Crunchy, creamy, cool, and sweet—Eton mess is an effortless summer dessert.

Eton Mess Recipe: 3 Tips for Making Eton Mess

Eton mess is a gluten-free British dessert consisting of [meringue](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/a-guide-to-making-meringues-recipes-for-swiss-french-and-italian-meringues), whipped heavy cream, and fruit, traditionally fresh strawberries or bananas. You can serve this British treat in a large bowl, similar to a trifle, or portion it into individual serving glasses or bowls. Some variations may also include ice cream. 

Eton mess gets its name from Eton College, an elite English boarding school, where it was served as early as the 1890s at cricket matches. By the 1930s, the dessert was a common sight at the school’s “tuck shop”—a small store offering sweets and other snacks to students.
Eton mess is low-maintenance by design—the quality of each component is where it shines. 

1. __Make the meringue in advance__. You can make an Eton mess with store-bought meringue or whip up your own at home. Flavor fresh meringue with bright citrus zest or rich [cocoa powder](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-cocoa-culinary-uses-of-cocoa-powder) for a twist on the classic Eton mess.
2. __Keep the meringue shards large__. The bits of crunchy meringue cookies in an Eton mess provide a textural contrast to the creamy, soft elements of the rest of the dish. Smash the meringue too fine, and it will get lost in the heavy cream. 
3. __Use homemade whipped cream__. Luscious, velvety, homemade whipped cream is light but substantial enough to suspend crispy meringue and heavy fruit. It has more body than whipped cream from a canister and will result in a more substantial Eton mess.
These two classic meringue desserts embrace a kind of joyful destruction and edible chaos, but the [pavlova](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/mixed-berry-pavlova-recipe) is slightly more composed than the Eton mess. A pavlova is a baked meringue dessert finished with whipped cream and fruit. The low temperature and slow baking time create a chewy-crisp texture on the exterior, with a soft, marshmallowy center. The finished pavlova is topped with whipped cream and can be dressed with fresh fruit or lemon curd.

An Eton mess exists somewhere between a fruit-topped meringue pavlova and a fruit fool, a fruit purée folded into whipped cream. The British dessert, typically served in a bowl, combines crushed meringue, whipped cream, and fresh, macerated fruit.
Crunchy, creamy, cool, and sweet—Eton mess is an effortless summer dessert.

Eton mess is a gluten-free British dessert consisting of <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/a-guide-to-making-meringues-recipes-for-swiss-french-and-italian-meringues' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/a-guide-to-making-meringues-recipes-for-swiss-french-and-italian-meringues","linkCopy":"meringue","category":null}'>meringue</a>, whipped heavy cream, and fruit, traditionally fresh strawberries or bananas. You can serve this British treat in a large bowl, similar to a trifle, or portion it into individual serving glasses or bowls. Some variations may also include ice cream. Eton mess gets its name from Eton College, an elite English boarding school, where it was served as early as the 1890s at cricket matches. By the 1930s, the dessert was a common sight at the school’s “tuck shop”—a small store offering sweets and other snacks to students.

What Is an Eton Mess?

Eton mess is low-maintenance by design—the quality of each component is where it shines. <ol class="mc-m-4"><li class="mc-my-4"> 1. Make the meringue in advance. You can make an Eton mess with store-bought meringue or whip up your own at home. Flavor fresh meringue with bright citrus zest or rich <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-cocoa-culinary-uses-of-cocoa-powder' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-cocoa-culinary-uses-of-cocoa-powder","linkCopy":"cocoa powder","category":null}'>cocoa powder</a> for a twist on the classic Eton mess. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 2. Keep the meringue shards large. The bits of crunchy meringue cookies in an Eton mess provide a textural contrast to the creamy, soft elements of the rest of the dish. Smash the meringue too fine, and it will get lost in the heavy cream. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 3. Use homemade whipped cream. Luscious, velvety, homemade whipped cream is light but substantial enough to suspend crispy meringue and heavy fruit. It has more body than whipped cream from a canister and will result in a more substantial Eton mess. </li></ol>

3 Tips for Making an Eton Mess

These two classic meringue desserts embrace a kind of joyful destruction and edible chaos, but the <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/mixed-berry-pavlova-recipe' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/mixed-berry-pavlova-recipe","linkCopy":"pavlova","category":null}'>pavlova</a> is slightly more composed than the Eton mess. A pavlova is a baked meringue dessert finished with whipped cream and fruit. The low temperature and slow baking time create a chewy-crisp texture on the exterior, with a soft, marshmallowy center. The finished pavlova is topped with whipped cream and can be dressed with fresh fruit or lemon curd.An Eton mess exists somewhere between a fruit-topped meringue pavlova and a fruit fool, a fruit purée folded into whipped cream. The British dessert, typically served in a bowl, combines crushed meringue, whipped cream, and fresh, macerated fruit.

What Are the Differences Between an Eton Mess and a Pavlova?

Eton Mess Recipe

Crunchy, creamy, cool, and sweet—Eton mess is an effortless summer dessert.