LAST UPDATED: BY NICKKI THOMPSON FIRST PUBLISHED: 1 Comment
Eton mess is the quintessential British Summertime dessert. With just 3 main ingredients – Fresh strawberries, softly whipped cream and crumbled meringue – this is a quick and easy sweet treat that takes minutes to prepare.
No other British dessert screams Summer like Eton Mess. That divine combination of strawberries, softly whipped cream and crumbled meringue is nothing short of heavenly!
If you’ve never tried this classic recipe, you really must! It’s the simplest and easiest Summer dessert I can think of and it is loved by people of all ages.
What is Eton mess made of?
Eton mess is made up of 3 simple ingredients – fresh strawberries, softly whipped cream and crumbled meringue.
This classic Summer no bake dessert is proof that you really don’t need to spend hours in the kitchen to produce a fantastic tasting treat.
I macerate the strawberries in a little sugar and vanilla extract before adding them to the cream and meringue so they soften a little and release all those delicious juices.
If you love strawberries and meringue, you must try these amazing Eton Mess cupcakes!
Ingredient liST
- Fresh Strawberries. I use locally grown Scottish strawberries which taste out of this world. I only buy strawberries in the Summer time – the imported ones just don’t compare. This means I only eat strawberries in the Summer months, but they are so worth the wait.
- Caster (superfine) sugar
- best quality vanilla extract (no artificial essence, I beg you) or vanilla bean paste
- Double (heavy) cream
- Home made or shop bought meringues. If you’re short on time, shop bought meringues are perfect. I usually keep a box on hand so I can whip up this pudding at the last minute.
how to make eton mess
Scroll to the bottom of the post to find printable recipe card with ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.
step one – macerate the strawberries
Chop the strawberries into quarters and place in a bowl. Sprinkle over the sugar and the vanilla extract. Stir lightly to combine, then cover the bowl and leave for around 10 minutes, or longer if you like.
Step two – whip the cream
Place the double cream in a large bowl and add a few drops of vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste. Whip the cream to soft peaks. I prefer to slightly under whip the cream – you need it to hold a peak on the end of the whisk, but it shouldn’t be too stiff.
step three – add the fruit and meringue
Stir in the strawberries with any juice that has been collected in the bowl (it would be a crime to waste it – it’s delicious) and the meringues. I simply crush the meringue up with my hands. This really is child’s play and very satisfying to make. Spoon into serving glasses and serve as soon as possible.
Can you make Eton mess in advance?
Eton mess is best made as last minute as possible, but it will last in the fridge for around an hour.
Any longer and the cream will begin to separate and the meringue will start to dissolve and weep. It will still be perfectly edible, but won’t taste quite as good. Luckily, it tastes mere minutes to make to it’s not really an issue.
Can you make Eton Mess with different fruit?
Yes absolutely. While strawberries are the classic choice, You could actually use any soft berries you like. Blackberries would also work well for a slightly sharper, less sweet version.
If you use a really sharp fruit like gooseberries or redcurrants, you’ll need to add more sugar. How much really depends on how sharp the fruit is, so it’s difficult to give an exact amount.
My cream won’t whip!
If your cream won’t whip up, it may not be cold enough. If your kitchen is very warm, place the cream, bowl and whisk in the fridge for 10 minutes before trying once more.
HOW MANY PEOPLE DOES THIS RECIPE SERVE?
This recipe is enough for four people. It’s quite sweet, so you could actually serve it in smaller dishes and make it stretch further if you needed to.
If you feel like making something to serve on the side, it’s really lovely with some Scottish shortbread or brandy snaps.
more strawberry recipes for you to try
- strawberry ice cream pie
- strawberry cobbler
- strawberry galette
- no bake strawberry cheesecake
- Strawberry and white chocolate muffins
- Lemon, elderflower and fresh strawberry cake
- Easy Strawberry tarts
- Fresh strawberry cake
More easy desserts that are perfect for Summer Time
- Peach Melba Pavlova
- No churn Salted caramel Rolo ice cream
- Banoffee Pie (bananas, caramel and cream!)
- no bake white chocolate and raspberry cheesecake
- Lemon posset
- Traditional Scottish Cranachan with raspberries
Did you make this recipe?
I hope you loved it! Let me know what you thought by leaving a comment below. Please don’t forget to rate the recipe by clicking on the stars in the recipe card. Thank you!
Eton Mess Recipe
Yield: Serves 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Eton mess is the quintessential British Summertime dessert. With just 3 main ingredients - Fresh strawberries, softly whipped cream and crumbled meringue - this is a quick and easy sweet treat that takes just a few minutes to prepare.
Ingredients
- 300g fresh strawberries
- 50g caster sugar
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 400ml double cream
- a few drops vanilla extract for the cream
- 75g crushed meringue nests
- extra strawberries for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Chop up the strawberries into quarters and place in a large bowl. Sprinkle over the caster sugar and add the vanilla extract. Give the strawberries a stir and leave to macerate for about 10 minutes or so.
- Pour the cream into a large bowl and add a few drops of vanilla extract. Lightly whip to soft peaks, then add the strawberries and crumble in the meringues.
- Spoon into serving glasses, top with fresh strawberries and serve immediately.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 509Total Fat: 39gSaturated Fat: 25gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 122mgSodium: 41mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 2gSugar: 34gProtein: 4g
Calories and Nutritional information are calculated by a third party application and should be used as indicative figures only.
