Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe

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This classic lemon meringue pie recipe has a buttery flaky crust, a smooth and tangy lemon filling, and a light, fluffy meringue toasted to golden perfection. It’s light, fresh, and perfectly balanced between sweet and tart.

Years ago, when I found out that my dad’s favorite pie was a lemon meringue pie, I set out to make one for him. I looked for the perfect lemon meringue pie recipe, complete with a homemade pie crust, and did my best. And it turned out so good! My dad was impressed, mostly by all the love that went into that pie.

If you’re looking for a delicious pie recipe, definitely give this one a try. For more fruit desserts, try this easy blueberry cobbler, strawberry galette, or lemon raspberry bundt cake.

Why You’ll Love This Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe

Classic Lemon Dessert: If you love lemon desserts, this lemon meringue pie won’t disappoint!
Simple Ingredients: This recipe uses simple, pantry staples that you probably already have on hand, other than the lemons.
Simple Steps: Even if you’ve never made a pie before, this lemon meringue pie recipe is fairly straightforward and easy to follow. You can make your own crust (I love my sourdough pie crust recipe), or use a store-bought crust to keep it super simple.

Ingredients

Find the full list of ingredients, amounts, and instructions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Pie Crust: You can either use a homemade pie crust like my sourdough pie crust or use a store-bought crust.
Eggs: You’ll need 4 large eggs, with the whites and yolks separated.
Sugar: Granulated sugar
Lemons: About 3 lemons are needed, for the juice and zest.
Cornstarch: This thickens the lemon filling.
Butter: The recipe calls for unsalted butter. If you only have salted butter, you can eliminate the salt in the recipe.
Vanilla: Use store-bought or homemade vanilla extract.

Supplies

How to Make Lemon Meringue Pie

Here are the step-by-step instructions for how to make this lemon meringue pie recipe:

Step 1: Make the Crust
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Roll out and fit the pie crust into a 9-inch pie dish (Photo 1). Trim and crimp the edges as desired. Bake for 12–15 minutes, until lightly golden. Set aside to cool slightly (Photo 2).

Recipe Tip

We’re going to partially blind bake (par-bake) the pie crust before adding the filling. Make sure your pie crust is cold, fit it into the pie dish, and dock the crust (prick with a fork all over the bottom) before baking. For best results, you may want to use pie weights to keep the side of the crust from shrinking in the pan as it bakes.

Par-baking Instructions

To par-bake crust, dock the bottom of the crust with a fork. Cut a piece of parchment paper that is larger than your pie dish. Place it on top of the pie crust and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Place the pie crust in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, until the edges are just starting to lightly brown. Remove crust from the oven and remove parchment paper with weights/beans, and set aside.

Collage of four photos showing steps 5-8 for how to make lemon meringue pie.

Step 2: Make the Lemon Filling
In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt (Photos 3 and 4). Gradually whisk in the water until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and begins to bubble, about 5–7 minutes.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Slowly pour a small amount of the hot mixture into the yolks while whisking to temper them.

Pour the tempered yolks back into the saucepan (Photo 5) and continue cooking for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly, until thick and smooth (Photo 6).

Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice, lemon zest, and butter (Photo 7) until fully combined (Photo 8). Pour the hot filling into the baked crust and smooth the top (Photo 9).

Collage of four photos showing steps 9-12 for how to make lemon meringue pie.

Step 3: Make the Meringue
In a clean mixing bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar with a electric mixer until soft peaks form (Photos 10 and 11).

Recipe Tip

Make sure the egg whites don’t have even a drop of yolk, or they won’t whip properly.

Gradually add the sugar, one tablespoon at a time, beating on high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form (Photo 12). Mix in the vanilla extract (Photo 13).

Collage of four photos showing steps 13-16 for how to make lemon meringue pie.

Spread the meringue over the hot lemon filling, making sure it touches the crust edges to seal it completely (Photo 14). Use the back of a spoon to create soft peaks and swirls (Photo 15).

Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10–12 minutes, or until the meringue is lightly golden on top (Photo 16).

Let cool on a wire rack at room temperature for 1 hour, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before slicing.

Lemon meringue pie with a slice cut out of it.

A slice of lemon meringue pie on a plate.

How to Store

Store the pie in the refrigerator, loosely covered, for up to 3 days. Lemon meringue pie is best enjoyed within the first 1–2 days for the best texture. Do not freeze, as the meringue can become watery when thawed.

Tips

Make sure the lemon filling is hot when adding the meringue, this helps prevent weeping and keeps the layers stable.
Seal the meringue all the way to the crust edges so it doesn’t shrink while baking.
Add the sugar slowly when whipping the meringue to create a smooth, glossy texture.
Avoid overbaking the meringue, it should be lightly golden, not browned.
For clean slices, chill the pie completely and wipe your knife between cuts.

Recipe FAQs

Can I use bottled lemon juice instead of fresh lemon juice?

No, I wouldn’t recommend bottled lemon juice for this recipe. The fresh lemon juice just “makes” this pie, so I wouldn’t skip it.

Can I make this ahead?

You can make the pie dough in a advance and refrigerate or freeze it, and you can make and bake the unfilled pie crust and store in the refrigerator for up to two days. Or you can make the whole pie (without the meringue) and store it in the refrigerator for a day, and then add the meringue closer to when you want to serve it.

What are “stiff peaks?”

”Stiff peaks” are when you are mixing the egg whites, and the mixture becomes thick and glossy, and when you lift up the beaters or the whisk, the meringue will hold the stiff form without falling over or drooping.

Do I need to use pie weights when blind baking the crust?

For a store-bought crust, like the one used in the photos for this post, simply docking the crust and then partially blind baking works. Some thicker, more buttery pie crusts will require the use of pie weights during blind baking, to keep them from puffing up. You can also use beans, sugar, or even another pie pan in place of weights.