the ganache, pour the hot heavy over thesemisweet chocolate chips and let sit for a minute or so before mixing until smooth.
• Add it to the pavlova. Now add the ganache to a piping bag and drizzle it inside each pavlova, coating the entire bottom, and sprinkle some chopped toasted pecans on top.

• Make the whipped cream. For the cream topping, combine the cold heavy whipping cream with the sugar and vanilla. Beat on high speed using an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
• Add toppings to the mini pavlova. Place the whipped cream into a piping bag and add a tip (I use a1M piping tip). Pipe the cream onto each pavlova and top with some berries. Serve immediately.

Recipe Tips

• Use room temperature eggs- Cold eggs don’t whip well, so use room temperature egg whites to ensure they gain the right volume for a meringue. 70 degrees is best.
• Set your oven- When baking the meringues, always make sure your oven is set to the conventional setting (with the fan NOT running). You don’t want to blow it around.
• Keep the oven door closed- Never open the oven during baking (nope, not even to peak at them). It introduces cold air too fast, causing the pavlova to crack.
• Use hot heavy cream in the ganache- You heat the heavy cream first because it will melt the chocolate while also combining with it. Hot cream won’t cause it to seize like cold will.

FAQs

Serving Suggestions

This Mini Pavlova Recipe with Chocolate is a delicious summertime dessert. Enjoy it with your favorite coffee, desserts, and fruits. Here are some ideas.

• Cookies: Serve this summer treat with Raspberry Macarons, Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies, or Amaretti Cookies (VIDEO).
• Fruits: Enjoy this berries and cream-topped sweet with some Mini Fruit Tarts, Fruit Pizza, or fresh fruit and a Cream Cheese Fruit Dip.
• Chocolate: Add some chocolate shavings on top or pair these Mini Pavlova with Nutella Brownies, Chocolate Pot De Creme, or Chocolate Lava Cake (Video).
• Drinks: Treat yourself to this dessert with a cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. Try it with this Caramel Frappuccino (Starbucks Copycat) or Iced Caramel Macchiato.

Make This Recipe in Advance

Make ahead: This Mini Pavlova recipe can be made in advance to a certain point. You can make the meringue, let it cool, and then place them into an airtight container until ready to serve with the cream topping.

Storing: Once the pavlova dessert is finished with the berries and cream on top, they will keep for about 4 hours at room temperature.

Freeze: You can freeze the meringue from these pavlova in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. But once they are topped with cream and berries, they can’t be frozen.

More Delicious Desserts!

Watch how to make this dessert here:

Full Recipe Instructions