Lemon Meringue Tartlets – Texanerin Baking

2 de April de 2026

2

These lemon meringue tartlets mix a buttery tart shell, lemon curd, and a lightweight, fluffy meringue topping. They’re vivid, contemporary, and just a bit bit fancy, making them excellent for Easter, Mom’s Day, child showers, or anytime you need one thing that appears spectacular however is completely doable at house.

They’re the identical as my Lemon Tartlets, however as an alternative of topping them with raspberries, these are completed with toasted meringue that provides sweetness and a tender, marshmallow-like texture. In case you’re a fan of lemon meringue pie, you’ll love these bite-sized variations.

It’s the identical crust I utilized in my Fruit Tartlets and Chocolate Tartlets. I find it irresistible a lot, and after spending a lot time trying to find the proper recipe, I’ve no want to attempt one other. So right here it’s once more!

lemon meringue tartlets on wooden cutting board with lemons in the background

What’s To Love

Good steadiness of flavors – the crisp, buttery crust pairs fantastically with the tangy lemon curd and candy meringue.
Mild and ethereal topping – the toasted meringue provides a tender, fluffy distinction to the creamy filling.
Elegant and spectacular – they appear bakery-worthy however are doable at house.

Substances

Listed here are some notes on choose substances. The total recipe might be discovered under within the recipe card.

For the crust

Flour – you should use both all-purpose flour or the gluten-free various talked about under.
Granulated sugar – please don’t scale back or omit it, because the 1/4 cup (50 grams) of sugar is crucial to the construction.
Unsalted butter – use it chilly and reduce into cubes for the very best texture. You may attempt vegan butter right here, however coconut oil received’t work because it’s 100% fats as an alternative of 80-82%.
Massive egg yolk – egg subs received’t work right here.
Milk – this crust makes use of a bit extra milk than a few of my different tartlet recipes, like these Blueberry Tartlets and Peach Tartlets, which makes the dough softer and far simpler to roll out.

ingredients laid out to make the crust for lemon tartlets

For the lemon curd

At the moment’s recipe makes use of sugar, however in case you choose a honey-sweetened model, you can use my Paleo Lemon Curd recipe. I haven’t tried it in these tartlets, however I believe it’d work.

Freshly squeezed lemon juice – bottled juice received’t provide the similar vivid taste.
Eggs + egg yolks – additionally no sub right here.

Why Use Complete Eggs and Yolks?

Utilizing each egg yolks and entire eggs in lemon curd creates a steadiness of texture, richness, and stability.

Egg yolks add richness and that velvety texture that makes lemon curd so luscious, whereas entire eggs present construction so the curd holds its form. It’s the very best of each worlds!

For the meringue topping

Egg whites – should be freed from any yolk for correct whipping.
Granulated sugar – dissolves into the egg whites for a shiny meringue. No sub right here, both.

The picture under reveals what you’ll want for each the curd and the meringue. Notice that the portions aren’t to scale. You’ll want extra eggs, for instance.

ingredients laid out to make lemon meringue tartlets

The best way to Make Them

That is simply an summary. The total directions are within the recipe card under.

Put together and bake the tartlet shells.

mixing together dry ingredients for tart dough

adding wet ingredients to tart dough and forming it into a ball

rolling out tart dough, cutting out dough for each tartlet mold, and baking the crusts

Make the curd. In a nonreactive bowl, equivalent to glass or chrome steel, whisk collectively the lemon juice, eggs, egg yolks, and sugar till easy and nicely mixed.

Place the bowl over simmering water, ensuring it doesn’t contact the water.

Whisk repeatedly till the combination thickens and reaches 175 °F (79 °C), then take away from the warmth. Some recipes recommend 160 °F (71 °C), however I discovered mine was nonetheless too runny at that time.

mixing together ingredients to make lemon curd, cooking it and adding butter

Whisk within the butter, one tablespoon at a time, till absolutely included. Pressure the lemon curd via a high quality mesh sieve right into a clear, nonreactive bowl.

Cowl the floor with plastic wrap, urgent it straight onto the curd to stop a pores and skin from forming. Let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.

Fill every tart shell with about 1 tablespoon (15 grams) of lemon curd.

Then put together the meringue.

Mix the egg whites, sugar, and salt in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water (make certain the bowl doesn’t contact the water). Stir always till the combination may be very heat and the sugar has utterly dissolved.

It ought to really feel easy when rubbed between your fingers and attain about 160 °F (71 °C). That is the temperature required to pasteurize the egg whites, which makes the meringue suitable for eating with out additional baking.

Switch the bowl to a stand mixer and beat, beginning on medium-low and growing to excessive, till stiff, shiny peaks type. This often takes 4–7 minutes.

Pipe or spoon the meringue onto the tartlets.

Use a kitchen torch to calmly brown the tops. In case you don’t have one, you may fastidiously place them beneath the broiler for about 1–2 minutes, watching very carefully.

collage showing the finished meringue and piping the curd into the tartlets and piping the meringue on top of the chilled tartlets

Suggestions for Success

Chill the dough – chilly dough is way simpler to work with and helps forestall shrinking.
Don’t rush the curd – prepare dinner it gently and whisk always. You don’t need the eggs to scramble!
Ensure sugar is dissolved – grainy meringue = undissolved sugar.
Torch fastidiously – it browns rapidly!

close-up of lemon meringue tartlet on white parchment paper on wooden cutting board

Troubleshooting

In case you run into any points whereas making these lemon meringue tartlets, listed below are some widespread fixes.

Tart shells shrink or crack – make certain to sit back the dough correctly earlier than baking and keep away from overworking it.
Lemon curd is simply too runny – it doubtless wasn’t cooked lengthy sufficient. Ensure it reaches about 175 °F (79 °C) so it units correctly.
Meringue received’t whip to stiff peaks – even a tiny little bit of egg yolk or grease can forestall the whites from whipping correctly. Ensure your bowl and whisk are utterly clear and that no yolk acquired into the whites.
Meringue is grainy – this implies the sugar didn’t absolutely dissolve. You’ll want to warmth the egg white combination till it feels utterly easy (no sugar granules) earlier than whipping.
Meringue is runny or tender – it doubtless wasn’t whipped lengthy sufficient. Preserve beating till stiff peaks type that maintain their form and solely barely bend on the tip.
Meringue weeps (liquid forming beneath) – this may occur if the sugar wasn’t absolutely dissolved or if the tartlets sit too lengthy. For finest outcomes, add the meringue shortly earlier than serving.
Meringue browns too rapidly – if utilizing a torch, maintain it shifting and don’t maintain it too shut. If utilizing the broiler, watch always – it could possibly go from excellent to burnt in seconds.

close-up of lemon meringue tartlets on white parchment paper on wooden cutting board

The best way to Retailer and Freeze

These lemon meringue tartlets are excellent for making prematurely! You may put together the entire parts forward of time and assemble them nearer to serving.

The dough

You can also make the tart dough as much as 3 days prematurely or freeze it for as much as 3 months. Wrap the dough disc tightly in plastic wrap after which place it in a Ziploc bag.

While you’re prepared to make use of it, thaw it in a single day within the fridge. Keep away from microwaving to thaw, however in case you should, use 30% energy in brief bursts.

Unbaked tart shells

You may press the dough into the tart pans and retailer them in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 3 days or freeze them for as much as 3 months.

Baked tart shells

As soon as baked, retailer the tart shells in an hermetic container at room temperature for as much as 3 days or refrigerate them for as much as 5 days. They will also be frozen for as much as 3 months.

The lemon curd

You may put together the lemon curd as much as 3 days prematurely and retailer it in an hermetic container within the fridge. If it thickens an excessive amount of, let it sit at room temperature for 15–20 minutes earlier than utilizing, stirring often to loosen it up.

In case you’d wish to freeze the curd, switch it to an hermetic container and freeze for as much as 3 months. Thaw it in a single day within the fridge and stir nicely earlier than utilizing.

The meringue

Meringue is finest made contemporary. For the very best texture and stability, put together and pipe it onto the tartlets shortly earlier than serving.

If wanted, you can also make the meringue a number of hours prematurely and maintain it within the mixing bowl at room temperature, however it might lose some construction over time and received’t pipe fairly as cleanly.

Assembled tartlets

As soon as assembled with the meringue topping, refrigerate the tartlets in an hermetic container and serve inside 12 hours. They’re suitable for eating after refrigerating for a number of days, however the texture is finest on the day of.

The meringue will begin to weep and the crust will begin softening. After spending a lot time making ready these, you don’t need that to occur!

Consuming them inside 12 hours helps make sure the crusts keep crisp and the meringue seems its finest. To additional forestall soggy crusts, use the smallest quantity of milk wanted when making the dough.