These lemon meringue cookie cups start with a buttery sugar cookie crust, fill it with tangy homemade lemon, and finish with a toasted marshmallow topping. They’re a fun, bite-sized take on lemon meringue pie!
Lemon meringue pie has a lot going for it. The buttery crust, the bright lemon, the toasted topping.
The one downside is that a whole pie is a bit of a project, and it can be tricky to serve at a party.
These cookie cups solve both problems. Each one is a little sugar cookie cup filled with tangy lemon and finished with a swoop of marshmallow, toasted golden under the broiler.
You get all three layers in a couple of bites, they’re easy to pass around, and you can start with store-bought cookie dough to keep things simple.
What Makes These Lemon Meringue Cookie Cups Special
They capture the whole pie in one bite. Crust, filling, and toasted topping, all in a poppable little cup.
They’re party-friendly. Individual servings mean no slicing and no plates, which makes them ideal for gatherings.
They come with a built-in shortcut. Store-bought cookie dough and lemon curd will get you there fast, or you can make both from scratch.
And that toasted marshmallow top gives you the look and feel of meringue with far less fuss.
Making the Cookie Cups and Filling
There are three simple components: the cups, the lemon filling, and the topping.
For the filling, whisk your sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt together in a saucepan, then stir in the water and lemon juice. Cook it until it boils, stir in the butter, then temper in the egg yolks by whisking a little of the hot mixture into them first. Return it all to the pan and cook until thick, then set it aside.
For the cups, press a couple of tablespoons of sugar cookie dough into each well of a greased muffin or tart tin, shaping it up the sides to form a cup. Bake until set, keeping an eye on them since smaller tins bake faster.
To finish, fill each baked cup with lemon filling and top with a spoonful of marshmallow fluff. Slide them under the broiler just until the marshmallow turns golden. Watch closely here, because the broiler works fast. Let them cool before serving.
Tips for the Best Cookie Cups
A few pointers for smooth results.
Temper the egg yolks. Whisking a little hot filling into the yolks before adding them back keeps them from scrambling, so your lemon filling stays silky.
Watch the broiler. Marshmallow goes from golden to burnt in seconds, so don’t step away during those last two minutes.
Let them cool. The filling needs time to set up, so give the cups a rest before lifting them from the tin.
What You’ll Need
A handful of simple ingredients, with shortcuts if you want them.
You’ll need sugar cookie dough for the cups, either store-bought or the from-scratch version in the recipe. The lemon filling comes together from sugar, cornstarch, flour, water, lemon juice, and egg yolks, with a little butter for richness. Marshmallow fluff makes the toasted topping.
Short on time? Store-bought lemon curd stands in beautifully for the homemade filling.
More Easy Cookie Recipes
Craving more sweet treats? Try these next.
Set these out on a dessert tray and watch them go.
Scroll down to print the recipe, and enjoy.
And for more easy, crowd-pleasing sweets, our Crazy Easy Desserts Book is full of them.
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Cheater Lemon Meringue Cookie Cups
These lemon meringue cookie cups start with a buttery sugar cookie crust, fill it with tangy homemade lemon filling, and finish with a toasted marshmallow topping. A fun, bite-sized twist on lemon meringue pie.
- Prep Time 20 mins
- Cook Time 25 mins
- Total Time 45 mins
- Yield 25 cookie cups 1x
- Category Dessert, Desserts
- Method Baking
- Cuisine American
Ingredients
- 1 package sugar cookie dough (or use the from-scratch recipe below)
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1½ cups water
- 4 tbsp lemon juice
- 3–4 large yolks
- 2 tbsp butter (optional)
- 1 cup marshmallow fluff
Note: You can replace the homemade lemon filling with store-bought lemon curd.
From-scratch sugar cookies (optional):
- 3 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt. Stir in the water and lemon juice.
- Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture comes to a boil. Stir in the butter.
- Place the egg yolks in a small bowl and gradually whisk in ½ cup of the hot sugar mixture. Whisk the egg yolk mixture back into the remaining sugar mixture.
- Bring to a boil and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until thick. Remove from heat.
- Grease a muffin or tart tin. Press 1–2 tbsp of cookie dough into each cup, shaping it along the bottom and up the sides to form a cup.
- Bake the cookie cups for 8–12 minutes (time will vary with the size of your tin).
- Set the oven to broil.
- Fill each cookie cup with 1–2 tbsp of the lemon filling, then top with 1 tbsp of marshmallow fluff.
- Place the cookie cups under the broiler for 2 minutes, or until the marshmallow topping is browned.
- Let cool before serving.
From-scratch sugar cookies (optional):
- Cream the butter and sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the egg and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the flour and baking powder, then slowly add it to the butter mixture.
- Once the flour is incorporated, form the dough into a ball and cover with plastic wrap.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes before shaping into cookie cups.
Notes
Short on time? Use store-bought sugar cookie dough and store-bought lemon curd.
