Homemade Lemon Meringue Pie
Homemade Lemon Meringue Pie is bright, creamy, and perfectly balanced with a sweet-tart lemon filling and a light, fluffy meringue topping. It’s a simple from-scratch dessert that feels special but uses everyday ingredients you likely already have.
Ingredients
For the Pie Crust
- 1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust homemade or store-bought
For the Lemon Filling
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups water
- 3 egg yolks save whites for meringue
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons butter
For the Meringue
- 3 egg whites
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Blind bake your crust until lightly golden (about 12–15 minutes). Set aside.
Make the Lemon Filling
- In a saucepan, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt.
- Slowly whisk in water and cook over medium heat until thickened and bubbling.
- In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks.
- Slowly add a few spoonfuls of the hot mixture into the yolks (this tempers them), then pour back into the saucepan.
- Cook another 2–3 minutes until thick and smooth.
- Remove from heat and stir in:
- lemon juice
- lemon zest
- butter
- Pour hot filling into the baked crust.
Make the Meringue
- In a clean bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form.
- Gradually add sugar, beating until stiff, glossy peaks form.
- Stir in vanilla.
Top the Pie
- Spread meringue over the hot filling, sealing it all the way to the edges of the crust (this keeps it from shrinking).
- Use a spoon to create those classic peaks.
Bake
- Bake at 350°F for 10–12 minutes until the top is golden brown.
- Cool (the hardest part)
- Let the pie cool completely before slicing so the filling sets properly.