Lemon Meringue with a twist! The meringue is on the bottom.
This Upside Down Lemon Meringue Dessert is a family favorite. The recipe came from my Grandma Kae…one of the best cooks I know. The best part is the meringue crust on the bottom. Most Lemon Meringue recipes have the meringue on top, but this one has the crunchy meringue on the bottom. Oooh it’s so good! We recently tried this recipe in small single serving cups and the presentation was so adorable. Either way you serve it, this recipe is a crowd favorite…plus it’s perfect for Spring!
Ingredients for Upside Down Lemon Meringue Dessert:
- egg whites
- sugar
- cream of tartar
- egg yolks
- cornstarch
- lemon juice
- hot water
- sugar
- heavy cream
- vanilla
- powdered sugar
How to make Upside Down Lemon Meringue Dessert:
For the Meringue:
- Beat egg whites and add sugar and cream of tartar: In a stand mixer, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar and sugar together. The key to a good meringue crust is to gradually mix in the sugar. Go slow here, take your time. You should get a crispy meringue crust if it’s done right after it’s baked (not chewy). Spread this into a greased 9×13 pan. Bake @ 300 for 1 hour. Let cool.
How to make Lemon Curd:
- Heat ingredients in a saucepan: In a saucepan on medium heat stir the egg yolks, cornstarch, lemon juice, hot water and sugar until thick. Let this cool a bit.
How to make the Whipped Cream:
- Mix ingredients until fluffy: Mix the heavy cream, vanilla and powdered sugar until stiff peaks almost form.
- Assemble: When the meringue is cool, pour the lemon mixture over it. Then top with the whipped cream and refrigerate for one hour. Enjoy!
How to store Upside Down Lemon Meringue Dessert:
This dessert is best stored and served cold. Keep in covered in your fridge for around 3-5 days, although it probably won’t last that long!
Serving Lemon Meringue Dessert:
You can either serve this dessert straight from the pan, or you can assemble it in single serving jars. To do this just bake the meringue as directed and let cool in the 9×13 pan. Lightly crush the meringue in the pan and fill each small serving glasses with the meringue. Then layer the lemon curd and whipped cream into each cup. Refrigerate for one hour, and serve. Aren’t these little glass dessert jars adorable? You can find similar glass dessert jars here.
Lemon Meringue with a twist:
This Lemon Meringue dessert has the same taste that you know and love for a classic lemon meringue pie but with a twist! In this recipe the meringue goes on the bottom and acts like the crust. It gets all crispy and crunchy and sooo delicious. You are going to love it! So there is no additional pie crust to this dessert, the meringue is the crust.
Make ahead:
This dessert can be made hours ahead, but not a day ahead. You can make it the morning of with plans to serve it that night. The meringue changes the longer it sits with the lemon layer and the whip cream layer, so to keep the meringue crunchy and chewy, it’s best to not let the three layers sit together for too long.
Upside Down Lemon Meringue Dessert
The flavors of Lemon Meringue with a twist. This Dessert is a family favorite recipe.
Ingredients
Bottom Layer: Meringue
- 4 egg whites room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp cream of tartar
Middle Layer: Lemon Curd
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 TBS. cornstarch
- 2 TBS. lemon juice
- 1/2 cup hot water
- 1/2 cup sugar
Top Layer: Whipped Cream
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 TBS powdered sugar
Instructions
For the Meringue:
-
In a stand mixer, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar and sugar together. The key to a good meringue crust is to gradually mix in the sugar. Go slow here, take your time. You should get a crispy meringue crust if it's done right after it's baked (not chewy). Spread this into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake @ 300 for 1 hour. Let cool.
For the Lemon Curd:
-
In a saucepan on medium heat stir the egg yolks, cornstarch, lemon juice, hot water and sugar until thick. Let this cool a bit.
For the Whipped Cream:
-
Mix the heavy cream, vanilla and powdered sugar until stiff peaks almost form.
-
When the meringue is cool, pour the lemon mixture over it. Then top with the whipped cream and refrigerate for one hour. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
To make this dessert into individual servings, Just bake the meringue as directed and let cool in the 9x13 pan. Lightly crush the meringue in the pan and fill each small serving glasses with the meringue. Then layer the lemon curd and whipped cream into each cup. Refrigerate for one hour, and serve.
Making This Recipe? Tag us on Instagram: @NoBiggie using the hashtag #NoBiggieRecipes, so we can see what you are making in the kitchen!
MORE Lemon Desserts we LOVE:
That’s it! Now doesn’t that sound good?! It’s a great dessert for Spring. If you are crazy for all things lemon, you will love it! Try it out and let me know what you think in the comments below.
Becky says
I am, i am going to make it soon!,
Best recipe ever!!
Beth W says
There goes the diet-I love anything lemon and this sounds sooo good!
Suzanne says
This looks so good and refreshing!
Debbie says
Lemon in the morning
Lemon in the evening
Lemon at suppertime
It is simply heavenly!
Desiree says
Kami,
Something this good needs to be shared… and I will do so on my FB page 😉
Thank you for the recipe!
Have a super awesome week!
Erin @ Brownie Bites says
How interesting! I am going to bookmark this!
Tia says
YUM! Can’t wait to try it! I love lemon desserts *almost* as much as I love chocolate! Thank you for sharing!
Laura says
Oh man, I’m a sucker for any dessert that is lemon. I must try this. Thanks!
Desiree says
Kami.
I was listening to General Conference en when I heard Elder Ronald A. Rasband’s talk I could no stop thinking about you and your little Afton and the legacy of love that she has already left.
I just wanted to stop by and thank you for sharing her story with me… with us… and make us more aware of the precious moments we get to share with those we love.
Thank you again Kami.
xoxo
Desirée
Martha in Georgia says
Thanks for the recipe. It looks delicious. Does it need to be eaten right away or is it something you can make ahead? I’m thinking about making it for a family Easter luncheon but I wonder if the meringue will be okay if the pie sits overnight in the fridge.
Kami says
Yes! Let it sit in the fridge! It will be great!Â
aileen says
yummm, I’m going to try this! thanks!!
CathyD says
LOL…love your serving size!! I’m a sucker for anything lemon too, so this will definitely be made in my kitchen! …Soon. And since it’s only for one, I won’t be sharing! ;D
H says
On the meringue, do you beat/whisk to soft or stiff peaks?
kami says
stiff peaks, and go slow.
Esther Strydom says
I am turning 60 and would like to make this dessert. How many people can I feed?
Kami says
Hi Esther! It all depends on how big you cut the squares.
I’d say with big squares, you could get 15 out of one 13×9 pan.
Amy says
Hi! I am thinking about making this for our Easter dessert. My question for you is..the cream topping. If I make this ahead of time and refrigerate should I wait to put the cream topping on until ready to serve? Or will it stay well overnight in the fridge with the topping on?
Thanks in advance!!
Amy
Kami says
I would wait! You can make both ahead of time, and then just assemble before serving.
Linda says
My husbands favorite dessert is lemon meringue pie and I also LOVE lemon. Going to surprise him with this dessert:) I know we’ll both love it! Thank you for the recipe and other yummy ones!
Lisa Groves says
Kami!
Made this on March 30 for a big family brunch honoring my mothers-in-laws birthday. She loves anything lemon and meringue! Made it in a white scalloped 9×13 stoneware that had pretty handles. She loooved it! Actually, everybody loved it! Not one single piece was left. Here’s the kicker, my sister in law, asks me what’s in the crust, I told her its baked meringue. Then the lemon then the cream…She yells out, Its GLUTEN FRee! Why, yeeess, I said, I knew that…forgot it was..haha So, now that so many people are going the gluten free way, this is now my Frick and Groves family dessert! (note: our family names are Frick and Groves, my kids love saying it fast, Frick n Groves.. its family:)
Thank you!!!!
Lisa
kami says
yay! Thanks for sharing! That is awesome! So happy you all love it!
Pam says
Thank you so much for posting this!!!! My Mom use to make this all the time and it was one of my favorites. My Mom could never remember what is was and doesn’t remember making it!! This is the first time I’ve seen something even remotely close to what I enjoyed as a kid.
kami says
Yay! You bet! I’m so glad you found it again! It’s one of our family favorites!
Elizabeth says
This was so delicious and easy to make. Might add a little lemon extract to make the lemon a bit more intense next time. Thanks for a great recipe.!
Louis Toscano says
You should have spent some time explaining how to cut this thing, which is no easy task. I know from having made this before.