Pineapple Meringue Tart: A Refreshing Summer Dessert Recipe

I made this Pineapple Meringue Tart for a pre-Christmas family get-together yesterday, and it was exactly what we needed. The sun was blazing here in New Zealand – it was over 27°C – and even though I love a hearty dessert, after a feast of Helen’s succulent roast NZ lamb, I just couldn’t face something too heavy.

I decided to go for something a bit lighter. This pineapple tart was just the thing. It had all those refreshing tropical flavours we were wanting without being too rich. The pineapple custard filling was sweet and tangy, and the lemon zest gave it a nice lift. The buttery pastry shell held it all together perfectly, and the meringue topping was just a little bit extra – the cherry on top, as they say!

It wasn’t too filling, so it made for a lovely light end to the meal. I served it with a little runny cream – nothing fancy, just a simple drizzle – and it was divine. Just the kind of thing you want after a big meal when you’re looking for something refreshing.

After lunch, we thought we’d go for a walk around the local neighbourhood to help walk off the lamb, but typical Kiwi style, we quickly realised it was far too hot to be out in the mid afternoon sun. We lasted about five minutes before we turned back and headed home for a well-deserved nap! You know that post-lunch slump when you’ve eaten well and the heat makes you feel like you’re melting into the burning hot pavement.

But all in all, it was a success. The tart went down a treat, and it was the perfect balance of light and fresh to round off the meal.

My Tips:

🔪 Blind Baking: If you prefer a perfectly crisp base, try blind baking the tart crust. Simply line the pastry with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dry beans before baking. This prevents the crust from puffing up during baking.
🍍 Drain Pineapple: Make sure to drain the crushed pineapple well before using it in the filling. You don’t want extra moisture making the custard too runny!
🍋 Lemon Zest: For a more intense lemon flavour, feel free to add a bit more lemon zest or even a small splash of lemon extract. It enhances the tangy custard perfectly.
🍮 Making Custard: When making the custard, be sure to whisk constantly to avoid any lumps. The mixture will thicken quickly, so don’t step away from the heat!
🍰 Chilled Meringue: If you’re not serving the tart immediately, let the meringue cool and firm up slightly in the fridge before serving to avoid any mess during cutting.

Things I Changed

This recipe was inspired by one I saw in Dish magazine—probably the Christmas 2024 issue—but I ended up changing just about everything. I used my own base, adjusted the filling quantities to suit, and topped it with the meringue from my lemon meringue pie. I wanted something smaller and easier to handle, so I simplified the whole thing. It turned out well in the end—just follow my version below and you’ll be fine!

Recipe

To print the recipe, simply click the ‘Print’ button below and save your PDF for easy reference!

🥄🍮🍩🍽️✨⋆ ₊˚⊹♡ ࣪𓍢🍰💖🍰⋆ ⋆ ₊˚⊹♡🥄🍮🍩🍽️✨

Pineapple Meringue Tart

• Servings: 8–10
• Prep Time: 25 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Difficulty: medium
• Rating: ★★★★★
• Print

A tangy and tropical tart filled with pineapple custard and topped with a sweet meringue.

Tip: You can use a food processor for the base if you prefer a quicker method, but be careful not to over-mix the dough. The secret is to leave it a little crumbly.
Recipe Credit: Inspired by a recipe from Dish magazine, likely the Christmas 2024 issue. I used my own base, adjusted the filling quantities to suit, and topped it with the meringue from my lemon meringue pie recipe.

Ingredients

PASTRY:
• 125g butter, softened
• 1–2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 extra egg yolk
• 1¼ cups plain flour
• ¼ tsp baking powder
FILLING:
• 1 can (425g) crushed pineapple, drained
• ¼ cup + 2 Tbsp custard powder
• 1½ cups milk
• ½ cup water
• ½ cup sugar
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 Tbsp butter
MERINGUE TOPPING:
• 2 egg whites
• ¼ cup sugar
TO SERVE:
• Fresh pineapple slices

Directions

Pastry:
1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
2. Cream butter and sugar in a bowl until roughly combined.
3. Add egg and extra yolk, and mix lightly.
4. Stir in flour and baking powder to form a crumbly dough.
5. Press dough together into a ball and let it rest for a few minutes.
6. Roll or press into a loose-bottomed flan tin.
7. Bake for 10 mins (for filling later) or 15–20 mins (fully baked). Cool.
Filling:
8. In a saucepan, whisk custard powder, milk, water, sugar, zest, and juice.
9. Stir constantly over medium heat until thickened.
10. Add pineapple and butter. Cool slightly.
11. Pour into tart shell and set aside.
Meringue:
12. Beat egg whites to soft peaks.
13. Gradually add sugar and beat to stiff peaks.
14. Spoon or pipe over custard.
15. Bake at 180°C for 8–10 mins until golden.
To Serve:
16. Let tart cool so meringue sets.
17. Slice and serve with pineapple slices.

Nutrition

Per Slice: 310 calories; 14 g fat; 41 g carbohydrates; 4 g protein; 28 g sugar.

📌 Don’t lose it — Pin it! Save this recipe to Pinterest or share it with a friend so you can find it again. ♡ Janet