Lemon Meringue Pie

Perfect lemon meringue pie! A can’t miss recipe- you’ll adore the buttery, flaky crust, the tangy lemon filling, and the soft cloud of toasty meringue.

Every year, right around this time, I start to get really sick of winter.

Are you feeling it too?

It’s times like these where I just really need some sunshine. I want warmth and brightness and cheer!

Well, we’re not going to get that in terms of weather. Sadly, we’ve got several weeks of gloom and drear to go. Spring never gets here fast enough!

So lemon is the answer. Even though when I look out the window I see bare trees and gray skies, if I have a sunshine-y citrus treat in my kitchen, that makes everything else a little more bearable!

Lemon desserts are great for this time of year, not just because of how bright and cheerful they are, but also because winter produce can often be scarce. But lemons are readily available all year ’round, so they’re a perfect choice for winter or early spring baking.

I love the flavor they bring to lemon crumb muffins, lemon bars, and lemon pound cake.

And I really love them in lemon meringue pie!

Lemon meringue pie is such a classic dessert. It’s bright, citrusy, and refreshing, with a buttery crust and a cloud of sweet, fluffy meringue on top. The contrast of flavors and textures is so on point, and while it can be a bit tricky to make, I’ve got the whole process perfected.

Lots of research, testing, and re-testing has gone into this recipe, so you can rest assured that it just can’t miss.

And I’m sharing all the best tips and tricks that I’ve learned along the way, so read on to find out how to make the world’s best lemon meringue pie recipe!

THE PIE CRUST

Lemon meringue pie is traditionally baked in a buttery, flaky pastry.

If you’re rushed for time, you can use a storebought crust, but my homemade pie crust recipe is really a perfect choice. It’s easy to make with just a handful of basic ingredients, and it bakes up buttery, melt-in-your mouth tender, and SO flaky, thanks to a special folding technique.

You won’t believe all the flaky layers this technique produces! It’s almost like puff pastry.

Get all the details here (and be sure to watch the how-to video as well): Homemade Pie Crust.

Once you’ve got the dough made, rolled out, and chilled, you’re going to partially bake it so that it doesn’t become soggy once the filling goes in.

Whenever I par-bake pie crust, I like to line it with parchment paper and fill it with pie weights, so that it holds its shape as it bakes and doesn’t puff up in the middle. If you don’t have pie weights, you can order some here: pie weights, or just use dry beans instead.

THE LEMON PIE FILLING

This lemon pie filling is really easy to make, and it sets up like a dream! No more runny pie filling with this one!

I found it in Bake from Scratch magazine and it is really perfect for this pie.

Start by combining sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt in a large bowl.

Whisk them together just until they’re combined.

Then add the eggs. This recipe has a lot of eggs! They will really help the pie filling to set up nice and firm.

Add in the yolks as well. The additional egg yolks will provide a rich mouthfeel to the custard.

Whisk everything together until smooth and lump-free.

Now it’s time to juice the lemons. I like to use fresh lemons rather than bottled juice. The flavor is so much better! There’s really no comparison.

Juice the lemons into a liquid measuring cup with a fine-mesh sieve set on top. This way the strainer will catch any seeds or pulp.

If you like a really tart lemon pie filling, you can use as much as 1 1/2 cups of lemon juice. If you like a milder flavor, 1 cup is plenty.

For the lemon meringue pie you see here, I went middle of the road with 1 1/4 cups of juice.

Whisk the lemon juice into the egg mixture, and then pour the filling into the pre-baked pie shell.

It’s totally fine if your crust is still warm from the oven!

Bake the pie until it’s set around the edges but still quite wobbly in the center. You’ll notice a little bit of browning on top, but the middle of the pie should still seem very wet and liquid-y. That’s ok! It will continue to firm up as it cools.

If you overcook it, it will crack. Still tastes every bit as delicious, but it’s definitely prettier without the cracks!

Turn off the oven and open the door slightly, allowing the pie to cool down s-l-o-w-l-y. This will also help to prevent cracks.

After just a few minutes you will notice that the filling has set up completely. Leave it in the warm oven while you get going on the topping!

THE MERINGUE TOPPING

For perfect, billowy meringue, start with an immaculately clean, large mixing bowl. Glass or metal is best, as any trace of fat will prevent your whites from whipping properly, and plastic often traps microscopic molecules of fat in its surface.

Place the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt in the bowl together.

Cream of tartar is like an insurance policy for your meringue. It helps it to whip up nice and stiff, and to STAY that way. It will also prevent shrinking or weeping.

If you don’t have cream of tartar, order some here: cream of tartar, or in a pinch, substitute a few drops of lemon juice.

Whip the egg white mixture on medium speed until it can hold soft peaks.

At this point, stir sugar and a little bit of cornstarch together and then start adding that in a very slow, steady stream, while continuing to whip. The slower you add, the better! This allows the sugar plenty of time to completely dissolve into the meringue, which will also prevent weeping.

Once all the sugar has been whipped in, add the vanilla, turn the mixer up to high speed, and continue to whip until the meringue is very stiff. When you pull the whisk out, it should hold a stiff peak and not flop to the side.

Scoop the meringue onto the pie while it’s still warm. This will help to bind the meringue to the lemon filling so they don’t slide apart.

Spread the meringue all the way to the edges of the pie crust. This ensures that the meringue won’t shrink.

Use the back of a spoon to create beautiful swirls, peaks, and valleys, then toast the meringue either under the broiler, or with my favorite kitchen tool, the brulee torch.

I like to use a torch because it’s so much fun, but also because it gives the cook so much more control. You can target exactly where you want to brown and how much.

Aim for an even balance of really brown and toasty as well as pale and marshmallow-y meringue.

Once your meringue is nice and brown, the pie is ready to serve!

Pro tip: wet your knife with cold water before slicing into the pie. Your slices will be clean and perfect!

You can serve it at room temperature, or chill it for a bit first. Just keep in mind that the longer the pie sits, the more chance of weeping. It’s really best when it’s freshly made!

TROUBLESHOOTING

Lemon meringue pie is notoriously tricky to make! There are quite a few pitfalls, and even I had to make it several times in order to figure out all the tips and tricks for a foolproof result.

I’m going to go over some of the most frequent lemon meringue pie mishaps below, so read on to learn all about how to prevent them!

FILLING WON’T SET

I’ve tried a lot of different lemon meringue pie recipes where the filling just will not set. You end up with a runny mess that does not hold its shape. Many of them require lots of time chilling, which is not optimal because the longer that meringue sits the more it will degrade.

You will not have that problem with this filling recipe. There is no stovetop cooking. It all happens in the oven, and there plenty of thickening agents plus lots of eggs, to ensure a custard that sets up so firm you can slice it with a knife, yet isn’t at all gummy or rubbery.

It’s a beautiful thing!

IS LEMON MERINGUE PIE DAIRY-FREE?

This lemon meringue pie recipe is 100% dairy-free, as long as you use a vegan butter substitute for the crust.

Since there is flour in the filling and crust, it is not gluten-free.

And since it has eggs, it is not vegan.

Contrary to popular belief, eggs are not dairy, even though they are sold in the dairy section of most stores. The term “dairy” refers only to milk products.

IS IT SAFE TO EAT?

The egg whites in the topping are not fully cooked, so you’ll want to use common sense about who you serve this pie to. Anyone who is very young, very old, pregnant, or has a compromised immune system may want to be careful about eating lemon meringue pie.

One way around this is to use pasteurized egg whites. They are very safe to consume, even when completely raw.

Sometimes you can find whole pasteurized eggs, still in the shell.

But liquefied pasteurized egg whites are much more common. I have used these in the past when making meringue and they work very well. They may just need a bit more time to whip, however.

CAN THIS BE MADE AHEAD?

Lemon meringue pie is at its absolute best when freshly made.

It’s ok to chill it for a short time (maybe 2 hours?) but just keep in mind that the longer you wait to serve it, the more chance of it becoming soggy, wet, or weepy.

DOES LEMON MERINGUE PIE NEED TO BE REFRIGERATED?

Again, it is fine to chill the pie for a short time before serving, but as it sits it will definitely lose something.

If there are any leftovers, pop them into the fridge. They’ll still be safe to eat for a few days.

I would not recommend freezing lemon meringue pie. The meringue does not hold up well through the freeze/thaw process.

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