Lemon Meringue Pie

A tangy and bright lemon filling nestled in a flaky pie crust and topped with pillowy clouds of bruléed meringue makes this an irresistible classic.

By
Lauren Weisenthal
Lauren Weisenthal is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Lauren Weisenthal
Lauren Weisenthal was the author of the Pie of the Week and Sweet Technique columns for Serious Eats. From 2017–2021, she ran a restaurant called The Nightingale in Vinalhaven, Maine.
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Updated February 08, 2024
Side view of lemon meringue pie.

Serious Eats / Fred Hardy

Why It Works

  • Fresh lemon juice gives the filling the brightest and tangiest lemon-forward flavor possible.
  • Gently heating the egg whites over a double boiler set-up ensures the sugar fully dissolves in the Swiss meringue topping.
  • A short cooking time under the broil gives the meringue topping its signature bruléed effect.

Lemon meringue pie is perfect for whenever dessert time calls for something light and sunny, and I think that is twice as true in the dead of winter, when seasonal, local fruit is on the decline. I can't think of a better foil for cold and darkness than tangy lemon filling, crisp flaky crust, and of course, bruléed clouds of meringue.

This recipe is adapted from my grandmother's recipe and is loved by my Italian-American family year round, but is especially popular with my family around Christmas. The kind of dessert that warms the soul with memories of summer.

Overhead view of lemon meringue pie.

Serious Eats / Fred Hardy

Lemon meringue is a pie of few ingredients, so select them with care. There's no substitute for fresh, juicy lemons—bottled juice will make the filling taste funky and metallic. Don't do it! Likewise, lemons that have taken a turn for the squishy, shriveled, or bruised will not yield fresh, fragrant zest or juice necessary for a good pie. Meyer lemons (which start becoming available later in the winter) are an excellent choice, but you'll need to dial the sugar back a bit, since Meyer lemons are less tart.

Bakers face a decision when it comes to making the meringue. Most classic recipes call for a French meringue topping, which is made with raw egg whites, granulated sugar, and pinches of cream of tartar and salt. But feeling a little skeeved out by yet another article on salmonella poisoning, I opted to use a Swiss meringue instead. The only difference between the two is that the egg white mixture is whisked over a bath of boiling water until it feels warm to the touch and the sugar has completely dissolved, then whisked until stiff and glossy. Make the meringue right before serving so that it doesn't form a rubbery skin on top.

December 2011

This recipe was cross-tested in 2023 and updated with more accurate measurements to guarantee best results.

Recipe Details

Lemon Meringue Pie

Prep 25 mins
Cook 30 mins
Active 60 mins
Cooling Time 2 hrs 30 mins
Total 3 hrs 25 mins
Serves 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

For the Crust:

  • One half recipe easy pie dough, shaped in a 9-inch pie plate and chilled for at least 2 hours

For the Lemon Filling:

  • 1 3/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon (415ml) water

  • 1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon (140ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 4 lemons)

  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest

  • 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar (8 3/4 ounces; 248g), divided

  • 5 tablespoons cornstarch (1 1/2 ounces; 42g)

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; for table salt use half as much by volume

  • 4 large egg yolks

  • 3 tablespoons (43g) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

For the Meringue:

  • 4 large egg whites (4 1/4 ounces; 120g)

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces; 100g)

  • 1 pinch kosher salt

  • 1 pinch cream of tartar

  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

  1. For the Crust: Adjust oven racks to upper middle position (about 8-inches from broiler) and lowest position and preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Lightly prick chilled pie shell all over bottom in 1/2-inch intervals. Line pie shell with a double layer of 14-inch square of parchment paper or aluminum foil, covering edges to prevent burning. Fill with sugar, pie weights, or dried beans.

    Overhead view of pie shell filled with pie weights.

    Serious Eats / Fred Hardy

  2. Transfer to a parchment or foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and bake on lowest rack for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F (190°C). Carefully remove liner and pie weights from par baked crust and bake the now uncovered crust until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Set aside and let cool.

    Cooked pie crust cooling.

    Serious Eats / Fred Hardy

  3. For the Lemon Filling: In a medium saucepan, combine the water, lemon juice, and zest. In a medium bowl, whisk 1 1/4 cups sugar, cornstarch, and salt until combined then add to the saucepan. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks until combined and add to the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking continuously, until the mixture thickens and bubbles, 7 to 8 minutes.

    Four image collage of making the lemon filling: combining sugar, water and lemon juice, adding cornstarch, adding egg yolk, and whisking everything until combined on the stovetop.

    Serious Eats / Fred Hardy

  4. Whisk continuously for an additional two minutes once bubbling, then remove from heat. Whisk in butter until fully combined and melted. Strain the curd through a fine-mesh strainer directly into the baked and cooled pie shell and scrape filling off the underside of the strainer into the pie shell. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the filling. Let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate until well chilled, at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.

    Two image collage of whisking butter into the pie filling and straining the mixture through a sieve to the pie shell.

    Serious Eats / Fred Hardy

  5. For the Meringue: Fill a medium saucepan one quarter full with water. Set the saucepan over medium heat, and bring water to a simmer.

    Overhead view of saucepan filled with water.

    Serious Eats / Fred Hardy

  6. In a stand mixer bowl, combine egg whites, 1/2 cup sugar, salt, and cream of tartar and place over the saucepan with simmering water. Heat, whisking constantly, until sugar is dissolved and egg whites are warm to the touch, 2 to 3 minutes. Test by rubbing between your fingers. Transfer mixer bowl to stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Starting on low speed, whip heated egg whites, gradually increasing speed to high, until stiff and glossy peaks form, 8 to 10 minutes. Add vanilla, and mix until combined.

    Two image collage of whisking egg whites in a double boiler and adding vanilla to the mixture, which has been whisked to reach soft peak in the bowl of a stand mixer,.

    Serious Eats / Fred Hardy

  7. For Assembling the Pie: Remove the plastic from the top of the chilled filling.  Spoon the meringue evenly around the edge and then center of pie, attaching the meringue to the pie crust (to prevent shrinking while under the broiler). Using back of spoon, create attractive swirls and peaks in meringue.

    Overhead view of using a spoon to make attractive swirls in the meringue topping.

    Serious Eats / Fred Hardy

  8. Adjust oven to broiler setting. Broil the pie on the upper-middle rack set about 8-inches from the broiler element until the tips of the meringue are toasted and browned, about 2 minutes (see notes) Let cool for 10 minutes. Slice and serve.

    Overhead view of finished lemon meringue pie on a cooling rack.

    Serious Eats / Fred Hardy

Special Equipment

Medium saucepan, 9-inch pie plate, fine-mesh strainer

Notes

Make the meringue right before serving so that it doesn't form a rubbery skin on top.

Closely monitor the pie while broiling the meringue to prevent burning.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
366 Calories
14g Fat
56g Carbs
6g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8 to 10
Amount per serving
Calories 366
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14g 18%
Saturated Fat 6g 29%
Cholesterol 102mg 34%
Sodium 258mg 11%
Total Carbohydrate 56g 20%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 35g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 2mg 11%
Calcium 23mg 2%
Iron 1mg 5%
Potassium 97mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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