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The Best Perfect & Foolproof Lemon Meringue Pie (No-Weep Recipe!)

A beautiful, tall slice of homemade Lemon Meringue Pie being served as dessert at a festive dinner party.

A from-scratch recipe for a classic Lemon Meringue Pie featuring three distinct homemade components. The foundation is a flaky pie crust made with both butter and shortening. The middle layer is a tangy, stovetop lemon curd filling, thickened with cornstarch and enriched with egg yolks for a rich, smooth texture. The pie is finished with a voluminous, glossy Swiss meringue topping, which is made by heating egg whites and sugar before whipping them to stiff peaks, and then toasted with a kitchen torch or under a broiler.

Ingredients

Scale
  • For the Pie Crust:
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 6 tablespoons very cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 3 to 6 tablespoons ice water
  • For the Filling:
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 5 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice plus 2 teaspoons lemon zest
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • For the Meringue:
  • 5 large egg whites
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • Pinch of fine salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Make the Pie Crust: In a food processor, pulse the flour, shortening, sugar, salt, and vinegar. Add the butter and pulse until pea-sized pieces form. Pulse in ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough holds together. Form into a disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  2. Roll the dough into a 13-inch round and fit it into a 9-inch pie dish. Crimp the edges. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
  3. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork. Line with parchment and fill with pie weights. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the parchment and weights and bake for another 10-12 minutes, until golden brown. Let the crust cool completely.
  4. Make the Filling: In a saucepan, whisk the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk in the lemon juice and 1 1/2 cups of water. Cook over medium heat, whisking, until the mixture bubbles and is very thick.
  5. Temper the egg yolks by slowly whisking half of the hot sugar mixture into them. Return the tempered yolk mixture to the saucepan, bring back to a simmer, and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
  6. Remove from heat and stir in the butter and lemon zest. Pour the filling into the cooled pie crust. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the filling and refrigerate.
  7. Make the Meringue: Whisk the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and whisk constantly until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is hot.
  8. Transfer the bowl to the mixer, add the vanilla, and whisk on medium-high speed for 5 to 6 minutes, until stiff, glossy peaks form.
  9. Finish the Pie: Mound the meringue on top of the chilled filling, spreading it to touch the crust on all sides. Create decorative swirls and peaks.
  10. Toast the meringue with a kitchen torch or by broiling in the oven for 1 to 2 minutes, watching carefully.
  11. Refrigerate the pie for about 4 hours, until the filling is completely cool and set, before serving.

Notes

  • Cook’s Note: For measuring flour, spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off the excess. If the filling looks scrambled, strain it into the pie crust.
  • This pie requires multiple long chilling periods for the dough and the final pie, so it’s a great make-ahead project.
  • Using a Swiss meringue method (heating the egg whites) creates a more stable meringue that is less likely to weep.
  • Sealing the meringue to the crust all the way around is a key step to prevent it from shrinking.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://cookupjoy.com/lemon-meringue-pie/