Mini lemon meringue tarts with crisp pâte sucrée tartlet shells, a smooth lemon curd filling (not overly tart), and a toasted Italian meringue topping.
I’m a French baker, and I designed these mini lemon meringue tarts like real pâtisserie tartlets, with clean edges, a crisp buttery crust, and a balanced lemon curd.
They’re made for anyone who wants bakery-style lemon tartlets at home, without an overly sharp filling or a soft crust.
The Italian meringue is stable, easy to pipe, and perfect for torching right before serving.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Pastry-style tartlets - Crisp crust, clean edges, bakery-level finish.
- Balanced lemon curd - Bright lemon flavor without too much acidity.
- Stable Italian meringue - Glossy, pipeable, and easy to torch.
Ingredients You Need
You need these ingredients to make mini lemon meringue tarts:
- Unsalted butter – Softened, for a rich and crisp sweet tart crust.
- Powdered sugar – Creates a smooth, tender pâte sucrée.
- Egg – One large egg at room temperature for the tart dough.
- All-purpose flour – The best choice for stable, clean tart shells.
- Almond meal – Almond flour or hazelnut meal for extra flavor and texture.
- Salt – Fine salt to balance sweetness.
- Granulated sugar – Used for the lemon curd and the Italian meringue syrup.
- Fresh lemons – Lemon juice and zest for a bright but balanced curd.
- Water – Combined with sugar to cook the meringue syrup.
- Egg whites – At room temperature for a stable Italian meringue.
Tips for perfect mini lemon meringue tarts
- Blind bake the shells – Pre-bake until lightly golden so the crust stays crisp under the lemon curd.
- Strain the lemon curd – Pass it through a fine sieve for a smooth, lump-free filling.
- Chill before serving – Refrigerate at least 1 hour to help the tartlets set cleanly.
- Whip meringue last – Make Italian meringue right before piping, or re-whip briefly for glossy, stiff peaks.
How to make mini lemon meringue tartlets
Cream softened butter, powdered sugar, almond meal, egg, and salt until smooth.
Add the flour and mix just until combined. Wrap the dough and chill for 1 hour.
Roll the dough to about 3 mm thick, line mini tart rings.
Then bake at 347°F (175°C) until lightly golden. Let the tart shells cool completely.
Cook the eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and zest over a double boiler, stirring until thickened. Add the butter, mix until smooth, cover, and chill until cold.
Fill the cooled tart shells with the lemon curd and refrigerate to set.
Whip the egg whites to soft peaks. Cook the sugar and water to 244°F (118°C), then pour the hot syrup over the whites while mixing. Whip until stiff, glossy peaks form.
Pipe the meringue onto the tartlets and torch lightly just before serving.
Storage
- Store the assembled mini lemon meringue tartlets in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- For best texture, add and torch the meringue the day of serving.
Recipe Variations
- Classic lemon tart: skip the meringue and serve with whipped cream.
- Lime meringue tartlets: replace lemon juice and zest with lime.
- Orange meringue tartlets: use orange juice and zest for a sweeter citrus flavor.
- Raspberry lemon tartlets: add a thin layer of raspberry coulis under the lemon curd.
- No-torch version: brown the meringue briefly under the oven broiler.
Recipe Questions
Can I make mini lemon meringue tartlets ahead of time?
Yes. Prepare the tart shells and lemon curd up to 2 days ahead and assemble before serving.
Can I freeze lemon meringue tartlets?
Freeze the tart shells and lemon curd without meringue. Add the meringue fresh.
Why is my lemon curd too runny?
It likely wasn’t cooked long enough or wasn’t fully chilled before filling the shells.
Is Italian meringue necessary?
It’s recommended for stability, but Swiss meringue can work for short-term serving.
How do I keep the crust crisp?
Blind bake fully and let the shells cool completely before adding the filling.
More lemon tart and pie recipes
I hope you’ll love this recipe! Rate it ★★★★★ and leave a quick comment — it always helps. Happy baking!
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Mini Lemon Meringue Tarts
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 10 tartlets
Description
Recipe for mini lemon meringue tarts made with sweet shortcrust pastry, smooth lemon curd, and Italian meringue. Crisp crust, balanced lemon flavor, and bakery-style finish. Makes 8–10 tartlets.
Ingredients
Sweet shortcrust pastry
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 50 g ground almonds
- 80 g powdered sugar
- 150 g unsalted butter softened
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 pinch fine salt
Lemon curd filling
- 75 g granulated sugar
- Juice and zest of 2 lemons
- 60 g unsalted butter
- 2 large eggs
Italian meringue topping
- 70 g egg whites about 2
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 34 g water
Instructions
Sweet shortcrust pastry
- Place the softened butter, powdered sugar, ground almonds, egg, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Mix on medium speed until smooth and creamy.
- Add the flour and mix on low speed just until incorporated.
- Form the dough into a ball, wrap tightly, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to about 3 mm thickness.
- Line tartlet rings with the dough and freeze for 1–2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 347°F (175°C) and bake for 10–15 minutes, until lightly golden. Let cool completely.
Lemon curd
- In a heatproof bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and zest.
- Cook over a double boiler, whisking constantly, until the curd thickens.
- Remove from heat, add the butter, and whisk until smooth.
- Cover and refrigerate until completely chilled.
- Fill the cooled tart shells with lemon curd and return to the fridge.
Italian meringue
- Heat the sugar and water in a saucepan until the syrup reaches 118°C (244°F).
- While the syrup cooks, beat the egg whites at low to medium speed until frothy.
- Lower the mixer speed and slowly pour the hot syrup down the side of the bowl.
- Increase to high speed and whip until glossy, stiff peaks form and the bowl feels cool.
- Pipe the meringue onto the tartlets and lightly torch to brown.
Notes
Storage: Store assembled tartlets in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Best enjoyed within 24 hours.
Tips:
- Use a kitchen scale for accuracy; grams give more reliable results than cups.
- Freeze tart shells before baking for clean edges and minimal shrinkage.
- Strain the lemon curd for an extra-smooth filling.
- Assemble and torch the meringue shortly before serving for the best texture.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Tart, tartlets
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 405
- Sugar: 26.9 g
- Sodium: 269.2 mg
- Fat: 19.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 49 g
- Protein: 6.3 g
- Cholesterol: 101 mg
Nadine
Your tartlets are perfect, I followed your recipe but with a shortcrust crust and it was a delight, thank you.