Lemon Meringue Pie
Everyone loves this classic Lemon Meringue Pie with a flaky crust, tangy homemade lemon pie filling, and fluffy, golden meringue. Get the best homemade recipe, baking tips, and step-by-step instructions below.
Meringue not your favorite? That’s ok. If you want a lemon pie without meringue try my creamy lemon pie (like key lime pie) or my lemon cream cheese pie instead. Don’t like pie crust? Make classic lemon bars or try these creamy lemon crumb bars.
Classic Lemon Meringue Pie
There’s something undeniably special about a classic lemon meringue pie. With its golden, flaky crust, tangy-sweet lemon filling, and billowy meringue topping, this dessert strikes the perfect balance of flavors and textures.
Not only does it taste good, the golden meringue makes this lemon pie a showstopper for any occasion—whether it’s a family gathering, holiday celebration, or just a well-deserved sweet treat.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Tangy Lemon Pie Filling – Not to be confused with lemon curd, this easy lemon pie filling recipe is fresh, smooth, and perfectly tart.
- Flaky Pie Crust – A flaky, golden crust adds the perfect base for all that citrusy goodness. We love this easy pie crust, but you can use store-bought instead.
- Light & Fluffy Meringue – The sweet and airy, cloud-like toasted meringue topping adds a delightful texture and contrasts beautifully with the tangy lemon filling.
How to Make Lemon Meringue Pie
This lemon meringue pie recipe may feel a bit overwhelming for a novice baker, but as long as you have your ingredients and tools ready to go, it goes quite smoothly. Here’s a breakdown of the process.
- Blind bake the pie crust.
- Prepare the lemon pie filling.
- Whip the meringue topping.
- Spread the meringue on top of filling.
- Bake the pie until golden brown on top.
Ingredients You Will Need
NOTE: Full ingredient amounts and instructions are in the printable recipe card at the end of the post.
Jump
- Pie Crust: Store-bought or homemade. Use a 9-inch frozen deep dish pie crust, if using store-bought.
- Granulated Sugar: To sweeten the lemon pie filling and the meringue.
- All-Purpose Flour: To help thicken the lemon filling.
- Cornstarch: Also helps thicken the lemon pie filling. Using both thickening agents ensures a thick, stable filling while keeping the texture smooth and free from any starchy aftertaste.
- Salt: To enhance the flavors.
- Water: To add volume to the lemon pie filling.
- Lemons: For the zest and juice.
- Butter: Unsalted butter creates a rich silkiness to the filling.
- Eggs: Will be separated. The yolks for the lemon filling and the whites for the meringue.
- Cream of Tartar: The help stabilize the meringue for glossy, billowy peaks.
These simple ingredients work together to create a dessert that’s as light and luscious as it is visually stunning.
First, Blind Bake the Pie Crust
My method for how to blind bake pie crust ensures that your crust doesn’t get overly brown. You can do this with a homemade or store-bought crust. There’s plenty of tips, tricks, and step-by-step photos in that post to help guide you.
DO NOT follow the directions on the package for a store-bought crust. (They’re terrible and your crust will shrink.) See my notes in the recipe card for blind baking a store-bought crust.
- Once the crust is baked, turn the oven to 325˚F. Separate 4 large eggs into two separate bowls; one for the egg yolks (whisk briefly) and one for the egg whites; set aside to come to room temperature. Prepare all other ingredients and tools.
Next, Make the Lemon Pie Filling
- Whisk the granulated sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan.
- Stir in water, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
- Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens into a gel. Turn off heat and stir in butter.
- Slowly temper the egg yolks with ½ cup of the lemon mixture, whisking the egg yolks briskly while pouring the hot mixture very slowly.
- Then whisk the egg yolk mixture back into the remaining lemon mixture. Return pan to medium-high heat and cook, stirring constantly until boiling and thick. Remove from heat and cover with a lid to keep hot.
Last, Make the Meringue Topping
- Stir together the granulated sugar and cream of tartar; set aside. Beat the egg whites with an electric stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until thick and foamy. Then gradually add the sugar mixture while beating on high until stiff peaks form.
Assemble the Easy Lemon Meringue Pie
- Add the hot lemon filling to the baked pie crust. (You may reheat it, if needed. The filling needs to be very HOT for the meringue to properly adhere, prevent weeping, and cook all the way through.)
- Dollop the meringue around the edges with a spoon and seal it to the crust. Then dollop the remaining meringue over the rest of the pie and smooth together with the back of a spoon. Use the spoon to create peaks all over the meringue.
- Bake at 325˚F for 20-25 minutes until the meringue puffs up and is golden brown. Transfer lemon meringue pie to a wire rack and let it cool completely to room temperature (approximately 2-3 hours) before cutting and serving. If the pie is even remotely warm when you cut into it, the lemon filling may be runny.
Serving and Storing
This pie is best eaten the day it is made. Store leftover lemon meringue pie loosely covered with plastic wrap or foil in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. Meringue has a tendency to weep the longer that it’s in the refrigerator, so try to eat it as soon as you can.
Recipe Notes
- Mise en place – French for “putting in place.” It is super important to have all ingredients measured, and all tools ready to go for best results, as the filling and topping can’t sit around too long.
- Separate the eggs while still cold, then allow them to come to room temperature. Cold eggs separate easier, and you cannot have any yolk in the whites at all for the meringue. However, room temperature egg whites whip faster, and into a greater volume than cold egg whites. So separate the eggs while still cold, then give them the time they need to warm up. It’s best to do this when you’re gathering your ingredients, and before you blind bake the crust.
- Meringue Tips: Make sure you begin with just egg whites. Not even a drop of egg yolks. Use a super clean, dry bowl and whisk attachment. SLOWLY add the cream of tartar and sugar mixture after the egg whites are thick and foamy.
- Seal the meringue to the crust while the filling is still hot. The hot filling helps seal the two layers together, preventing separation and weeping. Plus it helps cook the meringue underneath and not just at the top.
- No cream of tartar? Substitute 1 tsp white vinegar or lemon juice added to the egg whites before beating with the sugar.
- Meringue does not like steam/moisture. It is imperative not to cut into the pie while it’s still warm because the steam will create crystallized sugar drops and ruin the appearance of the meringue. Unfortunately this is unavoidable when storing the pie in the fridge, which is why it’s best eaten after it has been made and cooled to room temp.
- Make ahead: You must make this pie the day that it’s served, but if you want a jump start, make the crust the day before.
FAQs
The watery layer between the meringue and the filling (weeping) is usually caused by undercooking. This is why it is important to put your meringue onto the filling while it’s still hot so that it can begin cooking on bottom while the top bakes in the oven.
Be sure to bring the filling to a rolling boil (one you can’t stir down) and cook for a good 30-60 seconds afterwards, while stirring constantly, so the filling is nice and thick.
Cream of tartar, helps to stabilize the meringue. If you do not have cream of tartar you can substitute four times the amount of lemon juice or white vinegar. (Ex: 1 teaspoon of lemon juice or white vinegar in place of 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar.)
Sadly, no. Lemon meringue pie does not freeze well. The meringue softens and any moisture from the fridge or freezer will create crystallized sugar drops, ruining the appearance and texture of the golden top.
Lemon Meringue Pie
Ingredients
- 1 (9-inch) pre-baked pie crust
Lemon Pie Filling
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 3 Tbsp cornstarch
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 ½ cups (355 ml) water
- 1 Tbsp lemon zest, about 2-3 lemons
- 6 Tbsp lemon juice, about 2-3 lemons
- 2 Tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter
- 4 large egg yolks, whisked
Meringue
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar*
- 4 large egg whites, room temperature
Instructions
- Blind bake a single 9-inch pie crust. Set aside. Then turn the oven to 325˚F. (I prefer to use a glass pan for blind baking a homemade crust, because it grips better to the sides, and shrinks less. Use a 9-inch frozen deep dish pie crust, if using store-bought.)
- Separate 4 large eggs into two separate bowls; one for the egg yolks (whisk briefly) and one for the egg whites; set aside to come to room temperature. Prepare all other ingredients and tools, and preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- LEMON PIE FILLING: Whisk the granulated sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan. Stir in water, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens into a gel. Turn off heat and stir in butter.
- Slowly temper the egg yolks with ½ cup of the lemon mixture, whisking the egg yolks briskly while pouring the hot mixture very slowly. Then whisk the egg yolk mixture back into the remaining lemon mixture. Return pan to medium-high heat and cook, stirring constantly until boiling and thick. Remove from heat and cover with a lid to keep hot.
- MERINGUE: Stir together the granulated sugar and cream of tartar; set aside. Beat the egg whites with an electric stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until thick and foamy. Then gradually add the sugar mixture while beating on high until stiff peaks form.
- ASSEMBLE: Add the hot lemon filling to the baked pie crust. (You may reheat it, if needed. The filling needs to be very HOT for the meringue to properly adhere, prevent weeping, and cook all the way through.)
- Dollop the meringue around the edges with a spoon and seal it to the crust. Then dollop the remaining meringue over the rest of the pie and smooth together with the back of a spoon. Use the spoon to create peaks all over the meringue.
- Bake at 325˚F for 20-25 minutes until the meringue puffs up and is golden brown. Transfer lemon meringue pie to a wire rack and let it cool completely to room temperature (approximately 2-3 hours) before cutting and serving. If the pie is even remotely warm when you cut into it, the lemon filling may be runny.
Video
Notes
- This pie is best eaten the day it is made. Store leftover lemon meringue pie loosely covered with plastic wrap or foil in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. Meringue has a tendency to weep the longer that it’s in the refrigerator, so try to eat it as soon as you can.
- Meringue does not like steam/moisture. It is imperative not to cut into the pie while it’s still warm because the steam will create crystallized sugar drops and ruin the appearance of the meringue. Unfortunately this is unavoidable when storing the pie in the fridge, which is why it’s best eaten after it has been made and cooled to room temp.
- Fresh eggs work best for the meringue to whip properly. Make sure no egg yolks get into the egg whites, and you have a clean bowl and whisk attachment.
- *No cream of tartar? Substitute 1 tsp white vinegar added to the egg whites before beating with the sugar.
- Make ahead: You must make this pie the day that it’s served, but if you want a jump start, make the crust the day before.
Nutrition
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*Recipe adapted from AllRecipes
