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Home Meal Type Desserts
4.84
/5
2 hours

Lemon Meringue Pie Bites

Dairy Free Dairy-Free Gluten Free Gluten Free Low Carb Low Carb Nut Free Nut Free
Jump to Recipe
By: Denise Bustard111 Comments
Posted: 8/31/14 Updated: 8/29/20

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Lemon meringue pie bites have a crunchy meringue 'nest' filled with lemon curd. The perfect treat for a baby shower or birthday! Gluten-free & just 4 ingredients required!

Side view of Lemon Meringue Pie Bites arranged on a cooking sheet

Sigh. August is almost over.

I'm finally coming to grips with this fact, and am finally starting to look forward to autumn. I am going back to work near the end of September, and although life is going to get CA-RAY-ZY then, I think it will be good for me to spend some time with other adults. And it will be good for Kai to be around other kids.

Things I'm looking forward to in autumn: Kai's 1st birthday party, apples, soups, wearing leggings, butternut squash, changing leaves, warm drinks, not having to water my garden, and anything sage...so much to look forward to!

One thing has been bothering me, though, just this one thing and then I can finally move on from summer: there has been a serious lack of lemon meringue pie in my life this summer. I played around with key lime...um...LOTS, but no lemon meringue pie. It's just not right. Lemon meringue pie bites to the rescue!

Reasons you'll ♡ these lemon meringue pie bites

  • you need just 4 ingredients to make them
  • they are gluten-free and can be made dairy-free
  • they are perfect for a party!

Stainless steel wire whip sitting upside down with meringue stuck to it

Lemon Meringue Pie Bites on baking sheet before lemon curd is added

Of course I couldn't just be normal and make a lemon meringue pie...for one thing, I would probably have to consume the entire thing myself {Ben doesn't like sweets---whaaat!? I know!!}

So I decided to get a little bit creative and make meringue nests, and fill them with lemon curd.

And these lemon meringue pie bites taste just like lemon meringue pie...without the crust, and in miniature form. Perfect!

Overhead shot of twelve Lemon Meringue Pie Bites

Close up shot of a Lemon Meringue Pie Bite

So here's the deal: I preferred these in miniature, because the lemon curd: meringue ratio was perfect, and they were much easier to eat. I used a Wilton 21 tip to pipe the meringue nests. However, you can also make these larger {and prettier} using a 1M Wilton tip to pipe the meringues.

Also: the lemon curd. I couldn't find it in the store, anywhere...in fact I've never seen it in the store in Canada. So I used Ina Garten's recipe which worked beautifully {see below for my tips on this recipe}. If you can find store-bought lemon curd you are saving yourself about 40 minutes of work, although the homemade version is absolutely divine.

So these lemon meringue pie bites are my last summer recipe for awhile. Autumn isn't officially until September 21, but Mother Nature doesn't seem to know that. It is really starting to feel chilly and brisk. And I'm finally OK with that!

What are you looking forward to this autumn?

Watch the video below to see exactly how I prepped these lemon meringue pie bites. It’s so easy! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel, or on Facebook.

Tips & equipment for perfect lemon meringue pie bites

  • you will want a piping bag fitted with a number 21 tip
  • use a stand mixer or electric hand mixer to mix up your meringue
  • looking for more summery dessert recipes? Check out these Key Lime Greek Yogurt Cheesecakes, these Key Lime Pie Sandwich Cookies, or these Lemon Angel Food Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream

Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!

lemon meringue pie bites on sheet pan

Lemon Meringue Pie Bites

4.84 from 36 votes
Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins
Total Time: 2 hrs
Print Rate
Lemon meringue pie bites have a crunchy meringue 'nest' filled with lemon curd. The perfect treat for a baby shower or birthday! Gluten-free & just 4 ingredients required!
45 pie bites

Ingredients

Meringue Nests

  • 4 egg whites (from large eggs; at room temperature)
  • ½ tsp cream of tartar
  • 1 cup granulated sugar

Lemon Meringue Pie Bites

  • 2 cups of lemon curd (see below for recipe recommendation)

Instructions 

Meringue Nests

  • Pre-heat oven to 300°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or baking mats, set aside.
  • In a clean, dry stand mixer bowl, beat eggs on high until they become frothy and form soft peaks {that slowly sink back into the bowl; takes around one minute}.
  • Add the cream of tartar, then begin adding the sugar by the tablespoon, while continuing to beat on high. Go slowly; this part may take 5-10 minutes of continuous beating/adding sugar. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl to get all sugar.
  • When mixture has formed stiff peaks {see photo of stand whisk above if you are wondering what a stiff peak looks like}, fill a piping bag fitted with a Wilton number 21 tip.
  • Going slowly, pipe a 3-5 cm circle on the parchment-lined baking sheets. Without lifting the tip, do the second and third layers around the outside of the circle, forming a mini nest.
  • Bake for 10 minutes at 300°F, then reduce heat to 250°F and bake for 10-20 more, until meringues are hard and *slightly* golden. Turn oven off, open oven door slightly, and allow to cool for one hour in the oven.

Lemon Meringue Pie Bites

  • Spoon lemon curd into the 'nest' and serve immediately.
  • Nests and lemon curd can be stored separately for several days.

Tips:

If you can't find lemon curd in the grocery store, I recommend Ina's Lemon Curd Recipe
Here are some tips for it:
  • don't freak out when your curd looks...um...curdled. Keep heating/stirring it and it will become smooth
  • Ina recommends to heat the curd over low, but mine never got to 170°F on the low setting; I eventually raised the heat to medium and finally got my curd to temperature/thickened.

Video

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1pie bite, Calories: 52kcal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Sodium: 34mg, Potassium: 9mg, Sugar: 10g
Author: Denise Bustard
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

© Sweet Peas & Saffron - Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.

Did You Make This?Don't forget to leave a review below, and tag us on Instagram using @SweetPeasAndSaffron or #sweetpeasandsaffron
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Meet Denise Bustard

Denise Bustard is the creator of Sweet Peas and Saffron, a meal prep-focussed food blog. With a PhD in biochemistry, Denise takes a scientific approach to perfecting her recipes. You can find Denise's work featured on Huffington Post, MSN, Self and more.

Read more...

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Recipe Rating




  1. Sharron says

    Posted on 9/8/21 at Posted on 9/8/21

    Can these be made vegan with chickpea Aquafaba?

    Reply
    • Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says

      Posted on 9/9/21 at Posted on 9/9/21

      Hi Sharron, that's a great question! We have not tested a vegan version of this recipe, but you might find this vegan meringue recipe with aquafaba helpful. I hope this helps!

      Reply
  2. jessica says

    Posted on 6/9/21 at Posted on 6/9/21

    am i able to make these ahead of time and then put the lemon curd in the middle right before serving?

    Reply
    • Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says

      Posted on 6/11/21 at Posted on 6/11/21

      Hi Jessica, that's right - we recommend making the meringue nest and lemon curd filling ahead of time, then filling them right before you serve them. Otherwise they will get soggy. I hope that helps!

      Reply
  3. lil says

    Posted on 10/11/20 at Posted on 10/11/20

    5 stars
    Gluten and dairy free!! great for my nephews! thanks
    .

    Reply
    • Denise Bustard says

      Posted on 10/19/20 at Posted on 10/19/20

      I hope you and your nephew enjoy!

      Reply
  4. Paige says

    Posted on 7/1/20 at Posted on 7/1/20

    4 stars
    This is such a fun and great recipe! A question: I have followed your directions to the letter and have an oven thermometer to check the heat (since I know my oven runs hot). The meringues are setting and holding their shape, and I am cooking on the longer time recommended at the lower temp until they are slightly golden. But they remain fairly soft in the middle after cooling for an hour in the oven and a little sticky to the touch. Would you recommend baking them longer at the lower temp before turning off the oven? And if so, by how long? They taste delicious regardless!

    Reply
    • Denise Bustard says

      Posted on 7/13/20 at Posted on 7/13/20

      Hi Paige! They should not be sticky. It does sound like they would benefit from a longer bake time, but it's hard for me to say how long. The other thing is I do recall if I made them a bit larger they took longer to bake through.

      Reply
      • Wendy Boyes says

        Posted on 6/14/21 at Posted on 6/14/21

        4 stars
        I cook my meringues for 90 min at 225 and a further 40 min with the oven turned off. Meringues are firm and stay beautiful white👌

        Reply
  5. Manirea says

    Posted on 5/22/20 at Posted on 5/22/20

    Hi!! I’m super excited for these!
    Just baked the meringue but the bottoms came out more of a darker golden brown. Not as light as I thought they would be. Is that right?

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 6/2/20 at Posted on 6/2/20

      Hi Manirea! It may be that your oven runs a little hot. Do you have an oven thermometer?

      Reply
  6. Pattie Davis says

    Posted on 3/31/20 at Posted on 3/31/20

    5 stars
    I made these yesterday and they turned out fine. Tried to night and I forgot the cream of tarter until last and I have been trying for over an hour to get the "peak". Do I need to start over or can they be saved?

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 4/3/20 at Posted on 4/3/20

      Hi Pattie! I'm sorry to hear it's giving you troubles today. I would say if you've been at it for an hour you might have to start over 🙁

      Reply
  7. Lindsay says

    Posted on 2/13/20 at Posted on 2/13/20

    Do you bake both sheets of merengues at the same time or one at a time? Can’t wait to try!

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 2/20/20 at Posted on 2/20/20

      Hi Lindsay! Yes, that's what I did. You can rotate the pans halfway if your oven cooks unevenly. I hope you enjoy!

      Reply
  8. Lisa Edwina says

    Posted on 1/13/20 at Posted on 1/13/20

    4 stars
    i made your recipe. i made it and enjoy with my familyand friends.thanks for useful post.

    Reply
  9. Veronica says

    Posted on 7/30/19 at Posted on 7/30/19

    5 stars
    I have no problem against gluten but I have to say this sweet was divine without it and this is an excellent sweet for people with gluten allergies.

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 8/5/19 at Posted on 8/5/19

      Haha! I'm so glad you enjoyed. Thanks for taking the time to leave a review 🙂

      Reply
  10. Nicole says

    Posted on 5/24/19 at Posted on 5/24/19

    5 stars
    Delightful! We only used 3/4 cup sugar in the meringue and 1 cup in the lemon curd and it was still plenty sweet. Definitely will be making again. 🙂

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 5/27/19 at Posted on 5/27/19

      Nice! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review, Nicole! Glad you enjoyed 🙂

      Reply
  11. Becky C says

    Posted on 3/16/19 at Posted on 3/16/19

    Just pulled these out of the oven and I am in love! I used a regular hand beater and despite my worries about not achieving a perfect stiff peak, it worked out pretty well! I also went with the poor man's plastic baggie piping bag so the result was a bit rustic but the flavour and texture makes up for it completely.

    I made a grapefruit and blood orange curd instead of lemon and the final product is amazing.

    So excited to make these for my lactose intolerant mum who is tired of the same old desserts! Thanks for this recipe!

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 3/18/19 at Posted on 3/18/19

      So happy to hear this, and wow, that curd sounds amazing!

      Reply
  12. Colleen says

    Posted on 7/3/18 at Posted on 7/3/18

    Have you looked in the jam section for the lemon curd? Usually on the top shelf.

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 7/8/18 at Posted on 7/8/18

      I have found it in the jam section since writing this post! Thanks, Colleen!

      Reply
  13. Bella Hardy says

    Posted on 5/23/18 at Posted on 5/23/18

    5 stars
    Definitely I will prep lemon meringue pie bites on the weekend for my family. Thanks for sharing Denise

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 5/23/18 at Posted on 5/23/18

      I hope you enjoy! <3

      Reply
  14. Jill Roberts @ WellnessGeeky says

    Posted on 1/9/18 at Posted on 1/9/18

    Gorgeous pictures. I made these lemon meringue pie bites for the super bowl party and it was a crowd favorite. I'm also gonna pin this post on my Pinterest board my followers will love it. Thanks for sharing, Denise!

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 1/9/18 at Posted on 1/9/18

      So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing 🙂

      Reply
  15. Denise says

    Posted on 12/17/17 at Posted on 12/17/17

    Hi Shelley! You could try using a large freezer bag and snip the corner? Would that help?

    Reply
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Hi, I'm Denise

Meal prep took me from feeling constantly stressed out about meals to cool, collected and in control. I want to share this amazing and transformational habit with you, so you can feel in control, too! Read more ...

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