Raspberry Eton Mess

Raspberry Eton mess is a rustic and easy dessert. It’s made of whipped cream, raspberry compote, and crushed meringue cookies swirled and topped with fresh raspberries.

raspberry eton mess.

Though not traditional, I add on a little shaved chocolate too!

Eton mess is a traditional English dessert. Usually served with strawberries, the origin of Eton mess dates back to 1893. It was first said to be served during the annual cricket match between Eton College and Harrow college in England. Since then, it’s become an English staple, and rightfully so.

It tastes amazing and makes the perfect summer dessert. Another delicious raspberry dessert is this raspberry chocolate mousse. Try these raspberry crumble bars next!

The ingredients

This is one of the easiest desserts to make. Find the complete list of ingredients in the Eton mess recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here is a rundown of what you will need.

  • Raspberries – Fresh berries or frozen can be used. The raspberries are macerated in some sugar first to soften them and release their juices. Then they are mashed a bit into a rustic sauce, with plenty of pieces of raspberry remaining. You could also use raspberry compote. If you want a smooth raspberry sauce, you can make and use that instead. Here is a recipe for a simple raspberry coulis.
  • Granulated sugar – for macerating the fruit.
  • Meringues – The meringues are crushed into pieces, giving a pleasant crispy texture to the soft cream and raspberries. Make the meringues from scratch, or use store-bought meringues. If making your own meringue, allow around 2 hours to bake and cool the meringue completely in the oven.
  • Heavy cream/whipping cream – Pillowy whipped cream is the base of the Eton mess.
  • Vanilla extract or paste – flavors the cream
  • Chocolate – this is an optional extra, but some finely shaved or grated chocolate adds an extra element.
  • Extra whole raspberries – a few whole berries make a pretty garnish
bird's eye of eton mess.

Method

Meringues

Preheat the oven to 230°F/110°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Add the egg whites to a clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk them on medium-high speed for around 40 seconds until foamy, then slowly pour in the sugar. Keep whisking on high speed until the egg whites hold stiff peaks.

Use a piping bag to pipe the meringue, or spoon equal-sized dollops of the meringue mix onto the tray. The smaller the meringues, the faster they will bake.

Bake for approximately an hour until the meringues are easily peeled off the paper. Turn off the oven and let them cool down to room temperature in the oven.

Raspberries

Add the raspberries to a bowl and sprinkle over granulated sugar and a pinch of salt. Toss them together to coat and place them in the refrigerator.

Let these macerate in the fridge for around 1-2 hours to soften and release their juices.

sugar coated raspberries.

If you are short on time, you can skip the macerating and instead blend up half the raspberries with the sugar into a sauce.

Add in the remaining raspberries and mash them with a fork so there is a mixture of sizes of raspberry in the sauce.

Assembling

Add the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract to a large bowl. Whip it with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Remove the macerated raspberries from the fridge and stir them with a fork, gently mashing them up.

Crumble up the meringues into bits, leaving a few larger pieces. Add the raspberries and most of the meringue to the soft whipped cream.

swirled raspberry cream.

Use a rubber spatula or spoon to give it a few loose swirls.

Don’t stir it too much, or you will lose the swirl appearance.

eton mess with raspberry

Dollop the mixture evenly over 4 serving glasses or small dessert bowls.

Top each glass with the remaining meringue shards and raspberries.

Serving and storing

For best results, this raspberry Eton mess recipe is best served as soon as it is made. Otherwise the meringue will lose its crispiness. Some components can be made in advance if you want to make them ahead of time.

  • The macerated raspberries can be made up to a day in advance and stored in an airtight container.
  • Meringues can be baked up to 3 days ahead of time and stored in a dry airtight container.

The whipped cream is best whipped only when it’s time to serve.

Variations and substitutions

  • The berries. You can use other berries to make this classic dessert, in fact traditional Eton mess is made with strawberries. You could use other fresh fruit too, like mango or passionfruit.
  • For a lighter version, half the whipped cream can be swapped with greek yogurt. Make sure to whip the cream separately first before folding through the yogurt.
  • Chocolate – I love the addition of a little chocolate in here. I use dark chocolate but you can use milk or white chocolate too. Add in extra, swirled into the cream to add additional texture.
birds eye view of cream and raspberries.

More delicious desserts

close up of 3 glasses of raspberry eton mess.

Raspberry Eton Mess

Yield: 4
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Additional Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes

Whipped cream, raspberry sauce, and crushed meringue cookies. This makes the perfect summer dessert.

Ingredients

  • 370g (3 cups) fresh raspberries or frozen raspberries
  • 50g (4 Tablespoons) granulated sugar, divided
  • Pinch of salt
  • 4-6 store-bought meringue nests or make your own
  • 360g (1 1/2 cups) heavy cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
  • Fresh raspberries and dark chocolate (optional), for serving

Homemade meringue

  • 2 large egg whites
  • 100g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar

Instructions

Meringue

  1. Preheat the oven to 230°F/110°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Add the egg whites to a clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on medium-high speed for around 40 seconds until foamy, then slowly pour in the sugar. Keep whisking on high speed until the egg whites hold stiff peaks and the sugar has dissolved.
  3. Use a piping bag to pipe the meringue, or spoon 6 equal-sized dollops of the meringue mix onto the tray.
  4. Bake for approximately 1 - 1 1/4 hours until the meringues are easily peeled off the paper. Turn off the oven and let them cool down to room temperature in the oven.

Raspberries

  1. Add the raspberries to a bowl and sprinkle over 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar and a pinch of salt. Toss them together to coat and place them in the refrigerator. Let these macerate in the fridge for around 2 hours to soften and release their juices.
  2. If you are short on time, you can skip the macerating and instead blend up half the raspberries with the sugar into a sauce. Add in the remaining raspberries and mash them with a fork so there is a mixture of sizes of raspberry in the sauce.

Assembling

  1. Add the heavy cream, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and vanilla extract to a large bowl. Whip it with an electric mixer until soft-medium peaks form.
  2. Remove the macerated raspberries from the fridge and stir them with a fork, gently mashing them up.
  3. Crumble up the meringues into bits, leaving a few larger pieces. Add the raspberries and most of the meringue to the whipped cream. Use a rubber spatula or spoon to give it a few loose swirls. Don't stir it too much, or you will lose the swirl appearance.
  4. Dollop the mixture evenly over 4 serving glasses or small dessert bowls. Top each glass with the remaining meringue shards, raspberries, and a little shaved dark chocolate.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 505Total Fat: 33gSaturated Fat: 21gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 101mgSodium: 86mgCarbohydrates: 51gFiber: 6gSugar: 44gProtein: 5g

This is an informational estimate only. I am not a certified Dietitian or Nutritionist

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