Lemon meringue pie 🍋🥧
A lemon meringue pie is a classic dessert with three layers: a crisp pie crust, a tangy lemon custard filling, and a fluffy toasted meringue topping. It’s sweet, tart, and very light.
Ingredients
Pie crust
- 1 pre-baked 9-inch pie crust (store-bought or homemade)
Lemon filling
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups water
- 2 lemons (juice and zest)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 4 egg yolks (beaten)
Meringue topping
- 4 egg whites
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
1. Prepare the lemon filling
- In a saucepan, whisk sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt.
- Add water, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
- Cook over medium heat while stirring until the mixture thickens.
- Stir in butter.
- Slowly add a little hot mixture to the egg yolks (to temper them), then pour back into the saucepan and cook for 2–3 minutes.
2. Fill the crust
- Pour the hot lemon filling into the pre-baked pie crust.
3. Make the meringue
- Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until soft peaks form.
- Gradually add sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
- Mix in vanilla.
4. Add topping
- Spread the meringue over the hot lemon filling, sealing it to the edges of the crust.
5. Bake
- Bake at 175 °C (350 °F) for 10–12 minutes until the meringue is lightly golden.
6. Cool
- Let the pie cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.
✅ Tips for the best pie
- Spread meringue while the filling is still hot to prevent shrinking.
- Make sure the meringue touches the crust edges to stop weeping.
- Chill before serving for cleaner slices.
If you want, I can also show you:
- 🍋 A 20-minute easy lemon meringue pie recipe
- 👩🍳 Bakery-style lemon meringue pie secrets (how to stop watery filling).
