Lemon meringue pie is a crisp pastry shell filled with a sharp, silky lemon filling and piled high with soft, toasted meringue. It is the pie for Easter, a summer Sunday dinner or any time someone at the table asks for something lemony instead of chocolate.
How to make lemon meringue pie: Partially blind bake a 9-inch pie crust. Cook water, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and zest until thick, temper in egg yolks and finish with butter. Spread the warm filling in the crust, cover with meringue all the way to the edges and bake at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool 1 hour, then chill 4 hours.
Why You’ll Love It
- From scratch. The filling is cooked on the stove with fresh lemon juice and zest, not poured from a can.
- The whole egg gets used. Five yolks thicken the filling and the five whites become the meringue.
- A tall, glossy topping. The meringue is whipped to stiff peaks and browned in the oven.
- A make-early dessert. The pie has to chill for 4 hours, so it is finished well before dinner.
Ingredient Notes
Pie crust. One homemade crust for a 9-inch pie. The dough needs at least 2 hours in the refrigerator before you roll it.
Eggs. Five large eggs, separated. Keep the whites at room temperature for the meringue.
Cornstarch. A 1/3 cup thickens the filling so it cuts cleanly.
Lemon juice and zest. You need 1/2 cup of fresh juice and 1 tablespoon of zest. Zest the lemons before you juice them.
Granulated sugar. One cup for the filling and 1/2 cup for the meringue. Measure them into separate bowls.
Unsalted butter. Two tablespoons, softened, whisked in at the very end.
Cream of tartar. A 1/2 teaspoon goes in with the egg whites at the start of whipping.
Ingredients
For the crust and filling
- 1 homemade pie crust, for a 9-inch pie
- 5 egg yolks, from large eggs
- 1 1/3 cups water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup lemon juice, fresh
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
For the meringue
- 5 egg whites, from large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
How to Make Lemon Meringue Pie
1. Prepare the crust. Refrigerate the pie dough for at least 2 hours before rolling it out. Heat the oven to 375°F with the rack in the lowest position. Crimp or flute the dough in a 9-inch pie dish and partially blind bake it, following the directions for your crust.
2. Lower the oven temperature. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Keep the partially baked crust warm while you make the filling.
3. Start the lemon filling. Whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the water, filling sugar, cornstarch, filling salt, lemon juice and zest. Cook until the mixture thickens and bubbles, about 6 minutes, then whisk and reduce the heat to low.
4. Temper the yolks. Very slowly whisk a few large spoonfuls of the warm lemon mixture into the yolks. Slowly whisk the yolk mixture back into the saucepan. Return to medium heat and cook until thick, with large bubbles bursting at the surface. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter.
5. Fill the crust. Spread the filling into the warm, partially baked crust. Keep the filling warm while you prepare the meringue.
6. Whip and spread the meringue. Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed for 1 minute, then on high until soft peaks form, about 4 more minutes. Add the meringue sugar and salt and beat on high until glossy stiff peaks form, about 2 more minutes. Spread over the warm filling all the way to the crust at the edges.
7. Bake. Bake on the lowest rack for 20 to 25 minutes. If the meringue browns too quickly, tent it with foil without letting the foil touch it. Check that the meringue reaches 160°F with a food thermometer. Color alone is not a safety check.
8. Cool and chill. Cool on a wire rack at room temperature for 1 hour, then refrigerate for 4 hours before slicing.
Can You Make Lemon Meringue Pie the Night Before?
You can, but it is at its best on day 1. Meringue is delicate. Over time the topping can wilt and separate from the filling, and no recipe can promise it will look the same the next morning. If you want the pie at its prettiest, bake it in the morning for that night’s dinner.
What you can do is give the meringue the best start. Two steps in this recipe help prevent separation and weeping.
| What to do | When | What it helps with |
|---|---|---|
| Spread the meringue on warm filling | Right after the filling goes in the crust | Helps the two layers hold together |
| Seal the meringue to the crust at the edges | While spreading | Helps prevent separation and weeping |
| Cool 1 hour, then chill 4 hours | After baking | Sets the filling so it slices |
Do not leave the pie on the counter overnight. After its 1 hour of cooling at room temperature, it goes into the refrigerator and stays there.
Tips for Success
What commonly goes wrong with lemon meringue pie?
The meringue pulls away from the crust, or liquid collects between the topping and the filling. Putting the meringue on while the filling is warm and spreading it all the way to the crust are the two steps that help with both.
How do I make meringue that holds its shape?
Whip it in stages. Beat the whites and cream of tartar for 1 minute on medium, then on high to soft peaks. Add the sugar and salt only then, and keep beating on high until the peaks are glossy and stiff.
Why add the hot filling to the yolks so slowly?
That step is called tempering. Whisking in a few spoonfuls at a time warms the yolks gently before they go into the hot pan.
What if the meringue browns too fast?
Tent the pie loosely with foil, and do not let the foil touch the topping.
How do I know the meringue is cooked?
Use a food thermometer and look for 160°F. A golden top does not tell you the egg whites are hot enough.
How Long Does It Take?
Plan on most of a day. The recipe lists 6 hours of prep, 1 hour 10 minutes of cooking and 7 hours 10 minutes in total. Most of that is waiting: at least 2 hours for the dough to chill, 1 hour for the baked pie to cool and 4 hours for it to chill before slicing. The hands-on parts are short.
Storage & Reheating
This pie is served cold and is not reheated. Cover leftovers and keep them in the refrigerator. USDA FSIS says to refrigerate perishable leftovers within 2 hours and to use refrigerated leftovers within 3 to 4 days. That is a safety window, not a promise about texture: the meringue is best on day 1 and can wilt after that.
What to Serve With It
If lemon and meringue are your thing, the lemon meringue cheesecake is the next one to try. For quicker lemon desserts, there are 3-ingredient lemon bars, the 4-ingredient lemon cream cheese dump cake and the slow cooker lemon lush. For a cake, bake the lemon blueberry cake or the lemon poke cake with soaking syrup.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I keep the pie from getting soggy overnight?
You cannot fully prevent it. Spread the meringue on warm filling and seal it to the crust, chill the pie as directed and serve it on day 1 if you can. The topping can still wilt and separate with time.
How long does lemon meringue pie need to chill?
Cool it for 1 hour at room temperature, then refrigerate it for 4 hours before slicing.
Do I bake the crust first?
Yes. The crust is partially blind baked at 375°F before the filling goes in. This recipe does not give a time for that step, so follow the directions that come with your crust recipe.
How many slices does it make?
Nine servings from one 9-inch pie.
Final Notes
I bake this in the morning and serve it the same night, because the meringue looks its best on day 1. If you make it, leave a comment to tell me how it turned out or ask a question.
Lemon Meringue Pie
Want This Recipe Later?
We'll send this recipe straight to your inbox.
Ingredients
- 1 homemade pie crust for a 9-inch pie; dough refrigerated at least 2 hours before rolling
- 5 egg yolks from large eggs; reserve the whites for the meringue
- 1 1/3 cups water
- 1 cup granulated sugar for the filling
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt for the filling
- 1/2 cup lemon juice fresh
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 5 egg whites from large eggs; at room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar for the meringue
- 1/8 teaspoon salt for the meringue
Instructions
- Refrigerate the pie dough for at least 2 hours before rolling it out. Heat the oven to 375°F with the rack in the lowest position. Crimp or flute the dough in a 9-inch pie dish and partially blind bake it, following the directions for your crust.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Keep the partially baked crust warm while you make the filling.
- Whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the water, filling sugar, cornstarch, filling salt, lemon juice and zest. Cook until the mixture thickens and bubbles, about 6 minutes, then whisk and reduce the heat to low.
- Very slowly whisk a few large spoonfuls of the warm lemon mixture into the yolks. Slowly whisk the yolk mixture back into the saucepan. Return to medium heat and cook until thick, with large bubbles bursting at the surface. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter.
- Spread the filling into the warm, partially baked crust. Keep the filling warm while you prepare the meringue.
- Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed for 1 minute, then on high until soft peaks form, about 4 more minutes. Add the meringue sugar and salt and beat on high until glossy stiff peaks form, about 2 more minutes. Spread over the warm filling all the way to the crust at the edges.
- Bake on the lowest rack for 20 to 25 minutes. If the meringue browns too quickly, tent it with foil without letting the foil touch it. Check that the meringue reaches 160°F with a food thermometer. Color alone is not a safety check.
- Cool on a wire rack at room temperature for 1 hour, then refrigerate for 4 hours before slicing.
