Name: Lemon Meringue Pie Bites
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 24 Bites
Ingredients: Mary's Scratch-made Lemon Curd; ½ cup granulated sugar, divided; Zest of 2 lemons; 4 large egg yolks; ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, preferably from Meyer lemons; 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces; 24 miniature phyllo cups; ½ cup (4 large) egg whites, room temperature; 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar; ¼ cup water; ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar

Sweets

Lemon Meringue Pie Bites

Author: Mary DiSomma

If you like lemon meringue, you’ll LOVE these individual pie bites! Believe it or not, the first time I ever made these was on TV for Peoria’s local PBS show, “You’ve Gotta See This” on WTVP! They were a hit. Sometimes I like to do homemade crusts for these, but this recipe uses pre-made phyllo cups for maximum ease—and they are absolutely delicious.

Lemon Curd

Making homemade lemon curd is a lot easier than you think… and oh, boy is it worth it! Excuse me while I sneak a spoonful.

Yield: 1¼ Cups
Prep Time: 15 minutes 15 min
Cook Time: 0 minutes0 min
Total Time: 15 minutes 15 min

Ingredients

½ cup granulated sugar, divided
Zest of 2 lemons
4 large egg yolks
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, preferably from Meyer lemons
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Instructions

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together ¼ cup sugar, the lemon zest, and the egg yolks. Set aside.
In a heavy, medium-sized saucepan, bring the lemon juice and remaining ¼ cup sugar to a boil over medium heat. Gradually whisk half of the hot mixture into the yolk mixture.
Add the egg yolk mixture to the remaining hot lemon mixture in the pot. Cook on low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened (about 3 to 4 minutes). Be careful not to overheat this mixture, or the eggs will “curdle” on the bottom of the pan. If this does happen to you, don’t worry! Just pass the curd through a sieve when you’re done to remove any cooked egg pieces.
Transfer the lemon curd to a clean bowl. Gradually whisk in the butter until fully incorporated. Place a piece of plastic wrap over the curd, pressing down so the film touches the curd. This will prevent a crusty layer from forming on top of your curd.
After it’s completely cool, store your lemon curd in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve it. Your lemon curd will last for up to one week in the fridge.

Tips

With just four ingredients, the homemade lemon curd filling recipe is super easy to make. It only takes about 15 minutes to put together—but make sure to give the curd some time to cool down. I prefer Meyer lemons when I make lemon curd. They taste like a cross between a traditional lemon and a mandarin orange—yum! Of course, you can sub in other lemons if you like. Get my full lemon curd recipe. Store-bought lemon curd works great as well.

For a fluffy topping, I use my “go-to” Italian brown sugar meringue recipe. The hot sugar syrup cooks the meringue right in the mixer, making it completely safe to eat with no baking required! For a simply beautiful finish, toast the meringue with a handheld kitchen torch. Chef’s kiss!

You could use your own pastry recipe for these pie bites—or try your hand at my favorite pie crust recipe. But I have an easier idea: Use pre-made miniature phyllo cups. Seriously so easy. These tiny pastry cups make this recipe a breeze to put together. Phyllo cups are easy to find—they are readily available in the freezer section at most grocery stores.

One more thing I love about my lemon meringue pie bites is that they freeze well. If you have leftovers (or if you made extra), just place the pie bites in a freezer container deep enough that the meringue doesn’t get smashed. When you want to serve them, thaw at room temperature for 15 minutes and give them a little “touch up” with your kitchen torch. Enjoy!

Extra Bits

Make sure to check out my cookbook, My Life in Pies: Sweet and Savory Recipes Inspired by Family and Friends. This gorgeous book will satisfy your every craving, and 100% of the proceeds will go to local charities. Click through to learn more.

Buy Pie Cookbook