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These lemon meringue tartlets scale down the classic lemon meringue pie for an individual dessert that will wow your friends and family! An easy press-in crust is filled with bright lemon curd and topped with pillowy meringue in this delicious, approachable recipe.
Individual Lemon Meringue Pies in Tartlet Form
I've learned over the years that homemade desserts are an easy way to impress dinner guests. But what really wows them is when you make individual desserts.
I love the built-in portion control (and instant "wow" factor). They're perfect for family parties - everyone gets their own little tartlet topped with a perfect swirl of toasted meringue. These lemon meringue mini pies are so practical - just like my blueberry cheesecake bars and easy apple squares.
P.S. If you're in the mood for more lemony desserts, my lemon thumbprint cookies or the orange curd pavlova on the site are also fantastic. Enjoy these little bites of sunshine! Let me know if you try them - I'd love to hear how they turn out. Happy baking!
Why You'll Love It
- Press-in crust: No rolling out pie dough for this recipe. Pulse a lightly sweetened dough together in the food processor and then press it into mini tart shells. It's so easy!
- Bright lemon filling: I make a homemade lemon curd filling for these tartlets, similar to the orange curd I use on my pavlova. It's got just the right balance of tart and sweet flavors for any lemon lover. You won't even need to use a double boiler to make it!
- Pillowy French meringue topping: If you've made my key lime pie, then you know I love meringue paired with citrus. This one is easy to whip together and then toast to golden perfection with a kitchen torch or your broiler.
Ingredients and Substitutions
These mini lemon meringue tarts consist of three components: the crust, the lemon curd filling, and the meringue topping.
1) Crust Ingredients
- All-purpose flour. You can swap ½ cup of flour for almond flour for a nutty flavor.
- Granulated sugar: This adds a light sweetness to the dough, which helps balance the tart lemon filling.
- Salt: To round out the flavors. Don't skip it!
- Unsalted butter: Make sure it is cold, then cut it into cubes.
- Large egg
2) Lemon Curd Ingredients
- Lemon juice: I prefer the flavor of freshly squeezed lemon juice. You will need ½ cup of juice from about 3 lemons. Use Meyer lemons for a milder, sweeter curd.
- Granulated sugar
- Egg yolks: From 4 large eggs. Save the whites for the meringue.
- Lemon zest: You will need 2 tablespoons of zest from about 2-3 lemons.
- Unsalted butter
3) Meringue Ingredients
- Egg whites: From 4 large eggs. Use the whites you reserved from making the lemon curd filling.
- Cream of tartar: This helps stabilize the meringue, making it less likely to deflate. You can find cream of tartar in the baking aisle by the spices.
- Granulated sugar
How to Make Lemon Meringue Tartlets (Step-by-Step Photos)
This is a recipe overview. Scroll down to find the complete instructions + ingredient amounts in the recipe card below.
- Make the crust: In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, and salt, and then add the cold butter cubes. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Finish the dough: Add the egg. Pulse the mixture until the dough just comes together. If the dough seems dry or won't hold together when pressed in your palm, add a teaspoon of cold water.
- Bake the crusts: Divide the dough into six 4-inch mini tart pans (sometimes called tartlet pans). Press the dough evenly over the bottoms and up the sides of the pans. Prick the bottom of the crusts with a fork, then line with parchment and fill with pie weights. Bake at 350°F for 12-15 minutes or until golden.
- Cool the crusts: After baking, carefully remove the pie weights and allow the crusts to cool completely.
- Make the curd: Whisk together the lemon juice, sugar, egg yolks, and zest in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the curd thickens. This will take about 10 minutes.
- Finish the curd: Take the pan off the heat and whisk in the butter until melted and well combined.
- Fill the shells: Let the curd cool slightly, then pour it into the cooled tartlet shells. Allow to cool completely; the curd will continue to thicken as it cools.
- Make the meringue: In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar and continue beating until you get stiff peaks.
- Top the tartlets: Pipe or spoon the meringue over the tarts. I like to use a piping bag and a star tip to pipe the fluffy meringue in a pretty design like you see in the photos.
- Torch the meringue: Use a kitchen blow torch to lightly brown the meringue. If you don't have a kitchen torch, you can do this under a preheated broiler for 1-2 minutes. The meringue will go from golden to burned very quickly, so watch it carefully!
- Serve and enjoy: Before serving, gently remove the lemon meringue tartlets from the pans. Serve as-is or you can garnish the mini tarts with curls of lemon zest.
Recipe Variations
- Swap the press-in pie shell for a graham cracker crust as I use for my blueberry cheesecake bars.
- Instead of the meringue topping, top these lemon tarts with whipped cream, such as the one from my blueberry shortcake cake. Or keep it even simpler with a dusting of powdered sugar!
- Use limes instead of lemons: If you're not a huge fan of lemon, try using lime juice and zest for lime tarts or orange juice and zest for a milder flavor. You may need to adjust the sugar in the curd based on the fruit's sweetness.
- Make orange curd instead of lemon using my pavlova recipe with orange curd.
FAQs
Fresh lemon juice is highly recommended for the best flavor, but bottled lemon juice can work in a pinch. However, the tartlets may lack the bright, fresh citrus taste.
Even though I made this recipe using six 4-inch tartlet pans, I've also had great results using 3-inch tartlet pans. Depending on how deep your pans are, you may end up with a little extra lemon curd. Just store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Yep - use the broiler. Place tartlets on a sheet pan, broil for 1-2 minutes, and do not walk away (it goes from golden to burnt fast).
Absolutely. For a weeknight "shortcut dessert," store-bought lemon curd works great. If you use pre-made crust dough, just focus on crisp, blind-baked shells and the freshly whipped meringue.
More Lemon Desserts
Lemon Meringue Tartlets
Equipment
- Food processor
- Electric hand mixer
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter cold, cut into cubes
- 1 large egg
For the Lemon Curd:
- ½ cup lemon juice
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 4 large egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
For the Meringue:
- 4 large egg whites
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
Instructions
Make the Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the cold, cubed butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Add the egg and pulse until the dough just comes together. If needed, add 1 teaspoon of cold water.
- Divide the dough evenly among (6) 4-inch tartlet pans. Press the dough into the bottoms and up the sides. Prick the bottoms with a fork, cover with small pieces of parchment paper and fill with pie weights or beans. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove the pie weights and let cool.
Make the Lemon Curd
- In a saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the lemon juice, sugar, egg yolks, and lemon zest. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in the butter until smooth. Let cool slightly, then pour the curd into the baked tartlet shells. The curd filling will continue to thicken as it cools. Let the filled tartlets cool completely before adding the meringue topping.
Make the Meringue
- In a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on high speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Pipe or spoon the meringue over the lemon curd.
- Using a kitchen torch, toast the meringue by moving the flame back and forth until evenly browned. Alternatively, place the tartlets under a preheated broiler for 1-2 minutes, watching carefully to avoid burning.
Notes
- Use fresh lemon juice for the best flavor, but bottled lemon juice will work too!
- Adding cream of tartar helps stabilize the meringue, making it firmer and less likely to deflate.
- Using cold butter ensures a flaky, tender crust. If the dough feels too soft, chill it for 15 minutes before pressing it into the tartlet pans.
- After baking, allow the crusts to cool completely before adding the lemon curd to prevent them from getting too soft.
- How to prevent lemon curd from forming lumps: Whisk continuously to prevent the eggs from scrambling and ensure a smooth, thick filling. Also, egg yolks can start to scramble from overheating. I recommend keeping the heat medium (or even medium-low) and stirring constantly. If you see tiny bits, strain the curd, and you'll still end up with a smooth filling.
- How to prevent lemon curd from being runny: Usually, it just needs more time on the heat. Curd thickens gradually, and it should coat the back of a spoon before you take it off. Also, it thickens more as it cools. If it never thickens, the heat may have been too low, or it wasn't cooked long enough.
- Whether using a kitchen torch or broiler, keep an eye on the meringue to prevent burning. It can brown quickly!
Storage
- Store leftover tartlets in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The crust may soften slightly over time.
Variations
- For a simpler tart, try omitting the meringue and top the lemon tartlets with whipped cream or dust them with powdered sugar.
- In place of the lemon juice in the curd, try using lime juice, lime tartlets, or orange juice for a milder citrus flavor. Adjust the sugar as needed based on the fruit's natural sweetness.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.
Makes you dream of warmer weather! Love it made with lime
This is definitely a "Sun-kissed" dessert! I can't wait to make it in the Summer! Thank you, Joanne, for your sweet note. 🙂