Classic Lemon Meringue Pie
Lemon meringue pie is the ultimate spring and summer dessert — it is so light and refreshing, with the perfect balance of sweet and tart. This classic favorite features a fresh, tangy lemon curd filling and a sweet, pillowy meringue topping.
Ingredients
For the Pie Crust
- Pie dough (click here for my homemade Flaky Pie Crust recipe, of which you will only need ½ for this recipe)
For the Lemon Curd Filling
- 2 whole eggs, at room temperature
- 4 egg yolks, at room temperature (use egg whites for meringue topping)
- 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp lemon zest
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ¼ tsp kosher salt (I use Diamond Crystal)
- ¾ cup water
- ¾ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 4 lemons) (this is my absolute favorite citrus juicer)
- ¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into ½" cubes
For the Meringue Topping
- 4 egg whites, at room temperature (use egg yolks for lemon curd filling)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- Heaping ¼ tsp cream of tartar
- ⅛ tsp kosher salt
Instructions
Preparing the Pie Dough (skip if using store-bough pie shell)
- Place chilled pie dough on a well-floured surface. Using a floured rolling pin, roll out dough into a circle about 1" larger in diameter than the pie dish. Keep rotating the dough to prevent sticking.
- Carefully transfer rolled-out dough onto a 9" pie dish. Gently press dough into bottom and side edges of dish to form the crust, as desired.
- Fold outside edge of dough under itself to form a thicker crust, pressing gently. Chill in freezer for 5 minutes.
Blind-baking the Pastry Dough
- For store-bought pie shell: Pre-bake according to instructions on package.
- For homemade pastry dough: Preheat oven to 400ºF. With a fork, prick the bottom layer of pastry dough inside the dish. Place aluminum foil against the surface of the dough and gently press into bottom and inner edges. Using baking beans or pie weights, weigh down the aluminum foil. Bake for about 20 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and baking beans (or pie weights) and bake until crust is lightly golden brown (about 8 to 10 minutes more).
- Set aside and allow to cool before filling.
Preparing the Lemon Curd Filling
- Reduce oven temperature to 350℉.
- Into two separate bowls, carefully separate egg yolks from egg whites. Set egg whites aside.Pro tip: Egg yolks and egg whites separate easier when cold. Once separated, allow to come to room temperature before proceeding.
- In a large bowl, whisk together whole eggs and egg yolks until uniform (about 30 seconds). Set aside.2 whole eggs, at room temperature4 egg yolks, at room temperature
- In a heavy-bottomed saucepan (not over heat), add in sugar and lemon zest. Whisk together to extract some of the oil from the zest (about 2 minutes).1 ¼ cup granulated sugar1 Tbsp lemon zest
- Add in cornstarch and salt. Whisk together to combine.¼ cup cornstarch¼ tsp kosher salt
- Pour in water, followed by the lemon juice. Whisk until cornstarch is completely dissolved.¾ cup water¾ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Set saucepan over medium heat. Whisk constantly until mixture thickens and becomes translucent and glossy (about 10 minutes). Note: mixture will thicken very suddenly around the 10-minute mark.
- Remove pan from heat. Whisking constantly, very slowly pour the hot lemon mixture into the bowl with the whisked eggs. (Be careful not to overheat mixture, as eggs may scramble.)
- Pour the final mixture back into the saucepan and set it back over medium heat. Whisk constantly until mixture thickens and reaches an internal temperature of 165℉ (about 3 to 5 minutes).
- Remove saucepan from heat. Whisk in chilled butter.¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into ½" cubes
- Immediately pour hot lemon curd into your prepared pie shell. To keep the curd warm and prevent a skin from forming on the surface, cover top with a piece of plastic wrap.
- Set pie aside, at room temperature, and work quickly to prepare the meringue.
Preparing the Meringue Topping
- In a small bowl, combine sugar and cornstarch. Mix together until no lumps remain. Set aside.½ cup granulated sugar1 Tbsp cornstarch
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a wire whip attachment (or using an electric hand mixer), beat egg whites on medium-high speed until they begin to foam (about 30 to 60 seconds).4 egg whites, at room temperature
- Sprinkle in cream of tartar and salt. Continue to beat until the egg whites have doubled in volume (about 60 seconds more).Heaping ¼ tsp cream of tartar⅛ tsp kosher salt
- Slowly sprinkle in sugar/cornstarch mixture. Increase mixing speed to high and continue to beat egg whites until medium-stiff peaks form (about 3 to 5 minutes).
Assembling and Baking the Pie
- Working quickly, remove plastic wrap from lemon curd-filled pie and scoop meringue on top. Using the back of a spoon, spread meringue to edges of pie (so that it touches the crust on all sides). Form small peaks in the meringue by swirling and lifting the spoon, as desired.
- Set pie on the bottom rack of the oven. Bake until the meringue turns golden brown (about 15 to 20 minutes).
- Remove pie from oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Once cooled, chill pie in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
Notes
TIPS TO PREVENT MERINGUE FROM "WEEPING":
- Whip the merging just to glossy, stiff-medium peaks — no more and no less.
- Set the meringue directly onto the hot curd, which helps the meringue adhere to the curd.
- Spread the meringue to the edges of the pie, so that it touches the crust on all sides, which helps to seal in any moisture and prevent the meringue from shrinking.
- Avoid under-baking the pie, otherwise condensation may occur, leading to liquid pooling between the curd and the meringue.
- Allow the pie to cool completely before chilling, otherwise condensation may again occur, leading to liquid pooling between the layers of the pie.
- Add cornstarch to the meringue (I use 1 Tbsp), which helps to counteract weeping and absorb any excess moisture.
Nutrition
Calories: 3196kcal | Carbohydrates: 479g | Protein: 50g | Fat: 129g | Saturated Fat: 66g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 15g | Monounsaturated Fat: 39g | Trans Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 1330mg | Sodium: 1914mg | Potassium: 900mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 359g | Vitamin A: 4142IU | Vitamin C: 92mg | Calcium: 267mg | Iron: 12mg