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Pavlova with Strawberries

Pavlova with strawberries is an impressive, yet oh-so-easy, make ahead dessert. The meringue will be crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Top it with sweetened whipped cream, macerated strawberries, and a drizzle of Sprouts balsamic glaze. Make this gluten free pavlova with strawberries for a special occasion.

Pavlova with strawberries and balsamic glaze on green plate

Make ahead desserts are ideal for Mother’s Day, not to mention entertaining in general. This pavlova with strawberries is an easy recipe that provides flexibility in preparation of this elegant dessert. Bake the meringue up to 3 days ahead of time. Macerate the berries and let them soak in their juices in the refrigerator overnight. Even whipped cream can be made a day ahead. Finish it all off with Sprouts glaze with balsamic vinegar. Perfection!

Have you made meringue before? It’s simple.

Prepare your parchment with an outline for your meringue. My cake platter could fit a 9 inch circular dessert. Measure yours to plan ahead. Trace an outline of a 9 inch pan onto your parchment then flip it over so that you can see the outline through the parchment but you are baking on the clean side.

Parchment with circle traced in pencil

Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form then add some sugar. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form and that’s it!

Meringue made with Sprout organic eggs

While the meringue is baking, prepare the macerated strawberries. Macerating is a fancy term for marinating fruit– add a bit of sugar (and/or alcohol if desired) and the juices of the fruit are pulled out making a sweet sauce. Use this trick to perk up berries early in the season when they aren’t naturally at their juiciest.

Whip the cream with a touch of added sugar. When it’s time to serve this beauty, assembly is a cinch. Start with the meringue, top it with cream, then with the berries. Drizzle it all with Sprouts glaze with balsamic vinegar.

slice of pavlova with strawberries on white plate with fork

Recipe for Pavlova with Strawberries

Yield: 12

Pavlova with Strawberries

overhead photo of pavlova with strawberries

Pavlova with strawberries is an impressive, yet oh-so-easy, make ahead dessert. The meringue will be crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Top it with sweetened whipped cream, macerated strawberries, and a drizzle of Sprouts balsamic glaze. This is a naturally gluten free dessert. 

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Additional Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 egg whites, room temperature (save the yolks for another purpose)
  • 1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar, plus 1 Tbsp. sugar separated
  • 2 pints strawberries, hulled and sliced
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 – 3  Tbsp Sprouts organic glaze with Balsamic vinegar or Modena

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
  2. Trace a 9 inch circle onto a piece of parchment. Turn the parchment over and place it on a baking pan. You’ll be able to see the circle but you’ll bake on the side without the pencil markings.
  3. If you are starting with whole eggs, separate the egg whites from the yolks. Set the yolks aside for another recipe. Put the egg whites in a large bowl and sprinkle with the cream of tartar. Whip the egg whites on high speed until soft peaks start to form. Slowly drizzle ½ cup of sugar into the egg whites. Continue to beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. The meringue mixture will be shiny.
  4. Scoop the meringue onto the middle of your circle on the parchment. Spread it gently with a spatula to form about a 2 inch high flattened circle to the inside edge of your drawn circle. Press down a bit more in the center to form a shallow bowl-like shape.
  5. Bake for 45 minutes then turn off the oven. Do not open the oven. Let the meringue sit for about an hour before removing it to cool on the pan completely. You can store the meringue in an airtight container overnight or up to 3 days.
  6. Macerate the berries: Sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar over the 2 pints of sliced strawberries in a glass bowl. Toss gently to combine. Leave uncovered at room temperature for 30 minutes, mixing the berries once to distribute the sugar. Use immediately or cover and place in the refrigerator overnight.
  7. Whip the cream with 1 Tbsp. sugar until soft peaks form. Use immediately or cover tightly and place in the refrigerator overnight.
  8. Assemble the pavlova: Top the meringue with the whipped cream, the macerated berries, and then drizzle the balsamic glaze on top. Cut into slices and serve.

Notes

Pavlova is wonderful to prepare ahead of time. Make the meringue shell up to three days ahead of time. Assemble right before eating.

Refrigerate any leftovers. They are surprisingly tasty! The texture of the meringue will soften if the whipped cream and berries have been added but it is absolutely delicious!

Did you make this recipe?

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Please note that this is a sponsored post. I developed this recipe in partnership with #Sprouts; ingredients were purchased at my local Sprouts store. I was compensated for my participation and all opinions are my own.

Find more recipes developed with Sprouts ingredients here:

Lisalia

Tuesday 11th of August 2020

Yummy! Pavlova is one of my favorite desserts. Thanks for this recipe. Especially loved your recommendation of balsamic glaze. Perfect.

Holly Baker

Thursday 13th of August 2020

That's great to hear! Thanks for your comment.

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