Lemon Meringue Tart

Averie Sunshine
5 from 1 vote
Published: Mar 31, 2026
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This homemade Lemon Meringue Tart 🍋💛 with rich lemon flavor is absolutely divine! The crust is buttery and flaky, the lemon curd filling perfectly tart yet sweet. And the homemade meringue that tastes as beautiful as it looks! This show-stopping dessert will turn heads whether you’re serving it at a special celebration like Easter, Mother’s Day, the holidays, or anytime you want to impress family and friends!

A lemon meringue pie with golden-brown swirled meringue topping on a light surface, surrounded by lemons, green leaves, and a decorative plate with gold forks.

Homemade Lemon Meringue Tart Recipe

  • I’ve literally never posted a tart recipe in over 17 years of sharing 3000+ recipes online, but it was about time! If you love lemon desserts, this homemade lemon meringue tart is 10000/10 amazing! 💯
  • The homemade lemon curd filling is the perfect balance of tart and sweet, the buttery crust is everything you want in a homemade crust, and the masterpiece is topped with the best homemade meringue. 🍋
  • I’m won’t try to tell you that this is a dessert recipe to just “whip up” without planning because you do need to plan. You also need the right tools. See the Baking Tools section below. It’s a recipe with three main components – crust, lemon curd filling, meringue.
  • The Overview: Make the crust and let it chill 30 minutes, roll it out, then bake it for 25 minutes, and cool it. Make the lemon filling, cool it, transfer it into the cooled crust, and let that set up in the fridge for a few hours. Finally, make the meringue. But it’s do-able dessert with the right planning, this is the one! Make sure to read all my Tips scattered throughout!
  • Serve it all winter long during citrus season, for Easter, Mother’s Day, spring events like graduations or bridal showers, or any time you’re craving a homemade lemon dessert! 🍰
A lemon meringue pie with toasted peaks sits on a white cake stand; lemon slices and a fork are placed beside it.
A slice of lemon meringue pie with a golden-yellow filling and fluffy meringue topping sits on a decorative plate.

Ingredients in Lemon Tart with Meringue

Substitutions – Don’t Do It

Regarding substitutions, since this is a baking recipe that’s very precise, do not substitute anything. Please, just don’t.

Use all ingredients called for and in the amounts indicated – here’s looking at you cold butter, cream of tartar, and the right combo of egg whites/yolks.

The “obvious” substitution for this recipe would be using lime or orange instead of the lemon. This is not recommended as limes and oranges do not have as much pectin as lemons, and the filling might not gel and set up as well as the lemon filling when using lime juice or orange juice.

I also don’t have the extra patience to make mini lemon meringue tarts, but you certainly could make tartlets making sure to bake until the crust is just set, noting they may bake more quickly than a full size tart.

Various baking ingredients in separate bowls and containers, including flour, sugar, butter, eggs, orange juice, zest, baking powder, salt, and water, arranged on a countertop.
A lemon meringue pie with one slice served on a decorative plate, accompanied by a fork and green napkin on a light-colored surface.

Tart Crust: All-purpose flour, unsalted butter, confectioners’ sugar, salt, large egg yolk, cold water.

Lemon Filling: 4 large eggs + 2 egg yolks, granulated sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, cornstarch, cold water, unsalted butter.

Meringue: 2 large egg whites (from the yolks in the filling), cream of tartar, salt, water, granulated sugar.

Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.

Baking tools You’ll Need

Food Processor

Stand Mixer

Rolling Pin

9-inch Tart Pan

Pie Weights

Candy Thermometer

Kitchen Torch

Serving Tool

Pie vs. Tart

Wondering if you can make this as a lemon meringue pie rather than a tart? Potentially although there is more overall volume to a 9-inch pie shell vs. a 9-inch tart so the filling may be a bit on the skimpy side as a pie. But workable in my opinion.

Make sure to check out my twist on a classic lemon meringue pie by way of a Key Lime Meringue Pie.

How to Make a Tart Crust

Crust Tips

Try to work quickly so the butter stays cold. Cold butter = Flakier crust!

Don’t over-knead! Over-kneading results in a tough rather than flaky crust.

No food processor? You can make it by hand, cutting cold butter into dry ingredients, which is explained in more detail in Step 6 in the recipe card below.

Wondering about a graham cracker crust instead? It’s certainly possible and you’d want to consult Chef Google for the specifics about making a graham cracker crust for a 9-inch tart pan.

A slice of lemon meringue pie with a golden crust, yellow lemon filling, and toasted meringue topping on a plate.
A lemon meringue pie with toasted meringue topping sits on a countertop next to a bowl of lemons, a plate with lemon designs, and two gold forks.
  1. To the bowl of a food processor, add the flour, butter, powdered sugar, pinch of salt, and pulse.
  2. Add the butter and pulse until you have coarse crumbs.
  3. Add the egg yolk, 1 tbsp water, and pulse until the dough comes together.
  4. Shape dough into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  5. Roll it so it will cover a 9-inch tart shell or pan (mine doesn’t have a removable bottom but you can certainly use one that does), place in the pan, trim the excess dough, add parchment, and blind bake for 15 minutes. Remove parchment and bake for another 10 minutes.

Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for step-by-step photos and process shots of the cooking process.

How to Make Lemon Curd Filling for a Lemon Tart

  1. Whisk together the eggs, yolks, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice in a medium saucepan.
  2. Add the cornstarch, water, and cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes while whisking constantly until it thickens to well-set pudding texture that coats the back of a spoon well.
  3. Add the butter and whisk to combine.
  4. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve to removed any cooked egg bits for a silky smooth texture.
  5. Pour the tangy lemon filling into the baked tart crust and allow it to set in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Cover it with plastic warp so it doesn’t form a skin.

How To Make Meringue Topping

MeringueTips

Add room temperature egg whites to spotlessly clean bowl of a stand mixer or large mixing bowl if you’re using a hand mixer. Any trace of egg yolk will prevent the egg whites from whipping up, so be very careful. Cold egg whites won’t whip so make sure they’re at room temp.

Cream of tartar gives whipped egg whites structure and creates a fluffy meringue so don’t skip it.

When making the sugar syrup in a saucepan on the stove, you need to use a thermometer to know when it’s 240F. Don’t guess. Don’t stir it while it’s climbing up to temp, leave it alone.

When pouring the scalding hot sugar syrup into the mixing bowl of whipped egg whites, aim for the side of the bowl where the egg whites touch to reduce splatter.

Kitchen torch > oven broiler. Broiling is far less precise and you can char your meringue in under a minute. After all the work involved, you truly don’t want that to happen. So use a kitchen torch or leave the meringue un-torched.

A lemon meringue pie with a slice removed, showing a golden crust, yellow filling, and toasted meringue topping on a white plate.
A slice of lemon meringue pie on a white plate with a lemon pattern, next to lemon slices and gold forks on a light countertop.
  1. To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg whites, cream of tartar, salt, and beat until soft peaks form; set aside.
  2. To a small saucepan, add the water, sugar, bring to a rolling boil and cook without stirring until it reaches 240F degrees measured by a thermometer.
  3. With the stand mixer running, slowly and carefully pour this hot sugar syrup into the mixing bowl, and beat until the egg whites are shiny and have formed stiff peaks.
  4. Using a spatula, add the meringue to the top of the cooled lemon tart filling. You could add it to a piping bag and pipe it with a star tip but I don’t .
  5. Using a kitchen torch, brown areas of the meringue for lemon tart as desired, slice, and serve. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for step-by-step photos and process shots of the cooking process.

A lemon meringue pie with golden-brown swirled meringue topping on a light surface, surrounded by lemons, green leaves, and a decorative plate with gold forks.
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5 from 1 vote

Lemon Meringue Tart

🍋💛 Homemade lemon meringue tart with rich lemon flavor is absolutely divine! The crust is buttery and flaky, the lemon curd filling perfectly tart yet sweet. And the homemade meringue that tastes as beautiful as it looks! This show-stopping dessert will turn heads at any special celebration or event!
Make sure to read the recipe thoroughly before beginning so you know where you're going with things and know what's next. Read the Tips in the blog post and Instructions section below, and heed them. Don't make ingredients substitutions. Finally, having the right tools for the job makes this dessert a lot easier!
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Chill Time: 4 hours
Servings: 8

Equipment

Ingredients 

Crust

  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour, (192g)
  • 9 tablespoons unsalted butter, COLD and cubed, (138g)
  • ⅓ cup confectioners' sugar, (40g)
  • pinch salt
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1-2 tablespoons cold water, (start with 1 tablespoon and add more as needed)

Lemon Filling

  • 4 large eggs plus 2 egg yolks, (SAVE the 2 extra egg whites for the meringue; place them in a small bowl in the fridge)
  • 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar, (240g)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • ¾ cup fresh lemon juice, from about 5-6 lemons, (192ml)
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons cold water
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed at room temperature, (113g)

Meringue

  • 2 large egg whites, at room temperature (saved from the Filling above), take out of fridge and allow them to come to room temperature, (66g)
  • ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup water, (3.5 ounces)
  • ½ cup granulated sugar, (100g)

Instructions 

  • Make the Crust with Food Processor: To a large canister of a food processor, add the flour, confectioners' sugar, salt, and pulse briefly to combine.
    See step 5 if you don't have a food processor and are making the crust by hand.
  • Add the COLD cubed butter and pulse until it resembles coarse crumbs.
    Tip – Cold butter = flakier crust.
    A food processor bowl filled with flour and cubes of butter, ready to be mixed, sits on a beige countertop.
  • Add the egg yolk and cold water (start with 1 tbsp, add more if needed), pulsing until the dough just comes together.
    A food processor bowl contains flour, butter, and a cracked egg on top, ready to be mixed for dough preparation.
  • When the dough has just come together, stop pulsing and take care not to overmix.
    A food processor containing a ball of yellow dough sits on a light-colored countertop.
  • Remove dough from canister, shape the dough into a disk, wrap in plasticwrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
    A round disc of dough wrapped in plastic wrap sits on a lightly floured wooden surface.
  • Make the Crust by Hand: Add the dry ingredients to a large bowl, add the butter, use a pastry cutter to cut the butter in. Stop when the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with pea-sized bits of butter still visible. Add the egg yolk and mix lightly. Add cold water (1 tbsp at a time), gently stirring or kneading with your hand just until the dough comes together. Shape into a disc, wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  • Roll the Dough: Preheat oven to 375F. Spray or grease well a 9-inch tart pan; set aside.
  • On a clean and lightly floured countertop, use a rolling pin to roll out the chilled dough to about 10-11 inches.
    A large, round sheet of rolled-out dough rests on a lightly floured wooden surface.
  • Transfer the dough to the tart pan, press it into the bottom and up the sides.
    Unbaked, empty pie crust evenly pressed into a fluted tart pan on a light marble surface.
  • Blind Bake the Crust: Trim the excess crust from the edges with a paring knife, and prick the base with a fork about 6 times. Then place a sheet of parchment paper over the top.
  • Fill the crust with pie weights or dried beans.
    A tart pan filled with unbaked pie crust, lined with parchment paper, and topped with ceramic baking weights on a beige surface.
  • Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the weights and parchment paper.
  • Bake an additional 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
    A baked, empty tart crust in a fluted tart pan rests on a light-colored, speckled surface.
  • Let the crust cool completely, at least 30-60 minutes.
  • Make the Lemon Filling: To a medium, high-sided saucepan, add the 4 eggs, 2 egg yolks, granulated sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and and whisk to combine and set the heat to medium-low.
    Tip – You need to SAVE the 2 extra egg whites because you'll them in the meringue, below.
    A saucepan containing several cracked raw eggs with intact yolks and whites, placed on a light-colored countertop.
  • In a small bowl, add the cornstarch, cold water, and stir to combine. Add this (it's called a slurry) to the saucepan.
    A whisk rests in a clear mixing bowl containing a pale, creamy liquid on a light marbled countertop.
  • Cook the mixture, whisking constantly, until it thickens – about 8–10 minutes.
    Tip – It should be the consistency of a well-set pudding, so quite thick, and not runny. Although it will set up and firm up more as it cools in the fridge for 2+ hours.
    A saucepan filled with smooth yellow custard, with a white spatula resting inside, on a light-colored countertop.
  • Remove the saucepan from the heat, add the cubed butter, and whisk in the butter until smooth and fully melted.
    A saucepan filled with a yellow mixture and topped with chunks of butter being stirred with a white spatula on a beige countertop.
  • Strain: Optional but recommended, strain the lemon curd mixture through a fine sieve to remove any cooked egg bits for an ultra-silky finish.
    A mesh strainer containing yellow liquid and a white spatula, placed on a light countertop.
  • Fill: Pour the lemon filling into the cooled tart crust, lightly smooth with a spatula.
  • Chill: Gently and carefully place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the filling to prevent it from forming a skin. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until fully set.
    A round lemon tart with a smooth, glossy yellow filling and a golden brown crust on a light speckled surface.
  • Meringue: To the spotlessly clean bowl of a stand mixer or large mixing bowl hand mixer, add the room temperature saved egg whites (that you saved from making the filling), cream of tartar, and salt. Mix using whisk attachment at medium to medium-high speed until soft peaks form; set aside.
    Tips – Without an extremely clean and dry bowl this will be a much harder task; if there's any trace of egg yolks it will be an impossible task. Egg whites won't whip up in the presence of yolk. Be careful. Cold egg whites won't whip either so make sure they're at room temperature.
    A close-up of a spoonful of lemon meringue pie showing a layer of lemon filling and fluffy meringue, with lemon slices and a pie in the background.
  • Clip your candy thermometer to the side of a high-sided small saucepan, add the water and granulated sugar. If yours doesn't clip, that's fine but make sure you have it handy.
  • Bring to a rolling boil and cook without stirring until the temperature reaches 240°F.
    Tip – The reason you don't want to stir is because you can disturb the sugar molecules from doing their thing (too complicated to explain), but the result in real terms is a grainy or granular meringue with a very undesirable texture.
  • Remove the scalding hot sugar syrup from the stove taking caution and with the mixer running at medium-low speed, gradually pour the hot liquid into the mixer bowl. Allow it to beat at a couple minutes at this speed before increasing it.
    Tips – Aim for the side of the bowl where the egg whites touch the edge to reduce splatter and chances for burning yourself; wearing a pair of kitchen gloves or hot mitts is a good idea.
    A metal saucepan filled with a clear liquid is placed on a light beige, speckled surface.
  • Increase the mixer speed to high and beat until the egg whites are shiny and form stiff peaks.
    A hand holds a stand mixer beater coated with stiff, glossy whipped cream above a white mixing bowl on a light, speckled countertop.
  • Add Meringue to Tart: Use a rubber spatula to place the meringue onthe chilled tart filling.
    A lemon meringue pie with toasted swirls of meringue on top, seen from above on a light-colored surface.
  • Torching, optional: If desired, use a kitchen torch to brown areas of the meringue for appearance. I do NOT recommend using your oven broiler because it's imprecise and the chances of burning your meringue in less than 1 minute (thus ruining the entire dessert!) are high and simply not worth it.
    If you don't want to torch the meringue or don't have a kitchen torch, simply omit.
    A lemon meringue tart with toasted meringue topping sits on a white cake stand, with sliced lemons and green leaves beside it.
  • Chill: Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Slice and serve chilled.
    A slice of lemon meringue pie on a white plate with a gold fork, with the rest of the pie and lemons in the background.

Notes

Make-Ahead: Dessert will keep well in the fridge for up to 2-3 days prior to an event so you can feel free to make it in entirety ahead of time.
Storage: Dessert will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days. Serve chilled.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 539cal, Carbohydrates: 69g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 27g, Saturated Fat: 16g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 170mg, Sodium: 123mg, Potassium: 119mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 49g, Vitamin A: 896IU, Vitamin C: 10mg, Calcium: 30mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Overhead view of a lemon meringue tart with a slice cut out, shown whole and as a single slice on a decorative plate.
A lemon meringue tart with a golden crust, yellow lemon filling, and fluffy toasted meringue topping, shown in a sliced view and a whole tart from above. Text reads "The Best Lemon Meringue Tart.
A lemon meringue tart with a golden crust and fluffy toasted meringue, shown whole and sliced, on a white plate with lemons in the background. Text reads "The Best Lemon Meringue Tart.

More Favorite Easy Lemon desserts

A slice and a whole lemon meringue tart with a golden crust, yellow lemon filling, and fluffy toasted meringue topping.
A lemon meringue tart with a swirled, browned meringue topping, shown whole above and in a close-up sliced view below on a white plate.
A slice of lemon meringue tart with a golden crust and fluffy meringue on a plate, shown in close-up and being lifted with a fork.

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5 from 1 vote

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Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

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    1. Thank you for letting me know that you love this recipe! It was a ton of work to create this post, not gonna sugar coat that, so I am happy that at least 1 person has received benefit! (you likely won’t see this since you used a fake email address so you won’t get the automatic email and you’d need to come back here to manually check.)

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