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.
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Classic 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.
I’m trying to figure out how to make this for a birthday lunch on Sunday. Can the whole thing be made on Saturday? Or is the day of the best and just pre-make the crust and get all the ingredients ready beforehand to save time?
Hi Laura, 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. But yes, you can make the crust ahead of time to save a step. See recipe notes for details!
Great recipe! Loved it
I’ve made this three times, super recipe, just letting you know I mix the filling in a blender with the egg yolks then thicken it on the stove. Works great and no tempering yolks
Excellent! Much much simpler the second time
Hi Sally, love your classic lemon meringue pie recipe. but I don’t have cream of tartar. Is there a good substitute I could use instead, or should I wait until I get some? I’d love to hear your advice so I can make it as close to your recipe as possible. Thanks!
Hi Diane, Usually substituting 1 teaspoon of lemon juice for 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar can do the trick for meringue. Let us know if you give it a try!
I was searching for an old fashioned lemon meringue pie recipe and found Sally’s. I have made this recipe several times and it is a family favorite. Look no further. Thank you
Hi Sally, what temperature should I bake the assembled pie in? Thanks.
Hi April, you’ll start the crust at 375°F (190°C) and then in step 3, reduce oven temperature to 350°F (177°C) for the filled pie.
Hi,
I love this recipe the traditional way, but I was wondering if it’s possible to make the filling with the lemon curd in storage? I made some last week and wanted to finish it up over a Sunday dinner party!
Hi Paro, Curd won’t thicken up enough. We recommend sticking with this filling for best results!
Just made this pie this morning, recipe was really simple and the filling tasted good and the meringue was mile high, but I made this pie for a friend so I will have to wait for their take on it.
Just made it, and omg that is so good. Made the recipe as is and turned out absolutely fantastic, no changes needed imo.
I’ve made this recipe at least 5 times since discovering it. It is PERFECT. An absolute staple for our family gatherings!
*I’ve only used this recipe with a graham cracker crust – try if you haven’t!
Hi,
Was wondering if this could use a lemon curd filling?
Hi Paro, we recommend this filling instead of our curd (which won’t set up thick enough). Hope you enjoy the pie if you give it a try!
Unfortunately I was detained and had to stop halfway in making the pie, The filling is in the dish already but completely cooled. Should I do anything differently?
Hi Jen, the warm filling helps seal the filling and the meringue layers together, preventing separation. You may notice a separation in the baked pie, but other than that, it should be okay! Hope you enjoy the pie!
could you use lemon juice instead of water to increase the lemon flavor?
Hi Jen, for more lemon flavor, we’d recommend increasing the zest rather than swapping out some of the water for lemon juice, or you could add a small amount of lemon extract. Hope this helps!
I forgot to blind bake the crust, a d put my lemon filling in and put in oven, is it going to bake okay?
Hi Nancy, the crust may be a bit soggy. We hope you still enjoy it!
I made this for my partner in response to a request for a Lemon Meringue Pie like her mother used to make. As an amateur baker trying this for the first time I found it clear and simple to follow and the results were outstanding! Thank you for the thoughtful approach to the recipe notes and additional video material.
Made this pie tonight and it is fantastic! It was my first time making meringue of any kind. Quick question though- I didn’t even consider it until after I had made it, but is 25 minutes enough time to fully cook the egg in the meringue? I ask because my mom is immune compromised, and I want to give her a slice. I feel like 25 minutes at 350 F is good, but the meringue is soft. Just checking to see if you have any insight! The flavor is amazing. 😀
Hi Meghan, we’re so glad the pie was a hit! The time in the oven does sufficiently bake the egg, but if you have any concerns, you can use an instant-read thermometer to double check—eggs are considered safe to eat when they reach 160°F (71°C). Hope this helps!
Why does my baked meringue have what looks like pin pricks allover it.
Hi Helen, over-baking can cause the meringue to squeeze out small droplets of moisture. Weeping can also occur if your meringue is made when it’s super humid or if the egg whites and sugar aren’t mixed correctly. It shouldn’t affect the taste, however.
Tried this using twice the amount of orange juice instead of lemon, a bit less sugar and topped it with a chocolate merengue. Was a big hit with supper guest. Next time will use choc Oreo crumb crust
I’ like more lemon juice. Can I increase it a bit or will it mess up the recipe?
Hi Rena, we’d be cautious of adding much more liquid to the pie, for fear it won’t set quite the same. How about a small amount of lemon extract instead?
I would love to know how to convert this to an orange meringue pie. My friend rave about how he had many one years ago and I’d love to surprise him. Thank you!
Hi Jane, a few readers have reported success swapping the lemon zest and juice with orange zest and juice. Let us know if you try it!
I haven’t tasted it yet, but it looks beautiful. The meringue came out impressively tall. Thanks for the tips on how long to mix the egg whites and on tempering the egg yolks too. Looking forward to tasting it once it is done chilling. 🙂
Hi Sally: your merengue pie crust recipe does not use any flour?
Hi Martin, the first ingredient is a link for our homemade pie crust.
Hi Sally, I love your this recipe and have made it a few times before. This time I’ll be making it for a crowd abd wondered if it would work as a slab pie and what (if any) the adjustments would be?
I’m also wondering if you have any tips for making all or part of this pie ahead of time? I know in general meringue pies should be made day of but I’ll be short on time on the day of the event. Perhaps make the filling and pie ahead and meringue day of or a different kind of meringue?
Thanks!
Hi Lindsey! We haven’t tested this as a slab pie before, so we’re unsure of the results. It likely shouldn’t be a problem, although you’ll want to scale the recipe as needed for the size of your pan (noting that because this recipe is so finicky, we recommend making separate batches rather than doubling, tripling, etc.), and keep in mind that baking times will vary, too. That’s correct, unfortunately this isn’t the best pie for making ahead of time. You can make the pie crust and blind bake it ahead of time, but that’s as far as we’d recommend making ahead. Hope this helps, and please do let us know if you do any experimenting with a slab version!
I an emamored!!
I haven’t attempted making lemon meringue pie in over 20 years! I messed it up ONCE out of dozens of awesome attempts, and gave up on it! I have to give some credit to the lemons, but THIS recipe was why it turned out so amazing!! Super simple…especially if you lay out all ingredients first. I cheated with a store-bought crust but other than that followed all directions. Thank you so much for sharing this with us!!
Hi Angelia, we’re so glad you loved it! Happy baking!
This is a good recipe. I made one substitution in the meringue and reduced the sugar in the lemon filling by half. Instead of cream of tartar I used 1tbsp of cornflour and 1 tsp of white vinegar. These items stabilise the meringue and you don’t need cream of tartar which isn’t an item I keep in the kitchen. Halving the sugar in the filling made it more palatable to me as most sweets are too sugary for my taste. I like the lemon filling to have tang in it. It was still a little sweet for me so I will halve the water and double the lemon juice next time. Will make again.