Lemon meringue pie shooters have all of the deliciousness of lemon meringue pie, but they're way easier to make! They're the ultimate sweet treat!

close up side view of lemon curd, graham cracker crust, and meringue layered in a shot glass

My dad LOVES lemon meringue pie, but he doesn't get to eat it very often since it's pretty time consuming to make. Last weekend I surprised dad with a special Father's Day treat - deconstructed lemon meringue pie served in shot glasses. This fun take on the classic pie packs all the same delicious flavor but is quicker to make!

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Recipe

Lemon Meringue Pie Shooters

Lemon meringue pie shooters have all of the deliciousness of lemon meringue pie, but they're way easier to make

5 from 1 vote

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 40

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 50

Servings:

Yield: 12 mini dessert shooters

Calories: 138kcal

Author: Allison Ferraro

Special Equipment

Sifter
Electric hand mixer
12 Shot glasses

Ingredients

Lemon Curd:

¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
3 Tablespoons (24 grams) cornstarch
⅛ teaspoon (0.75 grams) salt
¼ cup (59 grams) cold water
¼ cup (61 grams) fresh lemon juice
2 large egg yolks (save the whites for the meringue topping)
1 Tablespoon (14 grams) unsalted butter
¾ cup (177 grams) boiling water
½ teaspoon (1 grams) grated lemon peel

Graham Cracker Crust

8 graham cracker squares
1 Tablespoon (14 grams) unsalted butter

Italian Meringue Topping:

¼ cup (59 grams) water
⅛ teaspoon (0.4 grams) cream of tartar
½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
2 large egg whites

Instructions

Make the lemon curd.

Sift sugar, cornstarch, and salt into a medium saucepan. Blend in cold water and lemon juice until mixture is smooth.
In a small bowl beat egg yolks well. Add egg yolks and butter to lemon juice mixture and blend thoroughly.
Stirring constantly, gradually add boiling water. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir gently. Reduce heat as the mixture begins to thicken and allow to simmer slowly for one minute.
Remove from heat and stir in lemon peel. Let cool.

Make the graham cracker crust.

Put graham crackers into a plastic bag and smash into small crumbs using the back of a wooden spoon. Pour the crumbs into a bowl.
Melt the butter and pour over the graham cracker crumbs. Mix together with a fork so that crumbs just begin to stick together. Set aside.

Make the meringue topping.

Heat water, cream of tartar, and sugar in a pan and stir until dissolved. When the syrup starts to boil, cover the pan and let boil for 3 minutes. Then uncover the pan and allow to cook for another 2 minutes without stirring.
While the syrup is cooking, place egg whites in a bowl and beat well with a hand mixer.
Add the syrup slowly to the eggs while beating constantly. Continue to beat the meringue until it is cool and medium peaks form when the beater is turned off and lifted gently out of the bowl.

Assemble the lemon meringue pie shooters.

Spoon lemon curd into 12 shot glasses, filling each about ⅔ full. Then layer graham cracker crumble crust on top of the lemon curd so each shot glass is nearly full. Top each shooter with meringue and serve.

Notes

Lemon curd and Italian meringue recipes adapted from Joy of Cooking.

Nutrition