Ahh, lemon meringue pie 🍋☁️—bright, tangy lemon filling with a fluffy cloud of meringue on top. Classic, show-stopping, and totally worth it. Here’s a clear, reliable homemade recipe.
🍋 Lemon Meringue Pie
Ingredients
Pie crust
- 1 baked 9-inch pie crust (homemade or store-bought)
Lemon filling
- 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 4 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3–4 lemons)
- 2 tbsp lemon zest
- 2 tbsp butter
Meringue
- 4 egg whites (room temperature)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar (optional but helpful)
Instructions
1. Make the lemon filling
- In a saucepan, whisk sugar, cornstarch, and salt.
- Gradually whisk in water.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick and bubbly.
- Lightly beat egg yolks in a bowl. Slowly whisk in a few spoonfuls of the hot mixture (to temper).
- Pour yolk mixture back into the saucepan.
- Cook 1–2 minutes until thick.
- Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice, zest, and butter.
- Pour filling into baked pie crust.
2. Make the meringue
- Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form.
- Gradually add sugar, beating until stiff, glossy peaks form.
3. Assemble & bake
- Spoon meringue over hot lemon filling, spreading it all the way to the crust edges (important to prevent weeping).
- Create peaks with the back of a spoon.
- Bake at 180°C / 350°F for 10–12 minutes, until meringue is lightly golden.
4. Cool
- Let pie cool completely at room temperature before slicing.
- Refrigerate only after fully cooled.
✅ Tips for success
- Spread meringue on hot filling to help it set properly
- Seal meringue to the crust edges to prevent shrinking
- Use fresh lemon juice—it makes a huge difference
- Don’t overbake the meringue or it can weep
If you want, I can also give you:
- a no-bake lemon pie
- a lemon meringue pie with condensed milk
- or a mini lemon meringue tart version
Just tell me what you’re in the mood for 🍋🥧
