A great-tasting homemade lemon meringue pie makes my day sunny. This family favorite has a flaky crust, creamy lemon filling, and fluffy meringue. The custard-type filling is sweet, slightly tart, and full of that old-fashioned comfort that reminds me of family gatherings and Sunday dinners.
I made this pie with a pre-made pie dough crust. My mother always made her Lemon Meringue Pie with a graham cracker crust and I like that the best, but our daughter likes a traditional pastry crust.
This recipe is originally from Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker and Ethan Becker. It is one of our "go-to" cookbooks; our other go-to is James Beard's American Cookery. I repost this recipe every year in honor of National Pi Day and also because it's my youngest daughter's favorite pie.
How To Make A Lemon Meringue Pie
For this recipe, we use the following tools: measuring cups and spoons, wooden spoon, lemon zester, wire whisk, medium saucepan, rolling pin (if making your own pie crust), pastry blender, pie plate, electric mixer, and mixing bowls. And you need a beautiful pie plate and some lovely dishes to serve your pie upon, right?
Pie Ingredients:
- 1 pre-baked pastry crust
- ¼ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- ⅙ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups water
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice from 2 to 3 lemons, strained
- 2 to 3 teaspoons grated lemon zest
- 4 large egg yolks, save the whites for the meringue
- 2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Meringue Ingredients
- 4 large egg whites, room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
I'm glad I took the time to check my ingredients because I didn't have any cream of tartar. I could have substituted white vinegar or baking powder, but I chose to go to the store to get cream of tartar.
Cook the Custard Filling
The trick to making the perfect lemon pudding for the pie is to stir frequently so it doesn't burn.
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- In a medium-sized heavy-bottomed saucepan (or a double boiler), whisk together the sugar, salt, and cornstarch.
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- Add the water, lemon juice, zest, and egg yolks. Whisk briskly until there are no yellow streaks.
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- Add the butter and heat over medium-high heat until the mixture begins to bubble, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking until the custard is thick and smooth.
Meringue Topping
In a separate bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar on high until soft peaks form.
Gradually beat in the sugar until the peaks are stiff but not dry.
Add the vanilla and beat until combined.
Immediately spread the Meringue over the pie and bake for 20 minutes at 350°F, or until the meringue begins to brown.
Tips for Perfect Lemon Meringue Pie
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Add meringue to the pie while the lemon filling is still hot to prevent separation.
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Don’t overbake the meringue—it should be lightly browned.
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Chill before slicing.
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Use fresh lemons, not bottled juice, for the best flavor.
More Recipes for you:
Cherry Fluff Dessert Pie With Cool Whip and Cream Cheese
Slow Cooker Ginger Beef Pot Roast With Gingersnap Gravy
Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe
Author: Recipe Idea Shop
Ingredients
Pie
- 1 pre-baked pastry crust
- ¼ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- ⅙ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups water
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice from 2 to 3 lemons, strained
- 2 to 3 teaspoons grated lemon zest
- 4 large egg yolks save the whites for the meringue
- 2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into small pieces
Meringue Topping
- 4 large egg whites room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Pie
- Whisk the sugar, salt and cornstarch together thoroughly in a medium saucepan.
- Add the water, lemon juice and zest, blending well.
- Whisk in the egg yolks.
- Keep whisking until there are no yellow streaks.
- Add butter.
- Stir constantly with a wooden spoon.
- Bring mixture to a simmer over medium heat.
- Then cook for 1 minute. The filling should be very thick (like pudding).
- Pour the filling in the pie crust and top with Meringue (directions below).
- Bake for 20 minutes at 350F degrees or place the pie under the broiler (on high) for about 5 minutes until the meringue is nicely browned. Watch it carefully so it doesn't burn.
Meringue Topping
- In a separate bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar on high until soft peaks form.
- Gradually beat in the sugar until the peaks are stiff but not dry.
- Add the vanilla and beat until combined.
- Immediately spread the Meringue Topping over the pie and bake as noted above.
Kathy Owen
My family loved this!