Classic Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe | Kitchenstagram
Classic Lemon Meringue Pie is a timeless dessert featuring a buttery homemade pie crust, a silky, tangy lemon filling and a light, fluffy toasted meringue topping. The perfect balance of sweet and citrusy flavours makes this pie an irresistible treat for any occasion. Whether you’re serving it after a family meal or celebrating a special event, this bright and refreshing dessert is always a crowd pleaser.
The origins of fruit dessert topped with baked meringue date back to 18th-century France. In 1739, Menon included pommes meringuées- a baked apple dessert topped with meringue- in his cookbook. By 1769, an English publication featured a lemon-flavoured custard covered with baked meringue, likely translated from an earlier French recipe. During the 19th century, similar pies became popular in America. A generic “meringue pie” was documented in 1860, while the name “ Lemon Meringue Pie” first appeared in 1869. earlier versions were often referred to as “ Lemon Cream Pie”. A chocolate meringue variation also exists.
Since the pie uses only a handful of ingredients, quality makes all the difference. Fresh, juicy lemons are essential for a bright, clean citrus flavour. Bottled lemon juice can give the filling an unpleasant metallic taste, so it is best avoided. Likewise, soft, shrivelled or bruised lemons won’t provide the fragrant zest and fresh juice needed for the filling. For this recipe, I used fresh organic lemons picked from my garden, which added wonderful aroma and natural flavour.
Most traditional Lemon Meringue Pie recipes use French Meringue, made by whipping raw egg whites with sugar and cream of tartar. Instead, I prefer Swiss meringue because the egg whites are gently whisked with sugar over simmering water until the mixture reaches 72ºC (160ºF), allowing the sugar to dissolve completely while lightly cooking the eggs. The mixture is then whipped until thick, glossy and stiff, creating a stable, silky topping without using raw egg whites. For the best texture, prepare the meringue just before serving so it stays soft and doesn’t develop a rubbery skin.
Why you’ll love this recipe?
Velvety homemade lemon curd paired with a light, fluffy Swiss meringue creates a classic dessert everyone loves.
Fresh lemon juice and zest provide the ideal balance of bright citrus flavour and gentle sweetness.
Heating the egg whites over a double boiler dissolves the sugar completely, producing a smooth, glossy Swiss meringue topping.
Can I make this Pie ahead of time?
Yes! The sweet crust can be prepared up to 5 days ahead. You can also bake the pie with the lemon filling up to 2 days in advance. For the best texture and appearance, prepare and spread the meringue over the pie just before serving.
Storage Tips:
Keep the fully assembled lemon meringue pie refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 14 hours. Beyond that, the meringue will start to weep and lose its texture. This pie is not suitable for freezing.
Can I bake the meringue to toast it?
You can, but it isn’t recommended for this recipe. Toasting the meringue in a hot oven or under the grill/ broiler may warm the lemon filling, increasing the risk of it melting and collapsing. Keeping the filling cool helps the pie hold its shape.
Pro Tips:
Measuring ingredients by weight instead of cups provides the most reliable and consistent results every time, making your baking more precise.
When lining the tart tin, allow the dough to naturally fall into place rather than stretching it. Gently press it into the base and sides to maintain its structure and prevent shrinking during baking.
Before placing the tart shell in the oven, prick the base all over with a fork. This process known as docking, allows steam to escape during baking and prevents the pastry from puffing up, resulting in an even, flat crust ready for the lemon filling.
- Lemon Meringue Pie filling should be creamy, smooth and stable enough to slice cleanly, so properly tempering the egg yolks is essential. The right balance of lemon juice, water, sugar and cornstarch creates a silky texture that’s neither too tart nor too sweet while preventing a watery consistency.
- For a perfect meringue, use only egg whites without any trace of yolk and ensure the mixing bowl is completely clean and free from oil or water cream of tartar helps stabilize the meringue. Spread the meringue so it touches the pie crust, sealing the filling underneath and helping the topping stay attached. For the best results, avoid making lemon meringue pie on humid days.
Ingredients:
For Pie Crust:
Egg wash (1 Egg+1 tbsp Milk)
For Lemon Filling:
1/4 cup Cornstarch
1 cup Granulated sugar
2 cups Water
1/2 cup Lemon juice
1/4 tsp Salt
- 2 tsp Lemon zest
- 4 nos. Egg Yolk
- 4 tbsp Butter, cubed
For Swiss Meringue:
4 nos. Egg White
75 gm Castor Sugar
1/2 tsp Cream of Tartar
Preparation:
For Pie Crust:
- Step 1: Remove the Pâte Sucrée dough from the fridge. Roll out the prepared dough in between two parchment paper a little larger than your 6 inch tart ring and roughly the thickness not exceeding 3 mm.
- Step 2: Use the tart ring to cut the base of the tart and remove the excess dough and reserve it. Place the tart ring into a baking tray and then using the parchment paper lift the rolled dough into the 6 inch tart ring. The dough should fit the shape of the ring.
- Step 3: Take the reserved pastry and roll it out the same thickness as before and 16 cm long and cut the rolled dough into a cm wide thin strips. Lift one of the strips and feed it into the ring wrapping it around the inner surface of the ring and sitting on the pastry base. Roll the rolling pin over tart tin to trim excess dough and join the two ends of the strip. Gently push the pastry strip down into the base, but careful not to press the pastry hard against the ring or the pastry may be forced through the perforations and become welded to the ring. Cover the pie crust and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour or overnight.
- Step 4: Preheat the oven @200°C or 400°F. Prick the bottom a few times with a fork, then line the crust with plastic wrap and fill with dried rice, beans or chickpeas.
- Step 5: Bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove the tart from the oven and carefully remove the rice and plastic wrap. Brush the half-baked tart with egg wash. Return the tart to the oven and bake until the bottom crust is fully cooked for about 20-25 minutes. Let the crust cool completely.
For Lemon Filling:
- Step 6: Zest the lemons and set aside. Then juice the lemons until you have about 1/2 cup of lemon juice.
- Step 7: In a heavy-bottom saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, water, lemon juice and salt.
- Step 8: Place the saucepan over medium heat, cook stirring frequently until the mixture comes to a boil and thicken. Once thickened, give it a whisk and reduce heat to low.
- Step 9: Whisk the egg yolks together in a mixing bowl. 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 the heat back up to medium. Cook until the mixture is thick and big bubbles begin bursting at the surface.
- Step 10: Remove the pan from heat and whisk in the butter until fully melted and combined. Strain the lemon filling. Pour into the baked pie shell.
For Swiss Meringue:
- Step 11: Fill a saucepan with water and set the saucepan over medium heat, and bring water to a simmer. Ensure the bowl and the whisk attachment are clean, as we don’t want any greasy spot or fat on any of our equipment. To ensure its clean blot some vinegar or lemon juice on a paper towel and wipe off the inside of the bowl and the whisk attachment.
- Step 12: In a heat proof bowl combine egg whites and sugar and place the bowl over the saucepan with simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl isn’t touching the water.
- Step 13: Heat, whisking constantly, until sugar is dissolved and egg whites are warm to touch, 2-3 minutes and reach 72ºC (160ºF) on a candy thermometer. Run some of the mixture between two fingers. If you can’t feel the sugar granules, then it’s time to take it off the heat.
- Step 14: Add cream of tartar in the bowl. Then start beating the egg whites until frothy and continue to beat until soft pick is form.
- Step 15: Then increase the speed and beat until shiny stiff peaks form. Spoon the meringue into a pastry bag fitted with any nozzle tip.
- Step 16: Pipe the meringue over lemon filling. Torch the top of the meringue to add additional golden brown colour and a toasted marshmallow flavour.
- Step 17: Chill the pie in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours before slicing. Serve and enjoy!!
About Me
DEBJANI MONDAL
Welcome to Kitchenstagram, the home of delicious recipes, culinary inspiration and cooking adventures. I’m Debjani and I’m thrilled to be your guide through the wonderful world of food. I’m a self-taught professional baker, home chef, recipe developer, author of Kitchenstagram and an aspiring YouTuber.
My passion for food and cooking began at a very young age, when I would watch my mom and dad cook for me and my brother. My dad, in particular is a great cook whose culinary skills made a lasting impression on me. My dad would cook up a storm on special occasions by cooking variety of dishes, from delicious biriyani to samosa, fish fry, rasgullas and kachoris (sweet & spicy deep fried pastry with filling of lentils, meat or fish…>>>>>
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