Lemon Meringue Pie

This lemon meringue pie happened because when I thought about thanksgiving dessert and making all the apple and pumpkin pies… I realized the only pie I truly really wanted to eat and indulge in, was lemon meringue. I’ve had a very lemony, meringue 2022 and I think this just *fits*. So before I make it this T-Day, I wanted to give you my own version of the classic.

While it’s classic in terms of flavor and idea, it’s not at all made the traditional way. My filling has very little water and starch so is definitely more tart and more lemon curd-like (ahem). Also I opt for swiss which I always find easier, rather than French. Swiss is more reliable, smooth and easier to make overall.

Recipe Ingredients

Lemons: Fresh ripe lemons! If they are not organic, wash them well, rubbing off the wax with a towel. If you are wary of a very tart filling, you can reduce the lemon juice by 2 tablespoons and substitue with water.

Pie Crust: You can either make my recipe, or another recipe you like or use store bought. My pie crust recipe uses all purpose flour, sugar, all butter, ice water, a teaspoon vanilla extract and lemon zest.

Eggs: Make sure your eggs are fresh. No need to bring them to room temperature. We will need whole large eggs for the filling and large egg whites for the meringue topping.

Sugar: Fine granulated sugar. I wouldn’t reduce it in the meringue as it will affect the structure. You can probably reduce it some in the curd but you’ll have a more sour filling.

Vanilla: I like to use a combination of vanilla bean and vanilla extract in meringues, I prefera very vanilla taste that overpowers the bland sort of ‘eggy’ taste you get in a plain meringue. You can scrape a vanilla bean or use paste, but definitely add extract.

Salt: Fine sea salt. If using table salt, halve the amount.

Starch: I usually use tapioca starch, it has less of an after taste and doesn’t ‘cloud’ up the liquid, but you can also use cornstarch.

Butter: unsalted so we can control the overall salt level. European or american is fine, the latter is smoother and a bit richer but it won’t affect the overall filling by much.

How to make the perfect Lemon Meringue pie

The crust

Have your pie crust bought or (preferably!) made and ready to be rolled out. Homemade pie crusts usually need to rest and chill in the fridge, wrapped in plastic wrap, for at least 2 hours before using.

Roll out the pie dough until it’s about 2 inches wider than a standard 9 inch round pie pan (preferably metal – they conduct heat better).

Lay the crust into the pie pan, press down into the bottom and crimp the sides. For a more thorough tutorial on pie crust check this page out. Chill the crust then lay foil over it and fill with pie weights (dried beans work too).

Par-bake the pie for 30 minutes at 375 F. Use the foil as a sling and lift out the pie weights. Lower the temperature to 350 F. Dock the crust then set it back in the oven for another 15 minutes. It should look done on the bottom (with room for more browning on the edges) by the end of baking.

The filling

While the crust is baking, set the sugar in a medium pot and zest the lemons over it. Rub the lemon zest into the sugar to release the oils.

Juice the lemons and stir them into the pot.

Beat the eggs really well and add them to the pot as well. Whisk the mixture really well.

Set over medium low heat.

Cook until the mixture is thick, reaches 160 F and coats the back of a spoon.

Set the butter in a heatproof bowl and a sieve over it. Pour the mix through the sieve into the bowl. Stir until the butter is melted.

Separately in a small bowl whisk together the water and starch. Add to the lemon mixture and stir to combine.

Pour into the baked pie shell:

Bake the pie with the filling for about 15-20 minutes, until the sides are set and the middle is still wobbly.

Let cool on the counter then set in the fridge to chill for a few hours.

The topping

Add water to a pot (fill it about a third full) and place a heatproof bowl over it. Set it over medium heat. This will act as a double boiler.

Add the egg whites and sugar to the bowl and whisk really well.

Cook until the sugar dissolves (lift some of the mix with the spatula or whisk and pinch it to check – can you feel sugar granules? Keep heating it).

Pour the mix into the bowl of a stand mixer and affix the whisk attachment.

Add the cream of tartar and whisk the meringue on medium speed until you start to see stiff peaks. You can work up to medium-high speed as the eggs whip.

–> How do I know when the meringue is ready? If you can lift the whisk upside down and the meringue does not droop, the meringue is done whipping. If it droops, keep whisking.

Add the salt and vanilla and whisk to just combine.

Dollop over the chilled pie. Use the back of a spoon to make pretty swoops.

Torch with a kitchen torch or set it under the broiler for 60 seconds.

Making the Lemon Meringue Pie Ahead of Time

There’s a lot of steps to making any pie but this one in particular has some time saving perks which come in handy. First, you can make your pie crust ahead of time and store it in the fridge (up to 2 days) or in the freezer (months).

You can make the filling up to the point of stirring it in with the butter (but leave out the starch and water) and store it in the fridge for up to a week. Right before you pour it into the pre-baked pie crust you’ll stir in the water and starch.

You can also make the pie, up to the point of baking, a few days before serving. The pie crust gets a little err, ‘fridgey’ if you will, (you know, that fridge taste) but you could store it in an airtight container to prevent that.

Usually I say that the thing that needs to wait to be made until the day of serving is the meringue. It can be made the day of (early in the morning is fine) and stored in the fridge, but torched closer to the time of serving.

FAQ

When is a pie crust done blind baking?

Different pies require different blind bakes, depending on how much the filling needs to bake. I like to work backwards to figure out how much time I need the crust to bake asking: how much time left does the crust need to cook?

For a curd-based pie like this one, we only need 15-20 minutes in the oven at 350. So you want the bottom of the crust to be cooked and browned (since this is a rather wet filling) and the edges should already be turning a tad golden before the filling goes in.

Is lemon meringue pie filling the same as lemon curd?

Kind of! You’ll notice my lemon curd and this lemon pie filling are similar: lemon pie filling usually has some water in it, both to tone down the sharpness of the lemon and to mix with the cornstarch to create the slurry.

How do I know when the lemon meringue pie is done baking?

When it jiggles just a bit in the center. The overall filling will look matte (not ‘wet’) and will be firm on the sides. The rest will firm up as it cools and then chills.

How do you torch a meringue pie?

I use a kitchen torch but you can also stick this under the broiler for a minute or two. Keep an eye on it.

How to keep a lemon meringue pie crust from getting soggy?

This happens when the meringue starts to separate and a liquid appears at the bottom of the pie. I find it less likely to occur early on when using a swiss meringue. However, to keep it from happening at all just make the meringue the day of serving the pie.

How long will lemon meringue pie last in the fridge?

Up to three days but on day two you’ll likely notice that the meringue has begun to separate and a liuqid is pooling at the bottom of the pie. The pie is really best eaten the day the meringue is made and placed on top.

Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe

Lemon Meringue Pie

Buttery, crumbly pie crust, a sharp but sweet & smooth lemon filling and a toasted vanilla meringue on top.

Prep Time: 1 hour hr

Cook Time: 1 hour hr

Chill Time: 1 day d

Yields: 1 9 inch pie, feeds 8-10

5 from 5 votes

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Ingredients

• Pie Crust homemade or storebought

Lemon Filling

• Zest of 4-5 lemons wash them first to remove wax
• 200g or ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 200 g or 1 cup granulated sugar
• 5 large eggs
• Pinch fine sea salt
• 85 g or 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 teaspoons tapioca starch or cornstarch

Vanilla Meringue Topping

• 4 egg whites from large eggs
• 200g or 1 cups granulated sugar
• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or paste plus a scrape of vanilla bean if desired
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

Method

Blind bake the crust

• Preheat the oven to 375 F. Roll out the crust and shape onto pie pan. Cover with foil and add pie weights. Bake the crust for 30 minutes.
• Remove pie weights and dock the bottom, lower the heat to 350 F. Bake for another 10-15 minutes.

To make the filling

• Zest the lemons straight into a pot. After you juice the lemons add the juice to the pot as well. Stir in the granulated sugar.
• Whisk in the eggs and pinch of sea salt.
• Slice the butter and set in a bowl. Over the bowl place a sieve.
• Set the pot over low heat and whisk well. Stir frequently as the curd cooks. Once thickened and you can see it cover the back of a spoon, or temperature reaches 170 F take it off the heat. Pour the curd through the mesh sieve into the butter. Stir until butter has melted and is fully incorporated. Add the water and starch and stir to combine.
• When the crust is ready, pour the filling in and return it to the oven. Bake for about 20 minutes, until it only jiggles slightly in the center.
• Let come to room temperature then store in the fridge.

To make the Meringue Topping

• Fill a pot ⅓ of the way with water and set over medium low heat, bring to a simmer. Whisk together the egg whites and sugar in a heatproof bowl then set it over the pot of simmering water.
• Use a rubber spatula to stir the mix, scraping off the sides of the bowl so it heats evenly. Keep stirring and scraping until you can pinch the mix and detect no sugar granules. Pour it into the bowl of a stand mixer (the bowl should be very clean, free of any kind of oil), add the cream of tartar and begin whipping.
• Whip the mix on medium speed, adding the salt and vanilla as you go, until it reaches stiff peaks ie. you can turn the whisk upside down and the meringue holds peaks.
• Spread it over the pie and use the back of a spoon to create pretty swirls. Use a kitchen torch to toast the meringue. Store in the fridge until it’s time to serve. With the meringue on the pie, it won’t last in the fridge more than a day before the meringue starts to leak. You can freeze it but it will change the texture of the meringue.

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