Pavlova

Pavlova is a gluten free dessert made primarily of egg whites and sugar. It’s traditionally served with whipped cream and fruit. The dish is a quintessential Christmas day dessert for both Australians and New Zealanders.

Pavlova takes its name from the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, who toured New Zealand and Australia in the 1920s. Both countries claim to be the birthplace of the dessert, and each has a slightly different approach to making it. Australian pavlova is generally crunchier and has a classic topping of passionfruit. New Zealand pavlova is more marshmallowy inside, and most often served with slices of kiwifruit.

The origin of any recipe is difficult to trace, and many believe that pavlova evolved across many different cultures. The oldest-recorded version of this type of dessert includes the Austrian Habsburgs-era Spanische Windtorte. German-speaking immigrants to the US later brought other types of meringue cakes, such as the Schaum Torte and Baiser Torte. However, no other countries have embraced pavlova quite like Australia or New Zealand. For more about how pavlova came to be, you might be interested in this BBC article.

Pavlova are quite easy to make, but require a slow and low bake, so they’re not the quickest dessert option. You’ll also have lots of egg yolks left over from making the meringue, so a curd is a great way to use them! I recommend serving with whichever fruits are in season in your area of the world. Pavlova is endlessly customizable. You’ll find dairy-free, vegan, low FODMAP and keto recipe options below, too.

Pavlova Recipes:

• Peaches and cream pavlovas by Emma LaPerruque from Food 52

• Marshmallow pavlova with kiwi and pineapple curd from How Sweet Eats

• Dairy-free pavlova with lemon-coconut cream from Love and Lemons

• Pavlova with cream and passionfruit from Eat Little Bird

• Dairy free winter pavlova from Salt N Pepper Here

• Pavlova with lemon curd and passion fruit from Food 24

• Low FODMAP pavlova from Rachel Pauls Food

• Mary Berry’s Spanische Windtorte from BBC

• Cranberry pistachio pavlova roulade from Chef Shannon

• Vegan pavlova from Pickles & Honey

• Winter pavlova with poached quinces from Kulinary Adventures of Kath

• Pineapple and ginger pavlova from BBC Good Food

• Pavlova with lemon curd from Jernej Kitchen

• Cranberry pavlova from Simply Gluten Free

• Boccone Dolce from Natasha’s Kitchen

• Keto pavlova from Mad Creations Hub

• Berry pavlova with lemon and passionfruit curd from Gather and Feast