Quick, easy and super satisfying. Not to mention that this lemon meringue pie recipe is gluten free! Oh, and I will show you how to make really simple lemon curd with sweetened condensed milk.
This is not a cheats recipe, but it’s much easier to make than most lemon meringue pies because it’s not made with pastry. Instead, it’s made with a gluten free biscuit base.
And it also involves a lemon curd that is literally made in seconds. So it’s kind of like a lemon meringue pie for beginners but tastes just as good.
How to make simple lemon curd
I tried making my lemon curd with sweetened condensed milk, and it worked out beautifully! I found that the condensed milk helped prevent the curd from cracking and drying up, so it was nice and smooth when it came out of the oven.
The other key to making the curd nice and smooth was not baking it at a super high temperature, I went low and slow on this one so that the egg content wouldn’t overcook.
And as you can see, to make this curd, all you have to do is beat lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract, egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk together in a bowl.
The Gluten Free Crust
So the only thing that stops an original lemon meringue pie recipe from being gluten free is the base. Since it’s usually made with sweet pastry.
However, with this recipe, I made the crust with gluten free biscuits. And I find that the plain digestive biscuits, whether they’re gluten free or not, give you the best results. Just make sure you have plenty of biscuits to ensure you have enough cookie crumbs to coat the whole surface of the cake tin.
And don’t add to much melted butter. You don’t need much.
As you can see, it’s definitely helpful to use a food processor to crush the biscuits.
However, if you don’t have a food processor, you can just wrap your biscuits firmly in a tea towel and the bash them with a rolling pin or a small pan.
After you bash the biscuits, you just add your butter and blend/mix it through the biscuit crumbs.
After that, add them to your lined and greased cake tin.
Finally, make sure you push the crumbs down firmly. Otherwise, it will just be flimsy and break apart. I like to use the bottom of a flat glass to do this.
You’re Using a Cake Tin?
Yes, I find that a cookie crumb base for any dish, whether that be lemon meringue pie, baked cheesecake, banofee pie you name it. You’re better off using a removable cake tin. Just make sure you grease it well.
I like to have a sheet of baking paper over the base by clamping the cake tin in while the baking paper is layered over the bottom.
My pie goes watery!!
It’s the meringue! A meringue that isn’t very stable will weep and shrink, I have never prevented a meringue from weeping completely, however, there are some things you can do help minimize it.
- Adding cornflour and cream of tartar helps stabilise the meringue.
- Another helpful tip is to put the meringue on top of the baked curd while it’s still hot. This quickly gives the meringue a kick start of heat at the bottom before putting the meringue in the oven. If your curd has cooled down by the time you’ve made the meringue, just put it back in the oven for another 20-30 seconds.
Making mini pies
If you have mini removable cake tins, you can make some mini lemon meringue pies. Just a different way of serving them.
Check out this link if you’re on the hunt for mini cake tins: 4 set mini removable cake tins
Thank you so much for reading through my post, if you would like to stay updated for my new recipes and have them sent to you through E-mail, feel free to subscribe to my blog. You’ll also get a free recipe E-book.
I also have a fantastic recipe for a Vegan Lemon Meringue Pie too if you’re interested.

Gluten Free Lemon Meringue Pie
This lemon meringue pie recipe is gluten free, so simple and super satisfying. Made with an amazing biscuit base and the easiest lemon curd you'll ever prepare!
Ingredients
Biscuit Base:
- cooking spray
- 300 g of plain gluten free digestive biscuits
- 75 g of butter melted
Lemon Curd:
- 400 g of sweetened condensed milk (1 14oz tin)
- 4 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup of lemon juice
- the zest from 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Meringue:
- 4 egg whites
- 110 g of icing sugar (confectioners sugar)
Instructions
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Pre-het your oven to 170 degrees C (340 degrees F).
The Biscuit Base:
-
Spray the inside of your removable cake tin with cooking spray.
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Separate the surface of the cake tin, place a sheet of baking paper over that surface, then clamp the cake tin back together. Spray the baking paper with cooking spray and set aside.
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Put your biscuits in a food processor, then blitz to a fine crumb.
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Add your melted butter and blitz again until all the crumbs are well coated.
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Add your buttery biscuit crumbs to the greased and lined cake tin, then firmly push the crumbs down.
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Chill in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.
The Lemon Curd:
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Whisk the sweetened condensed milk, eggs yolks, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla extract in a large bowl until well combined.
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Pour over the chilled biscuit base, then bake in the oven for 5 minutes.
The Meringue:
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Beat the egg whites in a large, clean, dry bowl until it they reach soft peaks.
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Slowly add the icing sugar bit by bit as you continuously beat it through.
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Once all of the icing sugar is added, and you have a nice glossy meringue. Add your cornflour and your creme of tartar, and beat through one last time.
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Pour the meringue over the hot lemon curd, put the pie back in the oven and bake for another 15-20 minutes.
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Let the tart cool for about 20-30 minutes, leave in the fridge to cool completely, then serve.
Recipe Notes
- Don't bake this pie at a really high temperature, low heat is the key.
- Don't be shy on the biscuits either.
- Don't add too much melted butter to the biscuits.
- When you add your biscuit crumbs to the cake tin, make sure you press them down firmly, so that they stay nice and stable.
- Don't overbeat your meringue, once the sugar, cornflour and crème of tartar are mixed through, and the meringue is nice and glossy, it's done.
- Get the curd nice and hot before you put the meringue on top.
That pie is gorgeous with that mile high meringue. I need that in my belly right now.
I’ve been looking for a new recipe to try for my dad’s birthday in a few months (he’s a HUGE lemon fan) and I just know he is going to love this pie! Thanks for sharing!
This recipe is beautiful! I’m a huge fan of lemon meringue pie and this recipe is so straightforward. I love that the base allows it to be gluten free. Can’t wait to make it at my next party!
What an easy lemon curd recipe, and it looks delicious with the addition on sweetened condensed milk. And gluten free as a bonus. Can’t wait to try.
My husband is a huge fan of lemon meringue pie so I knew I needed an amazing recipe to impress him. This was perfect! He said it might have been the best lemon meringue pie he ever had. Thank you for the recipe and all the helpful hints! I will definitely be repeating this recipe!
I cannot state enough how beautiful this pie is! This pie would be great at a wedding or baby shower.
Oh my goodness I am so in love with this recipe! This looks absolutely delish and wow your steps! Such a great post! And the fact that it’s gluten free….I’m all over this recipe!
This recipe looks divine! Love the idea of using gluten-free biscuits! I bet it’s delicious!
You’ve made this recipe look so simple to create. I can’t wait to give this a try—I love lemon meringue and this looks delicious!
This is one of my favorite pies! You make it look so easy to make too. Thanks for sharing!
Lemon meringue is such a treat! I love that you’ve used biscuits to make the crust of this one. Great recipe!
Lemon meringue pie is always a hit with my family! I love that you have created on for my gluten-free lifestyle.
This lemon meringue pie looks simply out of this world, I bet this tasted awesome, a perfect dessert to celebrate summer.
Thanks! It’s a hit in my household too!!
I hope you try it Amy it really is a fantastic recipe. Thanks so much for visiting this post!!
It totally is delicious! I definitely recommend it (:
That is so awesome coming from you Amanda!
You have no idea how much that means to me. Thank you so much, Tatiana! You are just awesome!
Yes the curd and base are much easier to make. And it’s just as delicious In my opinion!
Thanks so much for this awesome comment Tara I really hope you enjoy the recipe!
Definitely think it’s worth giving a try Tynia! 😉