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.
Made this pie yesterday and thought I followed all the directions; however my lemon filling was extremely runny. Wondering if this is because I didn’t cook the filling long enough after tempering and adding the egg yolks? It tasted great, just didn’t hold when slicing. My meringue also started to turn brown after only 15 minutes in the oven and I took it out because I was afraid it would burn. I’m in Phoenix at about 1000 ft elevation, so not sure if that’s why. Now I’m wondering if I should have kept it in longer to help the filling set? Besides all this, it was a delicious pie! Thanks!
Hi Heather, so glad you enjoyed how this lemon meringue pie tasted and thank you for reporting back! I don’t think it’s the elevation. If the filling is runny and thin, it could use more time on the stove. If you try this pie again, I recommend cooking the filling for longer before and after adding the egg yolks. Extra time in the oven will help too, so I recommend lowering your oven rack so the meringue doesn’t over-brown too quickly.
I consider myself an accomplished baker, but lemon meringue pie has always been my nemesis. Watching your video and following the recipe and method precisely, I finally nailed it! That catchy tune from your video was playing along in my head the entire time. It was like having you right there coaching me. Thanks, Sally!
Thank you Sally for this delicious recipe and the care you put into your explanations and videos. It was my first pie and it turned out perfect.
I have never baked anything that wasn’t a premade mix before, this was my first foray into baking at all. I used a different crust recipe for gluten intolerance, but the curd and meringue were this recipe word-for-word. I put it in the oven at 400 for 25 minutes and the top came out a little tiny bit browner than I would have liked but that may just be my oven. It set beautifully and the slices held together picture perfectly. However, after a couple of hours in the fridge my meringue starter to sort of *sweat* amber droplets that created little holes. I’m wondering what that is and how to fix it, it still tasted lovely but it sort of ruined the finish. Thanks.
The filling yielded too much for the crust. Followed the recipe to a T and it turned out beautiful. But the meringue filling was completely runny.
Lemon meringue pie is my classic Easter dessert (as well as my favorite pie). In the past, I’ve usually picked it up from a restaurant, but the one in my town closed down earlier this year, so I decided to try it from scratch. This recipe is perfect, after following your instructions to the letter! I plan on making it for more than Easter from now on. 😉
This recipe is perfect. Takes an experienced baker however just follow Sally’s instructions and it will turn out perfect!
Hi Sally. I really am enjoying your site. I’ve made your pizza (with a bit of cornmeal added to the dough, no refrigeration). Today I made what looks like a spectacular lemon meringue pie. I live at 7000 feet and baked it in a convection oven. The meringue is high and swirled – quite magnificent. However, it browned in about 15 min so I took it out. We will do a taste test tonight. Do you think the convection oven or the altitude made a difference in the time for baking?
Hi SantaFE Baker, a convection oven usually browns baked goods a little faster. I don’t have experience baking at high altitude, but that could play into it as well. Hope you enjoyed it and glad it looks great!
I never write a review but I made the recipe just as written and totally loved the results! It is the right amount of tart to sweet and it held up well when sliced. Delicious!
This came out like a dream. I have been making lemon merengue for years and this is THE Best! If I could post the picture you would see, just like the picture!!!!!!!!
HI -I have made lemon meringue pies before and left on counter to cool for a few hours – I refrigerate after. I did as you suggested and this time the meringue deflated in the fridge. Baked according to directions for 25 minutes and was well browned. Any suggestions – I am sure it will taste great!
Hi Colleen! Thank you so much for trying my recipe. The common culprit behind meringue deflating is beating the egg whites too quickly (or at too high of a speed). In this instance, the whites form unstable air bubbles which collapse when heated in the oven. What might help is starting the egg whites on a lower speed at first, then gradually increasing to a higher speed. Also, see the “Let’s avoid a weeping meringue” section in the blog post above.
I made the filling (yummy! just like my grandma’s!) and crust yesterday and looking to make the meringue and bake today. Ok to reheat the filling and then assemble? How would you recommend reheating? Microwave or stovetop?
Stirring it on the stove over medium heat for a few minutes should do the trick!
I don’t have fresh lemon. Can I use ReaLemon from concentrate?
Hi DJ, If you are looking for a lemon filling without making the rest of the pie I suggest using my Lemon Curd recipe.
Can you create a slightly lighter and more tangy option?
great instructions and tips but waaaaay toooooo sweet for me, overwhelmed the tanginess, and could also use less corn starch without giving up the necessary texture. Not as light as my mother’s recipe. So I will be squeezing lemon juice on it (I did not make it into a pie).
I love the detail and thought you put into this recipe. It worked out really well. I made it with pink lemons from my garden…yum!
Previously, my merengue would always come out flat but your instructions helped me create that tall topping with lofty peaks – first time I ever could do that. I used Splenda for the filling and it turned out great.
Thanks for sharing this recipe. It was something fun to do while staying indoors!
Hello Sally! I made this with your flaky pie crust recipe and I used all the right ingredients. I took it out of the oven, with the meringue all toasted on top. I set a timer for four hours, since I really wanted to eat it, but I left it on the kitchen counter to cool. I checked the recipe again, 15 mins later and then realised I had to put it in the fridge to “chill”. Later when I took it out, liquid had gathered in all the little gaps in the fluted crust!?!?! It tasted wonderful, but I want to know why…..please right back, since I want to perfect as soon as possible.
Hi Emily, I’m so glad you enjoyed the taste of the pie! You should let it cool at room temperature for an hour and then transfer it to the refrigerator for an additional four hours. If you only let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before moving it to the fridge the heat from the pie likely caused condensation to form on the top when placed into the cold.
Just made this pie for Pi Day! I’ve attempted lemon meringue pie before but always ended up with a liquidy melted filling This time, it turned out perfect – a beautiful curd that held its shape, a nice big heap of meringue on top, with amazing flavor and texture. I’m a clumsy and infrequent baker but even I thought I ended up with a rather photogenic pie
Thanks for the fantastic and easy to follow recipe + video! Only change I made was to use 1 tsp lemon juice instead of the 1/2 tsp cream of tartar in the meringue, but that’s a standard substitution. I rarely comment on recipes but the pie turned out so well that I just had to express my gratitude. Seriously, I have to admit I’m still giddy at how perfect the lemon curd ended up being.
Thank you again, Sally, and Happy Pi Day!
I have made this pie 4 different times, and the lemon part is Devine. The meringue whips up beautifully, and then in the oven it deflates by 1/2, and after cooling it is flat. I followed the recipe meticulously. What is going on????
Hi Vicki! The common culprit behind meringue deflating is beating the egg whites too quickly (or at too high of a speed). In this instance, the whites form unstable air bubbles which collapse when heated in the oven. What might help is starting the egg whites on a lower speed at first, then gradually increasing to a higher speed. Also, see the “Let’s avoid a weeping meringue” section in the blog post above.
I have never made lemon custard, or meringue before and it turned out perfectly! I was amazed. Thank you for the awesome bog post and video, without it the pie surely would have flopped.
I always failed at preparing the dough, my dough was always inedible. The crust you gave the recipe is the best. Of course, fat is the key besides the cold incorporation of it. This is the best lemon meringue pie recipe there is.
I didn’t use your full recipe but did use a lot of your methods and they helped me make a successful first lemon meringue pie! I used the meringue recipe exactly and it turned out beautiful. My filling is my Grandma’s recipe – super easy and thickened with bread! It was though, like many Grandma recipes, lacking on instruction so yours tips helped immensely. Thank you!
I made this as my first attempt at a meringue pie–it worked perfectly! However, just a note (because someone will be like me a try)– do not try to use a pie crust shield! I wasn’t prepared for how much the meringue puffed up in the oven, and it stuck to the shield, so when I went to remove it halfway through, it pulled off some of my BEAUTIFUL meringue. The underlayer crisped up nicely, but it wasn’t nearly as pretty 😛 It tasted great, however, and got rave reviews. Thanks for the recipe!
I made this pie yesterday for my cross stitching group, and it was a huge success! I probably haven’t made a lemon meringue pie for 40 years, and probably used packaged lemon pie filling. I’ve been struggling for several years to make an angel food cake, and my egg whites always break. I made this meringue with some trepidation, but it was perfect following your directions! I will try adding more juice and less water next time, as I like it a little more tart, but it’s not really necessary, because it is so good the way it’s written!
I’m a little bit confused about the baking time! It came out great but, 25 minutes means the entire meringue was brown with barely any white parts left.
The tips were getting really dark and I took it out after just 20 minutes of baking so as not to burn them.
How is it that your video shows a meringue that still has a lot of white with only brown peaks?
Hi Jonathan, I’m so glad the pie turned out great! Next time you can try to move the rack down to a lower position so that the top of the pie is further away from the heat source. Every oven is a bit different so definitely use your eyes more than the timer.
I have been making lemon meringue pies since the 70s and this is the best recipe ever! I read all the tips which helped greatly. Thank you thank you thank you!
I made this with a precious home-grown lemon and it was perfect! Great recipe and instructions are clear enough for nervous novice bakers to follow! Thank you for sharing this!
This may seem strange but If I wanted to bake just the lemon filling in the pie crust how long would I do this for?
Hi Tara, Do you mean bake the pie without the meringue? I would still bake it for about 20 minutes until the filling is set and the center is only *slightly* jiggly.
You might also enjoy my Creamy Lemon Pie which you can make with actual pie crust (partially blind bake before filling) instead of the graham cracker crust if you would like.
Hello Sally
WOW a fabulous pie! At first I was a little overwhelmed with all the tips and specifics. After serving it to my dinner guests (who raved) I see that You are absolutely correct! I also made your crab cakes which were wonderful! Thank you for all your efforts and details. I will continue on your site for future recipes!
Tried the lemon meringue pie recipe and was so pleased. Never made a meringue before so was quite nervous but it turned out great. Thank you for all the great tips.