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The best Lemon Meringue Pie is an old family recipe: It has a flaky pie crust, smooth sweet and tart creamy lemon filling, and a soft and fluffy meringue topping. My dad has talked about this pie for as long as I can remember, especially how perfect the crust and filling are, so finding her handwritten recipe felt like uncovering a little piece of our family history.

A slice of lemon meringue pie sits on a blue-patterned plate, with a whole lemon, a lemon half, and the rest of the delicious lemon meringue pie in the background. The pie features a vibrant yellow lemon layer and a fluffy meringue topping.

A few years ago, I was given an envelope filled with old handwritten recipes and newspaper clippings that had been tucked into my Nana’s recipe book, and Aunt Tootsie’s Lemon Meringue Pie was one of them. Since pie crust and pie recipes are my thing, being able to recreate a pie that meant so much to my family made this recipe especially meaningful to me.

Lemon Meringue Pie has a few more steps than a simple pie, but none of them are that difficult when you know exactly what to do and look for. I’m going to teach you how to make the perfect baked, flakey pie crust for lemon meringue pie, how to make that tart and sweet lemon curd-like filling and, of course, the pillowy mile-high meringue on top. You’ll be able to get all the layers perfect (no weeping!) and enjoy a family favorite right on your table.

ingredients in lemon meringue pie.

Lemon Meringue Pie Ingredients

  • Best Pie Crust for Lemon Meringue Pie: You can use a store bought crust (frozen or refrigerated) or my all butter pie crust (it’s the best one in the world and easy to make!)
  • Egg Yolks are the body of the custard, along with cornstarch. Save the egg whites for the meringue and make sure there are no bits of yolk in the whites at all or you risk a falling meringue! It’s also important to start with room temperature eggs.
  • Lemon Zest and Lemon Juice are the most important flavor additions, obviously. The lemon zest is really where all that lemon flavor lives, so don’t omit!
  • Cream of tartar is a crucial ingredient in getting the stiff and stable peaks for the egg whites in the meringue so you cannot omit it!

Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe Important Tips

  • Be sure to see the process steps below the recipe card, and watch the video for more tips.
  • Lemon Meringue Pie is one of those custard-like pies that require you to partially blind bake the crust. The filling is already cooked when it goes into the crust and the meringue bakes just a short amount of time, so your crust needs to be almost all the way done before you assemble the pie.
  • Cornstarch mixtures need to be fully boiling to activate the cornstarch thickening properties. You’ll notice once it starts to bubble, the mixture will thicken.
  • You must temper the eggs, that is, get them ready to put in the hot custard mixture. If you just pour them into the hot lemon mixture, they’ll scramble, so we have to do it slowly.
  • Make sure to cook the egg mixture to at least 170-180°F to fully cook the egg yolks.
A lemon meringue pie with a slice missing, showing layers of vibrant yellow lemon filling and fluffy meringue topping. A halved lemon and a whole lemon sit in the background on a gray surface, completing this classic lemon meringue pie scene.

How to avoid a weepy lemon meringue pie

  • Make sure to make the meringue immediately after making the filling and top the pie while the filling is still hot.
  • Make sure to seal the edges of the meringue to the pie crust – no gaps.
  • Don’t over bake the meringue.
  • Make sure that, when you’re mixing your egg whites, you mix on low while you’re adding the sugar, which will ensure the sugar gets dissolved properly.
  • Don’t make meringue pies on high humidity days.

If you don’t like this kind of meringue topping, you can use my marshmallow meringue frosting (it’s more like a Swiss meringue) instead. In that case, completely blind bake the pie crust, add the filling, let it cool, then top it with that frosting and use a kitchen torch to brown the tops.

Dorothy’s Testing Notes

  • Make sure you have all your ingredients assembled and ready before you start. Whisk your egg yolks in a small bowl and set aside so they’re ready to temper.
  • Make sure there are NO egg yolks in your whites. When separating your eggs, err on the side of white-in-yolk but not yolk-in-white, if that makes sense. Egg whites don’t whip right if they have the fat from the yolk in them.
  • If you’re using a packaged pie crust, be sure to follow the partially blind baking instructions on the box. If it only talks about fully blind baking you’ll want to only do about half the time; the bottom should be semi-opaque but not fully baked.
  • Always strain your lemon mixture before adding it to the pie to remove any bits of egg that may have cooked or scrambled.
4.28 from 155 votes

Aunt Tootsie’s Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe

By: Dorothy Kern
Aunt Tootsie’s Lemon Meringue Pie – this recipe is a family favorite! It’s an easy pie recipe with homemade lemon filling and meringue. Everyone loves it!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
A slice of lemon meringue pie sits on a blue-patterned plate, with a whole lemon, a lemon half, and the rest of the delicious lemon meringue pie in the background. The pie features a vibrant yellow lemon layer and a fluffy meringue topping.
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Ingredients

For the filling:

  • 1 All Butter Pie Crust, pre-baked and cooled (or a pre-made crust from a pack of two or frozen)
  • 1 ½ cups (355ml) water
  • 1 ½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
  • 5 tablespoons (40g) cornstarch
  • ½ cup (118ml) fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 4 large eggs yolks
  • 3 tablespoons (42g) unsalted butter

For the meringue:

  • 4 large egg whites
  • ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 425°F. Place crust in 9-inch pie plate.
  • Partially blind bake the crust: poke holes in the bottom of the crust with a fork. Line the crust with parchment paper and fill with dried beans or pie weights (dried rice and lentils work too). If you're using my pie crust recipe, bake about 20 minutes, checking that the crust is browned (but the bottom won't be completely done yet, that's ok). If you're using a Pillsbury crust, it'll only take about 10 minutes to partially bake. Carefully remove parchment and pie weights.
  • Lower oven temperature to 300°F.
  • Whisk water, sugar, cornstarch, salt, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a medium saucepan. Place over medium-low heat and cook, stirring often, until it’s thick and bubbly.
  • Place egg yolks into a medium sized bowl. Whisk them gently. Once the lemon mixture is thick and bubbly, carefully pour about half the lemon mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then place the egg mixture back into the pan with the remaining lemon mixture, continuing to whisk. You want to avoid scrambling the eggs. Bring to a gentle boil, then cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the butter until melted.
  • Strain the mixture to remove any bits of egg. Pour mixture into the prepared pie crust. Cover with plastic wrap while you prepare the meringue and keep it hot (the meringue needs to go onto hot filling).
  • Place egg whites, cream of tartar, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or you can use a large bowl with a hand mixer). Beat on high speed until soft peaks form (if you remove the beaters the tips curl slightly) and then continue mixing while gradually adding the granulated sugar. Continue mixing until stiff peaks form (they’ll be glossy and stand straight).
  • Spread the meringue on the top of the lemon mixture in decorative peaks, being sure that the meringue touches the crust and no lemon shows through. Bake about 30 minutes or until the meringue is browned. Cool at room temperature for one hour, then chill at least 5 hours before slicing.

Notes

  • Have all your ingredients ready to go when you start; have your egg yolks beaten.
  • The meringue needs to go on top of warm pie filling so make the meringue as soon as the filling is done being made.
  • Make sure the meringue touches the crust – no holes or gaps – to avoid weeping.
  • The pie will last about a day in the fridge – the meringue will start to weep after about 24 hours – it’s best eaten the day it’s made.
  • If you don’t like this kind of meringue topping, you can use my marshmallow meringue frosting (it’s more like a Swiss meringue) instead. In that case, completely blind bake the pie crust, add the filling, let it cool, then top it with that frosting and use a kitchen torch to brown the tops.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 331kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 48mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 46g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Storing Lemon Meringue Pie

The meringue will deflate and get a bit weepy after a day so it is recommended that you make your pie the same day it’s going be eaten. There is lots of chill time involved so make sure to plan accordingly. I do not recommend making lemon meringue pie ahead of time.

It’s not recommended to freeze this pie.

How to make Lemon Meringue Pie

butter pie crust in a clear pan.

1. When you partially blind bake your crust, the sides and edges should be light but semi-baked through and the bottom should be semi-opaque but still a little greasy looking.

process shot of making lemon meringue pie.

2. Making the filling is like making pudding: stir often to make sure it doesn’t stick. It’s ready for the yolks when it’s thick and bubbly.

process shot of making lemon meringue pie.

3. Pour a bit of the hot mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Then, pour the egg yolk mixture back into the pot, whisking constantly. Then you can continue making your filling without worrying about scrambled eggs.

process shot of making lemon meringue pie.

4. Always stir in the butter and vanilla last after removing from the heat.

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process shot of making lemon meringue pie.

5. Straining into a bowl or into the pie crust is very important. The filling will be thicker than traditional lemon curd at this point.

process shot of making lemon meringue pie.

6. You don’t want the pie to cool too much before adding the meringue and baking the pie. The heat from the filling will make the meringue “cook” to the top of the pie.

process shot of making lemon meringue pie.

7. Soft peaks means that the egg whites are fluffy, but the peaks will just start to hold if you turn the whisk upside down. Once you add the sugar and beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, you’ll see they are glossy and the peaks hold their shape.

process shot of making lemon meringue pie.

8. Always add the meringue to the still-hot filling. Make sure to completely seal the meringue to the pie crust edges.

FAQs

Can lemon meringue pie be made a day ahead?

You can prepare the crust a day ahead but make and assemble the pie the day of. It won’t last more than about 24 hours before weeping.

Why is my meringue watery?

Make sure it’s stiff peaks and make sure that you are topping the pie while the filling is still hot. And make sure the meringue touches the edges of the crust with no holes or gaps. This will ensure you do not have a watery pie – however it will weep after a day (meringue doesn’t last that long).

Is it better to put meringue on a hot or cold pie?

Always add the meringue to the HOT filling to avoid weeping and separating.

Favorite Pie Recipes

Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

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4.28 from 155 votes (101 ratings without comment)

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148 Comments

  1. Been making this for many years and never had a negative comment. In fact, most tell me it is the best lemon pie they have ever had. I don’t doubt that a single second.

    Reply