Lemon Meringue Pie

A classic for a reason, this Lemon Meringue Pie is the perfect combination of sweet and tart. A smooth lemon filling is topped with a marshmallow-like meringue in this pie that is the perfect ending for a holiday dinner.

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I love any holiday pie, but some of my very favorites (including this Lemon Meringue Pie!) are a Classic Pecan Pie, Coconut Cream Pie or Chocolate Cream Pie.

Sometimes, the holidays are all about the classics.

Don’t get me wrong – I love trying new recipes. But there is something about a holiday – where even if you do decide to do something a little bit different, you need to stick with at least one or two classics.

Luckily, my family loves pie.  In fact, when it comes to Thanksgiving, we usually end up with enough pies to feed an army.  I seriously think we had enough last year that each person could have had their own pie.  And amidst all of those pies and desserts, there are 2 pies that are must haves for me – pumpkin and lemon meringue.

And no one makes a lemon meringue pie like my mama makes a lemon meringue pie.

This is the recipe that she has been making for years. I don’t remember the last time we had Thanksgiving without mom’s lemon meringue pie. And I’m not ready to let that tradition go any time soon!

Lemon Meringue Pie Ingredients

Here is what you’ll need to make mom’s lemon meringue pie:

• Flour – I use all-purpose.
• Cornstarch – this helps the filling to thicken up and set up.
• Salt – to balance the sweet.
• Water – make sure and read the tips below about the amount of water I like to use.
• Lemon Juice – if you’re making something where the lemon flavor needs to shine, please make sure to use freshly squeezed lemon juice!
• Eggs – only the yolks are shown in my picture above, but you’ll need the yolks for the pie and the whites for the meringue.
• Butter – I always use unsalted, but this is such a small amount that you could use salted if that is what you have on hand.
• Lemon Zest – it’s easiest if you zest the lemons before you juice them.
• Pie Crust – your pie crust needs to be fully cooked and cooled. I like to use my Pie Crust Recipe, but you can also use a premade crust, if you feel more comfortable.

How to Make Lemon Meringue Pie

I will first walk you through how to make the filling, then we’ll cover the meringue below.

1. Start by combining some of the sugar, the flour, the cornstarch and the salt in a saucepan. Whisk to combine.
2. Stir in the water and the lemon juice.
3. Cook this mixture until it starts to thicken up. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
4. In a small bowl, whisk your egg yolks and slowly add some of the hot mixture, whisking the whole time. It’s very important to vigorously whisk while adding the hot mixture to avoid your eggs scrambling.

1. Whisk this egg mixture back into the filling that is still in the pan and whisk to combine.
2. Continue to cook the filling for another minute. It should be thick like pudding at this point.
3. Remove the pan from the heat and add the butter and the zest and whisk until the butter is melted and incorporated.
4. Pour the hot filling into the pie crust.

How to Make Meringue

I used to be intimidated by meringue, but it’s actually quite easy!

1. Whisk the egg whites until they start to get frothy. You’ll want either a stand mixer or hand mixer for this. I can be done by hand, but will be a lot more difficult and time consuming.
2. Start adding in the sugar, about a tablespoon at a time.
3. Continue to beat until you have thick, marshmallow-like stiff peaks.
4. Carefully spread the meringue on the hot filling. You can create little flips and crevices, if desired. Then bake until the meringue is browned.

Tips and Tricks

• I like a tart lemon pie, and the original version of this is more sweet than tart. If you want to up the tartness, decrease the water to 1 1/2 cups and increase the lemon juice to 1/2 cup.
• You need to make sure the filling is still hot when you add the meringue. I like to start the meringue in the mixer while I am making the filling. If you can’t do that, just be aware that you need to make the meringue quickly enough that you can add it to the pie while the filling is still hot.
• Make sure you spread the meringue all the way to the crust. This will keep the meringue from shrinking and weeping.
• If you still find that your meringue is weeping, you may be cooking it too long. I just leave it in the oven long enough to brown the meringue.
• If the meringue does weep, it’s still totally edible and delicious! You can try blotting it off with a paper towel, or just eat it as is.
• This pie is one that you need to make the day of – not ahead of time. The longer the pie is refrigerated, the stickier the meringue will get. The crust can be made ahead of time, but I would plan on making the pie the same day that you want to serve it.

More Lemon Desserts

Shortbread Lemon Tart
Lemon Cheesecake
Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze
Lemon Cream Pie
Glazed Lemon Cakes
Lemon Bars

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Lemon Meringue Pie

5 from 2 votes

Author: Deborah Harroun

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Refrigeration Time: 3 hours hours

Total Time: 3 hours hours 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

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A classic for a reason, this Lemon Meringue Pie is the perfect combination of sweet and tart. A smooth lemon filling is topped with a marshmallow-like meringue in this pie that is the perfect ending for a holiday dinner.

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Ingredients

• ▢ 1 cup plus 6 tablespoons granulated sugar divided
• ▢ 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 2 cups water
• ▢ 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• ▢ 3 eggs whites and yolks separated
• ▢ 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• ▢ 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• ▢ 1 9-inch pie crust, cooked and cooled

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
• FILLING: In a saucepan, combine 1 cup of the sugar, the flour, the cornstarch and the salt. Whisk to combine. Stir in the water and the lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, whisking or stirring constantly, until the mixture is thickened. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
• Place the egg yolks in a small bowl and beat slightly. While whisking, stir in a bit of the hot mixture, whisking constantly to prevent scrambling the eggs. Pour this egg mixture back into the saucepan and continue to cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute.
• Remove the mixture from the heat and add in the butter and lemon zest. Stir to combine, then pour into the prepared pie crust.
• MERINGUE: To make the meringue, beat the egg whites in a large bowl until they are frothy. (This is definitely easiest done in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer.) Start adding in the remaining 6 tablespoons of sugar, about 1 tablespoon at at time. Continue to mix until stiff, marshmallow-like peaks form.
• Carefully spread the meringue over the hot filling, making sure to go all the way to the edges of the pie to touch the crust.
• BAKE: Bake in the preheated oven for about 5 minutes, or until the peaks are browned.
• REFRIGERATE: Let the pie cool at room temperature until completely cool. If not serving right away, refrigerate for 3-6 hours before serving.

Recipe Notes:

For a more tart pie, cut the water to 1 1/2 cups and increase the lemon juice to 1/2 cup.

Nutrition information provided as an estimate only. Various brands and products can change the counts. Any nutritional information should be used as a general guideline.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1slice, Calories: 298kcal (15%), Carbohydrates: 52g (17%), Protein: 3g (6%), Fat: 9g (14%), Saturated Fat: 4g (25%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 78mg (26%), Sodium: 232mg (10%), Sugar: 35g (39%)

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