Lemon Meringue Pie

5 from 1 vote

This easy lemon meringue pie recipe features a bright, creamy filling and fluffy topping. Make it from scratch or use a store-bought crust!

Prep Time30

Cook Time8

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: lemon meringue pie, lemon pie

Servings:

Calories: 624kcal

Add half of the flour to a medium mixing bowl with salt and sugar and stir to combine.
Add butter cubes to the flour mix and stir with a fork to coat the butter.
Cut the butter into the flour with a fork or pastry blender working until you have a sandy texture similar to breadcrumbs.
Add remaining flour and continue to cut in butter until flour is evenly distributed and looks like pea-sized crumbs.
Sprinkle ice water little by little while using a spatula to press the dough into itself. If you pinch the dough and it stays together, it’s ready. It’s important not to overwork the dough.
Cut dough in half and wrap each half in plastic. Refrigerate both until ready to use.
When ready to use, remove one half and place on a lightly floured work surface. Roll the dough into a 12-inch round at ⅛-inch thick.
Preheat the oven to 375F.
Gently place the pie crust into the pie tin pressing evenly on the bottom and sides. Trim and pinch the edges to crimp. Let chil for 2 hours.
Dock the crust with a fork and lay a sheet of parchment paper over. Fill with pie weights or uncooked rice or beans and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully remove the parchment and pie weights. Bake again for 10-12 minutes or until the edges and crust are golden brown. Let cool to room temperature.

Whisk together cornstarch, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. Add 1 ½ cups of water and the lemon juice and stir to combine. Bring to a boil over medium heat until very thick.
Add the egg yolks to a medium sized mixing bowl. Temper the yolks by slowly adding the sugar mixture and stirring constantly with a whisk. Add the tempered yolks back to the saucepan and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer while constantly stirring with a rubber spatula.
Remove from the heat and stir in butter and lemon zest until the butter is fully melted and incorporated. Pour the filling into the pie crust and cover with plastic wrap being sure to push the plastic directly onto the surface of the filling. Refrigerate.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt and whisk to combine. Over a double-boiler, continue to whisk until the sugar is dissolved and feels warm to the touch. Be sure the water is not touching the bowl.
Place the bowl into the mixer with a whisk attachment fitted. Add the vanilla and whisk on medium-high until you form stiff peaks, about 5 minutes.

Remove the plastic wrap from the pie and, using a spatula, mound the meringue onto the pie making sure to cover the entirety all the way to the edges of the crust. Using the spatula, make swirls and peaks in the meringue. Toast the meringue using a kitchen torch or by using the broiler on your oven until toasted and golden brown. Refrigerate until completely cool, about 4 hours.