Easy Lemon Meringue Pie Bars with Shortbread Crust

Easy Lemon Meringue Pie Bars with Shortbread Crust

These Easy Lemon Meringue Pie Bars with Shortbread Crust are an absolute must have in your repertoire of lemon desserts. Each square offers three delicious layers from the bottom layer of buttery shortbread cookies to the tart and creamy lemon filling to the light and golden meringue topping. Best of all, each bite is bursting with fresh lemon flavor, perfect for summer picnics and backyard gatherings.

Why You Should Give This Recipe a Try

While some lemon meringue recipes require you to fuss with making homemade lemon curd, the filling in this recipe is a super easy combination of sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Mix it all together and you are ready to go!

The meringue layer toasts up to a golden brown while baking, so no need for a kitchen torch.

Making lemon meringue pie bars means you have a bite-sized dessert when you don’t want a big slice of pie. The only thing better than a little lemon meringue pie bar? Two little lemon meringue pie bars.

Simple ingredients mean it is easy to gather what you need from your regular grocery store.

The base is like a super easy cookie recipe – without all the scooping out dough.

Recipe Ingredients

Shortbread cookie dough:

1 cup softened butter

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups all purpose flour

Lemon filling:

​1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup lemon juice (about 4 lemons)

zest of 2 lemons

Meringue:

4 egg whites (large eggs)

1/2 granulated sugar

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Ingredient Notes

Fresh lemon juice will give the best, tangiest flavor, so be sure to use that and not bottled lemon juice. Besides, you need the real thing to get that fresh lemon zest!

Fresh eggs are also the way to go. It can be difficult to whip large egg whites to stiff peaks if they have been sitting around too long. I found that out the first time I made these and watched a giant fail taking place.

Cream of tartar is always a good thing to have on hand when making meringue as it helps create the stable, glossy peaks you are looking for.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Line a 9×13 inch pan with parchment paper.

3. Begin making the shortbread crust by adding the butter and sugar to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat until light, fluffy, and thoroughly combined.

4. Add the vanilla and beat until combined.

5. Add the flour and beat until combined. Be sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the mixer bowl.

6. Press the dough down in a single layer along the bottom of the parchment paper lined baking pan. You should work out the dough from the middle to the edges, being sure to get a fairly even layer – especially in the corners.

7. Prick all over the surface of the dough to prevent it from puffing up in the oven.

8. Bake about 18 minutes. The dough should be barely golden.

9. While the dough is baking, prepare the rest of the layers.

10. Zest two lemons.

11. Squeeze 1/2 cup of lemon juice, about 3-4 lemons.

12. Combine the sweetened condensed milk and the lemon juice and lemon zest in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.

13. Separate the egg whites and egg yolks. You can keep the yolks for a different recipe or discard.

14. Add the four egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.

15. Add the cream of tartar to the egg whites.

16. Beat on medium speed until soft peaks form.

17. Increase the speed to medium high and slowly add in the sugar. I usually add in about a tablespoon at a time.

18. Continue beating until stiff peaks form. You know you have reached this stage when you turn the whisk attachment upside down and the egg white peak doesn’t move. Likewise, the eggs won’t slip out of the the bowl. Be sure before you tip it over entirely!

19. Spread the lemon mixture in an even layer over the baked shortbread crust.

20. Spread the meringue layer on top of the lemon layer. Be careful not to press down too hard as you don’t want them to mix.

21. I like to make a swirly peak pattern with the meringue. You can do that with an offset spatula or with a spoon.

22. Return to the oven and bake until the meringue is golden brown, another 15-20 minutes.

23. Let cool completely before removing from the pan and slicing.

Check out the printable recipe card below!

Storage

Store these Easy Lemon Meringue Pie Bars with Shortbread Crust in an airtight container in the fridge. Meringue doesn’t keep super well, but you should be good for a couple of days.

Tips & Tricks

Room temperature eggs separate more easily than eggs straight from the fridge. Forgot to take the eggs out to let them warm up? Fill a bowl with very warm tap water and submerge the eggs. They will warm up in about 5 minutes but will not cook.

Room temperature lemons juice more easily than those stored in the fridge. You can microwave lemons for 20-30 seconds and then roll them on the counter before squeezing to get the most juice.

Your mixing bowl and whisk must be absolutely free of any sort of grease before whipping the egg whites. One easy way to do this is to lightly wipe the surfaces with a bit of lemon juice.

Let the parchment paper overhang the sides of your baking pan. It will be easier to lift out the entire cake to cut into squares.

​I absolutely love lemon flavored desserts! If you are looking for something quick and easy, lemon blueberry loaf or light and tasty lemon olive oil ricotta cake? It’s a great spring/summer treat and so simple to make.