This lemon meringue pie is the one I baked over and over until I got it exactly right; flaky homemade crust, a silky bright lemon filling, and a tall fluffy meringue that actually holds without weeping.
If you love homemade pie, you will also want to try my Easy Buttery Pie Crust, Lemon Curd Tart, and Key Lime Pie with Meringuead Topping.
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My dad was a Sicilian immigrant who grew up on cannoli and homemade ricotta, but his all-time favorite pie was American lemon meringue. He would start asking about it every year right after Halloween.
I never got to bake it for him myself before he passed, so I have baked it many times since, this is the version that finally gets everything right.
Ingredients
- Pie Crust: This can be homemade or store-bought and forms the base of the pie.
- Lemons: Both the juice and the zest are used. They provide the pie with its characteristic tangy flavor.
- Egg Yolks: They are used in the filling to give it a smooth, custard-like texture.
- Granulated Sugar: Adds sweetness to the filling and meringue.
- Cornstarch: Acts as a thickening agent in the filling.
- Sea salt: Enhances the flavors of the other ingredients in the filling.
- Unsalted butter: Adds richness and depth to the filling.
- Egg Whites: When beaten, they form the fluffy, light meringue topping.
- Cream of Tartar: Stabilizes the egg whites during beating to help form the meringue
- Vanilla extract: Adds flavor to the meringue.
How to make this foolproof lemon meringue pie?
- Bake the pie crust and allow it to cool down.
- Make the lemon curd filling by cooking together water, cornstarch, lemon juice, sugar, zest until it thickens. Add this a bit at time to the egg yolks so you are tempering them and cook until it's thick and creamy. Then add in the butter and lemon zest.
- Pour filling in crust.
- Prepare meringue topping by whipping together egg whites, cream of tartar and sugar until stiff peaks form.
- Next, spread the meringue on top of the filling and bake until golden brown.
- Let it cool down to room temperature.
- Important final step is letting it chill in the fridge.
How to bake the best lemon meringue pie
I baked quite a lot of pies and these are some suggestions:
- Avoid high humidity days! If you can avoid making it on a rainy and humid day, do it! Any extra moisture will cause a droopy meringue.
- Don't over-bake the meringue- If you over bake the meringue you'll get some moisture beads and also some shrinking of the meringue.
- Make sure sugar has fully dissolved- Don't rush the sugar part, as it will become grainy and also could cause the meringue to weep. .
- Don't let the lemon filling cool down too much- It's key to keep the lemon filling warm. The warms assists in keeping the 2 layers together and prevent shrinking and also separation.
- Spread meringue all the way to edge- Be sure to get the meringue all the way to the edge. This step also helps prevent any shrinkage.
- Make sure there are NO egg yolks-You can not even have a drop of egg yolk in the egg whites or you won't be able to whip up the meringue.
- Mixing bowl and mixer attachments should be clean- Take care to have your mixer and the attachments super clean. If any residue on it, it will cause problems in forming those gorgeous stiff peaks.
Tips for the Best Meringue
Meringue is the part that trips most people up on this pie. These are the tips that make the difference between a meringue that weeps and one that holds. The same principles apply to my Cranberry Meringue Pie and Key Lime Pie with Meringue Topping if you want more meringue practice.
- Avoid humid days. Moisture in the air makes meringue droop. If it is raining or very humid, pick another day if you can.
- Spread the meringue on warm filling. The heat from the filling cooks the bottom of the meringue from the inside, which prevents the wet layer of liquid that forms between filling and meringue when the bottom stays raw.
- No gaps at the crust edge. Seal the meringue all the way to the crust. Any gap is where shrinkage starts.
- Add the sugar slowly. One spoonful at a time, taking about 2 minutes total. Sugar that goes in too fast does not dissolve fully and causes weeping and a grainy texture.
- No egg yolk in the whites. Even a tiny drop prevents the egg whites from whipping to stiff peaks. Separate eggs carefully, one at a time, over a small bowl.
- Clean bowl and attachments. Any grease or residue on the mixer bowl or whisk will stop the meringue from forming properly. Wipe with a paper towel dampened with white vinegar before you start.
- Do not over-bake. A light golden color is perfect. Over-baking causes the meringue to shrink, bead with moisture, and pull away from the edges.
Some other pie recipes to enjoy
- Key Lime Pie with Meringue Topping
- Apple Pie with Oat Streusel
- Cranberry Apple Pie
- Cranberry Meringue Pie
- Nutella Meringues
Did you make this and love it? Please RATE THE RECIPE below:)
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EASY Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe
Simply the best lemon meringue pie! Sure to impress for any holiday or special occasion! A flaky homemade pie crust filled with a luscious lemon filling and a mile-high fluffy meringue topping.
Servings: 8 slices
Calories: 253kcal
Ingredients
- CRUST
- Homemade or use your favorite pre-made pie crust for 9-in. pie
- FILLING
- 2 to 3 tsp. grated lemon zest from 2 lemons
- ½ cup strained lemon juice from 2 to 3 lemons
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 ¼ cups sugar
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- ⅕ tsp. salt
- 1 ½ cups filtered water
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter in small pieces
- MERINGUE
- 4 egg whites
- ¼ tsp. cream of tartar
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ tsp. vanilla extract
Instructions
- CRUST
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. See notes for pie dough recipe. Place dough in pie plate and crimp edges as desired. Prick dough several times with a fork. Place a piece of aluminum foil (or parchment paper)onto the dough and pour in about a cup of dried beans (this stops the crust from bulging while it bakes); bake for 7 minutes.
- Remove foil and beans and continue baking for 5-10 more minutes. Place crust on wire rack to cool. Reduce oven to 350 degrees.
- FILLING
- Using your smallest pot , combine the cornstarch and water. Stirring briskly, bring to a boil until just translucent. Do not overcook. Scrape paste into a small bowl and cover. Set aside.
- Grate the zest from two lemons to measure 2 to 3 teaspoons. Squeeze lemons to make ½ cup juice. Separate eggs, placing yolks in a small bowl. Place the egg whites in the bowl of a mixer.
- Whisk lemon juice into the egg yolks. Carefully add a spoonful of the hot filling to the yolks, immediately whisking to combine. Repeat with 2 more spoonfuls. Then, whisking constantly, slowly pour the egg yolk mixture back into the filling. Return to medium heat and cook until very thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and lemon zest. Set aside.
- MERINGUE
- BAKE
- Pour filling into the pie shell (homemade or store-bought).
- Spoon dollops of meringue around the edge, making sure there it goes right to the edge of the crust (no gaps).
- Pile the remaining meringue onto the filling. With the back of the spoon, create a few wisps.
- Bake pie for 15 to 20 minutes, or until meringue is light brown. Keep an eye on the pie. You don't want it to get too brown. Let pie cool completely on wire rack. Refrigerate and when ready to slice, dip a sharp knife in hot water.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information presented below is an approximation and may vary depending on the exact ingredients used.
Notes
- Spread meringue on the filling while it is still warm - this prevents the liquid layer that forms between filling and meringue when the base is cold.
- Add sugar to the meringue slowly, one spoonful at a time. Rushing causes a grainy, weeping meringue.
- Best served the day it is made. Meringue is freshest within a few hours of baking.
- Store: Covered in the refrigerator up to 2 days. The meringue will soften slightly by day two.
Nutrition
Calories: 253kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 105mg | Sodium: 81mg | Potassium: 62mg | Fiber: 0.05g | Sugar: 44g | Vitamin A: 222IU | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 0.3mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @savoringitaly or tag #savoringitaly!
What a lovely way to remember your dad, Lora, and I love the blog makeover. It looks great and really highlights your beautiful baking. 🙂 BTW, we need some of those artichokes. Oh, my!
I have a feeling that your Dad would be very proud of your decision to keep this site going (love the redesign).
This was another lovely post and a delicious looking pie. Beautiful birthday tribute to your father, wonderful photos and wow...those artichokes.
Hugs to you Lora 🙂
Holy artichokes!! Thats beautiful!!!! We want to go harvest artichokes in Italy too!!!
Beautiful Lemon Meringue pie!!! Its one of our favorite pies... Love the tart lemony curd.. =)
Thanks for sharing!!
Ooooooh I loooove the new design! It's as beautiful as this amazing pie... and the tribute to your dad.
Lora, I'm so glad you continued blogging. I only recently discovered your blog and the first post I read was actually the one you wrote after your dad passed and you went to Sicily. That post made me tear up and so did this one. I can feel the immense love you have for your dad with every beautiful, heartfelt word you write. I also think it's incredibly sweet that lemon meringue pie was a special thing between your best friend and your dad. Don't feel bad for not baking this pie for him. This is a wonderful tribute to him as you approach his birthday and your pie looks amazing!
Such a wonderful post (and pie!). I'm sure your dad would have loved it.
The blog design is great! Thanks for sharing about your father, but glad you are continuing to blog here. Looking at other people's blogs are always inspiration.
Awe Lora, your dad would be so proud of you for this beautiful pie. You did an amazing job with it.
I lost my dad almost 6 years ago to cancer, the anniversary of his passing is looming. I tend to get sentimental around that day and his birthday as well. And my mom's too. I lost one parent young and one when I was older, and I can say with absolute certainty that your age does not matter when losing a parent. It rips you apart at any age. We are always their little ones, and it is heartbreaking to lose them. So I'm sending a big hug your way, and lots of virtual comfort food.
On the design front, I love it. It's so you, I think Heather really did a great job making it feel like it has Lora written all over it. Love how spacious the sidebar is too. Most are cramped. And the footer is fabulous. The header is gorgeous, I love the colours and the hearts. Great job ladies.
Happy Birthday to your Dad..a very moving and lovely post xo. That said, WOW, I love your new site design! I was confused at first when I clicked on because I had no idea you were redesigning!. Heather did an amazing job! That said, YOU did an amazing job on this beautiful lemon meringue pie. Exactly how a lemon meringue pie should be..lots of meringue!
LOVE that huge cloud of meringue!! Bill loves this pie, too! And your new blog look is spectacular!!! xo
How special that you can carry on baking special memories of your dad and this lemon meringue pie is a lovely tribute. It's my dad's favorite too-- the first pie I ever made for exactly that reason.
Your site looks great, love the new look!
this post made me tear up! Your dad sounds like he was a wonderful and loving man. By the way - Lemon Meringue was my Mother's favorite pie too. I wonder if our parents are sharing a slice in Heaven with each other. Thank you for allowing me to play with your blog design, it was a true pleasure to work with you. xo darlin!!!
Lora,
What a gorgeous pie! I pinned it already. I'm sure your Dad knows you made it for him.
Love the site redesign.
Annamaria
Love your pretty new site!!
What a wonderful post about your dad and a great recipes to go with it.
such beautiful memories Lora - and the new look is sooooooo you!! (((hugs)))
What a sweet post. I love the new design!
It's so sweet that your friend made lemon meringue pie for your dad each year and I know your father would love this one you made. I've always loved it, too. This was such a sweet tribute to your dad.
Love the new look, Lora. So fresh and bright! 🙂
This is such a beautiful post, Lora. So much love in that pie. I can almost taste it.
What a nice memory of your Dad. I bet he would have loved yours, because it looks amazing!
Lemon Meringue Pie is definitely on my list of things to make!
a few notes:
Happy birthday to your dad -- i'm sure he's smiling down at you 🙂
Beautiful, lovely site makeover. I need one, soon!
And I want a pie to go with it!! This pie, to be exact 🙂