Lemon Meringue Pie

5 stars (10 ratings)

Serve this gorgeous Lemon Meringue Pie at your next gathering! Your guests will adore the buttery, flaky crust, the tangy lemon filling, and the soft cloud of toasty meringue! Everything's better when it's made from scratch, and this classic dessert is no exception!

Prep Time40

Cook Time30

Chill Time4

Total Time1 10

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Lemon, meringue, Pie

Servings: servings

Calories: 226kcal

Ingredients

For the Crust

1/2 batch Simply Perfect Pie Dough

For the Lemon Filling

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
6 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/4 cups cold water
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup lemon juice (juice of 2 lemons)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon lemon zest (zest of one lemon)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Meringue Topping

3 egg whites (from large fresh eggs, or 100 grams of pasteurized liquid egg whites)
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (extract can be substituted)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and roll the pie dough out to a thickness of about 1/8-inch.
Place it in an ungreased 9-inch diameter pie dish, trim away any excess, and roll the edges under. Pinch the edge between the thumb and forefinger to create a decorative edge, and prick the bottom a few times with the tines of a fork.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Place the sugar and cornstarch in a small pot, and slowly pour in the water, while whisking.
Place over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil, whisking occasionally. Allow the mixture to thicken over the heat, and boil for one minute.
Place the yolks in a mixing bowl, and whisk in about a cup of the hot sugar mixture.
Transfer back to the pot, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about a minute.
Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice, butter, zest, and vanilla. Pour the filling into the prepared crust.
In a large mixing bowl, whip the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt until foamy.
Add the sugar, very slowly.
When soft peaks form, add the vanilla bean paste, and continue to whip on high speed until the meringue holds stiff peaks.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Top the pie with the meringue, swirling the spatula to create peaks and valleys.
Bake the pie for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
Cool completely in the refrigerator before slicing.

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