I’ve been into mini desserts lately so these Keto Mini Lemon Pies are my latest dessert obsession! The lemon filling is smooth and creamy with the perfect amount of tartness and it pairs so well with the crust and fluffy topping. The perfect pie for one or two if you’re willing to share.

How is Keto Lemon Pie Filling Made?

My lemon filling is nothing more than an easy sugar-free lemon curd. Basically, lemon curd is a very smooth and creamy lemon custard of sorts. 

It’s sweet with an intense tart lemon flavor. It kind of reminds me of a creamy lemon version of pudding.

Sugar-Free lemon curd is made from only six ingredients. It easily comes together on the stove in about five minutes.

Though each ingredient is simple, each of them serves a critical purpose in the lemon filling. They either work toward thickening or adding delicious flavors.

We’ll talk about each of the ingredients so you’ll get a better understanding of why they are important components in this recipe.

Eggs & Unflavored Gelatin: The eggs and gelatin work together to thicken the curd. The egg yolks do most of the job and if you’re looking for a great lemon topping for low-carb pancakes or ice cream then you could totally leave out the gelatin. The recipe will state 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of gelatin.

I wrote it this way because if you want a soft and looser filling you can stick to 1/2 teaspoon, but if you want a much thicker filling then go with 1 teaspoon. This will set up much firmer. 

Lemons: these tart and tangy fruits are the star of the show as you can imagine. They pack a powerful punch of flavor. In this recipe, I recommend using real lemons because you need both the zest and juice.

The zest of the lemon does help boost the natural flavor of lemon. However, if you don’t have fresh lemons then you can use the lemon juice from the bottles and skip the zest. Just make sure it is pure lemon juice.

Sweetener & Butter: The sweetener used in this recipe is Monk Fruit, and it is a great sugar substitute. It supplies sweetness and structure, while the salted butter balances out the flavor and adds a little extra creaminess. If you are watching your salt you can use unsalted butter, but I think the little salt in the butter highlights the sweetness. 

Assembling the Ingredients and Cooking

This Keto Lemon Curd is going to shock you at just how easy it is. All you have to do is add all six ingredients into a saucepan and place it over medium heat.

But with that being said, let me say that your full attention will need to be on this lemon curd as it cooks. What do I mean by this? Good questions!

I mean although it is simple lemon filling, you must make sure you are always whisking as the lemon curd as it thickens– we’re talking about constant whisking and not walking away, not even for a minute.

Yes, it is that serious because your result needs to be a nice smooth filling, not lemon-flavored scrambled eggs. Gross, nobody wants that!

After you have successfully made your lemon curd, you’ll need to strain it through a fine strainer. This is an extra step that is worth it just to make sure you don’t have any lumps.

Want some good news? That’s the hardest part of this whole recipe. The rest is “easy peasy lemon squeezy”! 

Yep, I just did say that I couldn’t help myself. 

How Many Servings Are These Keto Mini Lemon Pies?

The great thing about small desserts is that not only does it keep your calories and carbs within your desired limits by portion control but making smaller desserts avoids tons of leftovers. 

I’m not a huge fan of eating the same things over and over so small-batch desserts save me from that and there’s less of a chance for them to spoil if you can’t eat them fast enough. 

In my opinion, these mini lemon pies are the perfect size for two if you are not looking for a lot of desserts.

However, you could do it as a one-person dessert if you don’t want to share!

This recipe makes 2 mini pies that can be served individually to your guests, or if you want, divided into a total of 4 servings for a small tasting of dessert after a meal.

My husband devoured one by himself and finished off mine later since it was a bit much for me. I ate half and that was plenty for my sweet tooth, I’m more of a savory girl, so I don’t need much. 

Just for easy calculation, the nutritional information below in the recipe card will be for 4 servings (half a pie per serving). 

What is the Best Topping for These Mini Pies? Whipped Cream or Meringue?

Classic lemon pies are usually topped with a fluffy egg white meringue.

A meringue consists of egg whites that are sweetened and then whipped to stiff peaks. The egg whites are then piled high on the top of the pie and baked in the oven for a short time. 

Cooking the meringue makes it safe to consume and gives it a beautiful golden brown color. While many people prefer the meringue topping to pies like these, I do not. 

In fact when I was a child, and up into my young adult life, I would use my fork to scrape every last bit of it off the top before I ate my pie.

But now that I’m older I can tolerate it a little more so I’ve been known to eat it now and then. 

I have tried these pies both ways for you guys and in the recipe card, I share both those ways of topping the pies. That way you can pick and choose your favorite topping.

Here’s a look at them baked with the baked meringues. The golden brown color does make them look pretty if want a more classic look. 

Our family prefers ours topped with sweetened whipped cream that we make from heavy whipping cream and a low-carb sweetener.

I’m sure you are familiar with this type of topping. It is a low-carb version of Cool Whip that can be purchased from the store. 

It is quick to make at home if you have a good mixture. All it takes is adding the heavy whipping cream, low-carb sweetener, and cream of tartar (optional) to a large mixing bowl and then whipping it up until it is thick and fluffy. 

If you’ve never tried making your own whipped cream, please do it with these pies (unless you’re a meringue person of course).

Homemade whipped cream is so heavenly and much better than processed store-bought stuff.

In closing, I’ll say this, no matter how you decide to top your mini Keto Mini Lemon Pies you will love the sweet tangy goodness,

It will knock your lemon-loving socks off. If you need more lemon in your life, then you’ll want to also try this sugar-free lemonade!

Trust me, get in the kitchen and make these yummy desserts today! They are so great for summer with their bright citrus flavors.

If you love citrus you’ll want to also check out these yummy low-carb orange Creamsicles!

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Yield: 2 mini pies

Keto Mini Lemon Pies

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Additional Time: 3 hours

Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes

These Keto Mini Lemon Pies are the perfect dessert. They can be enjoyed by one person or split between two for a lite and delicious dessert. A creamy sugar free lemon curd on a crust and topped with either whipped cream or meringue.

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Ingredients

Lemon Curd Filling

• 1/2 cup of Monk Fruit Sweetener
• 3 large eggs
• 6 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons of salted butter
• 1 /2 to 1 teaspoon of Knox Brand Gelatin

New Group

• Mini Pie Crusts
• 1/3 cup of almond flour
• 1 tablespoon oat fiber
• 1 large egg white
• 2 tablespoons of Monk Fruit Sweetener

Whipped Cream Topping Option

• 1/2 heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons of Monk Fruit Sweetener
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Meringue Topping Option

• 4 egg whites
• 3 tablespoons of Monk Fruit Sweetener
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tarter (optional)

Instructions

1. To make the filling for these Keto Mini Lemon Pies add all the ingredients into a sauce pan and place over medium low heat. *Note: if you want your filling softer like a pudding use 1/2 teaspoon of gelatin. If you want a thicker firmer pie filling use 1 full teaspoon.
2. As the filling begins to warm up, you'll need to whisk it constantly. This is very important so the eggs in the filling do not scramble. Cook the filling over the medium low heat for 5 minutes until it thickens. Again do not walk away, and whisk constantly.
3. Once the filling has thickened slightly pour the filling through a small strainer so that any lumps in the mixture are removed.
4. Let the filling cool slightly on the counter then wrap the bowl of filling with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours until it is thick.
5. While the lemon filling is chilling in the refrigerator chilling add the pie crust ingredients in a small bowl and combine well.
6. Press the crust mixture into the bottom of the 2 mini pie dishes and bake for 13 to 14 minutes at 350 degree or until they start to get lightly golden brown.
7. Let the pie crusts cool completely before adding in the lemon filling.
8. Divide the lemon filling between the mini pie crusts and prepare your choice of topping.
9. For the whipped cream option add the heavy whipping cream to a mixing bowl with the vanilla. Mix on high until it starts to get thicker then slowly sprinkle in your sweetener and whip the cream until it has stiff peaks. Top the mini pies with the cream and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.
10. If you choose to do the egg white meringues you'll need to add the egg whites, cream of tarter and vanilla to the mixing bowl and mix on high until they egg whites start to get foaming and start to thicken. At this time you can start slowly adding in the sweetener and finish mixing until the meringue is thick and forms stiff peaks.
11. The meringues will need to be baked or torched with a mini blow torch to cook them. To bake place the meringue topped pies in the oven at 350 degrees and bake until the meringue is lightly golden brown. The pie will need to cool completely and chill again so the filling will set before serving.

Notes

The nutrition for this recipe was calculated using the egg white meringue. If you use a whipped topping the nutrition will change.

Nutrition Information

Yield

4

Serving Size

1/2 mini pie
Amount Per ServingCalories 269Total Fat 20gCholesterol 197mgSodium 456mgCarbohydrates 15gNet Carbohydrates 3.64gFiber 4gSugar 2gSugar Alcohols 7.36gProtein 15g

I am not a nutritionist. If you have strict dietary needs I always recommend using an online nutrition calculator to calculate your totals using your exact brands you're using in this recipe as values may vary per brand.

Keri Bucci

I am a southern girl through and through that loves to laugh, cook, read and spend time with family. My passions outside of home schooling my son are ministering to those in need and creating art in the kitchen! Every day is an adventure in our little house and I wouldn’t trade it or the chance to share here with you for anything!