Pavlovas are my favourite dessert: Crisp meringue base, marshmallowy center, whipped cream, & fruit. Here are some tasty Pavlova recipes to try!
It’s my favourite meringue-based dessert: The outside is crisp any crunchy - like meringue cookies - but with a marshmallow-like center. After the baked meringue cools, the top of the pavlova is piled with whipped cream and fresh fruit.
It’s said to have been named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, as the round meringue base and layers of whipped cream and fruit vaguely resembles a tutu.
Anyway, I’ve always considered it the perfect summer dessert, but recently found out that it’s most popular during Christmas time.
I suppose that make sense: depending on which country you side with, it’s either from New Zealand or Australia - and hugely popular in both.
Of course, their summer season falls right over our winter holiday season, here in North America.
Of course, fruit is very seasonal... so I do tend to vary the type of Pavlovas I make, based on what’s available.
Also, I love to make holiday themed Pavlovas, and tend to get wild with that.
My perfect light Pavlova for summer might involve fresh berries, kiwi fruit, and mangos... but then I also have fun making Halloween Pavlovas, with “bloody eyeballs” made from lychees, blueberries, and jam.
I’m nothing if not flexible, LOL.
Anyway, the next time you’re looking for a unique dessert to serve at a get together or dinner party, consider making a Pav!
You’re sure to find the perfect Pavlova recipe for almost any occasion, below!
New to making Pavlovas? Be sure to scroll all the way to the end of this post, where I give my tips for Pavlova success.
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Pavlova Recipes for All Seasons
Pavlovas are my favourite dessert: Crisp meringue, marshmallowy center, whipped cream, & fruit. Here are some tasty Pavlova recipes to try!
Classic Pavlova Recipes
These are some fantastic Pavlova recipes that work well for all occasions.
Pavlova is my absolute favorite dessert of all time, and this homemade Pavlova recipe is fantastic: A crunchy meringue-based dessert- fluffy marshmallow centre - topped with whipped cream and fruit!
This is a fantastic, easy pavlova recipe to get started with, and includes easy step-by-step photos and video of the whole process!
You’ve seen grazing boards, and you’ve probably seen dessert grazing boards... but have you ever seen a Pavlova Grazing Board?
Small meringues are displayed with whipped cream, sauces, lemon curd, and fruits for a unique dessert spread!
Bananas Foster Pavlova is untraditional, both in its use of brown sugar to flavour the meringue base, and using bananas foster as a topping. SUPER tasty, though!
Whether summer is just ending - or just starting! - or in full swing, this Tropical Dragon Fruit Pavlova is like sunshine in your mouth!
This Blueberry Pavlova not only features blueberry on top, but in the meringue AND whipped cream as well! Go big or go home, I say!
This elegant Cardamom Fig Pavlova is rich with Middle Eastern flavours - cardamom, figs, rose, pistachios, and honey.
Easy, yet incredibly decadent!
This Chocolate Raspberry Pavlova is a stunner! It’s a double decker, triple chocolate (meringue, whipped cream, and sauce) pavlova.
SO good , easy to make... and visually pretty impressive, too.
Matcha Green Tea Pavlova : the matcha & lychee go so well together, and the bright flavours of the oranges & honeydew accent them perfectly!
Holiday Pavlovas
Holidays are a great excuse to impress your guests with a Pavlova.
While any Pavlova will be welcomed at a holiday table, why not consider a holiday THEMED Pavlova?
Here are some fun options to choose from!
Anatomical Heart Shaped Pavlova Recipe: Valentine's Day Pavlova
Valentine's Day is coming up, and this Raspberry & Blueberry Heart Shaped Pavlova is the perfect dessert for the more ... literal... nerds out there!
This Easter Pavlova is proof that there really is a Pav for every season, holiday, and event.
Easy to make, readily available ingredients!
These Mini Easter Pavlovas may not be the most traditional pavlova, but they're super cute, fun to make, will be a hit with the whole family!
Mini Pavlovas can also be customized for each person.
Halloween Pavlova [With Bloody Eyeballs] - Celebration Generation
Bloody Eyeball Halloween Pavlova is an easy to make, wild variation on a classic Pavlova recipe.
It’s visually stunning - and GROSS! - super tasty, and sure to please at your Halloween party!
Looking for something different to serve this holiday season?
This Christmas Pavlova is fun to make, tasty, and visually impressive - a 3D Christmas Tree!
My Tips for Pavlova Success!
Even the best Pavlova recipe can fail, if you make a simple mistake.
Don’t let that intimidate you, though - while there’s no such thing as a no fail Pavlova recipe, knowing the basics of how and why Pavlovas work - or fail - will help you turn a few common ingredients into a glorious dessert.
These are by no means secret tips, just some foundational knowledge to help you turn a great recipe, into a great Pavlova.
A few subjects to address:
Caster Sugar
Also sold as superfine sugar, this is sugar that has a much smaller grain than regular granulated sugar. This helps it dissolve more quickly and thoroughly into the egg whites.
Two things to note here:
1. This is NOT powdered sugar / icing sugar / confectioners sugar, and you can’t use powdered sugar in place of super fine sugar.
2. While you can buy superfine sugar, it’s sometimes a hassle to find, and there’s an upcharge. (It’ll be in the baking aisle, in small boxes).
The good thing is that you can make it at home - just run some granulated sugar in a food processor until it’s fine. Just be sure to measure it AFTER processing it!
Fresh Eggs
A few things to note, with regards to the eggs:
1. When separating the eggs, be EXTREMELY careful to avoid getting any egg yolk into the whites. Even a speck of yolk will prevent the egg whites from whisking up to stiff peaks.
On that note, the same applies to any kind of fat or grease - so it’s important to use a really clean bowl and whisks / beaters.
2. Eggs are easiest to separate when they’re cold, but whip up easiest when they’re room temperature. So, crack em cold, then let them sit for a few minutes before whipping them.
3. When whipping your eggs, it’s important to SLOWLY add the sugar after the soft peaks stage - a little bit at a time - to not overwhelm the structure of the meringue as it’s building!
Other Ingredient Notes
1. While I usually use white vinegar, you can use apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, if you prefer.
2. You can generally swap vanilla extract out for another flavouring, with one big caveat: It CANNOT be an oil based flavouring.
Much like egg yolk or other fats will prevent the egg white from breaking down, adding an oil based flavour extract to the whipped meringue will cause its structure to break down.
3. Unlike egg whites, heavy cream whips up best when it’s cold. Be sure to whip it straight from the fridge - chilling your bowl and/or beaters can help, too!
Technique Tips
1. Meringues are very hydrophilic, which means they tend to pull moisture from the air - and this can negatively impact the crisp outer crust of the Pavlova.
If at all possible, plan to avoid making your Pavlova on rainy or humid days... and definitely protect the dry meringues from moisture!
Baked, untopped Pavlovas should be stored in an airtight container after they’ve been cooled to room temperature.
2. You can TRY to avoid your Pavlova cracking during baking - not opening the oven door until several hours after you turn the oven off is a good first step. (Sudden temperature changes can definitely crack a meringue!)
The thing is, if your Pavlova isn’t cracked by the time you take it out of the oven, it’s still likely to crack at some point - especially when you’re topping it.
This is totally normal - don’t worry about it when it happens!
3. For the same reason you need to worry about ambient moisture in the air, you really want to wait til the last minute to add the whipped cream and fruit to your Pavlova.
As soon as you top it, it’ll start drawing moisture from the toppings, and will start to lose its crisp texture.
So, plan to do it up RIGHT before serving, and just know that Pavlova doesn’t keep super well as leftovers.
That’s OK, though - even a 4-6 serving Pavlova recipe can become a 2 serving recipe when you’re not serving it to quitters :).
More Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes!
Looking for even more fantastic gluten-free desserts that *everyone* will love? Look no further!
Blueberry Fluff Salad
Cherry Cheesecake Fluff Salad
Chocolate Fondue
Chocolate Peanut Butter Confetti Squares
Deviled Strawberries
Easy Gluten Free Brownies
Gluten-Free Brandied Apple Crisp
Gluten Free Butter Tart Bars
Gluten-Free Buttertarts
Gluten Free Doughnut Holes
Gluten-Free Earl Grey Pie
Gluten Free Fruitcake
Gluten-Free Lemon Bars
Gluten Free Maple Pumpkin Pie
Gluten-Free Nanaimo Bar Brownies
Gluten Free Puffed Rice Bars
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Mini Doughnuts
Gluten Free Raspberry Bars
Gluten-Free Schmoo Torte
Gluten Free Sticky Toffee Pudding
Key Lime Cheesecake
Keto Lemon Tart
Pina Colada Fluff Salad
Sugar-Free Jello
Also, be sure to check out our collection of Gluten Free Cookie Recipes!
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