I think we need one more lemon meringue dessert before Summer ends. These Lemon Meringue Pie Bars are another easy dessert for your Labor Day BBQs. They take all of the deliciousness of a lemon meringue pie and is made into bars, perfect for a crowd.
What is Lemon Meringue Pie?
Lemon meringue pie consists of a fully baked pie dough base filled with lemon curd, which consists of egg yolks, lemon zest and juice, sugar, and corn starch. Then, it’s topped with meringue.
This sweet-tart layered pie is thought to have been invented by a pastry chef in Philadelphia, who ran America’s first cooking school.
How is the Meyer Lemon Meringue Pie made into bars?
The difference between a lemon meringue pie and these lemon meringue pie bars, is that instead of making the dessert in a round pie plate, it is made into a square baking pan. To serve, they are cut into squares instead of pie slices. The bars are also made with Meyer lemons. Meyer lemons are smaller and more round than regular lemons, with smoother, thin, deep yellow to orange skin, and dark yellow pulp. They’re also more sweet than tart.
What type of dough is used?
For this pie, I went with an all butter pie dough recipe, so that the dough would be sturdy enough to hold the filling. Paired with that rich sweet and tart lemon filling, it’s perfect!
Roll out the dough into a square shape to fit a 9 inch square pan. Cut and slice the dough around the edges to make it more of a square. Fully bake the dough before you prepare the filling.
How are the bars put together?
The filling for the bars are made the same way as lemon meringue pie, but with the addition of a little extra cornstarch to stabilize the bars better.
The egg yolks, Meyer lemon juice and zest, water, sugar and cornstarch are cooked over low heat until thickened. After adding butter, It’s then poured over the baked pie dough and refrigerated until cold and set.
It’s then cut into squares, then the meringue is piped onto each square in dollops. Torch the meringue of each bar with a hand torch. I find that it gives the meringue such a pretty look, but it’s definitely not necessary for the taste of the meringue. These hand torches can be bought on Amazon.
These tangy Meyer lemon bars with toasted marshmallowy meringue are so good that everyone will come back for more!
Commonly Asked Questions:
Do you have to use Meyer lemons?
You don’t have to use Meyer lemons if you can not find them. There will only be a slight difference in the taste. Meyer lemons are a bit sweeter than regular lemons, so the bars may be a bit more tart.
Do you have to use a homemade pie dough for the recipe?
You don’t have to make a homemade pie dough. You can also use a store bought, pre-made refrigerated pie crust or frozen dough that is thawed.
Why is my Meyer lemon meringue pie crust soggy?
The best way to prevent a soggy pie crust is by a blind baking it. Blind baking means you pre-bake the crust. You want the crust to set and crisp up before you add any wet filling. Do not skip this step. It’s very important for this recipe.
How do you store the lemon meringue pie bars?
Place the leftover bars in an air right container and place them into the refrigerator.
Here are some other great meringue topped dessert recipes:
Meyer Lemon Meringue Pie Bars
These Meyer Lemon Meringue Pie Bars take all of the deliciousness of a lemon meringue pie and is made into bars, perfect for a crowd.
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup + 3 tbsp unsalted butter, cubed and frozen
- 2 tbsp ice cold water (more if necessary)
- Or 1 sheet of a pre-made thawed pie dough
Lemon Filling
- 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 5 large egg yolks
- 1 cup fresh squeezed Meyer lemon juice (about 6-7 lemons)
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 1 cup water
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
Meringue
- 5 large egg whites
- 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Pie Crust
- Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Pulse to combine. Add butter and pulse for a few seconds to just combine the flour and fat. Pour in water, a little at a time, until dough comes together. Wrap the dough in plastic and place in the refrigerator for an hour or overnight.Lightly spray a 9” square pan with cooking spray. Cut 2 pieces of parchment paper, so that they both fit inside the width of square pan. The length should be longer than the sides. Place one of the pieces down into the baking pan, creasing in the corners so it sits in place. Spray just a bit of cooking spray on the bottom of the baking pan so that the parchment will stick and won’t slide around. Place the second piece of parchment in the baking pan, perpendicular to the first piece, so that all 4 sides are covered. (You can use small metal binged clips to hold down the sides)Sprinkle some flour on a work surface and roll out the pie dough to fit a 9” square pan. Cut and trim the dough to fit in better. Place the dough inside the pan, so that it fits flat and right up to the sides. Use a fork to prick the bottom of the dough all over. Place the pie shell in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or in the freezer for about 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Once chilled, line the pie dough with a piece of parchment paper and then add pie weights or dry beans into the pie pan. Blind bake the crust for 20 minutes, then remove the parchment and pie weights. Place the pie shell back in the oven and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the pastry is fully baked and starts to brown slightly. Set aside until ready to use.
Lemon Filling
- Add cornstarch, sugar, and salt to a medium saucepan. Add the egg yolks, lemon juice and water and whisk together. Place the saucepan over medium-low heat and cook, stirring often, until it’s thick starts to bubble. this should take about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and pour it through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl using a spatula push it through to remove any bits of egg. Whisk in the zest and butter until fully combined. Pour the lemon filling into the prepared pie crust and smooth over the top. Cover the pie with plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight.When ready to serve, use the parchment paper to lift the pie out of the baking pan. Slice the pie into 16 pieces, 4 even slices vertically and 4 even slices horizontally. Place bars on a serving platter.
Meringue
- Add egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk together until fully combined. Fill a small pot with about 2 inches of water over medium-high heat. Set the bowl of the stand mixer over the pot of simmering water. Constantly whisk the mixture until egg whites reach a temperature at 160°F, about 3 to 5 minutes, and all the sugar has dissolved. Remove the bowl from the heat and attach the bowl to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Turn the mixer on, and gradually increase the speed until it reaches medium-high. Or do this step with a hand mixer. Add in the vanilla and whip the meringue until it is glossy and begins to thicken and get stiff peaks, about 8 minutes.Add the meringue to a piping bag with a large Star tip. Pipe meringue on top of the bars by dolloping the meringue. Use a have torch to Lightning brown the meringue.Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
