Lemon Meringue Cookies (2024)

These lemon meringue cookies are soft and chewy sugar cookies topped with tangy lemon curd and toasted swiss meringue. It's everything you love in a lemon meringue pie in the form of delicious cookies!

Why you'll love this recipe

• Soft and chewy cookies. The base for these lemon meringue cookies are simple sugar cookies that make the perfect vessels for the lemon curd and meringue.
• Tangy lemon curd filling. The lemon curd is easy to make ahead and adds something special to these cookies.
• Toasted meringue. The fluffy and airy meringue pairs perfectly with the
• Perfect ingredient ratios. I hate having leftover egg yolks or egg whites that I need to figure out what to do with so this recipe is designed to use up all the yolks and whites in the lemon curd and the meringue.

• Fine mesh sieve - You'll need a sieve to remove bits of cooked egg or lemon seeds that have found their way into your lemon curd for a super smooth and silky curd.
• Electric hand mixer - You'll need a hand mixer to beat the egg white meringue to stiff peaks. I don't recommend doing this by hand. A hand mixer is essential for getting the meringue to the right consistency easily and quickly.
• 4-tablespoon cookie scooper - I prefer large cookies so I almost always use a 4-tablespoon cookie scooper but a smaller scoop works as well if you want to make smaller cookies. Scooping cookie dough with a cookie scooper ensures they're all the same size.
• Baking sheet - Any baking sheet or baking tray will do for baking your cookies. Always line it with parchment paper.
• Kitchen torch - You'll need a kitchen torch to toast the meringue. There isn't really another way to do it effectively without a torch. You can pick up a small kitchen torch for less than $20 or opt for a heavy-duty Bernzomatic torch like mine if you regularly torch things.

Ingredient notes

• Eggs - You'll be using the egg yolks for the lemon curd and the egg whites for the meringue so there won't be any leftover egg whites or yolks.
• Granulated sugar
• Lemon -You'll need the juice of about 1 lemon. I recommend squeezing it over a sieve to prevent lemon seeds from getting into your lemon curd.
• Unsalted butter -The butter for the lemon curd should be at room temperature and roughly cubed. The butter used for the cookies should be melted to make them extra easy to make (no need to cream softened butter with sugar).
• All-purpose flour
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Brown sugar - We're using a mixture of granulated sugar and brown sugar for extra chewy cookies.
• Vanilla extract

How to make lemon meringue cookies

Make the lemon curd

Mix - In a small pan, stir together egg, egg yolks, sugar, and lemon juice.

Cook until thickened -Heat on medium heat, stirring frequently, until it thickens into a gel-like consistency, about 7-10 minutes. When you drag a spatula through the lemon curd, it should part and slowly come back together after a few seconds.

Stir in butter -Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter, one cube at a time, until they've all melted into the lemon curd.

Strain -Push the lemon curd through a fine mesh sieve to remove any bits of cooked egg or lemon seeds. Set aside at room temperature or in the fridge to cool completely.

Make the cookies

Prep -Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Dry mixture -In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Wet mixture -In a large mixing bowl, whisk together melted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until combined. Add the egg and vanilla extract and whisk until combined.

Combine dry and wet mixtures -Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture. Fold together with a spatula until just combined into a soft dough.

Scoop -Use a large (3 or 4-tablespoon) cookie scooper to scoop the cookie dough. Release the cookie dough balls onto your lined baking sheet, leaving about 2" in between each cookie dough ball for spreading.

Bake -Bake cookies for about 11-12 minutes or until the edges are set and the middles are still soft and puffy.

Press -Immediately after taking them out of the oven, press the back of a spoon in the middle of each cookie to make a depression for the lemon curd to sit in. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes until they're firm enough to transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the meringue

Create a double boiler -In a small pot, bring about 1" of water to a boil. To a heat-safe mixing bowl that fits on top of the pot perfectly without touching the water, add the egg whites, sugar, and vanilla extract.

Heat mixture -When the water comes to a boil, turn off the heat and place the mixing bowl on top of the pot. Gently heat the mixture, stirring often, until all the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is warm. If you rub a bit of the mixture in between your fingers, it should feel smooth without any grittiness.

Beat until stiff peaks -Remove the bowl from the pot, being careful not to get any water in the bowl. Use an electric hand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment to beat the mixture on low-medium speed until it becomes foamy. Increase to medium-high speed and continue beating until the mixture becomes opaque white and stiff peaks that curl over slightly at the tips.

Assemble cookies -Warm the lemon curd in the microwave for 5-10 seconds if it has firmed up from being in the fridge. Add a spoonful of lemon curd on top of each cookie. Smear a dollop of meringue on top of each cookie.

Toast meringue:Use a kitchen torch to toast the meringue until golden brown.

Storage

These lemon meringue cookies are best served immediately after torching the meringue or on the same day.

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep in mind that the meringue may "sweat" after a day or two. It will leave a small amount of moisture on the tops of the cookies. They'll still taste fine though!

Bring the cookies back to room temperature before serving.

Freezing

Leftover cookies can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature for an hour or two before eating.

More lemon meringue recipes to try

• Lemon Meringue Cupcakes
• Mini Lemon Meringue Tarts

Recipe