Description
Refreshing Lemon Meringue Pie — perfect for summer entertaining and make-ahead Sunday dinners. Yields 8 slices in about 4 hours 25 minutes (mostly chilling) from 13 pantry-friendly ingredients.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 5 tablespoons cornstarch
- Pinch of salt
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1¾ cups water
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 large egg whites
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ cup granulated sugar (for meringue)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 deep dish 9-inch pie crust, baked
Instructions
- Blind-bake the chilled shortcrust shell at 375°F for 18 minutes with pie weights until the edges are pale gold.
- Whisk lemon juice, zest, sugar, cornstarch, and water in a saucepan over medium heat for 6 minutes until thick.
- Temper the egg yolks into the hot lemon mixture, simmer 2 minutes, then pour the curd into the warm baked crust.
- Beat egg whites with cream of tartar to soft peaks, add sugar gradually, and whip to glossy stiff peaks in 5 minutes.
- Pile meringue over the warm curd, seal to the crust edges, torch or broil 2 minutes, then chill for 3 hours.
Notes
- Fridge (assembled): Store loosely covered with foil tented over the meringue (never plastic — it sticks to peaks and weeps moisture) for up to 3 days. Slices stay sliceable through day three.
- Freezer: Not recommended for the assembled pie — meringue weeps and thaws to soup. The blind-baked shell alone freezes well for up to 1 month, double-wrapped in plastic and foil.
- Oven reheat: Skip the oven entirely for this pie — heat melts the meringue and breaks the curd. Serve straight from the fridge, or pull 10 minutes early to take the chill off before slicing.
- Microwave reheat: Do not microwave even single slices — citrus curd separates and meringue collapses within 15 seconds. This is a strictly cold dessert; embrace the chilled service.
- Air fryer reheat: Use only for re-crisping a leftover unfilled crust, 3 minutes at 320°F. Never put a meringue-topped slice in any heat appliance — every test ended in collapsed cap and weeping curd.
- Prep Time: 240
- Cook Time: 25
- Category: Desserts & Sweets
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8 servings
- Calories: 342 calories
- Sugar: 38g
- Sodium: 165mg
- Fat: 13g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 52g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 115mg