Try this amazing lemon meringue tart, made with creamy no-bake lemon filling, a buttery sweet tart crust, and fluffy Italian meringue frosting. A perfect dessert for all lemon lovers.
Jump to:
- 3 Best Things About This Lemon Meringue Tart
- 7 Most Important Tips For Making Perfect Lemon Meringue Tart
- Tips For The Lemon Meringue Tart Ingredients
- How To Make The Tart Crust
- How To Make The Lemon Filling
- How To Make Italian Meringue
- Make it with various shapes and sizes!
- How To Store Lemon Meringue Tart
- More Lemon Dessert Recipes
- More Tart Recipes
- VIDEO: Watch how to make it!
- Printable Recipe
- Creamy Lemon Meringue Tart
The very first time I made lemon meringue tart was at a pastry school more than a decade ago - I was amazed by how delicious it was! The tangy lemon curd, crispy tart shell, and fluffy meringue tasted nothing like before.
I think it is the first lemon dessert that made me realize, "Oh, I love lemon desserts so much!!"
After a decade since I made the first tart, after many, many tests, I've finally made a perfect one that suits my liking.
3 Best Things About This Lemon Meringue Tart
1. Creamy lemon filling
The thing I love the most about this lemon tart is the filling - It is so creamy and lighter than basic lemon curd. How so?
That is because I whip room-temperature lemon curd and softened butter together. The filling can contain air by doing so, which makes it lighter in texture. You can pipe it into the tart shell or make patterns with a cake spatula. It's also easy to slice it through beautifully with a knife!
This is a no-bake lemon filling, so you'll just need to spread it over a tart shell and top it with meringue right away.
2. No blind baking is needed.
There is no need to blind-bake the tart shell with pie weights. You can make an even, beautiful-looking tart crust with less effort. This is why I love this tart crust so much!
3. Italian meringue
For me, lemon meringue tart has to be with Italian meringue. I love that it is so light, fluffy, silk-smooth, and not overly sweet. It might seem intimidating to make it if this is your first time, but do not worry!! - It is not that hard once you get used to the movement. (I'll show you how to do it step by step!)
7 Most Important Tips For Making Perfect Lemon Meringue Tart
- The quality of the tart crust hugely affects the overall taste! I'm sharing how to make a buttery, lightly crispy tart shell without blind-baking.
- Lemon filling - Mix the eggs well before adding other ingredients. Otherwise, you'll get more pieces of cooked eggs in a curd, which will make the filling looser.
- Cook the lemon curd filling until it starts boiling hard to prevent a looser filling. The eggs and cornstarch thicken the curd when it is heated enough.
- Add softened butter to room-temperature lemon curd. The butter melts when the curd is hot, or the butter hardens when the curd is cold, which separates the butter partially. Do not use cold, firm butter for the same reason.
- The temperature of the hot sugar syrup should be 244ºF (118ºC). The Italian meringue gets looser when the temperature is lower or gets stiffer when it's higher. Use a candy thermometer to get an accurate temperature.
- Once the hot syrup is made, slowly add it to the fluffy meringue from the side of the bowl while mixing at high speed. You can incorporate the two evenly in that way. (Watch the video tutorial to check the movement!)
- Leave the tart at room temperature before eating - I recommend leaving the tart at room temperature 15 - 30 minutes before eating it (in a cooling room) since the filling feels creamier when the butter inside is softer.
Tips For The Lemon Meringue Tart Ingredients
Tart crust
- All-purpose flour - Gluten in flour creates a crispy texture for the tart crust.
- Almond flour - It adds a toasty flavor and more delicate, light crispiness to the crust.
- Powdered sugar - The confectioners' sugar creates more crumbly, light, crispiness than granulated sugar.
- Salt - I use regular table salt.
- Unsalted butter - Use cold butter for the process to work properly.
- Egg - The egg helps to connect all the ingredients to make the crust.
- Bread flour to dust on a working surface - Bread flour spreads more evenly and does not stick to the dough as much as cake or all-purpose flour.
Can I use pie crust instead?
Yes! You can make pie dough to make a pie crust for classic lemon meringue pie. Follow the same tips in this post!
Can I use Graham cracker crust instead?
Yes! Use my Graham cracker recipe for key lime pie to make the crust. Follow the same steps and tips!
Lemon filling
- Granulated sugar - Use white sugar, such as granulated sugar and caster sugar.
- Corn starch - It thickens the lemon curd so that you can slice the tart easily.
- Eggs - They also thicken the curd and add richness.
- Egg yolks - Yolks give a richer flavor than whole eggs.
- Lemon zest - It adds a refreshing flavor. You can also add vanilla extract or vanilla beans as a flavor.
- Lemon juice - Use freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best taste. You can also use a bottled lemon juice.
- Unsalted butter (Softened) - Leave it at room temperature ahead of time to soften it.
Italian meringue
- Egg whites - Ensure no oils (yolks, etc.) and liquids are mixed in the egg whites since they prevent them from whipping well.
- Water - We make hot sugar syrup by heating the sugar and water.
- Granulated sugar - Use white sugar, such as granulated sugar and caster sugar.
Can I use different types of meringue instead?
It is possible to make it with Swiss meringue, but note that the texture is slightly denser, and it typically tastes a little bit sweeter than Italian meringue. French meringue is not ideal for lemon meringue tart since it is not stable and starts separating easily. Some recipes bake the French meringue to solve the issue, but the texture is not as smooth as Italian meringue.
How To Make The Tart Crust
Make one batch of my tart dough recipe. Chill it in the fridge for a few hours. (You'll only need half a batch of the recipe for 1 9-inch pan. I usually make one batch and store the leftovers in the freezer.)
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 2 - 3 mm (0.07 - 0.1 inch).
You can fit it into any tart pan or ring. The lemon cream is enough for 1 9-inch tart. Check out my tart crust complete guide to get all the essential tips for rolling it, fitting it into the tart ring or pan, and baking it successfully.
Bake (Preheated) it in the oven at 350ºF (175ºC) for 10 - 20 mins (or longer, depending on the size) until golden brown.
Remove it from the pan after it cools down.
The video tutorial for the tart crust
Check out the video tutorial to watch the steps visually and better understand each movement!
How To Make The Lemon Filling
- Add granulated sugar and cornstarch to a medium bowl and whisk well until you don't see any lumps of cornstarch.
- Add eggs and egg yolks to a medium saucepan and whisk until they are evenly incorporated.
- Add the cornstarch and sugar mixture and mix well.
- Add lemon zest and lemon juice and mix well. Squeeze lemon juice in a separate bowl and add it to the saucepan - Mix it right away to prevent the eggs from getting grainy.
- Heat it at medium-low heat while mixing constantly with a whisk. Scrape off the sides and center of the bottom pan evenly to prevent the curd from getting stuck there. Once it starts to thicken slightly, whisk at high speed. Continue heating until it starts bubbling all over. You can turn up the heat to medium if you can not see it bubbling at the end.
- Strain it into the mixing bowl. Scrape off the bottom of the sieve to get all the curd.
- Wrap it with plastic wrap and cool it to room temperature. It should not feel warm or cold when touching it. (You can leave the bowl in the fridge to speed up the process, but mix it sometimes to check the temperature.)
- Add softened butter left at room temperature to the room temperature lemon curd. Whip it at high speed until smooth. Scrape off the sides and the bottom of the bowl and whisk on the way to pick up any left butter or curd.
- Spread it over a cooled baked crust.
Why is my lemon cream filling loose?
Here are the three most common causes:
- The lemon curd was not cooked enough - The eggs and cornstarch thicken the curd when it is heated enough. Heat the curd until it starts boiling hard.
- The lemon curd was hot when butter was added - The melted butter makes a looser lemon filling.
- The butter was not incorporated evenly in the lemon curd - This happens most often when the butter is cold. The cold, firm butter does not emulsify well with the lemon curd and partially separates, which ends up in a looser filling.
How To Make Italian Meringue
- Add egg whites to a bowl of a stand mixer. Ensure that no oil, liquids, or other residue is mixed in the tools and egg whites so that the meringue is whipped properly.
- Add water and granulated sugar to a small saucepan. Shake the pot until the sugar is completely wet.
- Heat it at medium heat until it reaches 118ºC (244ºF). While heating, brush the sides with water 1 or 2 times. (Or cover the top with a lid until the steam falls from the side of the pot.) This helps prevent the sugar from crystallizing. Do not mix it with a spatula to prevent sugar crystallization. Swirl the pot at the very end to get the accurate temperature.
- While heating the pot, start whipping the egg whites with a whisk attachment. Adjust the timing so that the meringue gets very fluffy by the time the hot syrup reaches the desired temperature.
- Slowly add it from the sides of the mixing bowl as soon as it's ready while mixing it at high speed.
- Continue whipping it at high speed until the bowl cools down to warm. Once it feels warm, turn it down to medium speed. And turn it off when it feels slightly warm or does not feel anything.
- Drop the meringue on top of the filling and swirl with a cake spatula or the back of a spoon to create some movement.
- Brown the surface a little bit with a blow torch. (Optional)
And it is done!! 🙌🏻
Enjoy it right after it's made for the best taste. Slice it with a hot knife to cut it neatly.
The creamy filling and smooth meringue taste so dreamy... I hope you'll like it as much as I do!
Happy Baking,
Aya xx
Make it with various shapes and sizes!
You can also make small lemon meringue tartlets using the same recipe. I love making mini tarts for parties, catering events, afternoon tea, and more.
I made these mini lemon meringue tarts for Rei's 7th birthday party!🥳
How To Store Lemon Meringue Tart
Put it in an airtight container and store it in the fridge. I don't recommend storing this tart for more than a few days since the meringue starts weeping slowly. Consume it within 24 hours or right after it's made for the best taste.
I recommend leaving the tart at room temperature 15 - 30 minutes before eating it (in a cooling room) since the filling feels slightly creamier when the butter inside is softer.
More Lemon Dessert Recipes
If you love this lemon meringue tart, also try other delicious lemon desserts!
More Tart Recipes
Also, check out other tarts using different kinds of fruits:
VIDEO: Watch how to make it!
Watch the video tutorial to learn how to make the lemon meringue tart visually and deeply understand each step and technique!
Don't forget to subscribe to me on YouTube if you liked it 😉
Printable Recipe
💬 Did you try this recipe? I'd like to hear your feedback! I also love hearing how you enjoyed it for your special occasion. If you have a question, leave it in the comment section below, and I'll get back to you as soon as possible!
Creamy Lemon Meringue Tart
Equipment
- Stand mixer or food processor
- Dough scraper
- Petty knife
- Rolling Pin
- Tart rings or molds
- Mesh silicon mat or parchment paper
- Fork
- Medium saucepan
- Small saucepan
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula
- Sieve
- Cake spatula
- Candy thermamotor
- Blow torch
Ingredients
Tart Crust
- 250 g (2 cups) All-purpose flour
- 105 g (½ + ⅓ cups) Powdered sugar
- 35 g (⅓ cup) Almond flour
- 1/16 teaspoon (2 pinches) Salt
- 127 g (9 Tablespoons) Unsalted butter (cold, cut in small cubes)
- 50 g (1 medium egg) Egg
- Some Bread flour (to roll out the dough) Use all-purpose flour if you don't have it.
Lemon Filling
- 150 g (¾ cup) Granulated sugar
- 12 g (1.5 Tablespoons) Cornstarch Level the surface.
- 200 g (4 eggs) Eggs
- 50 g (3 yolks) Egg yolks Save the egg whites for meringue.
- 2 lemons (from 2 lemons) Lemon zest
- 160 g (⅔ cup) Lemon juice
- 170 g (¾ cup) Butter (Softened)
Italian Meringue
- 100 g (3 eggs) Egg whites
- 80 g (⅓ cup) Water
- 200 g (1 cup) Granulated sugar
NOTE: For best results, measure ingredients with a scale. All recipes are designed with weighed ingredients using grams/ounces. Cup measurements (US customary units) are provided for your convenience.
Instructions
Make tart crust.
- Make one batch of my tart dough recipe. Chill it in the fridge for a few hours. (You'll only need half a batch of the recipe for 1 9-inch pan, but I usually make one batch and store the leftovers in the freezer to use it next time.) On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 2 - 3 mm (0.07 - 0.1 inch). You can fit it into any tart pan or ring. The lemon cream is enough for 1 9-inch tart. Check out my tart crust complete guide to get all the essential tips for rolling it, fitting it into the tart ring or pan, and baking it successfully.Bake (Preheated) at 350ºF (175ºC) for 10 - 20 mins (or longer, depending on the size) until golden brown. Rotate the baking sheet near the end if necessary to brown them evenly.Remove it from the pan after it cools down.250 g All-purpose flour, 105 g Powdered sugar, 35 g Almond flour, 1/16 teaspoon Salt, 127 g Unsalted butter (cold, cut in small cubes), 50 g Egg, Some Bread flour (to roll out the dough)
Make lemon filling.
- Add granulated sugar and cornstarch in a medium bowl and whisk well until you don't see any lumps of cornstarch.150 g Granulated sugar, 12 g Cornstarch
- Add eggs and egg yolks in a medium saucepan and whisk until they are evenly incorporated.200 g Eggs, 50 g Egg yolks
- Add the cornstarch and sugar mixture and mix well.
- Add lemon zest and lemon juice and mix well. Squeeze lemon juice in a separate bowl and add it to the saucepan - Mix it right away to prevent the eggs from getting grainy.2 lemons Lemon zest, 160 g Lemon juice
- Heat it at medium-low heat while mixing constantly with a whisk. Scrape off the sides and center of the bottom pan evenly. Once it starts to thicken slightly, whisk at high speed. Continue heating until it starts bubbling all over. You can turn up the heat to medium heat if you can not see it bubbling at the end.
- Strain it into the mixing bowl. Scrape off the bottom of the sieve to get all the curd.
- Wrap it with plastic wrap and cool it to room temperature. It should not feel warm or cold when touching it. You can leave the bowl in the fridge to fasten the speed but mix it sometimes to check the temperature.
- Add softened butter left at room temperature to the room temperature lemon curd. Whip it at high speed until smooth. Scrape off the sides and the bottom of the bowl and a whisk on the way to pick up any left butter or curd.170 g Butter (Softened)
- Spread it over a cooled baked crust. Chill it in the fridge while making Italian meringue.
Make Italian meringue.
- Add egg whites to a bowl of a stand mixer. Ensure that no oil, liquids, or other residue is mixed in the tools and egg whites so that the meringue is whipped properly.100 g Egg whites
- Add water and granulated sugar to a small saucepan. Shake the pot until the sugar is completely wet.80 g Water, 200 g Granulated sugar
- Heat it at medium heat until it reaches 118C (244F). While heating, brush the sides with water 1 or 2 times (or cover the top with a lid until the steam falls from the side of the pot.) This helps prevent the sugar from crystallizing. Do not mix it with a spatula to prevent the sugar crystallization. Swirl the pot at the very end to get an accurate temperature.
- While heating the pot, start whipping the egg whites at the same time. Adjust the timing so that the meringue gets very fluffy by the time the hot syrup reaches the temperature.
- Slowly add it from the sides of the mixing bowl as soon as it's ready while mixing it at high speed.
- Continue whipping it at high speed until the bowl cools down to warm. Turn it down to medium speed and turn it off when it feels slightly warm or does not feel anything. The finished meringue should look fluffy and shiny.
- Drop the meringue on top of the filling and swirl with a cake spatula or the back of a spoon to create some movement.
- Brown the surface a little bit with a blow torch. (Optional)And it is done!! 🙌🏻 Slice it with a hot knife to cut it neatly.
Video
Ingrid Unterseher says
Love your detailed instructions! I would like to know where to get the rolling pin you used in the tart making lesson - it's white and has a bit of a design. I've searched online and can't seem to find it. Can you please share? Thank you!
ayacaliva says
Hi! I got it in Japan a decade ago at a baking store called Cuoca. They unfortunately don't ship internationally as far as I looked up. I haven't find the same one online in the States.
Helen says
I’ll be making this very soon. My question today is… is the tart nice if I don’t do meringue?
ayacaliva says
Hi! Yes, I decorated it with fresh berries on top without the frosting before, and that was very delicious. I personally love eating it with the Italian meringue since it gives a layer to the texture and goes well with the tartness of lemon juice. Whipped cream works too!
Helen says
I’m reading your egg quantities in grams… I find this confusing. Can you please change your recipe so it also has the ‘number’ of eggs and not just weight please
ayacaliva says
Thank you for letting me know. You can check the amounts of eggs by clicking "US Customary" below the lists of ingredients. I'll see if I can move the tab above the ingredients list, so you guys can find it easier! Please let me know if it didn't work somehow.
Helen says
I loved the No Blind Baking Beans pastry, pastry turned out great. But I’d like to comment that I used 1.5 quantity as half of your recipe was too thin for me. I also think the filling needs 250 ml of lemon juice to get a good tang. Next time I’ll have a go at the meringue. Baby steps for me.
Ivy says
Hi, I tried this recipe the no blind bake tart turns out beautifully. However, when I tried my hand on the Italian meringue the sugar crystallized at the bottom but overall it turns out yummy. Question how to prevent the crystallization in Italian meringue?
Aya Caliva says
Hi! Thank you for the feedback! About the issue, here are the most common causes.:
* The temperature of the hot syrup was higher - Use a candy thermometer to get the accurate temperature.
* Add the hot syrup from the sides of the bowl, letting it slide (Check the video tutorial to see how I did it.). The syrup sink to the bottom if added too fast without the sliding. Hearing your description, I'm guessing this might be the case for this time. might!
* If the hot syrup looked crystalized before adding it to the meringue, that could be due to any residue mixed in it or because it was mixed before thickening enough - Use a clean bowl and leave it untouched until the syrup starts thickening.
I hope you'll find the cause from there! Aya
Theresa says
The detailed instructions and video are fantastic.
This was delicious and beautiful, love the silky texture (make sure it sits at room temp for at least 15 minutes, longer if you can)
This will absolutely go into my desert rotation.
Aya Caliva says
Thank you so much!! I'm so glad to hear that!