Easy No-Bake Brown Sugar & Lemon Meringue Pie Bites in Phyllo Cups
If you like lemon meringue, you’ll LOVE these individual pie bites! Believe it or not, the first time I ever made these was on TV for Peoria’s local PBS show, “You’ve Gotta See This” on WTVP! They were a hit. Sometimes I like to do homemade crusts for these, but this recipe uses pre-made phyllo cups for maximum ease—and they are absolutely delicious.
How to Make Lemon Curd Filling for Lemon Meringue Pie Bites
With just four ingredients, the homemade lemon curd filling recipe is super easy to make. It only takes about 15 minutes to put together—but make sure to give the curd some time to cool down. I prefer Meyer lemons when I make lemon curd. They taste like a cross between a traditional lemon and a mandarin orange—yum! Of course, you can sub in other lemons if you like. Get my full lemon curd recipe. Store-bought lemon curd works great as well.
Easy Brown Sugar Meringue Topping You Can Make at Home
For a fluffy topping, I use my “go-to” Italian brown sugar meringue recipe. The hot sugar syrup cooks the meringue right in the mixer, making it completely safe to eat with no baking required! For a simply beautiful finish, toast the meringue with a handheld kitchen torch. Chef’s kiss!
What about the crust?
You could use your own pastry recipe for these pie bites—or try your hand at my favorite pie crust recipe. But I have an easier idea: Use pre-made miniature phyllo cups. Seriously so easy. These tiny pastry cups make this recipe a breeze to put together. Phyllo cups are easy to find—they are readily available in the freezer section at most grocery stores.
Pro Tip: How to freeze lemon meringue pie bites and a touch of fire for a finishing touch!
One more thing I love about my lemon meringue pie bites is that they freeze well. If you have leftovers (or if you made extra), just place the pie bites in a freezer container deep enough that the meringue doesn’t get smashed. When you want to serve them, thaw at room temperature for 15 minutes and give them a little “touch up” with your kitchen torch. Enjoy!
Lemon Meringue Pie Bites Recipe with Brown Sugar Meringue Topping
Ingredients
- Mary's Scratch-made Lemon Curd
- ½ cup granulated sugar, divided
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 4 large egg yolks
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, preferably from Meyer lemons
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 24 miniature phyllo cups
- ½ cup (4 large) egg whites, room temperature
- 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup water
- ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
Instructions
- Place 24 miniature phyllo cups on a baking sheet pan. Divide the lemon curd equally among the cups. Set aside while you prepare the meringue.
- Place the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whip attachment. Let the egg whites sit while you prepare the brown sugar water mixture.
- Place the brown sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat mixture on high to the soft-ball stage (245 degrees). Use a candy thermometer to check the temperature. Do not stir the mixture. You can, however, “swirl” the pan now and then to remove any excess sugar buildup that may form on the pan side. Stirring the mixture can cause the sugar to turn into small lumps and crystalize.
- While the sugar mixture is cooking, start whipping the egg whites on medium speed. When the whites are foamy, add the cream of tartar. Increase the speed to high and beat until the egg whites are fairly stiff. If the egg whites are done before the sugar mixture reaches 245 degrees, just reduce the speed to low. You want to keep movement in the bowl.
- When the sugar mixture reaches 245 degrees, set the mixer speed on medium. While mixing, slowly pour the hot sugar mixture into the mixer with the egg whites. When all the sugar is added, increase the speed to medium-high. Beat 5 to 6 minutes. The mixture should be very stiff but still slightly warm. You can tell when the meringue is done by placing your hands on the bottom of the bowl. When it’s no longer hot, the meringue is cool enough to use.
- Using a teaspoon or a pastry bag fitted with a star tip, top each miniature pie with a generous dollop of meringue. Using a kitchen torch, lightly brown the meringue topping. The pie bites can be served immediately or frozen at this stage. Just remove frozen tartlets about 15 minutes before serving and give the meringue a “touch up” with your kitchen torch!