My Best Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe
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.
Servings: 8
Calories: 405kcal
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- 2-½ 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
- 1-¼ cups water
- 1-¼ cups granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
- ½ cup lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
Meringue
- 5 large egg whites, at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Flaky Butter Pie Crust
- Preheat oven to 400°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.
- 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 400°F for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges are just starting to lightly brown. Once it’s finished baking and cooled slightly, simply spoon out your pie weights and remove the parchment paper.
Lemon Filling
- Reduce oven temperature to 350°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 350° 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
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FAQ
- 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.
- 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.
- Why did my lemon meringue curdle? 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!
Nutrition
Calories: 405kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 26g | Sodium: 335mg | Potassium: 118mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 864IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 27mg