Learn how to make the perfect lemon meringue tart step by step! The no-bake lemon filling is so creamy, and it tastes exceptional with a buttery crust and fluffy Italian meringue frosting on top.
The very first time I made lemon meringue tart was at a pastry school more than a decade ago - and 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!!"
📌 What Makes It The Best Lemon Meringue Tart?
After a decade since I made my first lemon meringue tart, and after many, many tests, I've finally made a perfect one that suits my taste - this creamy lemon meringue tart.
Here are the 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 some air by doing it, which makes a lighter texture.
I love using basic lemon curd for various kinds of lemon desserts, such as classic buttercream cakes and macarons. But I love to use this cream for lemon meringue tart because of its creaminess and because it can hold its shape better. You can pipe it into the tart shell or make some patterns with a cake spatula and cut it through beautifully with a knife.
Also, 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 with this recipe. 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, and silk-smooth. 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!)
If you are a lemon lover like me, I'd love you to try this tart!🍋
📌 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 and 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.
- Lemon filling - Cook the lemon curd until it starts boiling hard to prevent a looser filling. The eggs and cornstarch thicken the curd when it is heated enough.
- Lemon filling - Add softened butter to room-temperature lemon curd to make it feel smooth and creamy. 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.
- Italian meringue - 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 the temperature is higher.
- Italian meringue - Once the hot syrup is made, slowly add it to a bowl of the fluffy meringue from the side of a 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 slightly creamier when the butter inside is softer. It still tastes delicious when it is very cold, but it's something I usually do!
📌 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 on the dough as much as cake or all-purpose flour.
Can I use pie crust instead?
Yes! You can make pie dough to make 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 more so 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.
- 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 to soften it.
Italian meringue
- Egg whites: Ensure no oils (yolks, etc.) and liquids are mixed in the egg white since they prevent it 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, but I usually make one batch and store the leftovers in the freezer. You can make the half batch if you like!)
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.
Remove it from the pan after it cools down.
The video tutorial
Check out the video tutorial to watch the steps visually and have a better understanding of each movement!
📌 How To Make The Lemon Filling
- Add granulated sugar and cornstarch in a medium bowl and whisk well until you don't see any lumps of cornstarch.
- Add eggs and egg yolks in 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 with a 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.
- Spread it over a cooled baked crust. Chill it in the fridge while making Italian meringue.
Why is my lemon cream filling loose?
Here are the 3 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 or lemon curd 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 the sugar crystallization. Swirl the post at the very end to get the 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. 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 smaller versions 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 if you liked it 😉
📌 Printable Recipe
💬 If you loved this lemon meringue tart recipe, please share your feedback! I always love hearing how you enjoyed it with your friends and family.
Also, if you have a question about the recipe, leave it in the comment section below, and I'll get back to you as soon as possible!
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 Tbsps) 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 Tbsps) 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 with a 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
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