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Side view of a slice of lemon meringue pie on a plate, showing the defined layers and texture, with lemon slices and a blue-patterned cloth in the background.
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Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe

The classic you know and love: tart lemon filling, fluffy meringue, and a homemade crust.
Prep Time35 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Easter, Lemons, Spring
Servings: 8
Calories: 402kcal
Author: Katie

Ingredients

Crust

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup unsalted butter chilled and diced
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2-3 tablespoons ice water

Lemon Filling

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1½ cups water
  • 2 lemons juiced and zested
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 4 egg yolks beaten (save whites for the meringue)

Meringue

  • 4 egg whites
  • 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Make the Crust

  • Prep. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). While preheating, you can start preparing the crust.
  • Mix dry ingredients. Combine flour, sugar, and salt. In a medium bowl, mix these ingredients.
  • Blend in butter. Use a pastry blender to cut in the chilled, diced butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
    A large mixing bowl with flour, diced butter, and a pastry cutter, alongside lemons and a measuring cup with a white powder.
  • Add ice water. Gradually add 2-3 tablespoons of ice water, just enough to form a dough.
    Dough forming on a marble surface, with flour scattered around and a lemon in the background.
  • Chill dough for 30 minutes. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate.
  • Roll and fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Roll the dough on a floured surface and place it in the pie plate.
    The dough is pressed into a round pie dish, with a kitchen towel to the side.
  • Bake for 15 minutes. Once done, let it cool.

Make the Lemon Filling

  • Combine dry ingredients. In a saucepan, mix sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt.
    A saucepan with sugar, a small bowl of flour, and whole lemons on a checked kitchen towel.
  • Stir in water, lemon juice, and zest. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture comes to a boil.
    A bowl with beaten eggs, ready to be mixed into the lemon mixture for the pie filling.
  • Add butter and egg yolks. Slowly mix in beaten egg yolks and butter, and bring to a boil. Keep stirring constantly.
    A bowl with beaten eggs, ready to be mixed into the lemon mixture for the pie filling.
  • Cook until thick. Once thickened, remove from heat. Let it cool slightly before pouring into the baked crust.
    The completed lemon filling being poured into the pie crust.

Prepare the Meringue

  • Beat egg whites with sugar and vanilla. In a large glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites until foamy. Gradually add sugar and vanilla, continuing to beat until stiff peaks form.
    Beating egg whites in a mixing bowl, showing the progression from foamy to stiff peaks for the meringue.
  • Spread over pie. Spread meringue over pie, sealing the edges at the crust.
    Meringue being layered on top of lemon filling in a pie crust, with a checkered cloth underneath.

Bake and Cool.

  • Bake. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes until the meringue is golden brown. Allow the pie to cool gradually in the oven with the door ajar to prevent the meringue from collapsing.
    Lemon meringue pie with toasted meringue topping in a glass dish, with a blue and white floral cloth on the side and lemon slices in the background.
  • Cool. Cool to room temperature, then chill in the fridge at least 4 hours, until very cold.
    Close-up of a slice of lemon meringue pie on a plate, highlighting the layers of meringue, lemon filling, and crust.

Notes

Be gentle while folding the meringue to keep it light and airy.
If you refrigerate your pie overnight, you might have problems with "weeping" meringue.   This is unattractive but doesn't affect the finished taste.  You can add 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar when first making the meringue to prevent this. 
I use this crust recipe for this pie because it's a simple way to make one crust.  But my favorite is this recipe.  If you're making a lot of crusts at once to freeze for later, use that one instead! 

Nutrition

Calories: 402kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 135mg | Sodium: 203mg | Potassium: 96mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 41g | Vitamin A: 578IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1mg