Easy Lemon Meringue Pie Cups
With layers of buttery crushed graham crackers, tangy lemon curd, and fluffy toasted meringue, these Easy Lemon Meringue Pie Cups are sure to be a hit!
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These no-bake, Easy Lemon Meringue Pie Cups are everything you love about the classic dessert, but in adorable individual servings. Layers of bright, tangy lemon curd, buttery graham cracker crumbs, and glossy toasted meringue – but without the fuss of baking a traditional pie. They’re ideal for entertaining, summer picnics, or an easy weeknight treat!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick and Easy: Skip the traditional pie crust and simply layer each component into jars for a simple, stress-free dessert.
- No-bake Recipe: The lemon curd thickens up on the stovetop, and the meringue gets that golden finish with a kitchen torch – no oven required. Perfect for hot summer days when you want to keep cool.
- Individual Portions: Served in small jars or dessert cups, these treats are cute, convenient, and totally mess-free. No slicing or serving required – just grab a spoon and dig in!
How To Make Easy Lemon Meringue Pie Cups
Graham Cracker Crumbs
Start by grinding graham crackers with a food processor or crushing them up in a zip-top bag until they are fine crumbs. Mix the crumbs with melted butter, then evenly portion into 4-ounce glass jars or parfait cups. Press down the crumbs lightly with a tart tamper or the back of a spoon.
Lemon Curd
The lemon curd is made by whisking together sugar and lemon zest, egg yolks, salt, and lemon juice. The mixture is cooked on the stove over low heat for about 10 minutes, or until the mixture thickens. The curd is strained to remove the zest, and butter is mixed in, before it gets chilled in the fridge. The butter and egg yolks are what thicken the lemon curd, so no cornstarch is necessary. Once the lemon curd is chilled, use a piping bag to pipe it over the graham cracker layer.
Check out my Lemon Curd post for more tips and tricks on making the perfect curd!
Toasted Meringue
The meringue is made by heating egg whites and sugar over a pot of simmering water, then whipping the mixture with vanilla on high speed until it reaches stiff peaks. The meringue is divided among the jars, on top of the lemon filling, then it’s toasted with a kitchen torch.
Storing
These dessert cups are best enjoyed immediately, once they are topped with the meringue and torched. If needed, you can keep them in the fridge for another day or two, but the meringue will start to weep, which makes the cups a bit watery. The lemon curd and graham crumbs can be made in advance, but they will be best when layered right before serving. Store the lemon curd in an airtight container in the fridge, and the graham cracker crumble can be stored in a zip-top bag or an airtight container at room temperature.
Recipe Tips
- Use fresh egg whites. Always use fresh eggs when making a meringue and skip the ones that come in a carton. Although they may seem more convenient, they usually do not whip up properly and end up costing you more time in the end. Fresh is always best.
- Avoid fat in the egg whites. Be careful not to get any yolk in the whites when separating the eggs. Also, ensure that the bowl and whisk you are using are clean and dry. Any small bit of fat or grease that gets into the egg whites can prevent them from whipping up.
- Heat the egg whites and sugar. This style of meringue is known as Swiss meringue, so the egg whites and sugar are heated together over a double boiler to dissolve the sugar. Make sure the sugar is completely dissolved before whipping up the meringue. You can rub some of the mixture between your fingers to test if the sugar granules are dissolved.
- Torch on a metal surface. Place the jars on a heat-safe surface, like a metal baking sheet, while torching the meringue. This will ensure the heat from the torch doesn’t melt or burn whatever is underneath. Don’t put any parchment paper under the jars, as it will burn.
Baking Tip: Weigh Your Ingredients!
I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients rather than using measuring cups because it is the most accurate way to bake. Weighing your ingredients will give you more consistent results with your recipes and a better success rate, every time. Using a scale also saves you dishes which means easier cleanup! I provide gram measurements in all my recipes and this is the scale I love to use.
More Lemon Recipes You’ll love
If you make this recipe and love it, be sure to leave a comment below. Happy baking!
Easy Lemon Meringue Pie Cups
Ingredients
For the Lemon Curd
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- zest of 3 lemons
- 6 large egg yolks
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (120ml) fresh lemon juice, from about 3 large lemons
- ½ cup (1 stick or 113g) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
For the Graham Cracker Crumbs
- 4 full sheets (60g) graham crackers
- 1½ Tablespoons (21g) unsalted butter, melted
For the Meringue Topping
- 3 large egg whites
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Lemon Curd: Combine the sugar and lemon zest in a medium saucepan, rubbing the mixture between your fingers to help release the oils. Add the egg yolks and salt and whisk together until the mixture lightens in color.
- Slowly stream in the lemon juice while whisking and mix until combined.
- Place the mixture over low heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, until it thickens and reaches at least 170°F on an instant-read thermometer (up to 180°F for a thicker curd), about 7-10 minutes. The curd should coat the back of a spoon, and when you run your finger through it, the line should hold its shape without the curd running through it.
- Remove the pan from the heat and press the curd through a fine mesh sieve to strain out the lemon zest. Stir in the cubes of butter until melted and fully combined. Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until completely chilled. The curd will continue to thicken as it cools.
- Graham Cracker Crumbs: Add the graham crackers to a zip-top bag and crush them into fine crumbs with a rolling pin. Add the graham crumbs to a bowl, then add the melted butter, and mix until fully combined. Portion the graham cracker crumbs into the bottom of 8 (4-ounce) glass jars, adding about 1½ Tablespoons to each one. With the back of the tablespoon, lightly press down the crumble to form an even layer. Set aside.
- Meringue Topping: Add about an inch of water to a medium pot and bring to a simmer. Check to ensure that the pot is big enough so that the bottom of the metal or glass bowl fits on top and does not touch the water.
- Combine egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar in the mixing bowl. Heat the mixture over the simmering water, whisking constantly until the sugar is dissolved (test by rubbing the mixture between your fingers) or the temperature reaches 165°F with a digital thermometer, about 4 minutes.
- Remove the bowl from the heat and wipe off any excess water from the bottom of the bowl. Pour the egg white mixture into the mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add the vanilla. Whip on high speed until the meringue gets glossy and stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. When you pull the whisk out of the bowl and hold it upright, the meringue should be stiff and keep its shape.
- Assembly: Fill a piping bag with the chilled lemon curd (or use a cookie scoop) and portion into the jars onto the graham cracker layer, filling each jar about ¾ full. Use a large ice cream scoop to add a generous dollop of meringue on top of the lemon curd in each of the cups. Use a kitchen torch to toast the meringue, being careful not to hold it too long in one spot to avoid burning it.
- Chill the jars for about one hour, then serve right away and enjoy!
