For Lemon Filling:
- 4 Egg yolkssave the whites for the meringue topping
- â…“ cup plus 3 tbsp Cornstarch
- 1 ½ cups Water
- 1 â…“ cups Sugar
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 5 tbsp Butter
- ½ cup Lemon juice
- 1 tbsp Lemon zestfinely grated
- 1 (9-inch) Pie shellspre-baked
For Meringue Topping:
- 4 Egg whites
- 1 pinch Cream of tartar
- 8 tbsp Sugar
Easy Lemon Meringue Pie
I love this Easy Lemon Meringue Pie recipe! It is a simple take on an all-time classic and reminds me of summer days, even if I make it in the depths of winter! Meringue pies originated in France back in the 1800s, but without the pastry crust. That came later and we haven’t looked back since. It’s the combination of the crisp pastry shell with creamy lemon filling and sweet meringue that everyone loves!
What makes this pie so easy is that I use a pre-baked pie shell, so I don’t need to faff about with pastry. I simply prepare a lemon custard and pour it into the pie shell. Next, I make a stiff meringue from egg white, sugar, and cream of tartar. I pile this on top of the custard and bake in the oven until the meringue is golden. Yum!
To make my Easy Lemon Meringue Pie, you will need the following ingredients:
Steps to make Easy Lemon Meringue Pie
1 | Whisk egg yolks | 3 |
Place 4 egg yolks in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Whisk and set aside. | ||
2 | Prepare custard mixture | 5 |
Combine ⅓ cup and 3 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1½ cups of water, 1⅓ cups of sugar, and ¼ teaspoon of salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk the mixture until fully combined and bring to a boil for 1 minute, stirring frequently. | ||
3 | Add cornstarch to eggs | 3 |
Remove the saucepan from the heat and add ½ a cup of the cornstarch mixture at a time to egg yolks. Make sure you whisk constantly at this step or the mixture might curdle. | ||
4 | Heat custard | 1 |
Return the egg yolk mixture to the saucepan over low heat. Cook while stirring constantly for 1 more minute. | ||
5 | Add lemon and butter | 1 |
Remove the mixture from the heat and gently stir through 5 tablespoons of butter, ½ a cup of lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of zest. Stir until fully combined. | ||
6 | Cook until thickened | 8 |
Turn the heat down to medium-low and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil. | ||
7 | Transfer custard to pie shell | 1 |
Pour the lemon custard mixture into the pre-baked pie shell. | ||
8 | Whisk egg whites with cream of tartar | 5 |
Whisk 4 egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer until soft peaks form. Add a pinch of cream of tartar and beat for a few more minutes, until larger peaks form. | ||
9 | Add sugar | 2 |
Gradually add 8 tablespoons of sugar and continue to beat for 1-2 minutes until stiff peaks form. | ||
10 | Heat oven | 5 |
Preheat the oven to 375 °F. | ||
11 | Assemble the pie | 3 |
While the filling is still hot, spoon the meringue on top and spread until it completely covers the lemon mixture. | ||
12 | Bake | 12 |
Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes until the meringue is golden at the edges. | ||
13 | Cool | 7h |
Remove the pie from the oven and leave to cool completely on a wire rack. Then refrigerate it for up to six hours before serving. | ||
14 | Serve | |
Serve cold. | ||
Recipe Reviews
Absolutely delish! Thanks for sharing!
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