Meringue Question for Experienced Bakers

I've attempted several times over the past week to make meringue cookies with splenda.   I know that meringues can be rather difficult to bake but this is how I've been doing them so far.

• Let 3 egg whites sit in a metal bowl until room temperature.
• add a pinch of salt.
• Start mixing with a hand mixer at medium until foamy.
• add 1 tbsp of lemon juice.
• Continue mixing until soft peaks form.
• Slowly add 1/2 cup of splenda and 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder.
• Continue mixing until firm peaks form
• Divide onto baking sheet, bake for 20 minutes at 250F, let sit in oven until cool.

Okay, what happens is that my meringues end up waaaay too dry and foamy.  When I take it out of the oven it ends up very crumbly and too light, lighter than other meringues I've tried.

I've asked a few of my work colleagues and they say that I am whipping the whites too long.  So I keep reducing the whipping time by a few minutes each time I make them and I get almost the same result.  I've tried changing the ingredients, baking times and temperatures as well.

Could it be the Splenda interfering with the baking process?  Has anyone else had the same result trying to make meringue cookies?

it could - i've never made a meringue with splenda...

i would try half splenda and half sugar and see if that works better.

Also, I believe it all has to be quite cold, doesn't it? Or am I thinking of whipping cream?

the eggs will separate better when cold, but you definitely want to let the whites come to room temp before you start to beat them

you can add cream of tartar as a stabilizer

but what I'm wondering is does the splenda completely dissolve?

if it feels gritty after you finish beating them... then that might be why it's not working

also I don't think I've ever used that low of an oven temp - I'm thinking 300 degress - but is the lower temp to compensate for the splenda?

I'm thinking that the sugar helps stabilize the egg whites as it cooks since it helps form a nice crystaline structure.  I'm not so sure that the splenda can provide the same frame work - which would explain why they become crumbly and dry.  Just a thought.

The problem is, as avantsalot says, that the sugar is what gives the finished meringues their texture.  I've never made meringues without sugar, so that's all the advice I have for you.

You can't make meringue without sugar, it won't work. It'll come out... like dust.

You can tell when your meringue is properly beaten when the peaks look like straight bird beaks.

Ok I've only ever made anything close to Meringue once (lemon meringue pie) but what about cornstrach? Check this.

This will work for meringue topping where the meringue is soft.   Meringue cookies, such as macaroons, are baked long and slow until dry, and will disintegrate if they aren't made with sugar.

make the meringues with sugar... as the others have said it needs the sugar to stabilize it.  There's not that much sugar in it to negate the goodness of a meringue cookie as diet friendly...

True gert - meringues are mostly delicious air.

Splenda Meringue baker here ! Yep-- my Splenda meringues always turned out yucky. Not worth the trouble-- this is one recipe wwhere sugar is a must. CB

It is impossible, but you can try 1/3 splenda, 1/3 erythritol, 1/3 sugar. Some people say that only erythritol works even though it is not exactly like sugar and it feels like mint somewhat.