Lemon Meringue with a twist! The meringue is on the bottom.

This Upside Down Lemon Meringue Dessert is a family favorite. The recipe came from my Grandma Kae…one of the best cooks I know. The best part is the meringue crust on the bottom. Most Lemon Meringue recipes have the meringue on top, but this one has the crunchy meringue on the bottom. Oooh it’s so good! We recently tried this recipe in small single serving cups and the presentation was so adorable. Either way you serve it, this recipe is a crowd favorite…plus it’s perfect for Spring!

Ingredients for Upside Down Lemon Meringue Dessert:

egg whites
sugar
cream of tartar
egg yolks
cornstarch
lemon juice
hot water
sugar
heavy cream
vanilla
powdered sugar

How to make Upside Down Lemon Meringue Dessert:

For the Meringue:

Beat egg whites and add sugar and cream of tartar: In a stand mixer, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar and sugar together. The key to a good meringue crust is to gradually mix in the sugar. Go slow here, take your time. You should get a crispy meringue crust if it’s done right after it’s baked (not chewy). Spread this into a greased 9×13 pan. Bake @ 300 for 1 hour. Let cool.

How to make Lemon Curd:

Heat ingredients in a saucepan: In a saucepan on medium heat stir the egg yolks, cornstarch, lemon juice, hot water and sugar until thick. Let this cool a bit.

How to make the Whipped Cream:

Mix ingredients until fluffy: Mix the heavy cream, vanilla and powdered sugar until stiff peaks almost form.
Assemble: When the meringue is cool, pour the lemon mixture over it. Then top with the whipped cream and refrigerate for one hour. Enjoy!

How to store Upside Down Lemon Meringue Dessert:

This dessert is best stored and served cold. Keep in covered in your fridge for around 3-5 days, although it probably won’t last that long!

Serving Lemon Meringue Dessert:

You can either serve this dessert straight from the pan, or you can assemble it in single serving jars. To do this just bake the meringue as directed and let cool in the 9×13 pan. Lightly crush the meringue in the pan and fill each small serving glasses with the meringue. Then layer the lemon curd and whipped cream into each cup. Refrigerate for one hour, and serve. Aren’t these little glass dessert jars adorable? You can find similar glass dessert jars here.

Lemon Meringue with a twist:

This Lemon Meringue dessert has the same taste that you know and love for a classic lemon meringue pie but with a twist! In this recipe the meringue goes on the bottom and acts like the crust. It gets all crispy and crunchy and sooo delicious. You are going to love it! So there is no additional pie crust to this dessert, the meringue is the crust.

Make ahead:

This dessert can be made hours ahead, but not a day ahead. You can make it the morning of with plans to serve it that night. The meringue changes the longer it sits with the lemon layer and the whip cream layer, so to keep the meringue crunchy and chewy, it’s best to not let the three layers sit together for too long.

Upside Down Lemon Meringue Dessert

The flavors of Lemon Meringue with a twist. This Dessert is a family favorite recipe.

Author Kami - NoBiggie.net

Ingredients

Bottom Layer: Meringue

4 egg whites room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 tsp cream of tartar

Middle Layer: Lemon Curd

4 egg yolks
1 TBS. cornstarch
2 TBS. lemon juice
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 cup sugar

Top Layer: Whipped Cream

2 cups heavy cream
2 tsp vanilla
2 TBS powdered sugar

Instructions

For the Meringue:

In a stand mixer, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar and sugar together. The key to a good meringue crust is to gradually mix in the sugar. Go slow here, take your time. You should get a crispy meringue crust if it's done right after it's baked (not chewy). Spread this into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake @ 300 for 1 hour. Let cool.

For the Lemon Curd:

In a saucepan on medium heat stir the egg yolks, cornstarch, lemon juice, hot water and sugar until thick. Let this cool a bit.

For the Whipped Cream:

Mix the heavy cream, vanilla and powdered sugar until stiff peaks almost form.
When the meringue is cool, pour the lemon mixture over it. Then top with the whipped cream and refrigerate for one hour. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

To make this dessert into individual servings, Just bake the meringue as directed and let cool in the 9x13 pan. Lightly crush the meringue in the pan and fill each small serving glasses with the meringue. Then layer the lemon curd and whipped cream into each cup. Refrigerate for one hour, and serve.

Making This Recipe? Tag us on Instagram: @NoBiggie using the hashtag #NoBiggieRecipes, so we can see what you are making in the kitchen!

MORE Lemon Desserts we LOVE:

That’s it! Now doesn’t that sound good?! It’s a great dessert for Spring. If you are crazy for all things lemon, you will love it! Try it out and let me know what you think in the comments below.