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Lemon Meringue pie is a favorite of many, My sister in law had a birthday this weekend and had mentioned that it is one of her favorite deserts so naturally I made one for her.

This pie is so fresh tasting with the fresh squeezed lemon and the lemon zest. The meringue is sweet with out being too sweet and the warm vanilla flavor compliments the lemon tartness perfectly.

You can use a store-bought pie crust if that is what you like to use. If you’re looking to make homemade I have a great pie crust recipe here. It’s surprisingly easy to make and so delicious.

Ingredients you will need

Water- adds a good base for all the other ingredients to be added to and helps dissolve the sugar
Granulated sugar – adds sweetness to contrast the tartness of the lemon
Corn starch – helps to thicken the lemon curd, could also use potato starch if you don’t have cornstarch.
Lemon juice- about 2 lemons this is the star of the whole pie, if you want to use lemon juice from a bottle that is ok and it will work but having fresh squeezed will give you pie that much more flavor and freshness.
Lemon zest – adds more lemon flavor and color.
Egg yolk – smooths and thickens the curd
Butter – adds a creaminess to the curd and a great flavor.

Meringue

Egg whites – the star of the meringue, make sure there are absolutely no egg yolk in the whites or they will not fluff up like you need them to.
Cream of tartar – helps the egg whites stary stiff
Vanilla – adds a nice warm flavor to the meringue
Sugar – makes it all sweet and helps to contrast the tart of the lemon curd

How to make Lemon Meringue Pie

1. Blind bake the crust

preheat oven to 425° f

Get your pie crust ready, and take a piece of parchment paper large enough to cover the pie crust. crumple into a ball then lay flat in the pie crust.

Pour pie weights (I used dried chickpeas) into the pie crust and bake in the oven for 2o minutes. you can re-use the chickpeas if you store them in an airtight container after allowing them to cool completely. There are also Pie weights you can purchase. for me, they both work equally.

2. Allow to cool

Remove from the oven and allow to cool. the crust should be brown on the edges but the center will not be fully baked. this is ok.

Turn the temperature of the oven down to 300°f

Lemon filling

3. Separate eggs

Take 4 eggs and separate the whites from the yolk and set aside ready to use. There are many ways to do this. There are some products out there that can help.

Using either an egg separator or nice clean hands break the egg over a bowl and strain the egg yolk out of the egg white.

store in 2 separate bowls and make sure you absolutely have zero egg yolks in your egg whites or your meringue will not fluff up as it is supposed to.

4. Stir together

In a medium-sized pot add water, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and lemon zest. whisk all ingredients together.

5. Bring to a boil

Place the pot on the stove over medium heat and bring it to a soft boil stirring constantly. You can stop a bit but keep a close eye on it. make sure you are using a pot that does not have a non stick coating since you will be crapping the bottom of the pan a lot with the whisk.

6. Add eggs

Remove 3-4 tablespoons of the hot lemon mixture and add it to the egg yolks. stir quickly so as to not scramble the eggs. then pour the eggs into the pot and whisk again being sure not yo scramble the eggs. Pour slowly and keep the whisk moving.

Bring the mixture up to a soft boil again then cook for about 2 minutes.

7. add butter

Remove the pot from the heat and add the butter. stir until the butter is melted. you can always use a butter alternative if you need to. I have yet to test any of them in this recipe so if you do please let me know in the comments.

cold butter will bring down the temperature enough to stop the boiling but not enough to cool it down.

8. Add to pie crust

Pour the mixture into your prepared pie crust, you can strain it if you think you have some lumps but if you stirred constantly you should not have a problem.

Cover the pie in plastic wrap while you make the meringue. you wan to add the meringue to still warm lemon curd so do not allow it to cool.

Meringue

9. Whip

Add 4 egg whites to a large bowl along with vanilla and cream of tartar. the egg white should be a room temperature for best results. I like to use my Kitchen aid stand mixer for this, or you can also use a hand beater. both great options.

Using a stand mixer or hand beater, start slowly and mix the egg whites. Then increase until you are at a maximum speed.

Whip the egg white mixture until you have a soft peak consistency. when you pull the beater out the mixture should stand but the point will curl.

10. Add sugar

Add in the sugar and staring with a slow speed then increase to a high-speed beat mixture until you have a hard peak consistency. the mixture will stand and the point will not curl it will stand straight up. you should have a nice shiny meringue. do not overbeat

11. Assemble Pie

Remove the plastic wrap and spoon the meringue onto the pie. making sure your meringue touches the crust and you do not see any yellow from the lemon filling.

use a spoon or spatula to add texture to the meringue.

12. Bake

bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes until the top is a golden brown.

your pie will have a bit of a jiggle to it when you take it out but it should not be a liquid texture.

allow to set for up to 5 hours or overnight. eating the pie the same day is always recommended for freshness