Lemon Meringue Pie (full recipe)
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Chill: 2–3 hours
Servings: 8 slices
Ingredients:
1. Pie crust
1¼ cups (160 g) of plain flour
½ cup (115 g) of cold, cubed unsalted butter
2–3 tablespoons of ice water
¼ teaspoon salt
(Alternatively, you can use a store-bought 9-inch pie crust.)
2. Lemon filling:
1 cup (200 g) of sugar
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cornflour
¼ teaspoon salt
1½ cups water
2 lemons (zest and ½ cup of fresh lemon juice)
2 tbsp butter
4 egg yolks (save the whites for meringue).
3. Meringue topping:
4 egg whites
½ tsp cream of tartar
100 g (½ cup) sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions:
Step 1: Make the pie crust.
Mix the flour and salt together in a bowl.
Cut in the cold butter until the mixture looks crumbly.
Add ice water slowly until the dough comes together.
Roll out the dough and place it in a 9-inch pie dish.
Bake at 190°C (375°F) for 12–15 minutes until lightly golden.
Set aside.
Step 2: Prepare the lemon filling.
In a saucepan, combine:
sugar
flour
cornflour
salt
Add the water, lemon juice and lemon zest.
Cook over a medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens.
Stir in the butter.
Beat the egg yolks separately.
Slowly add a few spoonfuls of the hot mixture to the yolks (this is called ‘tempering’).
Pour the yolks back into the saucepan and cook for two more minutes.
Pour the filling into the baked crust.
Step 3: Make the meringue.
Beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks form.
Gradually add the sugar while continuing to beat.
Beat until stiff, glossy peaks form.
Mix in the vanilla.
Step 4: Assembly & Baking
Spread the meringue mixture over the hot lemon filling.
Make peaks with a spoon.
Bake at 175°C (350°F) for 10–12 minutes until golden brown.
Step 5: Chill.
Leave to cool at room temperature for 1 hour.
Refrigerate for 2 hours before slicing.
✅ Tips for a perfect pie:
Spread the meringue all the way to the edges of the crust to prevent it from shrinking.
Use fresh lemon juice for the best flavour.
Make sure it is fully chilled so the filling sets properly.