I grew up in a family of dessert lovers, and we take our pies very seriously! Of all the flavors, lemon meringue stands out; nothing can compare to the combination of tart lemon with sweet meringue. It's the best!
Have you been intimidated at the thought of making this impressive looking pie? What if I told you that this pie was the very FIRST one my mom taught me to make? If it's easy enough for a tweenager to make, then you can do it too!
Let me walk you through the easy steps needed to create a delicious lemon meringue pie, with fluffy clouds of toasted meringue on top. Your family and friends will be in awe of your skills, no need to tell them how easy it was!
Would you like to save this recipe?
I'll email this post to you, so you can easily come back to it later!
When life gives you lemons... make the Best Lemon Meringue Pie!
Call it what you will: social distancing, quarantines, whatever. At first we all felt united to defeat a common foe. But as the days turn to weeks, many are beginning to feel a bit sour on the whole topic.
Well, as the saying goes: when life gives you lemons, make . . . Lemon Meringue Pie!
Lemon Meringue Pie is one of the first I learned to make, straight from the Betty Crocker cookbook. It's perfect for beginners because it's simple and produces such impressive results!
I find the sweet-tart combination of sugar and lemon irresistible.
Jump to:
Homemade Lemon Meringue Pie Ingredients
- Crust for one 9-inch pie
- Lemon juice and zest
- Eggs
- Sugar
- Butter
- Cornstarch
- Cream of tartar
- Vanilla extract
How to Make Lemon Meringue Pie like Betty Crocker
1. Prep the ingredients
Separate the cold eggs placing the whites in a large mixing bowl and the yolks in a small bowl (eggs separate easier when cold). Allow to sit at room temperature while you prepare the other ingredients. Note: The egg whites will make a fluffier meringue if allowed to come to room temperature, so separating them early in the process helps accomplish that.
I use my favorite pie crust recipe but if your preference is a purchased one, this will work also. In either case, be sure to review Pie Crust Baking Tips to prep your crust.
Tip: I like to measure out the sugar for the meringue before I start beating so it's ready to add without stopping and measuring in the middle of beating the egg whites.
Use a lemon zester to remove zest from one lemon. Then, juice the lemon. You should end up with about ½ cup of juice. If short, juice a second lemon or supplement with bottled lemon juice.
2. Bake the crust
Whether using a purchased pie crust or making your own, follow the instructions for a fully-baked crust. Place crust in pie plate and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow it to relax. Then bake at 400F. Use parchment paper and pie weights for the first 15 minutes, then remove and finish baking for an additional 15 minutes.
3. Whip the meringue
I like to whip the meringue once I start baking the crust but before the lemon filling, just so it's ready to go in advance.
Add cream of tartar to the egg whites and beat until foamy. Then add the sugar, about a tablespoon at a time, while beating to incorporate. Continue beating until the mixture is stiff and glossy. Do NOT under beat. Once the mixture is stiff and glossy, add the vanilla and beat in. Set aside.
4. Cook the lemon filling
In a small saucepan, first mix cornstarch and sugar. Then, gradually add water and stir. By pre-mixing the dry ingredients it helps minimize clumping of the cornstarch. Cook with medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and boils.
Continue cooking and stirring for one minute.
The egg yolks should be nearby, lightly beaten and in a small bowl. Pour about half the hot mixture into the yolks and stir. (This process prevents the eggs from instantly forming scrambled egg, which they would do if you added them straight to the pan.) Then, pour this egg mixture back into the saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil again. Boil and stir for one minute.
Remove from heat. Add butter, lemon zest and lemon juice and stir well.
Note: The original recipe gives the option of adding yellow food coloring to the filling. To avoid artificial ingredients, consider using pasture raised eggs. They have the best yolks with the deepest color. The pie I made has no food coloring added. 😀
5. Layer and bake the Lemon Meringue Pie
Pour the hot lemon filling into the baked pie crust.
Spoon the meringue over the top of the filling, then spread carefully to evenly cover the lemon filling.
Carefully seal the meringue to the edge of the crust. This helps prevent/minimize shrinking and weeping of the meringue.
Bake pie at 400F for about 10 minutes, or until the meringue is a delicate brown.
Allow pie to cool away from any drafts. Refrigerate 4 hours before cutting.
Best Lemon Meringue Pie Variations
Fans of lemon meringue pie might argue that it is perfect as-is, but if you're in the mood to shake things up you can try a few variations:
- Key Lime Meringue Pie- you'll have to swap out the lemon juice and zest for lime to make this delicious variation. Since true key limes are incredibly tiny, I would use regular limes to squeeze out enough juice.
- Citrus twist - try using a mix of lemon and orange juice instead of all lemon in the custard layer. This will have a sweeter profile than all lemon but will still be delightfully tangy.
- Crust - you could always use a graham cracker crust. This will give your pie a different texture and flavor.
- Cream cheese - a layer of cream cheese between the crust and the lemon custard will make an extra decadent pie. The cream cheese adds richness and will help balance the sweet meringue.
How to store Betty Crocker Lemon Meringue Pie
This pie is best enjoyed fresh, but you can store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. To keep the meringue from weeping, cover the pie loosely with a piece of plastic wrap or a pie keeper-avoid tight covers, as they can trap moisture.
This pie does not freeze well; the ingredients will separate when you thaw and produce a soggy mess.
Recipe for Lemon Meringue Pie FAQs
Always bake the crust first, before adding any filling. I also sometimes brush the baked crust with some beaten egg white to form a barrier between the crust and filling. I use this technique often for fruit pies; it will also work great for lemon meringue.
This comes down to preparing the filling and meringue. The filling must be brought to a full boil and continue boiling and stirring for a full minute before continuing.
With the meringue, as the directions say: do not under beat. The meringue mixture should be stiff and glossy. Spoon it over the hot lemon filling and spread all the way to the edges so that it is touching the crust. This helps to seal the edge and prevent "weeping" of the meringue.
Also, fully cool the pie before cutting. 4 hours in the fridge is minimum, but overnight is even better!
Yes, the lemon filling will continue to thicken as it cools. After cooking, the filling should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Once you pour it into the pie crust, it will set up even more as it cools down to room temperature, resulting in a firm, sliceable texture. Be patient-give it time to fully cool before cutting!
Love lemon? Lemon cream puffs make an amazingly delicious dessert any time you're in the mood!
You also might want to try some salmon with whole lemon dressing or a triple lemon layer cake. 😀
📖 Recipe
Would you like to save this recipe?
I'll email this post to you, so you can easily come back to it later!
Betty Crocker Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- Crust for one 9-inch pie
For lemon filling:
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- ⅓ cup plus one TB cornstarch
- 1 ½ cups water
- 3 egg yolks slightly beaten
- 3 TB butter
- 2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
- ½ cup lemon juice
For meringue:
- 3 egg whites
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 6 TB sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Place crust in 9-inch pie plate and fully bake (See Pie Crust Baking Tips).Crust for one 9-inch pie
- In a mixing bowl, beat room temperature egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. Begin adding sugar, one tablespoon at a time, and continue beating after each addition. Beat until mixture is stiff and glossy. Do not under beat. Beat in vanilla.3 egg whites, ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar, 6 TB sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla
- In a small (1½ quart) saucepan, mix sugar and cornstarch. Stir in water gradually. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir for one minute.1 ½ cups sugar, ⅓ cup plus one TB cornstarch, 1 ½ cups water
- Stir at least half of the hot mixture into the egg yolks (in a separate bowl), then add the egg mixture back to the saucepan. Boil and stir for one minute.3 egg yolks
- Remove from heat; stir in butter, lemon peel and lemon juice.3 TB butter, 2 teaspoon grated lemon peel, ½ cup lemon juice
- Pour lemon filling into the baked crust.
- Spoon meringue onto the hot lemon filling. Spread meringue evenly over the filling, carefully sealing the meringue to the edge of the crust. This helps to prevent shrinking and weeping of the meringue.
- Return pie to oven and bake until meringue is delicate brown, about 10 minutes.
- Cool away from draft.
- Refrigerate for 4 hours to fully set the lemon filling.
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
This delicious pie now has a web story!
Amy Chung
This is my all time favourite dessert but I have never attempted to make it as I'm not much of a baker. But with so much time at home lately, I reckon I'm going to give it a try! My family would be over the moon if I did this. LOL!
Sula
Oh, it is worth it, for sure!
Marilyn Hansbrough
Sooo delicious
Sula
It really is! I always crave this pie when springtime is approaching; I hope to be making one very soon!
Christie Gagnon
Who doesn't love a lemon meringue pie -yum!
Sula
Pretty much no one!
Wilma Surber
HELP.
I cannot make a Lemon Meringue pie look the way it is suppose to. I just finished one for supper tonight and it does not have that glassy look, instead it looks like a vanilla cream pie. the taste is fine. That glassy look is how you identify Lemon pie. I did each step as directed.
Guess we will have to eat by candle light.
Sula
Can you describe more what part doesn't look right? I assume it's the lemon filling -? Is the texture right, i.e is it firm and holds its shape?
Jess
I love everything lemon! This is absolutely delicious.
Sula
I agree!
Big Trouble
Nice job on the meringue, Sula! It looks amazing! I've tried making meringue before, but it never turns out like this. I'll have to try again!
Sula
Make sure you are not under-beating the egg whites. That's the only trick to it.