Keto Lemon Curd Meringue Nests

Delicious and fresh, keto lemon curd meringue nests are fabulously light and airy and packed with flavor. A gluten-free meringue nest is filled with tart homemade low carb lemon curd. Top it off with beautiful whipped cream and fresh-picked berries and your taste buds will sing with this mix of flavors.

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Lately I’ve been experimenting a LOT with egg white desserts, and can I tell you what – I love a good Pavlova!

What’s a Pavlova you say? Well, I’m glad you asked!

This delicious meringue dessert is named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, and usually filled with cream and berries. For summer, I’ve taken it up a notch by 1) making it sugar-free and gluten-free, and 2) by adding low carb lemon curd. And oh, my! Let me tell you, this one is good!

I’ve had quite a few taste testers on this one as I made it many times this spring. It’s gone over hugely well, not only with those on a keto diet, but with everyone! And really, with a slight crunch to the meringue, the punch of the tangy lemon, cream, and berries?! Yes, please!

Now, let’s get to the point.

🍽 Equipment needed for keto lemon curd meringue nests

• a spatula
• whisk
• large-sized mixing bowl
• measuring cups and spoons
• baking sheets
• silicone liners or parchment paper
• saucepan
• piping bag and tips or easy accent decorator
• lemon zester
• lemon juicer or citrus press

🥘 Ingredients in low carb lemon curd meringue nests

Keto Lemon Curd

I make this all the time and not just for nests. Make the keto lemon curd for other desserts or perhaps to eat off the spoon! They’ll be some leftover to use for later.

• 4 egg yolks
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup powdered sweetener
• 4 lemons, the juice of
• 2 tbsp lemon zest
• 8 tbsp butter

Sugar-Free Meringue Nests (Pavlovas)

• 4 egg whites
• 1/3 cup powdered sweetener
• 1 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Whipped Cream

• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup powdered sweetener
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp salt

• Blackberries (to garnish)
• Blueberries (to garnish)

🔪 Instructions

How to make a keto lemon curd recipe

As I mentioned, I love to make keto lemon curd for cookies, pie fillings, cake, or to eat off the spoon! This is a great keto lemon curd recipe on it’s own and even better in the meringue nests.

First of all, make the keto lemon curd so it can set and chill while you make the nests and cream. I even like to make it a day or two before and store until I’m ready to use it in the sugar-free Pavlovas.

To begin, break the egg into a saucepan with the egg yolks and whisk them up well to combine. Save the four egg whites for the meringues. I love that you use the entire egg in different parts of this recipe.

After that, stir in the sweetener, lemon juice, and zest. Then place the saucepan over medium heat.

Next, whisk the mixture continuously over the heat until it coats the back of a spoon and is slightly thickened – this will take about seven to ten minutes. Do not let the mixture boil or it could turn to scrambled eggs.

💭 Top tip – low carb lemon curd recipe

On the off chance that it does curdle, break, or separate, whatever you want to call it, I can usually save it. There’s this brilliant invention called a blender, and I just pop the mixture in there and blend on high for twenty to thirty seconds. Then pour it back into the saucepan and continue with the following directions.

Now, remove the pan from the heat and cut in the butter, stirring constantly until it’s completely melted and incorporated. Set it aside to cool for 15 minutes and then spoon it into a sterilized jar or two, seal, and chill.

A note on the sweetener. I most often use Swerve Confectioners or Lakanto Monk Fruit (powdered) for this recipe. However, the erythritol in the sweetener can crystallize in the lemon curd. I’ve found the best way to minimize any crystalization is to jar and seal it quickly and not leave it out and open a long time to cool.

Another possibility is to use allulose if this sweetener works well for you. When you use allulose, it generally had about the same sweetness as regular sugar and does not crystalize as others do.

Sugar-free meringue nests (Pavlovas)

Now it’s time for the meringues. There’s no need to be afraid of making meringues as I was in the past. It’s not that difficult to whip them up, and they make a great alternative to a nut flour cake.

First off, preheat the oven to 275 degrees F and prepare a baking sheet with a silicone liner or parchment paper. Next, whip the egg whites on a high speed with a hand or stand mixer for 3-4 minutes. While mixing, add in the cream of tartar. Then add in the sweetener a spoonful at a time and the vanilla while continuing to mix the egg whites. Continue to whisk until they become stiff peaks.

Again, the sweetener chosen does have an effect on the final nest. I generally use Swerve Confectioner’s or Lakanto Monk Fruit, both which contain erythritol and will create a slightly crunchy meringue.

Again, another good option is to use allulose; however, this will change the meringue. If allulose is used, the meringue will turn out softer and more like an angel food cake. I’ve done both ways and like either one. My son does prefer a crunchy meringue so he usually requests I not use allulose.

After that, spoon the mixture into a piping bag or container. I like to use the Easy Accent Decorator from Pampered Chef. Or you can also use a zipper bag with a hole cut out of the corner. Then pipe the egg whites into 6 nest shapes about two inches apart from each other on the prepared pan.

⏲️ Baking time

Bake for 40 minutes then turn off the oven and leave to cool for at least one hour. Sometimes I just leave them in the oven overnight to allow them to cool completely and not crack or deflate.

Sugar-free whipped cream

The third and last main element of the dessert to make is the sugar-free whipped cream. In a medium to large-sized bowl, whip the cream on a high speed with a hand or stand mixer. Once frothy, add in the powdered sweetener, vanilla, and salt.

After that, continue to beat until stiff peaks or the desired whipped cream consistency is achieved.

👩‍🍳 How to assemble

Once the elements are prepared, it’s easy to put together the keto lemon curd meringue nests.

First, release the meringue nests from the parchment paper or silicone liners. Second, spoon a tablespoon of lemon curd in the bottom of each meringue nest and spread it around evenly.

After that, place a generous dollop of whipped cream on top of the lemon curd in each nest. Top it all off with blueberries and blackberries, or your favorite berry in season!

It’s best to eat them as soon as possible, but they can be refrigerated and eaten after a couple of hours or when you wish.

🥣 How to store

Store any leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. The fresher they are the better, but they will be good for up to about five days. Although, are devoured pretty quickly around here, and I can’t imagine them not being eaten before then.

🍓 Keto summer recipes

What are your favorite foods in summer? Personally, I love to grill, eat salads (especially taco salads), and for dessert, lemons, berries, and cream! Simple fresh ingredients from the garden or farmer’s market are ideal.

This low carb dessert ticks many of those boxes and is nice because the meringue does not include any sort of flour or nuts. It’s refreshing with a good balance of flavors to please everyone on your list. Both my grandmother and my son who neither one eat sugar-free on a regular basis, rave about this dessert.

Try it out today!

🍋 Keto lemon recipes

1. Keto Lemon Mousse
2. Keto Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
3. Low Carb Lemon Cookies
4. Keto Lemon Meringue Pie
5. Keto Salad Dressing – Lemon Poppy Seed

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Nutrition Disclaimer

Please be aware I am not a medical specialist or nutritional professional. On this blog, I share recipes and what works for me. Please do not take anything on this blog as medical advice and always consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program.

I use MyFitnessPal.com to calculate nutrition facts as a courtesy to my readers, and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count because does not affect my own blood glucose levels.  

This is as accurate as possible, but it’s best to independently calculate nutritional information on your own with the specific ingredients you use. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.