“There were several dud keto lemon meringue pies here in casa de Palmer before I got this version just perfect! Zingy and refreshing, this is the perfect low carb dessert to serve at your next BBQ. Please pay attention to my tips in the method. They are all there for a reason, inspired mostly from my own failures. You will notice I add desiccated coconut to the base, and that is because back in South Africa we would make a lemon meringue tart base using crushed “Tennis Biscuits”. These are delicious store-bought biscuits that have a subtle, yet lovely coconut flavour.” – Monya
Fats of Life® is a keto and low carb recipe blog that I love to run as a hobby in my spare time. I am also the author of the best-selling Keto Kitchen Series of cookbooks. This includes my debut best-seller Keto Kitchen (2020). The fun and exciting Lazy Keto Kitchen (2021). And, the clever and inspiring Budget Keto Kitchen (2022). My 4th cookbook, Quick Keto Kitchen (2023) is as fantastic as the first three, and packed with spectacular, easy creations!
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More on Keto Lemon Meringue Pie…
In the world of desserts, finding a keto-friendly option that satisfies both the sweet tooth and dietary restrictions can be a challenging task. However, with the advent of the ketogenic lifestyle, creative and delicious recipes have emerged. One such treat is this keto lemon meringue pie! This tantalizing dessert combines zesty lemon flavours, a luscious creamy filling, and a cloud-like meringue topping, all while adhering to a low-carb and high-fat diet.
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To complement the curd, the pie crust is crafted using a blend of almond flour and desiccated coconut and butter. This combination creates a rich and crumbly base that adds a nutty undertone, without compromising the ketogenic principles. The crust is blind baked to a golden perfection, ensuring a sturdy foundation for the filling.
The crowning glory of this masterpiece is the meringue topping. Prepared by whipping egg whites with erythritol until they form glossy peaks, the meringue is then lightly toasted to achieve a caramelized finish. The ethereal cloud of sweetness provides a great contrast to the tangy filling.
This dessert is a testament to the fact that indulgence and health-conscious choices can harmoniously coexist. So, go ahead, savour a slice without derailing your keto journey.
It is important to note that to maintain ketosis, it’s essential to track carbohydrate intake and ensure it aligns with your daily macro goals. Consulting with a healthcare professional is advised before making significant dietary changes. Scroll to the bottom to see the full macros and allergens for this Keto Lemon Meringue Pie, as well as all the Desserts on Fats of Life®.
Keto Lemon Meringue Pie
Per serving
Ingredients
For the base
- 40 g (1.4 oz) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg white, lightly whisked
- 130 g (4.6 oz) almond flour
- 20 g (0.7 oz) desiccated coconut
- 2 TB powdered erythritol, confectioners
For the filling
- 4 large egg yolks
- 200 g (7 oz) water
- 70 g (2.5 oz) powdered erythritol, confectioners
- 3 lemons, juice of all 3, zest of 1
- 1 TB arrowroot powder, (8g)
- 60 g (2.1 oz) unsalted butter
For the meringue
- 4 large egg whites
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 35 g (1.2 oz) powdered erythritol, confectioners
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan oven). This is 200°C for conventional ovens (or 400°F / gas mark 6).
- Grease the base and sides of a 23cm tart tin and line the base with parchment paper.
- Melt the butter over low heat until melted. Allow to cool a little (to avoid cooking parts of the egg) then whisk it into egg white.
- Combine the almond flour, desiccated coconut and sweetener in a bowl. Pour the melted butter mixture into the bowl of almond flour and mix well to combine.
- Tip the whole lot into the prepared tin and use a small spatula (or clean hands) to press the mixture down on the base and up the sides of the tin. If the mixture sticks to your fingers, leave it to cool for another minute before trying again. You want an even, compressed layer on the base and up the sides of the tin. This takes some patience, but it is important. Use a fork to make light, superficial piercings on the base. Place the tart tin onto a tray (for easier rotating and removal).
- Bake in the oven for 12-14 minutes (rotating the tray halfway through to ensure even baking because many ovens have cold and hot spots!). Remove and set aside.
- Reduce the oven to 160°C (fan oven). This is 180°C for conventional ovens (or 350°F / gas mark 4).
- Separate 4 eggs: you will use the yolks in the filling and the whites for the meringue. Lightly whisk the eggs yolks in a bowl. Set the bowl of whites aside for now.
- In a small-medium pan, whisk together the water, arrowroot powder and sweetener. Add the lemon juice and zest. As you will see in the ingredients list, you will use the juice of all 3 lemons, but the finely grated zest of only 1.TIP: Always grate the lemon zest before slicing it in half to squeeze the juice. Trying to grate zest from two squeezed halves is too tricky!
- Dice the butter into small cubes. This will make it quick and easy to melt into the filling mixture later. LONG STORY SHORT (but I am sure this helps you), this is what you should have ready:
- Place the pan on a moderately high heat and bring to a strong simmer. Stir continuously until the mixture reduces and thickens, this will take approx. 2 minutes.
- Remove the pan completely from the heat. Add just a tablespoon of this mixture into the bowl of egg yolks, whisking it in immediately. Repeat the process with 9-10 more tablespoons, whisking well between each addition. TIP: This step is what we refer to as "tempering" eggs. If we added the egg yolks to the hot mixture all at once, it would scramble. Doing it this way, we slowly get the eggs used to a warm mixture, by whisking in a little hot mixture at a time. Its the same process used in homemade custard or when making a homemade ice cream base. It's a great technique to learn! :)
- Once you are happy with your tempered eggs (which should look smooth), pour the whole lot back into the pan. Now return the pan to the heat source and cook over heat for 3 minutes, whisking continuously to avoid the mixture catching and burning. You also still run the risk of the eggs scrambling, so don't stop stirring for the full 3 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat now completely and add the diced butter, whisking well until the butter has melted into the mixture.
- Pour this filling mix into your prepared, cooked tart base. Set aside to cool for 15 minutes. You want the surface of this mixture slightly warm, but not piping hot.
- For the meringue layer, add the cream of tartar to the bowl of egg whites and use a hand blender to whip until it is thick and fairly stiff.
- Add the sweetener and continue to whip until you achieve stiff peaks and the meringue looks smooth and shiny.
- Use a large spoon to transfer large spoonful's of the meringue mixture on top of the lemon filling, ensuring that the filling is completely covered. You can create little decorative peaks at this time too.IMPORTANT TIP: Make sure that the meringue layer covers the lemon mixture, so check for any small gaps - especially on the edges. I found that if I didn't do this, the lemon mixture bubbled over (which will make removing your pie from the tin much trickier).
- Bake in the oven - ON THE LOWEST SHELF - for 10 minutes only.Then reduce the oven to 140°C (fan oven). This is 160°C for conventional ovens (or 325°F / gas mark 3) - and bake for another 20 minutes.If you don't want the meringue to brown too much, you can lay a sheet of tin foil over the top after the first 12-15 minutes of baking.
- Remove and set aside on a cooling rack to cool completely (at least 2-3 hours) before removing from the tin, slicing and serving.
- SIGH... I am exhausted just typing this! LOL! I wish you all the success xxxx
My name is Monya Kilian Palmer. If you loved this recipe, please follow and tag me @mkilianpalmer on Instagram so we can all see your lovely creations!
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The links above will take you to Amazon UK. For USA and other countries, see the global Amazon links here: Keto Kitchen ; Lazy Keto Kitchen ; Budget Keto Kitchen ; Quick Keto Kitchen.
Nutritional Information per servingCalories 252Kcal / 1054kJ
Fat 23g
Carbohydrates 4g
Protein 7.7g
Allergens
Almonds
Eggs
Milk
Sulphites
Sesame (may be found in some brands of desiccated coconut - check labels)
See all the Desserts on Fats of Life:
Disclaimer: The nutritional analysis, macro and allergen breakdown of the recipes on this site have been manually and carefully calculated using the cloud-based software NUTRITICS®. NUTRITICS® is fully approved by the relevant Trading Standards organizations and is EU and FDA-compliant. The macro calculations are provided as a courtesy to you based on the author's weighing of ingredients when creating the dishes. If Erythritol (a sugar polyol) has been used in any of the recipes, it has already been manually excluded from the final carbohydrate count. The author is a chef - not a medical professional - and this website has been designed to provide you with recipe ideas to suit the low carb lifestyle you have discussed with your GP.
14 Comments
Can I omit the almond flour altogether and maybe substitute it with coconut flour? I can’t tolerate almonds due to their very high oxalate content..
Hi Asima, almond flour and coconut flour are not interchangeable in baking, as they absorb moisture/liquids very differently. If you want to try the base using coconut flour instead, use HALF the amount specified here, and you might get a similar result. xx
If I omit the coconut, do I need to add extra flour or can I omit without it impacting on the pastry.
The coconut adds a lovely flavour, but if you omit it, you will likely need to add another tablespoon or two of the almond flour. Start with one TB and check the consistency xx
Thank you for your reply. I love a tennis biscuit,it was my favourite biscuit!(fellow South African in the UK). I’m making the lemon meringue for Christmas and not everyone is a fan of coconut unfortunately. What’s the consistency I’m looking for?
Ah yes! Tennis biscuits is the flavour I was going for! :) Hopefully the pics help with consistency, I think 1 tablespoon additional almond flour might work. If it looks too ‘wet’, try a little more. Almond flour, once baked, will never become “crunchy” like regular flour, but these are the compromises we need to accept on keto. xxxx
Thank you so much for your prompt response! I’ll definitely give that a go as this looks too good to miss out on! xx
Just made this today as Lemon Meringue used to be our favourite until we went Keto (we even had a LM wedding cake many years ago)!
Wow, this is just brilliant, just like the old sugar laden meringue. Well done Monya!
Going to try a Lime Meringe next!
Aaah, that’s amazing to hear! xxx
Hi,
Hope you’re well!
This cake looks incredibly yummy!
I was wondering if I could replace the ground arrowhead with something else please? I have never heard of this ingredient before, nor sow it in any supermarket’s shelf.
Thanks x
Hi Georgina, are you in the UK? Ground arrowroot (also called arrowroot powder) is found in the baking aisle of all stores. I use the Dr Oetker ones. If you click on the green link in the Ingredients, you will see the familiar packet. I don’t know of (nor tried and tested) any other low carb-friendly alternative, sorry! xxxxxx
Drop me a line if you have any questions or comments about this recipe. I will do my best to reply as soon as possible! Monya xxx
Thank you for your fast reply Monya!
Yes, I am based in the Uk, however, I have never noticed this ingredient in the shops! Will definitely have a better look next time ?
Until then, I found some suggestions saying that it could be replaced with Xantan Gum and probably will give that a try!
Thanks!
Warm regards,
Georgiana
Hmmm… I am not so sure. Xantham Gum can be very “gummy”. If you do try it, use only a small amount at first to see how it affects your mixture. (Also, if you buy your xantham gum online, you may as well buy arrowroot online too). But, look out for it – its definitely there by the gelatine, baking powders etc! Good luck! xxxxx