Easy Mini Lemon Meringue Pies Recipe
Love Lemon Meringue Pie but think it’s too difficult to make?
I’ve got you! This easy mini lemon meringue pie recipe is a delicious lemon treat and is so easy, uses refrigerated pie crust and the lemon curd is made in only 3 steps and has the freshest flavor.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick and Easy to Make – in only 30 minutes, with simple ingredients, making these little pies a fantastic option for bakers of all skill levels. 🍋☀️
- Versatile! – Whether you’re hosting a bridal shower, family gathering or just treating yourself, these mini pies with a tangy lemon filling are guaranteed to brighten your day with their fresh lemon flavor!
- Easy to share – These adorable lemon desserts require no slicing and are ready to serve. The perfect morsel for afternoon tea.
Ingredients
Find the ingredients to make these yummy mini lemon meringue pies at your local grocery store:
- Refrigerated pie crust: always delicious and easy to use
- Fresh lemons: for fresh lemon juice and lemon zest to give you mini pies that fresh tangy flavor .
- Eggs: room temperature whole eggs for the lemon filling and egg whites for the meringue.
- Sugar: to balance out the lemon juice.
- Unsalted butter: makes the lemon pie filling silky smooth.
- Cream of Tartar: makes the beaten egg whites stand at attention!
How to make this Easy Mini Lemon Meringue Pies Recipe!
Follow these simple instructions to make these easy lemon pies. Check the recipe card below if you need more help.
Mini Pie Shells
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and grease (spray) a muffin tin for the mini pies .
- Carefully roll out the pie crust on a mat dusted with flour and cut out 3” rounds using a cookie cutter.
- Place the mini pie crusts rounds into the bottom of the muffin tin and bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the crust is lightly golden brown.
- Take the pie crusts out of the oven and if there are any bubbles, press them down gently with a ¼ cup measuring cup. Cool completely.
Homemade Lemon Curd – only three steps!
- Next make the lemon curd by combining the eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar and butter in a medium saucepan.
- Heat over medium heat, and stirring constantly cook for about 5 minutes, allowing the mixture to thicken.
- Remove from heat and transfer the lemon curd to a small bowl and cover it with plastic wrap (make sure the plastic film touches the lemon filling) and refrigerate for four hours.
Assemble the mini lemon pies
- Place the egg whites in a chilled medium bowl and using an electric mixer on high speed, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar into meringue, mixing until soft peaks form, and then gradually add the sugar.
- Fill a large piping bag with the meringue using a star tip.
- Place all of the baked pie crusts on a wire rack and fill each with a spoonful of lemon curd.
- Pipe a small dollop of meringue on top of each.
- To brown the meringue you can either brown in the oven set on broil with the oven door open for just a minute or two, or use a small kitchen torch.
Expert Lemon Meringue Pie Tips
Follow these expert tips for the best mini lemon pies:
- Keep stirring – don’t leave the lemon filling unattended while it cooks, keep stirring that delicious lemony curd.
- Chill the bowl and beaters: Chilling the bowl and beaters you will use to make the meringue will result in tall stiff peaks
- Room Temp: Let the refrigerated pie crusts come to room temp so that they are easy to use.
- Oven Know-How: Is your oven fast or slow? If yours runs hot, cut the baking time by 2-3 minutes. And always use a preheated oven.
- Fresh is Best: Check expiry dates to make sure your baking ingredients are fresh and not expired!
- Best Recipe: Follow the instructions exactly to make sure your mini lemon meringue pies are top-notch.
How to serve
When it comes to serving these amazing miniature lemon meringue pies it couldn’t be easier. Just plate and serve individually, or use a beautiful cake server and place them on a dessert table.
Tiny ¼ slices of lemon could be added to the top of mini pies or sprinkle with raw sugar.
How to store
Your mini lemon meringue pies are best if they are served right away, but they can also be kept in an airtight container for about 2 days. Anything after that and the pie crust might get soggy.
FAQs
Here are some of the questions people have asked me about making mini lemon meringue pies:
Can I make my own pie crust instead of using refrigerated?
Absolutely! I used refrigerated pie crusts because honestly, they taste great and really save a lot of time. But if you want to make your own be sure to try out my quick and easy pie crust recipe!
Why do I have to use Cream of Tartar?
Cream of Tartar acts as a stabilizer and also helps with volume. I highly recommend it!
What else could I serve with the mini lemon pies?
Honestly, what doesn’t? Pumpkin’s one of those flavors that pairs well with a ton of things – think cinnamon, nutmeg, chocolate, and even some savory spices!
Where did I get my inspiration for this recipe?
A classic Lemon meringue pie recipe is one of my all time favorites, but when I was thinking about easy desserts that you could take to a church potluck or bake sale, or serve at a bridal shower, an easy mini lemon meringue pies recipe seemed to me like the perfect solution.
You can still print the recipe, or even better, bookmark the post to look at it later!
You might also like…
If you’re craving more lemon recipes, be sure to check out these:
Could this be the best Lemon Pie recipe?
Slightly chilled, and packed with a sweet and tangy citrus flavor, these mini lemon meringue pies are ambrosia in your mouth. Every bite is bursting with the freshness of lemon and balanced with just the right amount of sweetness.
THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the Pie Lady Bakes community! We’re all about sharing easy-to-make vintage recipes that remind us of the ones our moms and grandmas used to make.
If you haven’t already, you can sign up for my weekly email newsletter using this link. It’s absolutely free, includes a special gift, and you’ll never miss out on any of my new recipes.
See you soon!
Judy
★★★★★
If you’ve made these amazing mini lemon meringue pies, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. Be sure to give us a 5-star rating!
★★★★★
Easy Mini Lemon Meringue Pies Recipe
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pkg - 2 rolls premade pie crust rolls
- 3 eggs
- 1 T lemon zest
- ¾ c lemon juice
- ¾ c sugar
- ½ c unsalted butter
- 4 egg whites
- ⅛ t cream of tartar
- 2 T sugar
Instructions
Pie Crusts
- Preheat the oven to 350F/180C degrees. Spray a standard muffin tin with non-stick baking spray. Set aside.
- Carefully unroll the pie crusts. Using a 3 inch round cookie cutter, cut as many rounds out of the crust as you can. Save the scraps and continue to reroll and cut until all the dough is used.
- Gently place each cut out round into the bottom of the sprayed muffin tin, pressing into the bottom and carefully shaping up the sides.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until slightly golden brown.
- Immediately upon removing from the oven, use a ¼ cup measuring cup or similar to press into the crust to remove any bubbles. Allow to cool completely.
Lemon Curd
- Meanwhile, prepare the lemon curd. In a small saucepan, combine the three whole eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar and butter.
- Heat over medium and continue to stir frequently for approximately 5 minutes. Mixture will begin to thicken. Remove from the heat.
- Transfer the curd to a small bowl and cover with a piece of plastic wrap – be sure to press the plastic to touch the top of the curd to prevent a film from forming.
- Allow the curd to cool and set up in the fridge for approximately four hours.
Assemble Mini Pies
- When ready to assemble just prior to serving, make the meringue.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the four egg whites and the cream of tartar. Mix on medium speed for about five minutes or until soft peaks form.
- Gradually begin to add in the sugar, continuing to mix well after each addition.
- Continue to mix until stiff peaks form.
- Transfer the meringue to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Set aside.
- Line out your baked pie crusts on a wired rack.
- Fill each pie crust with a spoonful of lemon curd.
- Pipe a small dollop of meringue onto each pie.
- Turn the oven on to the broil setting.
- Place the pies on the wire rack onto a baking sheet and place in the oven.
- Stay close and watch the pies carefully. It should only take about a minute or two for the meringue to golden. Remove immediately.
- Allow to cool and then serve.
- Storage: Mini pies are best enjoyed fresh. They can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
These are estimated values generated from a nutritional database using unbranded products. Please do your own research with the products you’re using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.
Judy Kahansky
Judy Kahansky is an experienced writer and baker, creating delicious desserts (including pie!) for over 40 years. She loves to take classic and vintage recipes and update them to fit the busy lives of her readers. When not baking, Judy and her husband Mark are passionate golfers, travelers and dog lovers, spending as much time as they can with their sweet pup Millie.
