With summer upon us, on my most recent trip I was going to pick up the usual seasonal Key Lime Pie. In New York, this isn't something you can find regularly. Nor can you find it at Trader Joe's. It's summer only. But next to that bright green box was an equally yellow box of Trader Joe's Lemon Meringue Tarte.
Taste
Now, this product isn't technically new. It's been on shelves previously, but like so many other products, it just hasn't been on shelves in a while.
And as an unofficial rule of shopping at Trader Joe's (just in case you didn't know), if it says "made in France" and it contains bread or pastry, you are pretty safe to assume it is going to be good. I struggle to think of something I didn't like that was made in France.
Now, as far as summer goes, here is a dessert that only requires you to defrost. A big win when it comes to summer and desserts. The less I can have the oven on the better.
If you look at the box, you see a stunningly presented dessert. My hope was that it would come out of the box just as beautifully. Well, to be honest, it was just as impressive coming out of the box as the pictures indicated.
Within about an hour of defrosting I had a slice. If someone had put this on a plate in front of me I would assume that they had made it themselves. It looked homemade.
And then there is the ratio. There is about 1.5-2x as much of the meringue as the lemon filling.
The crust is buttery at cuts through much of the sweetness of the overall dessert. It's not crisp like most pie crusts, but it is more of a contrast to the elements presented.
Despite the calorie (and carb/sugar count), it is sweet, but not cloying. It's tart but nothing that would make you pucker. It's a refreshing palate-cleansing taste that would be a good way to end a meal.
Overall
For $5.99 this is a good one to keep in your freezer for a last minute dessert. Worth stocking up on because I haven't seen this on shelves since 2016 which is quite a hiatus.
Would I buy this again? Yes, I would buy Trader Joe's Lemon Meringue Tarte again. It is beautifully presented considering it is coming out of the freezer, it tastes really good, and would be worth picking up an extra just in case it takes another long vacation.
Did you try it? Let me know what you think in the comments section!
Product photos
The box of Trader Joe's Lemon Meringue Tarte:
Calories and ingredients
How Trader Joe's describes this:
Out of the box you get:
Want to see more items I've reviewed from Trader Joe's? Click on Thoughts & Reviews of Trader Joe's for a searchable list.
Trader Joe's Lemon Meringue Tarte
Product Name: Trader Joe's Lemon Meringue Tarte
Product Description: Trader Joe's Lemon Meringue Tarte is a frozen, no bake desert that is beautifully presented
Price: $5.99
Currency: USD
Availability: Discontinued
Summary
Trader Joe's Lemon Meringue Tarte is a returning dessert on shelves.
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Taste
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Value
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Worthy of Repurchasing
Pros
- Tasty
- Beautifully presented
- Just needs defrosting
Cons
- Has disappeared off of shelves for years before
- Likely a seasonal offering
- Calorie count is up there
Alek says
Lemon meringue pie is my favorite pie of all time along with Key Lime pie. I tried it and I loved it. The meringue is like marshmallowy and light. It's not too sweet. TJ's needs to keep this year round. I remember when I was a kid my local taco bell carried single slices of lemon meringue pie and I would devour it. Sadly that place burned down many years ago.
becomebetty says
Hey Alek! This was amazing considering it was a frozen dessert. And I totally agree with you that this should be a year round offering. Bummer about the taco bell. Thanks again for stopping by and sharing!
judilyn says
We got a key lime pie last time, but that really, really looks yummy - especially the crust!
Virtual hugs,
Judie
becomebetty says
Hey Judie! How did you like the key lime pie? And yes, this one was awesome too. Thanks so much for stopping by!
judilyn says
It was delicious; I'll try your recommendation next. We were in Tucson for only ten days, so I didn't get to try as many things from there as I had hoped.
Dagmar says
I so incredibly love meringue especially when the meringue is yuge like on this pie. the sugar count made me cringe. As well as the fat count. Maybe I'll just get it and eat most of the meringue off with a little bit of the lemon curd LOL
becomebetty says
Hey Dag! I had the exact same thought. But then I couldn't stop eating it. Seriously, this is a tough one to say you would actually do that on. Thanks again for stopping by and let me know if you try it!
Robin says
This has nothing to do with pie, but I'd thought you would.like this. Today I did my weekly shopping at TJs, only to walk out into a hot and humid day and find my car wouldn't start. I walked back into the store where it was pretty cold to try and save my food, as I waited an hour for a tow. A trader Joe's staff member saw me sitting in the chairs designed for toddlers, looking pretty sad and asked if she could help me. When I told her I was fine, just waiting for a tow truck, she put my groceries in a cart and out them in a fridge for me. It was such an unexpected and sweet thing to do.
becomebetty says
Hey Robin! Totally awesome story and I'm so glad to hear they treated you so well. That was very kind of them. Thanks again for sharing!
gg says
Ooh, I LOVE lemon meringue pie - and also buy TJ's key lime pie every summer - but I have never seen this yummy-looking tarte .Top of this post says updated April 2022; does that mean it was available in stores this year? (I hope so; I will be scanning the freezer case on repeat come spring 2023!)
becomebetty says
Hi gg! I haven't seen it and based on the research I did when I posted this review, I only shows up on shelves every few years. It was delicious when I had it and I miss it.