This Lemon meringue pie is the best with a sweet and tart lemon custard filling topped with the best fluffy lightly browned meringue.
Lemon meringue pie is such a classic pie. It is perfect for making and eating any time of the year. It’s light and lemony for a delicious summer pie. It’s a classic pie to add to your Thanksgiving dessert table. And it’s delicious to enjoy with your Sunday dinner.
This lemon meringue pie is the perfect one to add to your pie repertoire. It’s creamy, light, tart, and sweet, and so delicious.
How to make Lemon Meringue Pie?
Although there are a few steps to making lemon meringue pie, it is easier than you think. Personally, I bake with a purchased refrigerated pie crust for ease. You can bake your favorite pie crust or use this perfect butter pie crust recipe, it’s one of our favorites. Be sure to use an 8 inch pie dish (if using a large pie dish, you may choose to double the custard recipe.) You will want to prebake the pie crust to keep it from getting soggy, and give it a little crispness.
While the pie crust is cooling, prepare your sweet and tart lemon custard filling. I discovered to help with the simplicity of making pie is to gather all my ingredients first. I prefer to use freshly squeezed lemon juice, so squeeze your lemons and set the juice aside. Separate your egg yolks from the egg whites. You will need the yolks for the lemon custard filling and the whites for the meringue topping. Beat the egg yolks with the milk in a small bowl, and whisk together the cornstarch with the 3 TBS cold water in another bowl, set both aside. Now you are ready to start cooking your lemon custard. Having everything ready to go, let’s you constantly stir while cooking the custard filling; pouring each set of ingredients in according to the steps in the recipe. After your lemon custard is all cooked, cool for about 15 minutes, then fill your baked pie crust.
While your custard is cooling, beat your 4 egg whites stiff – you want peaks to form. Continue to beat while adding each tablespoon of sugar and 1 tsp of lemon juice. Once everything is added, beat 15 to 30 seconds more. Spread meringue completely over the cooled custard, you want to get it all the way to the edges of the crust to help prevent it from shrinking. Swirl the top of the meringue to form peaks perfect for browning in the oven. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until the peaks are browned.
Remove from oven and cool completely before eating. I know you will want to eat your sweet lemon meringue pie right away but cooling lets everything set. I may or may not know from past personal experience having a runny (but still delicious) lemon pie.
The meringue on this pie is beautiful to look at and is the favorite part of many. Meringue has a tendency to weep, fall apart, and pull from the edge after sitting for a day. It will still taste wonderful but not look as beautiful. Store if any leftover pie in your refrigerator. You can try to prevent the pie from weeping, with a few steps.
How to prevent a meringue pie from weeping:
- Make the pie on a dry day, a humid day will add extra moisture.
- Make sure the sugar gets fully dissolved in the egg whites, or use superfine sugar which will dissolve quicker. Beat the meringue until the tips are nice and stiff, and they hold a curl at the tops.
- Make sure to seal the meringue to the edge of the pie crust to prevent the meringue from shrinking.
- Don’t overbake the meringue as that will cause it to shrink more and send out more liquid.
Ellen here: Before my mom passed she lived with us while she was undergoing leukemia treatment. (You can read a little bit about that here). One night Craig and my mom were discussing things that brought her joy, and she said some of her favorite foods. One of those was this lemon meringue pie.
That night they decided to make this pie. Everyone had a part in helping make it, my mom, Craig, Marta, and myself.
This pie was passed down from my Grandmother Reed, to my mom Karma, to me. I love it so much. It is my favorite pie. As far as I’m concerned no one has a better lemon meringue pie recipe, but maybe I am a bit biased. Preserving family recipes is important. Aimee and I love being able to share our family favorites with you.
This lemon meringue pie is made up of the best of the best. A perfect balance of sweet and tart in the lemon curd filling. Topped with a tall and fluffy meringue topping, lightly browned to perfection.
This lemon meringue pie is the perfect one to add to your pie repertoire. It’s creamy, light, tart, and sweet, and so delicious. You won’t be able to resist a big thick slice! I know I can’t.
Looking for more Lemon Recipes?
- Lemon Meringue Pie Cookie Cups
- Lemon Icebox Cake
- Microwave Lemon Curd
- Lemon Poke Cake
- Lemon Curd Cheesecake Bars
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Lemon Meringue Pie
Ingredients
- 1 8 inch baked pie crust (cooled)
For the Lemon Custard Filling:
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 1/4 cup water
- 1 TBS butter (chopped into quarters)
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 3 TBS cold water
- 6 TBS lemon juice (fresh squeezed preferred)
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 TBS milk
For the Meringue:
- 4 egg whites
- 8 TBS white sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Equipment
Instructions
For the Pie CrustL
- Prebake the pie crust in an 8inch pie pan according to box directions. (Or your own homemade crust)
For the Lemon Custard Filling:
- In a small bowl add 3 egg yolks and 2 TBS milk, beat with a fork
- In a bowl or large cup, whisk cornstarch with 3 TBS cold water until no clumps remain.
- In a medium pot, add 1 cup sugar, 1 1/4 cup water, and butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring with a whisk constantly, until sugar is dissolved
- Slowly pour cornstarch mixture (you may have to whisk the cornstarch again to liquefy) into pot, whisking constantly. Cook until clear and thickened (may take 4 to 8 minutes)
- Slowly pour lemon juice into pot, whisk constantly and cook for 2 more minutes
- Pour egg yolks and milk slowly into pot, whisking constantly. Bring to a boil and then remove from heat
- Cool slightly then pour into cooled baked 8 inch pie crust, spread to fill pie crust.
For the Meringue:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Beat 3 egg whites until stiff, and holds a peak, but not till it's dry.
- Add the 8 TBS of sugar, 1 TBS at a time. Make sure the sugar is fully dissolved.
- Add 1 tsp of lemon juice and beat for another 15 to 30 seconds
- Spread meringue over the top of the lemon custard, all the way to the crust, swirl a little to make peaks.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes, until peaks are browned slightly.
- Remove from oven, and cool completely before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
This lemon meringue pie was first published on December 23, 2011. Photos and text updated on November 1, 2019.
Ellen says
This is my favorite pie in the whole world. I love that I can always find the recipe here and make it when I need such deliciousness.
Ann says
In my humble opinion, only lemon pie can compete with pumpkin spicy pastries in taste. I love the sweet and sour taste, whether it is sauce for meat or lemon meringue pie. I’m cooking this pie according to your recipe for the second time. The first time it was eaten in half an hour! Thank you very much for sharing the recipes for such delicious things. You have a great blog, one of my favorites, keep it up!
keliwright says
Lemon meringue is a favorite at our house. Mine sometimes comes out a bit juicy. I’ll have to try this one to see if I get a better result.
Katherine says
That's funny. I made a lemon meringue pie on Sun.
wendy says
Now THIS post makes me miss sugar. Mmmmm . . . .Have you tried the pie crust recipe that calls for vinegar and an egg? It's fairly no-fail.
Toni says
Hi Wendy. I just recently made the vinegar and egg pie crust and I have to admit….I was pleased beyond belief! I have been a failure at pie crusts until now! I have a question for you. My recipe called for crisco, but I used butter instead. It was still delicious. Which do you use? Sometimes I see recipes that call for a mixture of crisco and butter…I wonder how that would work out? Some people say a crisco crust is more flaky, but other people recommend butter.