This Chocolate Dipped Mini Pavlova Recipe is a light dessert perfect for Valentine’s Day! My Mini Pavlova is a heart-shaped, crispy meringue (pavlova), swirled with raspberry jam, dipped in melted chocolate, and topped with vanilla whipped cream, fresh berries, and berry sauce!
Looking for a Valentine’s Day Dessert? Look no further than these chocolate-dipped Mini Pavlovas with Vanilla Whipped Cream and Raspberry Sauce!
WHY MINI PAVLOVA
This dessert is on the light side, regardless of the added chocolate and vanilla whipped cream because the base is a light and crispy pavlova.
The Mini Pavlovas are baked till delicately crunchy on the outside and pillowy soft on the inside. This is the difference between a pavlova and a meringue, which is baked until it is crunchy all the way through.
I love dipping the pavlovas halfway into melted chocolate! It actually makes the Mini Pavlova taste SO MUCH better!
A simple vanilla whipped cream goes on top and then some fresh berries. To sauce things up, I drizzle the 2-minute raspberry sauce I used in these mini raspberry cheesecakes.
This is a dessert that contains protein and still actually tastes good! It’s not your typical calorie-laden dessert. If you want a really light, low-cal version of this Mini Pavlova, use vanilla Greek yogurt instead of the vanilla whipped cream, or even coconut whipped cream.
HOW TO MAKE PAVLOVA
To get perfect stiff meringue, wipe your bowl and beaters with a damp cloth soaked in vinegar. This helps to make sure it is really clean and gets rid of any greasy residue from your skin or kitchen.
To make the mini pavlova recipe, start with separating the eggs: The best way to separate egg whites is by hand. Simply crack the egg into your hand closing your fingers tight.
Then carefully separate your fingers to let the egg whites fall into a clean bowl, flipping your hands to hold on to your egg yolks. If you’re not comfortable trying this, go ahead and separate the egg your way. But I promise this hand technique has no risk of egg yolk leaking into your egg whites.
Start whipping the egg whites and when it starts to get foamy, that’s when you add in a pinch of salt and the sugar gradually while whipping continuously.
When you reach stiff peaks on your egg whites, take a piping bag and place your hand in it— inside out.
Take some raspberry jam and use a skewer to draw straight lines on the inside of the piping bag, then remove your hands and flip the piping bag back to its original form.
Fill the piping bag up with the whipped egg whites and pipe hearts.
You can swirl some more jam on top of your mini pavlovas. Bake these Mini Pavlovas at 230 degrees F for about an hour and 40 mins. When they cool down for about an hour, you can handle them without worrying that they break.
Dip half of the Mini Pavlovas in the melted chocolate and allow them to cool for an hour. Top the pavlovas with vanilla whipped cream, fresh berries and drizzle them with raspberry sauce.
TIPS FOR MINI PAVLOVA RECIPE
- While you can make the heart-shaped mini pavlovas one day ahead of time, avoid adding any of the toppings until you are ready to serve them to avoid sogginess.
- You can skip the chocolate dip and instead decorate your Mini Pavlova with some mini chocolate chips on top for convenience.
- Depending on the fruit you use, you can also swap the jam for dulce de leche.
- If you don’t love chocolate, smear the pavlova with a bit of lemon curd before adding the raspberry syrup and fruit.
- Make sure your utensils, bowls, and hands are completely clean and completely dry before you start. Skin oils and/or water can mess with the perfection of your pavlova. Wipe your bowl and beaters with a damp cloth soaked in vinegar to guarantee they are ready to go.
- For a perfect meringue, make sure you get truly stiff peaks. A dinner knife dipped into the meringue should create a peak that stands straight up and doesn’t curl over at all.
- Make sure to get your sugar completely dissolved! Otherwise, you will end up with a grainy, unpleasant texture.
- Check the peaks on your meringue base frequently because if you get to stiff peaks and keep beating for too long, your meringue will revert back to no peaks and ruin the meringue batter.
- High humidity or rainy days and pavlova do not play well together.
- You can use any edible fresh berries to top your pavlovas, not just raspberries.
Planning Valentine’s Day dinner? Make this grilled steak with rosemary lemon butter and serve with these mashed potato rosemary crisps.
Want more meringue-based dessert recipes? Try these espresso amaretti cookies.
Chocolate Dipped Mini Pavlova
This Chocolate Dipped Mini Pavlova recipe is a light dessert perfect for Valentine’s Day! A heart-shaped, crispy meringue, swirled with raspberry jam, dipped in melted chocolate and topped with vanilla whipped cream, fresh berries and berry sauce!
Ingredients
For the pavlovas:
- 4 egg whites at room temperature
- 1 pinch of salt
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- 2 tablespoons raspberry jam/jelly
For the chocolate:
- 1 cup chocolate chips melted
For the Vanilla Whipped Cream:
- Use the same one in this recipe: chocolate caramel latte muffins
For the Raspberry Sauce
- 1 x raspberry sauce from mini raspberry cheesecakes recipe
- Fresh sliced berries for serving
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 230 degrees F. Take a towel and dip it in vinegar, then swipe the towel on the bowl and beaters you’ll be using to wipe the egg whites.
-
The best way to separate egg whites is ultimately by hand, simply dump the egg in your hand closing your fingers tight. Then gradually lose up and separate your fingers to let the egg whites fall into a clean bowl and flip your hands to hold on to the egg yolk. If you’re not comfortable trying this, go ahead and separate the egg your way. But I promise this hand technique has no risk of egg yolk leaking into your egg whites.
-
Start whipping the egg whites and when it starts to get foamy, that’s when you add in the pinch of salt and sugar gradually while whipping continuously.
-
When you reach stiff peaks on your egg whites, take a piping bag and place your hand in it— inside out.
-
Take some raspberry jam and use a skewer to streak straight lines, then remove your hands and flip the piping bag back to it’s original form.
-
Fill up the piping bag with the whipped egg whites and pipe hearts on a parchment lined baking sheet.
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You can swirl some more jam over the top of each heart. Bake these pavlovas for about an hour and 40 mins.
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Cool down the pavlovas for an hour before handling them.
-
Dip half the pavlovas in the melted chocolate and allow them to cool for an hour.
-
Make raspberry sauce and vanilla whipped cream.
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Top the pavlovas with vanilla whipped cream, fresh berries and drizzle them with raspberry sauce.
Recipe Notes
- If you want a really light, low cal version of this Chocolate Dipped Mini Pavlova, use vanilla Greek yogurt instead of the vanilla whipped cream, or even coconut whipped cream.
- You can skip the chocolate dip and instead decorate your Mini Pavlova with some chocolate chips on top.
momo
Looks amazing!
Mahy
Thanks!
Mahy
Thanks Fareeha! I’m so flattered!!
Mahy
Aww Elizabeth thanks you made my day!:)
Mahy
Oh Sam you are SO missing out!! Now’s the perfect time and this is a straight forward recipe–enjoy 🙂
Mahy
Hope you enjoy it Cristie! 🙂
Sarah
These look amazing! What a gorgeous treat and I bet they are delicious!! XO
Mahy
Thanks Sarah–they really are! 🙂
Isabella
These look absolutely delicious, so cute as well! Love your gorgeous photos.
Mahy
Thanks Isabella! Hope you try them and enjoy 😉
Lindsey | Lou Lou Biscuit
I am a huge fan of pavlova! What a great idea to dip them in chocolate!! Love these photos too! I remember the day I saw someone separating eggs with their hands, and I kicked myself for fussing over so many yolks with weird tools and jagged shells. Now I only ever use my hands. It’s SO much easier.
Mahy
So true Lindsey lol! So many people still tell me it’s intimidating to separate egg yolk and white by hand! 🙂 Thanks for your kind words!