Homemade Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe (video)
This stunning, over-the-top lemon meringue pie not only looks amazing but also tastes incredible! It’s topped with a ridiculous amount of fluffy and creamy meringue, making it the ultimate statement dessert! I make this lemon pie with my All-Butter Pie Crust recipe, my zesty Lemon Curd recipe and top it off with torched meringue! This lemon dessert recipe is perfect for special occasion and holidays!
Watch My Meringue Pie Video Tutorial
Watch my YouTube video recipe for step-by-step instructions for making this Lemon Meringue Pie! Want to receive new recipe emails in your inbox? Make sure to subscribe to my website and my YouTube channel and turn on notifications!
Ingredients for Homemade Lemon Meringue Pie
Here are some of the main ingredients you’ll need for this lemon pie!
- Lemons: fresh lemon juice is the best for making the lemon curd!
- Eggs & Egg Yolks: for making the creamy lemon curd.
- Butter: cold, unsalted butter for the pie crust.
- Egg Whites: I recommend having the egg whites at room temperature for making the meringue.
- Sugar: you can use regular or superfine sugar for the meringue. You’ll need regular sugar for the lemon curd.
All-Butter Pie Crust Recipe
My all-time favorite recipe for pie and tart crusts is this buttery All-Butter Pie Crust recipe! It’s made with butter, flour, salt and water. I have a separate video recipe for the crust recipe! Make sure to check it out for in-depth instructions! This simple and easy recipe is perfect for this lemon meringue pie!
- When making this pie, I typically prepare the pie crust the day before, or a few hours before starting since the crust needs to chill and rest. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out.
- Once the dough is chilled, roll it out on a lightly floured work surface until it’s a few inches larger than your pie or tart tin/pan. You’ll need the extra dough to line the sides of the pie tin. You can save any extra scraps for a different recipe.
- I blind bake the crust with pie weights for 25 to 30 minutes at 425F until the crust is golden brown.
Zesty Lemon Curd Recipe
Lemon meringue pie is all about the lemon and my recipe for lemon curd filling is the perfect choice! This easy, creamy and zesty Lemon Curd Recipe is my go-to anytime I need lemon curd! I have a separate video recipe for the lemon filling, so make sure to check it out for in-depth instructions! You can make the filling the day before or the same day and let it cool slightly before using in the recipe. If you’re making a lemon tart, I recommend preparing 1 ½ portions of the original recipe; or 2 portions of the recipe for a lemon pie.
Once the pie crust is done blind-baking, add the lemon curd and spread it evenly to the edges. Next, return the lemon pie back into the oven and bake it for another 15 minutes at a reduced oven temperature of 375F. Once the pie is done baking, let it cool in the refrigerator for a few hours, or overnight for best results.
- 1 ½ x original recipe: 1 cup lemon juice; 3 eggs plus 6 egg yolks; 1 ½ cups sugar; ¾ cup butter; 1 ½ tsp vanilla
- 2 x original recipe: 1 1/3 cup lemon juice; 4 eggs plus 8 egg yolks; 2 cups sugar; 1 cup butter; 2 tsp vanilla
How to Make the Meringue Topping
Any lemon meringue pie should have plenty of meringue topping!! For this recipe, I prepared an enormous amount of fluffy meringue to make this pie extra special! If you don’t want a ton of meringue on your pie, simply reduce the recipe in half.
This meringue topping is completely safe to eat and has no raw egg whites! It’s made with hot sugar syrup, which instantly cooks the egg whites. Here are a few tips for making the perfect meringue:
- Make sure your mixing bowl is squeaky clean and grease free! I usually wash mine with white vinegar to strip any residual grease.
- Use a candy thermometer for the syrup! The syrup needs to reach 240F; this usually takes about 5 to 7 minutes once the syrup starts boiling. Pour the syrup in slowly into the mixer, avoiding the beaters.
- Whisk the meringue on high speed for 7 to 9 minutes, until glossy peaks form. As the meringue cools, it will become glossier.
How to Make a Homemade Lemon Meringue Pie
Here’s how to put together this delicious lemon pie!
- Prepare the pie crust first. Blind bake the crust until it’s golden.
- Next, prepare the lemon curd. Fill the blind-baked pie crust and bake the lemon pie for about 15 minutes.
- Cool the pie for a couple of hours. This will allow the filling to thicken.
- Once you have the crust and lemon curd baked and chilled, it’s time to finish this lemon meringue pie with the meringue! I usually chill the pie first for a few hours before adding the meringue, since the lemon curd can start to squeeze out the sides if it’s not cooled.
- Add the meringue in a heaping pile on top of the lemon curd and use a kitchen torch to caramelize the meringue.
- For best results, I recommend refrigerating the lemon pie overnight to allow the lemon curd to set even further. Use an extra long knife to slice through the layer of meringue!
More Recipes
Enjoyed this amazing lemon dessert recipe? Check out some of my other recipes you’re sure to enjoy!
- Lemon Meringue Cake – delicate lemon cake layers filled with lemon curd and frosted with meringue! An elegant classic!
- Lemon Meringue Cheesecake – you’ll love this fluffy lemon cheesecake with lemon curd and meringue topping!
- No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake – rich, creamy, and lemony cheesecake with homemade lemon curd and whipped cream!
- Triple Lemon Mousse Cake – this stunning lemon mousse cake is so light, fluffy and lemony! And it looks so impressive!
- Mixed Berry Pie – you’ll love this fruity pie with raspberries, blueberries and blackberries! Perfect for summer!
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Homemade Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe (video)
Ingredients
For Pie Crust:
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, extra cold
- 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ cup cold water
For Lemon Curd:
- 1 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 4 eggs
- 8 egg yolks
- 2 cups white granulated sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 2 tsp vanilla
For Meringue:
- 6 large egg whites
- 2 cups white granulated sugar
- ½ cup water
- 1 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Pie Crust:
- Prepare the all-butter pie crust first. Cut the cold butter into small cubes and drop it into a food processor along with the flour and salt. Pulse the butter and flour together for a few minutes, until fine crumbs form. Slowly start adding the water with the food processor running, until a dough ball forms. Remove the dough from the processor and shape it into a disk. Wrap it well with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour or make it the day before and chill overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 425F/218C. Once the dough is chilled, roll it out on a lightly floured work surface until it’s a few inches larger than your pie or tart tin. Gently transfer the dough into the pie tin and press the dough very gently into the bottom and sides, removing the excess dough. Watch my video to see how it’s done. Line the crust with parchment paper, then fill the pie with pie weights or dried beans. Blind bake the crust for about 30 minutes, or until it’s golden brown.
For the Lemon Curd:
- While the pie crust is baking, prepare the lemon curd filling. This can also be done the day before. Place the eggs, egg yolks and sugar into a large mixing bowl. Whisk vigorously for 4 to 5 minutes, until the mixture is thick, pale and ribbons off the whisk. Pour this egg mixture into a medium-sized, stainless-steel saucepan and add the lemon juice. Cook the lemon curd over medium heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula for about 5 minutes, until the lemon curd thickens. Remove it from the heat and add the butter and vanilla, whisking until the butter is completely melted. Allow the lemon curd to cool down for at least 20 minutes before using.
- Reduce the oven temperature down to 375F/190C. Pour the prepared lemon curd into the baked pie crust, spreading it evenly to the edges. Bake the pie for another 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and chill it for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator.
For the Meringue:
- For the Meringue Topping: place the egg whites into a mixer bowl and whisk on high speed for a few minutes, until soft peaks form. Into a small saucepan, add the sugar and water and attach a candy thermometer to the side. Cook the sugar over medium heat, without stirring, until it reaches 240F/115C. This usually takes about 5 to 6 minutes from the time it starts to boil. Immediately, pour the hot sugar syrup in a slow and steady stream into the egg whites, with the mixer running on medium speed; avoid the whisk attachment! Watch my video recipe to see how it’s done!
- Once all the sugar syrup has been added, add the cream of tartar, lemon juice and vanilla. Continue whisking the meringue on high speed for 8 to 10 minutes, until it’s cooled to room temperature and glossy peaks form. Using a spatula, add the meringue in large dollops onto the chilled lemon pie. Use a spoon to shape the meringue into a tall mountain. If desired, use a kitchen torch to caramelize/burn the meringue.
- For best results, refrigerate the lemon meringue pie overnight. This will allow the lemon curd and meringue to thicken and it will be easier to serve. Use an extra-long knife for slicing.
Thank you so much for this straight forward so easy to follow and delicious recipe. I never made lemon meringue pie before, this was my very first one, and it turned out incredible. Lemon curd is so stunning I couldn’t stop eating it directly from the pot. Brilliant idea for the tall meringue too, it just looks extraordinary. Hugs, Millie
Hi Millie! You’re very welcome! I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe so much! 🙂 I love lemon curd, too! So delicious!
This makes way too much curd for one pie. It also taste very eggy because of the whole eggs used, egg whites really ruin the curd . I followed the directions exactly and my mother and kids faces were in anguished distortions. It is also very tangy on top of eggy. I was disappointed. I thought maybe it cooked too long but there were no clumps or stuck bits and I timed it stirring constantly . I’m no sure … is it supposed to taste like that? It hasn’t cooled for hours yet … I’m hoping after being in the refrigerator over night that maybe the taste will change.
Hi Meg! I’m so sorry you didn’t enjoy the lemon curd. I find that whisking the eggs with the sugar until the mixture is pale and ribbons off the whisk really helps combat the eggy flavor. That step is super important! Also, I like to use cheaper eggs since they tend to have less flavor. Make sure to cook it until it thickens to a pudding like consistency. I really hope the lemon curd works for you! I’ve been using this recipe for 7 to 8 years now and I love it!
Omg. This lemon curb is so delicious. I could really just eat it all by itself. So tangy and lemony. Amazing flavour. Also the meringue is so easy to make (sugar syrup took ages though) but once it was finished , the meringue turned out amazing. So excited to assemble and see it, it all it’s lemony glory.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the lemon curd! It’s my favorite, too! Hope you love the pie! 🙂
The celcius temperature for the syrup in the meringue part of the recipe is incorrect. It is 115 degrees Celsius.
Thank you so much for pointing out my mistake! Updated 🙂
When I added the simple syrup to the egg whites in the meringue I got a light scrambled egg lump situation. It tasted great, but the texture leads me to know I must have done something wrong. Any advice?
Hi Michelle! Oh, no! That doesn’t sound good. Did you have the mixer running when you added the syrup? You’ll want to add the syrup right off the stove top (it should be super hot), add it in a slow stream with the mixer running on medium speed.
Hi there, wanted to know if used the egg whites from the egg yolks you used to make the lemon curd and if so, did you store them the fridge overnight and beat the next day. Thanks in advance. Trudy from Cape Town, South Africa
Hi Trudy! Yes, you can absolutely store the egg whites for the next day. Just place them into a bowl or cup, cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
I followed your recipe to a T and watched your video. Unfortunately, once I made the lemon curd (it was delicious) and let it cool down, I poured it in the pie crust to bake for 15 minutes and it just did not set. I tried cooking it for a few more minutes keeping an eye on it but it just never set. It was a lot of work and a lot of expense to have to throw it out. 😔
Hi Shannon! I’m so sorry the recipe didn’t work for you. After baking, you need to set the pie into the refrigerator for the lemon curd to set completely. Did you try refrigerating it?
I made this yesterday and it’s amazing!!!
Thank you 😊
Hi Hollie! I’m so glad you loved the recipe! One of my favorites for this time of the year! 🙂
Just a quick question, if I were to make the lemon curd ahead of time, do I have to bake in the crust immediately? Or can I just pour it in the crust and bake the next day? I hope that makes sense.
Hi Allison! Yes, you can pour in the lemon curd and bake later. Since the crust will be pre-baked, it shouldn’t change anything in the recipe.
Girl! This meringue is fabulous! I’ll never make any other type now, it is as good as it gets1 Going to bake the pie tomorrow. What size pan do you recommend? I use a 10″ with my own meringue pie recipe, but want to try yours. Thank you so much.
Robin
PS- I coined this the “magic meringue”, it truly is! The most shiny, stable and luxurious meringue I’ve ever made or tasted. Thanks again for sharing.
Hi Robin! I’m so happy you loved the meringue recipe! It’s like a magical cloud! This recipe will work great with the 10-inch pie tin, too. Hope you love the poe!
I am fairly certain this is the best pie I have ever eaten. I made the curd and meringue exactly per your recipe for Thanksgiving this year. The meringue is perfect and beautiful. At first, my curd didn’t seem to thicken enough, but I just kept it on the heat longer while constantly stirring with a rubber spatula until thickened. I left the pie in the oven a little longer, too, until it appeared set. Thanks so much for a great recipe!
Hi Susie! That’s so wonderful to hear! I’m very happy you enjoyed the lemon pie! It really is something else! Thank you for taking the time to write a review!