Here’s a classic lemon meringue pie recipe — bright, tart lemon filling with a fluffy, toasted meringue on top.
🍋 Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe
Ingredients
For the crust (or use a pre-baked 9-inch pie shell):
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
- 3–4 tbsp ice water
For the lemon filling:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 3 large egg yolks (save whites for meringue)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup lemon juice (fresh)
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
For the meringue:
- 3 large egg whites
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar (optional but helps stabilization)
Instructions
1️⃣ Make the crust
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Mix flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in butter until crumbly.
- Add ice water until dough comes together.
- Roll out and place in a 9-inch pie dish.
- Line with parchment and fill with weights.
- Bake 15 min, remove weights, bake 5–7 more min until lightly golden. Cool.
2️⃣ Make the lemon filling
- In a saucepan, whisk sugar, cornstarch, and salt.
- Add water and cook over medium heat until thick and bubbling.
- In a bowl, whisk egg yolks. Slowly add a few spoonfuls of the hot mixture to temper.
- Pour yolks back into the saucepan.
- Cook 2 more minutes, then remove from heat.
- Stir in butter, lemon juice, and zest.
- Pour into the baked crust.
3️⃣ Make the meringue
- Beat egg whites + cream of tartar until soft peaks.
- Gradually add sugar; beat to glossy stiff peaks.
- Spread over hot filling, sealing edges to the crust.
4️⃣ Bake
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 12–15 minutes, until the meringue is lightly golden.
5️⃣ Cool
Let cool fully (2–3 hours) so the filling sets before slicing.
If you’d like, I can also give:
🍋 A simplified version
🌱 A dairy-free or vegan variation
🥧 Mini lemon meringue pies
🧪 Tips to prevent the meringue from weeping or shrinking
What would you like?
