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.
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.
Ingredient liST for Eton mess
- Fresh Strawberries
- Caster (superfine) sugar
- best quality vanilla extract (no artificial essence, I beg you)
- 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
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!
Can you make Eton Mess with raspberries?
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.
My cream won’t whip!
If your cream won’t whip, 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 too.
If you feel like making something to serve on the side, it’s really lovely with some Scottish shortbread.
more strawberry recipes for you to try
More easy desserts that are perfect for Summer Time
- Banoffee Pie (bananas, caramel and cream!)
Did you make this recipe?
I really hope you loved it! Let me know what you thought by leaving a comment below and rate the recipe by clicking on the stars in the recipe card.
Eton Mess
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.
Ingredients
- 300g fresh strawberries
- 50g caster sugar
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 400ml double cream
- a few drops vanilla extract
- 75g crushed meringue nests
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.
- 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: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 472Total Fat: 37gSaturated Fat: 23gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 114mgSodium: 38mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 2gSugar: 32gProtein: 4g
Calories and Nutritional information are calculated by a third party application and should be used as indicative figures only.
Love Eton Mess