This is the perfect lemon meringue pie! With a delicious homemade pie crust, tart and smooth lemon filling, and a fluffy toasted meringue topping, it’s impossible to resist.
Let’s welcome a fresh new season with a fresh new pie—the pie I’ve been taunting you with for weeks!! The beautiful, the timeless, the Classic Lemon Meringue Pie.
My lemon meringue pie recipe has a billowy and toasty meringue topping, a balanced sweet/tart lemon filling, and an extra thick and flaky pie crust. I worked on this recipe for a long time, making at least a dozen meringue pies in the past few months. Both my kitchen and head were exploding lemons. Whenever we had friends or family stop by, I’d force lemon meringue pie on them. “PLEASE TELL ME YOUR THOUGHTS” I begged while barely blinking.
How to Make Lemon Meringue Pie
Over the years and especially the past few months, I learned that lemon meringue pie can be a daunting process but it doesn’t have to be. Let me make this recipe easy for you by giving you a tested (and praised!!!) recipe, lots of helpful recipe notes, and a video so you can watch it come to life. Perhaps you’re looking for Easter dessert recipes? Celebrating a birthday? Or just want to enjoy a beautiful lemon-y pie? No matter your reason, I’ve got you 🙂
- Blind bake pie crust
- Prepare lemon meringue pie filling
- Whip meringue topping
- Spread meringue on top of filling
- Bake pie until toasty brown on top
Now that you have a general idea of the process, let’s learn why this lemon meringue pie recipe works and what mistakes to avoid.
Here’s Why This Recipe Works
There are 3 main roadblocks when making lemon meringue pie: a soggy pie crust, a watery lemon filling, and/or a weeping meringue. Let’s work through each.
- Let’s avoid a soggy pie crust: Start by reviewing how we blind bake pie crust. You want to partially blind bake the crust because it will continue to bake when you bake the assembled lemon meringue pie. Watch me blind bake the crust I use for this lemon meringue pie in my separate post on how to blind bake pie crust. Lots of tips and tricks there. And to get those pretty decorative edges, see my how to crimp and flute pie crust tutorial.
- Let’s avoid a watery lemon filling: This is where I always had the most trouble. Lemon meringue pie filling is basically a thinner version of lemon curd. You’ll temper egg yolks. And before you run away screaming, watch me do this in the video below. Promise it’s not scary. While lemon meringue pie filling should be blissfully creamy, we also want it to be stable enough to slice somewhat neatly. (Think: a slightly firmer version of pudding, but not as firm as jello.) There was a lot of back and forth with the water vs lemon juice vs cornstarch vs sugar amounts. Follow my lemon meringue pie filling below. It’s not too tart, not too sweet, and has the silkiest, yet not-too-watery texture.
- Let’s avoid a weeping meringue: There are many different types of meringue topping, but let’s use a French meringue. Beat egg whites into soft peaks, add sugar, then beat into stiff peaks. Unless you want to waste a bunch of egg whites in failed meringue attempts, read these tips: Make sure you begin with just egg whites. Not even a drip of egg yolks. Make sure the bowl you’re using is completely wiped clean. No oil or water residue. Make sure you add cream of tartar. This will stabilize your meringue. Make sure you add the sugar *after* soft peaks are formed. If added before that, the egg whites could stretch too much which prevents a stiff peak altogether. (These tips apply for my chocolate swirled meringue cookies, too.) Make sure you spread the meringue topping so it touches the pie crust. This seals the lemon filling underneath and allows the crust to grip onto the meringue so the two do not separate. And, finally, don’t make lemon meringue pie on a humid day.
How to Make Lemon Meringue Pie Topping
The meringue toasts in the oven. A lot of recipes call for putting the whole pie under the broiler, but I prefer to bake it so that the egg whites have a chance to cook through. Also, see the end of step 6 in the recipe below. Make sure you spread the meringue topping on while the filling is still warm. The warm filling helps seal the two layers together, preventing separation.
- Did you know? (1) Room temperature egg whites whip faster than cold egg whites. And (2) room temperature egg whites whip into a greater volume than cold egg whites. So make sure your egg whites are at room temperature before starting the meringue.
- Time saving tip: You need 5 egg yolks for the lemon filling and 5 egg whites for the meringue topping. Separate the 5 eggs while they are cold. (Cold eggs separate easier! Remember NO egg yolks in the meringue, not even a smidge.) Leave the egg whites out on the counter. Blind bake the pie crust and prepare the lemon filling. By the time you’re ready to start the meringue, the egg whites will be room temperature.
Meringue can be tricky, but you’re a baker and you can absolutely handle this.
Craving something smaller? Here is my lemon bars recipe.
PrintClassic Lemon Meringue Pie
- Prep Time: 6 hours
- Cook Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Total Time: 7 hours, 10 minutes
- Yield: one 9-inch pie
- Category: Pie
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This is the perfect lemon meringue pie! With a delicious homemade pie crust, tart and smooth lemon filling, and a fluffy toasted meringue topping, it’s impossible to resist.
Ingredients
- Homemade Pie Crust*
- 5 large egg yolks (use the whites in the meringue below)
- 1 and 1/3 cups (320ml) water
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup (38g) cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (120ml) fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
Meringue
- 5 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Pie crust: I like to make sure my pie dough is prepared before I begin making lemon meringue pie. I always make pie dough the night before because it needs to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before rolling out and blind baking (next step).
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and adjust your oven rack to the lowest position. Partially blind bake pie crust in a 9-inch pie dish. (Follow blind baking instructions through step 9. Be sure to crimp or flute the pie crust edges, too.) Tip: You can get started on the lemon meringue pie filling steps while your crust is blind baking. But making the filling is time sensitive because you will temper the egg yolks, so if multi-tasking isn’t your thing, just wait until your crust is done blind baking before beginning the filling.
- Reduce oven temperature to 350°F (177°C).
- Watch the video below to see how I work through each of the following steps.
- Make the filling: Whisk the egg yolks together in a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup. Set aside. Whisk the water, granulated sugar, cornstarch, salt, lemon juice, and lemon zest together in a medium saucepan over medium heat. The mixture will be thin and cloudy, then eventually begin thickening and bubbling after about 6 minutes. Once thickened, give it a whisk and reduce heat to low.
- Temper the egg yolks: Very slowly stream a few large spoonfuls of warm lemon mixture into the beaten egg yolks. Then, also in a very slow stream, whisk the egg yolk mixture into the saucepan. Turn heat back up to medium. Cook until the mixture is thick and big bubbles begin bursting at the surface. Remove the pan from heat and whisk in the butter. Spread filling into the warm partially baked crust. Set aside as you prepare the meringue. (Don’t let the filling cool down too much as you want a warm filling when you top with the meringue in step 7. The warm filling helps seal the two layers together, preventing separation.)
- Make the meringue: With a handheld mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar together on medium speed for 1 minute, then increase to high speed until soft peaks form, about 4 more minutes. Add the sugar and salt, then continue beating on high speed until glossy stiff peaks form, about 2 more minutes. Spread meringue on top of filling. (I like to make decorative peaks with the back of a large spoon.) Make sure you spread the meringue all the way to the edges so that it touches the crust. This helps prevent the meringue from weeping.
- Bake pie on the lowest oven rack for 20-25 minutes. (If the meringue is browning too quickly, tent a piece of foil over it as best you can without the foil touching the meringue.) When pie is done, remove from the oven, place on a wire rack, and allow to cool at room temperature for 1 hour before placing in the refrigerator to chill. Chill for 4 hours before slicing and serving.
- Cover any leftovers and store in the refrigerator. Lemon meringue pie tastes best on day 1 because it doesn’t keep very well. No matter how hard you try to prevent it, the meringue will wilt and separate over time. Best to enjoy right away.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: The pie crust can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can also blind bake the crust ahead of time, see how to blind bake pie crust for details. Lemon meringue pie is not the best pie to freeze. The filling and meringue’s texture are never quite the same.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | 9-inch Pie Dish | Rolling Pin | Pie Weights | Glass Mixing Bowls | Citrus Zester | Saucepan | Whisk | Cooling Rack
- Pie Crust: My homemade pie crust recipe makes 2 pie crusts. If you use my “dough strip” method explained in my how to blind bake pie crust tutorial, you will need 1 and 1/2 pie crusts. Or you can skip that little trick and just use 1 pie crust.
- Prepare Ahead of Time: Prep all of your ingredients before you begin, including grating the lemon zest and separating the eggs. Don’t multitask unless you’re confident! The filling is time sensitive and you want to make sure everything is ready when you need to add it. Prep all of the meringue ingredients as well. You want them on hand, especially the sugar and salt, the very moment you need them. Don’t walk away from the bowl of egg whites as they whip. Meringue can beat into stiff peaks quite quickly.
Keywords: Classic Lemon Meringue Pie
The curd inside is the best! My mom used to make the worlds greatest lemon meringue pie. This definitely rivals it. I love the lemon just in the filling and I added just a touch more. I saw online years ago to make sure you don’t seat down to the white of the lemon or it turns bitter. This is divine. I just want to sit with a spoon and eat all of the curd (filling). I don’t like meringue so I’ll just dust with powdered sugar before serving.
★★★★★
Turned out great !
OMG! This the best lemon pie out there! Thank you for the step by step on tempering the eggs. Hug crowd pleaser!
★★★★★
Good morning from Melbourne, Australia. I have just baked a lemon meringue following your recipe ( for 3rd time) It was very easy to follow, so thank you. I have had to take up cooking in the last 3 years after my wife passed away. I find cooking relaxing and rewarding. Once again thank you.
Hi Keith, I’m so glad that you tried and enjoyed this recipe and that you’re enjoying the process, too. Thank you very much.
This recipe is so cool, I just love it! I have made this several times now and each time a huge success. I love how clear and comprehensive the instructions are. If you follow them to the letter you simply can’t go wrong. My friends are so impressed with my (Sally’s) Lemon Meringue Pie…they say its “better than a bought one”
★★★★★
Hi there,
Can I use this same recipe modified for a 9×9 square pan for lemon meringue pie bars? If yes, would there be any other crust options that might work better?
Thank you!
Hi Priyanka, we’d recommend using our lemon bars recipe instead. Then, you can try topping the bars with the meringue about 10 minutes before they’re finished baking. So bake the bars plain for at least 15-18 minutes first– when the meringue covers it, it will slow the filling from cooking through. 25-28 minutes total would be ideal. Let us know what you try!
I have made this recipe about 4 times! It has always turned out great! Well done!
I have made this previously with your famous pie crust, and it turned out beautifully! My grandmother always made lemon meringue pie with a graham cracker crust. When we were young and dating, Grandma loved to make this pie and she would call my now-husband over to her pie treat just for him! I will make it her way this time for Father’s Day as it was a request from hubby!
★★★★★
This recipe is my go to for lemon curd. The pie comes out perfect every time.
★★★★★
My husband has been wanting a lemon pie so I made him one today for Father’s Day weekend. It was delicious but we both thought it was a little too tart. How do I adjust the tartness? I did use fresh lemons vs lemon juice.
Hi Beth! You can try adding a bit more sugar, or less lemon zest to suit your tastes. Or you may love our creamy lemon pie recipe instead!
Do you have any thoughts on why the filling might fail to set? I feel like I followed the recipe well, but even despite chilling overnight I still ended up with lemon meringue soup. Can you overmix the starch, or would it be the cook time? Or something else? It otherwise tasted great so I definitely want to have another go at it!
Hi Kerri, I wonder if the mixture wasn’t cooked long enough in step 6. Were big bubbles bursting in the center? (A sign that the mixture is done on the stove.)
Can we use store bought crust for this?
Hi Connor, sure!
I followed the instructions to the letter, the lemon filling was watery, and the meringue came away from the crust despite putting the Meringue over the edge of the pie crust, not happy with recipe at all, especially with the watery lemon filling
Have you ever made this recipe with sugar substitutes such as monk fruit sweetener?
Hi Ruth, We’d love to help but we are not trained in baking with sugar substitutes. For best taste and texture (and so you don’t waste your time trying to adapt this recipe since it may not work properly), it may be more useful to find a recipe that is specifically formulated for sugar substitutes. Thank you!
I made this pie today. If it tastes as good as it looks, we’re good to go! It’s cooling now.
★★★★★
Thank you for this recipe. Loved it and so did my neighbors who gave me the lemons. My meringue did weep just a little however I notice that it fell a little as well. Any suggestions.
Can I swap fresh lime juice for lemon to make a lime meringue pie? Would you suggest any alterations? Thank you!
Hi Wendi, using fresh lime juice would be pretty tart, but some readers have reported success with using key lime juice. You could also try this key lime pie recipe, and top with meringue!
What is the oven temp for the meringue part
The meringue bakes at 350°F (177°C).
I made lemon curd that used a double broiler and used it to make the lemon filling. Once that cornstarch mixture gets going be ready to fast whisk, it will be ready in a minute or two.
I froze the meringue mixing bowl + beater and chilled the egg yolks to speed up the process.
★★★★★
Amazing recipe. i will make this again
★★★★★
I’ve just made my 21st pie this year. At least half have been lemon with this recipe. It is delicious and fairly easy to make. I’ve used it to teach my grandkids about tempering eggs and baking my pie crusts using pie weights. Thanks for this excellent recipe.
★★★★★
Delicious! I did get some beading & deflationon the meringue during the cooling process but the crust stayed sturdy and the meringue stayed fluffy enough to help the flavors & textures come together like a lemon meringue pie should.
★★★★★
I have used your recipes for my children’s culinary summer camp. Their favorite was making pizza dough. We now use it in our account as well. So today I needed a dessert for the Derby and a lemon meringue pie was suggested. So I clicked on the goggle and boom. You have a recipe. Forgive me but being it was the Derby I cut the water amount with 1 part bourbon 3 parts water. Very nice pie.
How long should the big bubbles take to form and what did I do wrong if it’s been 5+ minutes and they’re not forming
Hi Marissa, your stove may not run as hot or your pan is extra thick… both of which are completely fine. Don’t be nervous if it’s taking longer for those bubbles to form in the lemon mixture.
This was the best step by step recipe I was like a deer in the headlights at first glance and then I realized that it wasn’t that difficult.
How long will this keep in the refrigerator?
Hi Terry, Lemon meringue pie tastes best on day 1 because it doesn’t keep very well. No matter how hard you try to prevent it, the meringue will wilt and separate over time. Best to enjoy right away.
Hello,
Just wondering if I can make the lemon filling the day before then warm it the next day before putting the meringue on>
Hi Fran, You can — refrigerate the lemon filled pie overnight, then warm in the oven for about 5 minutes since it needs to be warm before adding the meringue on top. (So the two do not separate.) Hope this helps!
I’ve made this recipe 3X & everyone goes nuts for it. Each time I’ve improved my technique. I would suggest to mix cornstarch in water before adding all ingredients otherwise the cornstarch can be clumpy. Fabulous flavors. Thank you for the videos. I’ve sent many cooks to you sight. Great details!
★★★★★
I will be making this pie in New Orleans. You say not to make meringue on a humid day. I had to laugh as New Orleans is where you ‘wear the air’. Do you have a tip to avoid humidity related problems ? Thanks ! ⚜️
~Margaret~
Hi Margaret, I’m just seeing your question now! Have you tried the recipe yet? In a humid kitchen/environment, it may help to mix a few teaspoons of cornstarch in with the sugar you use in the meringue topping. I’ve tried that with other meringue recipes and it has helped a bit. Let me know if you try it with this topping.
I’m excited to make this tomorrow for my family for Easter dinner. However, I don’t have unsalted butter. Will this affect the outcome? I wanted to know before I make it, if possible? I’m so excited to try it.
Hi Karen, you can read all about salted butter vs unsalted butter in baking. You can use salted butter here and just cut the added salt in half.