It’s truly a dessert and a cocktail in one glass, topped with pillowy, glossy Swiss meringue and a delicious oatmeal lace cookie! What’s not to love? This dessert cocktail was first introduced to me by my sister a while back at a cocktail bar in Wellington, NZ. It was so good, that I went there two more times on that trip, before heading back home. I decided that I had to recreate it for myself, so I can enjoy this cocktail, whenever. I’ve given this lemon meringue cocktail recipe a little upgrade since that first time I shared it on my blog, and even now, almost 10 years later, it’s still one of my favorite drink recipes (right next to a spicy margarita).
What I love about this cocktail
No two ways about it, this is a dessert and a cocktail! I use lemon curd to flavor this cocktail, which adds a wonderful richness, creaminess, and flavor to the drink. Unlike other cocktails that rely only on juice and alcohol, this version is creamy, lemony, and just boozy enough. While I use my own homemade lemon curd that is extra tangy, you can use store-bought lemon curd too. This cocktail can be made as a large batch, so it’s perfect to make ahead and store in the fridge to serve later. To complete the lemon meringue dessert cocktail, this is served with torched Swiss meringue on top. Plus, an oatmeal lace cookie garnish as the “crust”. It’s a spectacular lemon meringue martini that is perfect for the holidays, and an impressive crowd favorite drink too. The Swiss meringue on top is safe to eat without cooking or baking since it’s heated to its pasteurized temperature. The delicious, delicate oatmeal lace cookie is optional, but I also provide other options you can use instead.
Ingredients for lemon meringue cocktail
Lemon curd – My homemade lemon curd is ultra creamy and super tangy, but you can use store-bought lemon curd too. Vodka – Regular vodka is great, but you can use lemon flavored vodka if you like. Limencello – Limencello adds extra lemon flavor and sweetness. Substitutes provided below. Lemon juice – Especially important if you’re using store-bought lemon curd. Swiss meringue Oatmeal lace cookies – Optional
Ingredient notes
Lemon curd and lemon juice – The flavor of this dessert cocktail relies on the lemon curd. I make this cocktail with my lemon curd recipe, but if you use store-bought, the flavor will be different. To make sure that the lemon flavor is still strong, I recommend adding the lemon juice. You could add even more lemon juice, if you want your cocktail to have an even stronger lemon flavor. Limencello – Limencello adds alcohol, along with lemon flavor and sweetness. But if you don’t have limencello, you can add half lemon juice and simple syrup instead. The cocktail will be a little less boozy, but you can add just a little extra vodka to compensate for that, if you like. Swiss meringue – This Swiss meringue is heated to 170 F, so it’s perfectly safe to eat without baking. The swiss meringue adds a lovely marshmallowy topping that is perfect with the tangy cocktail, and it isn’t too sweet! Make this component right before you serve the cocktail, as swiss meringue does not last that long. Alternatively, you can pipe portions and then refrigerate within an hour of serving. But, if you do not want to make swiss meringue, there are other alternatives.
Italian meringue Marshmallow fluff – this will be runnier and won’t hold its shape. Toasted marshmallow – although this won’t be as soft. Use homemade marshmallows for even better flavor!
Oatmeal lace cookie – This adds the flavor of the pie crust for the lemon meringue cocktail. You can leave it out, as this is an addition I personally wanted to add to the recipe, and the cocktail still tastes amazing without it! But, if you do want something similar, you can also add graham cracker on top, or a baked meringue cookie as well.
How to make lemon meringue pie martini
3 components to this delicious cocktail
How to make the “crust” garnish
This lace cookie is super simple to make. I have a step by step recipe for oatmeal lace cookies that will make 20 large cookies or 40 smaller cookies. You can choose to make any size, and even shape the cookies into a cigar or taco shell shape.
Lemon meringue pie martini
This lemon meringue cocktail is creamy and rich! Unlike other lemon cocktails, this actually tastes and feels like a lemon meringue pie, but in cocktail form.
Step one – Lemon curd
The base of this cocktail is lemon curd. The first step is to make the lemon curd. You can also use store-bought lemon curd for convenience. I like using my own lemon curd, because it’s super tangy and creamy. Whisk together yolks and sugar. Add the lemon juice and butter, and cook the lemon curd until thickened. I like to cook my lemon curd until it’s a little translucent, to make it thicker and spoonable. But you can cook it until it reaches 200 F, so that it’s still thick but just spreadable. Storebought lemon curd may not be as lemony in flavor, and might be sweeter, but you can use this for the recipe too.
Step two – Get the rest of the ingredients ready
For this cocktail, you will need vodka, limencello, lemon juice, ice, and the lemon curd. If you don’t have limencello or homemade lemon syrup, mix lemon juice and sugar in equal amounts to make a lemon syrup. You can also add just a little extra vodka if you like, but that’s optional.
Step three – Make the lemon meringue cocktail
Place all the ingredients in a shaker (for 1 – 2 drinks) (images 1 – 4), or a blender, and blend the ingredients together (image 5). If serving immediately, add a generous amount of ice and stir well to chill the drink (image 6). Then strain to remove the ice, and pour the cocktail into serving glasses. Or, you can place the blended mixture in the fridge and let it chill for a few hours.
Swiss meringue topping
Step four – Make the swiss meringue topping
Make the swiss meringue just before you’re ready to serve the cocktail. For convenience, make the lemon cocktail in advance, and keep it in the fridge. This way, you can make the swiss meringue quickly before serving! You can find my step by step recipe for swiss meringue here. I share plenty of tips on how to make perfect, foolproof meringue! Stir the egg whites and sugar over a double boiler until it’s heated to between 170 – 175 F (images 7 – 8). Then whisk the meringue until you have stiff peaks (images 9 – 10).
Assemble and serve
Pour the lemon meringue cocktail into serving glasses (images 11 – 12). You can also serve this with ice, especially if the drink is not chilled. Take a generous amount of meringue and spoon it over the surface (images 13 – 14). Alternatively, pipe a meringue swirl on top. Caramelize the meringue with a kitchen torch (image 15), and finally garnish with a lemon oatmeal lace cookie (image 16), or a slice of lemon. Serve with a small spoon or stirrer.
My best tips for success!
This is a unique cocktail, because it’s a dessert and cocktail in one!
Expect it to be rich and creamy. Because the base of the cocktail is lemon curd, make sure the lemon curd tastes amazing! The cocktail will taste only as good as the base lemon curd. Because lemon curd is an emulsion, it’ll be hard to dissolve it in the alcohol while cold. That’s why I recommend using a blender or stick blender to mix the cocktail. Serve this cocktail chilled! Either by chilling it in the fridge or by adding ice. Taste the cocktail once you make it, so you can adjust it to your taste. That’s because lemon curd can taste different from recipe to recipe, and brand to brand. I get feedback from my readers saying that my lemon curd recipe is a really buttery, very tangy curd compared to other recipes because of the high lemon juice and butter content. So, the resulting cocktail may need a little extra lemon juice or simple syrup, depending on your taste. Swiss meringue is very easy to make, but it can only be made about 1 hour in advance. The longer you keep it (in the mixing bowl or piping bag), the meringue will lose its stiffness. Serve the cocktail with a spoon so that you can eat the meringue while sipping on the cocktail! The oatmeal lace cookie is optional, and you can serve a biscoff cookie or wafer cookie instead too.
How to store the cocktail
The drink portion of this cocktail can be made ahead and be refrigerated. It can even be frozen! It can be stored in the fridge, in a non-reactive container (glass or plastic), for up to 4 days. It can be stored in the freezer for about 1 month, but make sure to thaw it out in the fridge before serving. But the cookie and the swiss meringue cannot be stored for too long. The lace cookie is best served within a day, and the meringue must be made within an hour of serving, or it will become less stable.
Commonly asked questions
