Homemade Lemon Meringue Pie. If your lemon meringue pie comes from powder in a box, STOP! A fantastic homemade lemon meringue pie, made completely from scratch, tastes much better and is actually just as easy to prepare.
Homemade Lemon Meringue Pie
Here’s one for the lemon lovers. Made completely from scratch, just like Grandma used to make. No artificial anything here! So much better than those artificial powder pretenders. Reminds me of Sunday suppers while growing up.
The minced lemon zest should be very finely chopped.
A homemade lemon meringue pie is a good reason to perfect your pastry making technique too. I always recommend that beginner bakers start with pastry pie shells before moving on to two crust filled pies.
Homemade Lemon Meringue Pie
You will get a better feel for working with the the dough and likely have more success in getting a flaky pastry if you practice with making pie shells for filled or custard pies first. Perfect your flaky crust technique here and then move on to two crust fruit pies when you are more comfortable with pie pastry.
The filling should be very thick before adding the egg yolk mixture.
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The Very Best Homemade Lemon Meringue Pie
If your pie comes from powder in a box, STOP! A fantastic homemade lemon meringue pie, made completely from scratch, tastes much better and is actually just as easy to prepare.
Ingredients
For the Pastry. Sufficient for two 10 inch pie shells.
- 1 cup very cold butter cut into small cubes
- 2 ½ cups flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 1/4 cup ice water, or a little more. Only enough to make a dough form.
For the Filling
- 1/3 cup corn starch
- 1/3 cup cake flour
- pinch salt
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 5 egg yolk slightly beaten
- Zest of 2 lemons, very finely chopped
- Juice of 2 lemons, about 1/4 cup.
- 2 cups water
- 3 tbsp butter
For the meringue
- 5 egg whites
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- ¼ tsp cream of tarter
- Pinch salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
To make the pastry
- Using a food processor or a pastry blender cut cold butter into flour and salt until mixture resembles a coarse meal. Small pieces of butter should still be visible.
- Pour cold water over the mixture and work in by tossing with a fork until dough begins to form. Use your hands as little as possible and work the dough as little as possible.
- Divide dough into 2 balls, flatten into 2 rounds, wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to rest for a minimum of 20 minutes. You can freeze the second round for another time.
- You can make your dough the previous day but make sure you take it out of the fridge for 10 minutes to warm slightly before rolling out.
- Roll the dough into a 12 inch round and place in the bottom of a 10 inch pie plate.
- Trim and flute the edges as desired. Poke a few holes in the bottom of the pastry shell, rest in the refrigerator for an additional 20 minutes before baking at 400 degrees F for 12 – 15 minutes or until golden brown.
- Cool completely before adding the filling.
To make the filling
- In a medium saucepan, combine corn starch, cake flour, sugar and salt. Pour in water and stir constantly over medium low heat until mixture comes to a slow boil.
- Remove the pan from the heat and reduce the flame to low.
- Pour about a cup of this mixture onto the slightly beaten egg yolks while whisking constantly.
- Pour the egg mixture back into the rest of the other mixture in the pot, whisking constantly.
- Return to the stove and cook for an additional 3 minutes stirring constantly.
- Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and lemon rind.
- Finally whisk in your butter one tbsp at a time.
- Pour the filling into the baked and cooled shell. Let stand for a few minutes while preparing the meringue.
To prepare the meringue
- Whip egg whites, vanilla, salt and cream of tarter to soft peaks.
- Very gradually add the sugar while continuing to beat the egg whites.
- Dollop in heaping tablespoonfuls onto pie. Gently spread over the filling, making sure that the meringue touches the crust all the way around the pie. This will help to prevent the meringue from shrinking.
- Bake in a 325 degree F oven for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the meringue is well browned. Cool pie thoroughly in the refrigerator before serving.
- Keep refrigerated.
- Dip a sharp knife in cold water to help with cutting the pie into slices and clean the knife with paper towel between cuts.
Notes
In reviewing the comments and following up with some people who had issues with this recipe, please note that you should not attempt to make any substitutions. At the end, when it says to add the butter, ONLY REAL DAIRY BUTTER will work. Many people have reported using margarine, even the tub of spreadable margarine. That is the road to sure disaster. Butter means butter.
- The amount of lemon juice is often asked about online and in emails. I get about 1/4 cup of lemon juice out of 2 lemons. For safety sake don't add more than that. The lemon flavour comes mostly from the zest anyway. The juice just gives it a little tangy flavour. -Be sure to cook the base enough before adding the juice and butter. Use a silicone spatula to scrape the bottom as you stir, so that the mixture will not burn, but it has to be as thick as possible as is shown in the photo.
The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.
Nutrition Information
Yield
12Serving Size
gAmount Per Serving Calories 299Saturated Fat 12gCholesterol 129mgSodium 284mgCarbohydrates 27gSugar 20gProtein 3g
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Beautifully presented & outstanding taste! (^_^)
Oh my! I tried this recipe and must have done something so wrong! My mixture never thickened up and my meringue was liquidy. I’ve made lemon meringue using boxed pudding for years and never had an issue. Your photo’s are amazing. Any clue what could have happened??
Sounds like your meringue might have come into contact with some oil. Make sure the utensils are grease free. Did you have a specific issue with the filling Substitute anything?
Thats exactly what happen to me!! Im so sad
What happened? Not sure what you’re referring to here?
OKAY, I made this yesterday and after reading the comments, I was a little intimidated. However, I am here to tell you it turned out beautiful! I started the meringue after I got the pie shell made. Then as the meringue was whipping, I started on the filling. Needless to say, I learned to multitask very quickly. This Kansas City baker is one happy gal!!
How do you stop your pie from weeping. I have put meringue on while pie is warm right to edge and also tried when meringue is cooled a bit. Thank You Ethel
Try adding meringue on a hot pie and browning it at a higher temp. The shorter the time in the oven the better.
This turned out amazing!!! So easy and delicious. Thank you.
I have a question. The recipe states that the pastry is sufficient for two 10in pie plates. Is the filling and meringue also for two pies?
Bo. You just can freeze one pastry for another pie later….or just make a half batch of the pastry of you prefer.
Is there really supposed to be 1 1/4 cups of sugar in the meringue? That seems like so much.
You can cut back a little if you like. I do like a sweet meringue.
Hello, can you please look at this recipe as it is different from another that I found on your page. Is the filling portion correct? My filling did not set at all before putting on the meringue. I put it in and baked it anyway. Will the filling set while cooling or do I have to start from scratch? This is not the first lemon pie I have made from scratch. The pies are in the fridge cooling now.
They are meant to set fully when cooled. The filling should be a warm pudding consistency when hot.
oops,my meringue slid off my pie, what did I do wrong?
I’m finding it’s best to add the meringue while the filling is still warm but it does happen the longer the pie stays around before being served.
A step that keeps the meringue in place is to be sure you make contact with edges of the crust and make a seal.
Also, let the filling cool a bit before spreading the meringue. If steam gets trapped between the two it will slip off when serving
Haven’t made a lemon pie from scratch in years and I look forward to one tomorrow.
Thanks for the recipe.
Turned out amazing! My dad will be very happy(: Birthday dessert
I have made this for my husband and will be making it again for Thanksgiving. It was pure perfection!!!!
I just bought a bag of lemons myself to make it again. I love it!
Hi Barry, can you make this the day before without the meringue shrinking?
I usually make it a day ahead.
Can you answer a question I have had for a long long time? Is it necessary to refrigerate this pie? When I do, it seems the meringue becomes gummy. Any suggestions? Thanks
It is really in order for it to set properly and not spoil. Sounds like you are not whipping your meringue enough. Mine never lasts more than a day anyway.
Hi! What a beautiful pie! I’m looking for a recipe that doesn’t have an egg taste! Every single one I have made taste so strong in egg we have stopped making them and just buy the box kind. Any suggestions!!?
I can’t say that I’ve noticed that in this recipe. The lemon zest usually puts the zing in there to up the lemon flavour.
Hi.. I tried to make this pie and the filling became too runny.. Lemon sizes differ, so how much lemon juice (liquid) should I add? (the lemons I used were large).. Thank you..
Maybe a little too large. I use average size. Next time I’ll measure the juice and update the method photos too.
omg, great pie! It was perfect. I added a little bit of lemon extract because my lemons were on the small size. Other than that, followed your recipe to a T! My kids and I loved it and so did my co-workers. Definitely want to keep this in the recipe file. Thank you!
Thanks for sharing your success! I love this pie too!
looks so yummy!!! some times my crust is so wet,a pool of water,when I cut it,do you know what causes this?
Jean the wetness is from your meringue….go to All Recipes.com and look for No Weep Meringue….there is a cornsyrup step that is extra in the process and make the meringue wee free..try it
Thank you for this lemon merengue pie recipie,,I made today it was so delicious and look so pretty merengue xxx
So glad it was such a success!
Is the butter salted or unsalted?
Either is fine. Your choice.
my meringue came out like syrup? 🙁 how long do you have to whip it? to end up fluffy?
In my stand mixer it takes just a few minutes. You should ensure that your bowl and utensils are very clean. Any trace of oil of example, can prevent egg whites from stiffening.
Made this pie. It had the best tasting lemon filling ever. Followed the recipe and doesn’t need any changes. Absolutely the best ever no more box filling in this house! The meringue was nice and fluffy but I found it too sweet….maybe next time I will cut the sugar by half. I did have a problem with weeping but I don’t have enough experience with this type of recipe to know why. If anyone can suggest what causes this or why this happens I would like to know what you think.
Meringue is sweet by nature. Cutting the sugar too much can cause it to collapse. Be careful.
I don’t like meringue at all. Can you bake it without it? thx
Just ignore the meringue and add whipped cream on top. The filling does not need to be baked after filling the baked pie shell.
This was my first time making it completely from scratch and it turned out great! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe!
My meringue never fluffed up! what did I do? What can I do?
Were all your implements…bowl, beaters, bowl scrapers really clean? The smallest amount of oil or grease can cause meringue to fail. Glass or metal bowl os best because it’s easiest to get very clean. Try again and good luck.
I’ve been told that when dividing your egg whites for the meringue, if there is even one speck of yolk in there, the whites will not fluff up. So if the yolk pops…
This recipe is very similar to my super old cookbook I stole from Mom. 😉 It was my first time to make lemon meringue from scratch. It was challenging, but turned out DELICIOUS! Thank you for the thorough instructions. It was very helpful!
I have made this pie twice now. Wonderful recipe!! The only adjustment I made was that the filling is skimpy for the two pie crusts so I just doubled the filling/meringue recipe. Then I have 2 BIG pies. Really nice recipe. A keeper!!
The filling is for one pie, the pastry for two as indicated.
This was Very Best Lemon Meringue Pie EVER. Fresh, flavorful, easy. Thrilled this was the recipe I chose to make!
Will this recipe be ok to make the day before I serve it?
Yes.
The best and in my book the original, lemon meringue pie’s fill I g is only made with sweetened condense milk. No flour or cornstarch. The lemon juice (fresh) when added to the condense milk will thicken beautifully. Then add egg yolks and lastly meringue. You will never use flour plus again. TO DIE FOR. Maybe its only us South African’s who swear by the condense milk. Try it you won’t be disappointed.
Is the filling baked? Can you point me to an actual recipe?
The filling and meringue recipe is awesome! It’s definitely a go to. I did have a big issue with the crust. I made the pie twice and each time the shell would shrink when it first went in to bake. I followed the recipe exactly and poked holes in the bottom. Will use a different shell recipe with this filling and meringue.
Do blind bake the shells with baking weights? Do you let the dough rest after rolling and before baking? In my experience, those are the best ways to avoid shells shrinking in the oven. I always have great success with this recipe that way.
I have made this 3 times now. Each time it’s amazing. Husband asks for it all the time. I also made it using limes. Also amazing!!! Thank you. Husband now thinks I’m a great baker haha
Pie is the way to a man’s heart! 🙂
Why does the meringue separate from the pie
Condensation mostly but sometimes undercooked meringue. Adding your meringue as close to serving time as possible might help.
So…..cool only in fridge, not on the counter? And can someone tell me is it normal for juice to run out from under the pie? This happens with all my recipes that I’ve tried.
Counter first, then fridge. I like to serve my pie the day I make it so that less weeping will occur.
I’m going to make this pie for my husband this weekend. Can all purpose flour be used instead of cake flour. Thank you!!
I’ve never used anything but cake flour.
Hi, I would like to know what kind of flour? Thanks
For the crust or filling?
One way to help keep the meringue from weeping or sliding is to sprinkle some cookie crumbs on top of the filling before adding the meringue to the top of the pie. HTH
hello i would like to try out this recipe, but the problem is that i live in germany where you cant buy cream of tartar. is there any way to replace it? thank you for your help!
I know of nothing else. It is not complete;y necessary but it does help stabilize the meringue.
Hi Carolin – you can purchase “Weinsteinbackpulver” in Germany…. it’s the equivalent of Creme of Tartar 🙂
I made this pie last night and it is very tasty…however, my lemon filling never gelled up and ran everywhere when I cut into it. I was hoping it would gel or harden up in the fridge over night but it did not. I followed the directions to the T. What did I do wrong?
I suspect you did not cook the filling to the proper consistency.
I would not recommend that. You may end up with lemon meringue soup in a soggy shell. Best to prepare fresh and consume within a day or so.
Can we make ahead and freeze
Afraid not.
I love this recipe! But I have a question. If I make the lemon ahead of time and it sets up in the fridge, can I bake the meringue on it the next day without ruining the lemon filling? I have to work the day of, and i won’t have time to make the pie fruition start to finish.
Sorry the filling has to cool in the pie.
It needs to be stressed at the very BEGINNING of this recipe, make sure you cook the lemon pudding long enough until Extremely thick and pudding-like texture prior to topping with meringue then browning. Lemon meringue is basically lemon pudding in a pie shell topping with fluffy loads of beaten egg whites.
I’ve made my share of stove top scratch puddings and pot de creme…. meringue pies are a combination of these techniques.
Oh and just FYI to future people making this recipe, All-Purpose flour works just fine in creating the lemon pudding mixture, I know because I did it first time making this particular recipe.
Hope I made my pudding thick enough this is for tomorrow, Thanksgiving 2017.
Meringue came out fine no issues there.
There is a photo of the filling consistency before adding the lemon. I think you are right. For most of those with issues, this is their common problem.
I made the pieand followed recipe to a T. Filling tastes amazing, but my meringue flopped. I’m not sure what I did wrong. When filling the pie I thought it was filled to much could this have caused it the meringue to flop? In my thoughts I think I could have gotten 2 pies out of the filling and meringue?
Even though it flopped it still was a great hit with my family. The taste was great!
Thank you for the recipe. Definitely a keeper.
Even a small amount of oil coming into contact with egg whites can ruin a meringue. Make sure your bowl and utensils are completely grease free is my suggestion.
Gluten free and sugar free version!
I made this pie for the first time today. Fabulous looking and delicious! I substituted the cake flour for gluten free sweet rice flour. Also substituted corn starch for tapioca starch, ss husband is allergic to corn. Boiled the lemon filling for a LOT LONGER. than the suggested 3 min once egg yokes added. Continuously stirring with a silicone spatula and allowing the mixture to coat the sides of my non-stick ceramic pot. This produces a More even heat to a larger area of the filling. THAT made for a thick custard like filling that was just perfect. Since my kids don’t do well on sugar, I substituted the sugar in the filling for xylitol. No problem there. And the sugar in the meringue I substituted for 3/4 cups of powdered monk fruit sweetener. With the cream of tartar added and beating the meringue until very glossy, I had a beautiful meringue that was stiff, tasty and didn’t weep. So for those of you who want to enjoy this in a gluten-free and sugar free version, that’s how.
Hey! sounds really good! I have a question though… I absolutly LOVE the combination of lemon and mint. do you think if I add some super fine chopped mint leaves with the lemon zest it will work or it can ruin the whole thing?
I dunno about that! I wouldnt add that to the filling.
I have made many lemon meringue pies and have never been able to figure out what causes them to weep/ sweat so bad?? Also, you didn’t say how long to let them cool before putting them in the refrigerator?? Also, what causes the meringue to shrink?
Im my experience, meringues that shrink are overwhipped. Cool almost to room temperature before the fridge will help with the weeping too.
Hi, I made the pie crust for your lemon meringue pie last weekend. I always have a terrible time making pie crust. (Maybe due to the fact that my mother could have 6 pie crusts made, rolled and in the pie plates by the time I gathered all the ingredients…lol) Hard to live up to. At any rate, I followed your instructions to a tee. All looked great. When I took them from the oven after the required time, the pastry had shrunk. I was so disappointed. What could have caused this?
This happens when you stretch the dough when putting it into the pan. Make sure the pastry is sort of pushed into the corners and has plenty of slack. Let the pastry rest in the pan for up to 20 minutes before baking as well.(in the fridge). Blind baking using parchment paper and baking weights is also a big help in baking pie shells.
My sister loves my meringue because it’s high and puffy as she says. Her meringues never come out right and I’ve explained how to make it correctly for years. One piece of advice for the meringue:
* use glass or stainless steel bowls (no plastic)
* refrigerate the bowl and the beaters, so they are cold for whipping the meringue (I refrigerate mine over night)
QUESTION FOR ANYONE: I’ve made a zillion lemon meringue pies and never had problems, but now this happens. I take the pie out of the oven when most of the meringue is a beautiful light brown color, let it cool on the counter, then refrigerate it over night. This is what happens… MY MERINGUE DEFLATES !!! It goes from a one inch high meringue to a flat meringue. It still tastes the same, but this weird thing happening is driving me crazy! What makes a meringue DEFLAT like a flat tire?
If I wanted to replace the meringue with whipped cream do I still need to cook the pie? Or refrigerate it? Thank you!
Refrigerate.
I’m pretty sure that I will use your recipe for a birthday party this week. Is your lemon filling that yellow on it’s own or did you add coloring? I know that I have made many lemon parfaits but the lemon alone was not enough color. Sorry, I will use my pie crust recipe that Grandma taught me. She would be sad…hahaha. They are good old fashioned delicious crusts.
The colour will depend on your lemons and egg yolks. My lemons were a very deep colour but I’d add a couple of drops of food colouring if it seemed too pale.
I made this twice last week and both times were a big hit with the family! I found the original receipe a bit sweet for my tastes so for the second pie, I reduced the sugar in the filling and the merignue to 1 cup each and enjoyed it much more. If you this is the first time making lemon merignue pie from scratch like it was for me, here are a couple tips:
(1) When blind baking your crust (meaning baking the crust without any filling), ensure you poke holes in the crust bottom and weigh it down with parchment paper and an even layer of raw beans or rice. I didn’t do this, and my crust shrank to almost half the size. I had to throw out the crust and start over.
(2) Beat the merignue on high. I started off at medium and 45 mins went by before any peaks even started to form, and my hand mixer is brand new! Once I switched to my highest setting, it only took 10 mins for the peaks to become stiff.
Overall, an excellent recipe and would make it again.
Can I bake the crust and fill the pie one day and the next day add the meringue to the cold filling the next day?
You can but the condensation on top of the cold pie will likely cause the meringue to slide off the pie.
Hello I want to make this but I read in the instructions for the filling it asks for water to mix in with the dry ingredients on the stove top but how much water?
It’s in the instructions.
OMG best pie I ever made! Turned out picture perfect and tastes amazing, Thank you Barry!
Overall this was delicious but I had a slight metallic aftertaste. What did I do wrong?
I’m guessing acid reaction with the type of metal pot.
Is it absolutely necessary to use cake flour? I have celiac and can only use gluten free flour, could I just substitute?
I’ve only ever made the recipe as is.
Can I just use a frozen pie shell ??
Not sure why you’re asking that but yes, it is your choice.
Tried this pie tonight, it turned out beautifully! Not sure why other’s filling wouldn’t thicken, mine did no problem;although it did take a little while so maybe it just takes a little more patience. The only issue I had was I didn’t beat my meringue long enough so my peaks fell a little and it spread over the edges of the pie so I had to cut the excess off; but that was an error on my part. Overall it turned out pretty good! This recipe is definitely a keeper if you like lemon!
All worked beautifully except The dough. I followed recipe correctly, used a pastry blender…looked great but the 1/4 c of cold water or a little more did not get the misture wet enough to make a dough that I could roll out. I had to use a store bought crust. What happened?
The dough needs to rest in the fridge for the water to equalize through the dough. It’s fine to have a dry dough when it is wrapped. It comes together in the fridge. More water will only make for a tough, not flakey crust.
Hello, LOVE your site, Barry! I just thought I’d add a little note: when making the crust, I use my food processor as you mentioned, but I keep it running as I very slowly add the very cold water (from the fridge) until it just comes together in a ball. This way I can easily judge the correct amount of water to add without adding too much. As you said, I then wrap in cling-film and refrigerate for about 10 minutes before rolling. Thank you from Ontario!!
That’s good if it works for you. I do it for short crust pastry. Stick with the shortest time in the food processor that you can or else you may over work the dough and incorporate the butter too much and your pastry will not be flakey.