It’s officially Spring weather and we’re ready to trade our heavy comfort foods for light and bright flavors (even if this recipe isn’t the healthiest). It’s also almost Easter, which means a long weekend full of family, fellowship, and food! Birthed out of my love for lemon anything, but especially pie, this dip is perfect for sharing with family and friends for dessert or a sweet afternoon post-egg hunt snack. Regardless of when you choose to eat it, we’re sure everyone who digs in will be asking for the recipe by the end of the gathering. Plus, with only seven common ingredients, it’s inexpensive to feed the crowd you’re hosting!
Looking for another delicious Springtime party dessert? Check out our popular Chocolate Dessert Hummus! It’s sure to please everyone at the party, plus it’s a little healthier than the option below.
This recipe really is simple. To make the lemon pie filling, you start with sweetened condensed milk and a generous amount of freshly squeezed lemon juice. While you could certainly get away with using bottled lemon juice, it’s not going to have the same freshness that you’ll get from full lemons, so I’d encourage you to grab a bag of citrus from the grocery store rather than trying to cut this corner. It’s worth it!
Once you’ve also added the teaspoon of vanilla, lemon zest, and (if you want to brighten the color) yellow food dye, whisk it all together! You could use electric beaters or a stand mixer if you want, but it’s not necessary – it really just needs a good whisk to combine everything. Once mixed, pour it into the bowl you’ll be serving the dip in and set aside. If you’re making the lemon pie filling ahead of time, cover with plastic or beeswax wrap and place in the fridge at this point.
Just before serving, make the meringue. It may last up to 24 hours, but we wouldn’t count on it! Meringue doesn’t last very long (even in the fridge), so make it as close to serving time as possible. If you’ve got a stand mixer, this step won’t take you long at all! Regardless, separate the whites and yolks of six large room temperature eggs. In a pinch, use cold eggs, but just know that they’ll take quite a bit longer to whip up! Add the icing sugar, remaining vanilla, and cream of tartar.
Using your electric hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the mixture on high for 7-10 minutes until stiff peaks form. You can test this by turning off the mixer and using a whisk or the beaters to move the mixture around. If the mixture doesn’t melt back into itself, the meringue is ready.
Heap all the meringue on top of the lemon pie filling mixture. If you’ve got a torch, go ahead and use it to torch the top of the meringue to get that beautiful golden marshmallowy look, but if you don’t (like us), sprinkle with more finely grated lemon zest. You can serve with whatever cookies you want! We used Nilla wafers, but graham crackers, mini sugar cookies, and shortbread are all delicious options as well. Serve immediately and enjoy! If you have any leftovers, remove the meringue from the top and discard (unfortunately, it really won’t keep) before keeping the lemon filling in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Love lemon pie? Check out these other Incredible Lemon Meringue Desserts! You won’t be disappointed.
When making the meringue, it is best to use room temperature egg whites, as they will thicken much faster.
Meringue doesn’t have a very long “shelf life”. Even in the fridge, it doesn’t tend to last longer than a day, so we suggest making this dessert not long before serving. Need be, make the lemon pie filling ahead of time and store in the fridge, then simply whip up the meringue just before putting it out.
