My lemon meringue pie recipe is absolutely irresistible. The flaky butter crust is filled with smooth tangy lemon deliciousness, then topped off with a gorgeous amount of fluffy, lightly sweet meringue.
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Lemon meringue pie is a fantastic dessert any time of year...whether it's a hot summer day and you're craving something cool and refreshing, or a cold winter day and you need a reminder of the warmer days that will be back, eventually, I promise.
Lemon desserts are so satisfying with their zing of tart flavor. Whether it's my sweet & tart lemon raspberry cheesecake bars, simple and classy lemon lavender cookies, mouthwatering lemon blackberry bread, super simple lemon blueberry bars, or a refreshing glass of watermelon lemonade with rosemary to wash it all down, they're all fabulous!
While my recipe is super simple, the first time I made this pie, I had an "oopsie." Let's be honest here...we all have baking fails. I forgot to weigh down the crust while I was blind baking it (see my Instagram for the photo). Okay, make a new crust. Then, I realized I didn't have enough lemons! Kind of important for a lemon meringue pie. After texting all the neighbors and having no luck, thankfully the local farm had some for sale just down the road. Whew!
After all was said and done, I also realized that I forgot to include the butter in the lemon curd filling...but you know what? It's delicious! I'm thinking my mind was distracted after all the oopsies.
The only thing to really keep in mind when making this recipe is to be very careful when separating the eggs. Even a smidge of egg yolk in the egg whites, and the whites won't fluff up properly for the meringue. Also, to get your whites at room temperature, just separate the eggs when you start this recipe, then by the time you're ready to make the meringue, the whites will be at room temperature. Ta-daa!
Anyway, let's get on to making the pie now, shall we?
π« Ingredients
Pie crust
- All purpose flour
- Unsalted butter
- Salt
- Granulated sugar
- Lemon zest
- Ice water
- Vegetable shortening for greasing pie pan
Lemon filling
- Egg yolks
- Water
- Granulated sugar
- Cornstarch
- Lemon juice
- Lemon zest
Meringue
- Egg whites
- Cream of tartar
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
See the recipe card below for full list of ingredients and their measurements.
π§ Flaky butter pie crust
The first thing to do is make the pie crust. It's easy as pie.
Preheat oven to 400Β°F.
Mix all dry ingredients in a food processor. Then, add cubed butter and lemon zest, and pulse briefly a few times to just mix them in. Lastly, add ice water, a tablespoon at a time, pulsing between each one, until it all sticks together.
Remove dough, roll into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge for up to an hour.
β²οΈ Blind bake the crust
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface and press into greased pie pan. On top of the crust, place a sheet of parchment and fill with weights (ceramic weights, dried beans, rice, etc).
Blind bake at 400Β°F for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges are just starting to lightly brown (read more about blind baking in my recipe for Fresh Fruit Tart). Once it's finished baking and cooled slightly, simply spoon out your pie weights and remove the parchment paper.
π Lemon filling
Reduce oven temperature to 350Β°F.
Whisk the egg yolks and set aside.
In a small pan, whisk together remaining ingredients over medium heat. After a few minutes, it will begin to bubble and thicken. Remove from heat.
Spoon out a tablespoon at a time and add it to the egg yolks, while whisking the yolks constantly. This will temper the egg yolks. Do this about five or six times until the egg mixture is smooth.
Return the pan to low-medium heat. While whisking continuously, slowly pour the egg mixture into the pan. Heat for a few more minutes, until the mixture thickens significantly and it starts to bubble. Remove from heat.
π₯£ Meringue
Using a stand mixer with whisk attachment, whisk together egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks, about four minutes. Then, add sugar and vanilla extract and whisk again for about two minutes, or until glossy firm peaks.
π₯§ Putting it all together
Pour the warm lemon filling into the pie crust.
Next, add a thick layer of meringue on top of the warm filling and spread it all the way out to the crust (if the filling is still warm, the meringue will adhere better, so the layers won't separate). Make some swirly decorative elements if you wish, using a spoon.
Bake at 350Β° for 15 minutes or until the tips of the meringue are browned. Cool on the counter for 1 hour, then refrigerate for 4 hours before serving. Enjoy!
β FAQ
Loosely tent the pie with aluminum foil and store in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
This happens when water forms between the lemon filling and the meringue. To prevent this, make sure to spread the meringue all the way to the crust while the filling is still hot.
While making the lemon filling, it's important to temper the eggs by slowly adding the lemon mixture to the egg yolks while constantly whisking. This way, the temperature of the eggs is raised slowly instead of all at once.
Love fruity desserts? Check out a few more of our delicious recipes now!
- Lemon Blueberry Bars
- Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake Bars
- Lemon Lavender Cookies
- Peach Cobbler Pound Cake
- Berry Chantilly Cake
- Peach Upside Down Cake
- Fresh Fruit Tart
- Quick & Easy Blueberry Crisp
- Banana Ice Cream
- Best Banana Nut Bread
- Zesty Blueberry Muffins with Streusel Topping
- Grilling Fruits is Easy, Fun, and Very Tasty
And some delicious drinks too:
- Watermelon Lemonade with Rosemary
- Thirst-Quenching Strawberry Cocktail and Mocktail
- Limoncello, Arancello Rosso, and Pompelmocello
Did you make this Lemon Meringue Pie recipe? Let us know in the comments below!
π Recipe
My Best Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- 2 Β½ cups all purpose flour, sifted
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into pea-sized pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- A few tablespoons of ice water
- Vegetable shortening for greasing pie pan
Lemon Filling
- 5 large egg yolks
- 1 ΒΌ cups water
- 1 ΒΌ cups granulated sugar
- β cup + 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
- Β½ cup lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
Meringue
- 5 large egg whites, at room temperature
- Β½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- Β½ cup granulated sugar
- Β½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Flaky Butter Pie Crust
- Preheat oven to 400Β°F.Β
- Mix all dry ingredients in a food processor.Β
- Then, add cubed butter and lemon zest, and pulse briefly a few times to just mix them in.
- Lastly, add ice water, a tablespoon at a time, pulsing between each one, until it all sticks together.
- Remove dough, roll into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge for up to an hour.
- Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface and press into greased pie pan.Β
- On top of the crust, place a sheet of parchment and fill with weights (ceramic weights, dried beans, rice, etc).
- Blind bake at 400Β°F for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges are just starting to lightly brown. Once itβs finished baking and cooled slightly, simply spoon out your pie weights and remove the parchment paper.
Lemon Filling
- Reduce oven temperature to 350Β°F.
- Whisk the egg yolks and set aside.
- In a small pan, whisk together remaining ingredients over medium heat. After a few minutes, it will begin to bubble and thicken. Remove from heat.
- Spoon out a tablespoon at a time and add it to the egg yolks, while whisking the yolks constantly. This will temper the egg yolks. Do this about five or six times until the egg mixture is smooth.
- Return the pan to low-medium heat. While whisking continuously, slowly pour the egg mixture into the pan. Heat for a few more minutes, until the mixture thickens significantly and it starts to bubble. Remove from heat.
Meringue
- Using a KitchenAid stand mixer with whisk attachment, whisk together egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks, about four minutes.
- Then, add sugar and vanilla extract and whisk again for about two minutes, or until glossy firm peaks.
Putting it all together
- Pour the warm lemon filling into the pie crust.
- Next, add a thick layer of meringue on top of the warm filling and spread it all the way out to the crust.
- Bake at 350Β° for 15 minutes or until the tips of the meringue are browned.
- Cool on the counter for 1 hour, then refrigerate for 4 hours before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
-
FAQ
Β
- What's the best way to store a lemon meringue pie? Loosely tent the pie with aluminum foil and store in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Β
- Why is my pie watery? This can happen when water forms between the lemon filling and the meringue. To prevent this, make sure to spread the meringue all the way to the crust while the filling is still hot. Β
- Why did my lemon meringue curdle?Β While making the lemon filling, it's important to temper the eggs by slowly adding the lemon mixture to the egg yolks while constantly whisking. This way, the temperature of the eggs is raised slowly instead of all at once.
- Suggestion: If you enjoy this, you're gonna love our lemon raspberry cheesecake bars and lemon blackberry bread with lemon glaze!
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Fiona
My favorite pie!
maplewoodroad
Yay! Enjoy! π
Paula
Yes yes yes! Excited to try this
maplewoodroad
Thank you! Enjoy! π
Robin
Refreshing!
maplewoodroad
It really is! Enjoy! π