Cakes
The Best Lemon Meringue Pie
This classic lemon meringue pie features a golden flaky crust, lusciously tart and creamy lemon filling, and exquisitely fluffy Italian meringue toasted to perfection.
Giulia’s Recipe Rundown
Taste
Bright, tart lemon filling balanced with sweet vanilla Italian meringue and a buttery flaky crust.
Texture
Crisp golden crust, smooth creamy lemon filling, and soft fluffy meringue with toasted peaks.
Ease
A classic bakery-style pie made in three manageable parts: crust, lemon filling, and meringue.
Best For
Spring desserts, Easter, summer gatherings, holiday tables, birthdays, and lemon dessert lovers.
This The Best Lemon Meringue Pie is everything a classic lemon pie should be: bright, creamy, tart, sweet, and topped with a cloud of toasted meringue. It has a golden flaky crust, a silky lemon filling, and a glossy Italian meringue that looks beautiful on any dessert table.
The lemon filling is made with fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, egg yolks, cornstarch, sugar, and butter for a texture that is thick, smooth, and sliceable. It tastes fresh and vibrant without being too sharp.
The Italian meringue topping makes this pie feel extra special. It is fluffy, stable, and beautifully glossy, then toasted until the peaks turn golden. If you love classic citrus desserts, this lemon meringue pie is a showstopper.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Classic lemon meringue pie with bakery-style presentation
- Golden flaky homemade pie crust
- Fresh lemon filling that is tart, creamy, and smooth
- Fluffy Italian meringue that toasts beautifully
- Perfect balance of sweet and tangy flavor
- Beautiful dessert for holidays, spring, and summer gatherings
Important Ingredient Notes
Cold Butter and Shortening
Cold butter gives the crust rich flavor, while shortening helps create tenderness and flakiness. Keep both cold until they are cut into the flour.
Sour Cream
A little sour cream adds tenderness to the pie dough and helps bring the crust together without making it tough.
Egg White for the Crust
Brushing the baked crust with egg white helps create a light barrier between the crust and lemon filling, which can help keep the crust crisp.
Fresh Lemon Juice
Freshly squeezed lemon juice is essential for the best flavor. It gives the filling a clean, bright tartness that bottled juice cannot match.
Lemon Zest
Lemon zest adds fragrant citrus oils and gives the filling a stronger, more natural lemon flavor.
Cornstarch
Cornstarch thickens the lemon filling and helps it set into clean, sliceable pieces once chilled.
Egg Yolks
Egg yolks make the filling creamy, rich, and custard-like. Whisk them carefully into the hot mixture so they do not scramble.
Cream of Tartar
Cream of tartar helps stabilize the egg whites so the Italian meringue becomes glossy, fluffy, and strong enough to hold tall peaks.
How to Make Lemon Meringue Pie
Make the pie dough
Mix water and sour cream, then combine flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in cold butter and shortening until the mixture forms pea-sized crumbs.
Blind bake the crust
Chill the dough, roll it into a pie dish, dock the bottom, and blind bake until golden. Brush with egg white while warm.
Cook the lemon filling
Whisk sugar, cornstarch, salt, egg yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice, and water together. Cook until thick, glossy, and bubbling.
Finish with butter
Remove the lemon filling from the heat and whisk in butter until smooth. Pour the filling into the baked crust.
Make Italian meringue
Cook sugar and water into a syrup, then stream it into whipped egg whites with cream of tartar. Add lemon juice and vanilla.
Top and toast
Spread or pipe the meringue over the lemon filling, making sure it reaches the crust edges. Toast until golden and chill before slicing.
Sweet Baking Science
Why blind bake the crust?
Lemon filling is soft and creamy, so the crust needs to be fully baked before filling. Blind baking helps keep the bottom crust crisp instead of soggy.
Why use cornstarch in lemon filling?
Cornstarch thickens the filling and helps it hold its shape after chilling. It creates a creamy texture that slices cleanly.
Why temper or whisk carefully with egg yolks?
Egg yolks thicken the filling, but they can scramble if heated too quickly. Whisking constantly helps the filling stay smooth and custardy.
Why use Italian meringue?
Italian meringue is made with hot sugar syrup, which creates a glossy, stable meringue. It holds tall peaks and is less delicate than a simple French meringue.
Why seal meringue to the crust?
Spreading the meringue all the way to the crust helps protect the lemon filling and can reduce shrinking or weeping as the pie cools.
Storage
Store Lemon Meringue Pie loosely covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
This pie is best the day it is assembled because the meringue is fluffiest and the crust is crispest when fresh.
Make-Ahead Tips
Lemon meringue pie is best assembled close to serving time, but you can prepare some parts ahead.
- Make the pie dough up to 2 days ahead and keep it refrigerated.
- Blind bake the crust one day ahead and store it loosely covered at room temperature.
- Make the lemon filling the day of serving for the smoothest texture.
- Add the Italian meringue after the filling is in the crust.
- Toast and chill the pie before slicing.
Troubleshooting & FAQ
Why is my lemon meringue pie runny?
The filling may not have cooked long enough to activate the cornstarch. Cook until the filling is thick, glossy, and bubbling, then chill fully before slicing.
Why is my meringue weeping?
Meringue can weep if the sugar is not fully dissolved, if the pie is stored too long, or if humidity is high. Italian meringue helps create a more stable topping.
Can I use bottled lemon juice?
Fresh lemon juice is strongly recommended for the best flavor. Bottled juice can taste flat or bitter in a fresh lemon pie.
Do I need a kitchen torch?
A kitchen torch gives the most control for toasting the meringue. You can also use the broiler briefly, but watch carefully because meringue browns fast.
Can I make this pie ahead?
You can make the crust ahead, but the finished pie is best served the same day it is topped with meringue.
The Best Lemon Meringue Pie
A classic lemon meringue pie with golden flaky crust, tart creamy lemon filling, and fluffy toasted Italian meringue.
Ingredients
For the crust
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon sour cream
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons shortening, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
- 1 egg white, for brushing the crust
For the lemon filling
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 5 large egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
For the Italian meringue
- 4 large egg whites, room temperature if possible
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together water and sour cream. Keep chilled.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt.
- Add shortening and cold butter. Cut them into the flour until the mixture forms pea-sized crumbs.
- Add the chilled sour cream mixture a little at a time, mixing just until the dough comes together.
- Shape the dough into a disk, wrap tightly, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 375°F / 190°C.
- Roll the chilled dough into a circle and fit it into a 9-inch pie dish. Trim and crimp the edges.
- Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork. Line with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans.
- Blind bake for 15 minutes, then remove the weights and bake for 8 to 12 minutes more, or until golden.
- Brush the warm crust lightly with egg white and let it cool.
- For the lemon filling, whisk sugar, cornstarch, salt, egg yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice, and water in a saucepan until smooth.
- Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and begins to bubble.
- Continue cooking for 1 minute while whisking, then remove from heat.
- Whisk in butter until smooth and glossy.
- Pour the warm lemon filling into the baked pie crust and smooth the top.
- For the Italian meringue, add egg whites and cream of tartar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
- In a small saucepan, combine sugar and water. Cook until the syrup reaches 240°F / 115°C.
- While the syrup cooks, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form.
- With the mixer running, slowly stream the hot syrup into the egg whites.
- Add lemon juice and vanilla, then whip until the meringue is glossy, thick, and holds stiff peaks.
- Spread or pipe the meringue over the lemon filling, sealing it all the way to the crust edges.
- Toast the meringue with a kitchen torch until golden brown.
- Refrigerate the pie for at least 3 hours before slicing.
- Slice and serve chilled.
Notes
For the cleanest slices, chill the pie fully before cutting and wipe the knife between each slice. Fresh lemon juice and zest give the filling the brightest flavor.
