Perfect Lemon Meringue Pie
My take on a classic lemon meringue pie is pure summer in a slice, featuring a salty-sweet graham cracker crust, tart lemon filling, and pillowy Swiss meringue!
What is Lemon Meringue Pie?
There are three primary elements in a lemon meringue pie (all of which you can pretty much guess from the title): a flaky pie crust, a lemon curd or custard filling, and a meringue topping. For my version, I made a few key adjustments which I think take it to the next level. Instead of a classic pie crust, I wanted to use a graham cracker crust for a more pronounced crunch and balance of sweetness. Second, I use a Swiss meringue to top the pie instead of the traditional French meringue. While both versions are made from egg whites and sugar, I prefer the stable, marshmallowy texture of Swiss meringue over French, which can spongier and less appealing.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Though there’s a good amount of steps for the recipe, the ingredient list is simple! Here’s everything you’ll need to grab from the store:
- Graham crackers. To form the base of the graham cracker crust.
- Unsalted butter. We’ll use butter in both the crust and the filling to bind everything together.
- Sugar. To balance the tartness of the lemon filling and to form the meringue.
- Lemon zest and juice. You’ll need a good amount of lemon juice in this recipe (about 4-5 lemons’ worth). Make sure you’re using fresh lemon juice—it really makes a difference!
- Cornstarch. To thicken the lemon filling.
- Eggs. We’ll use both whole eggs and egg yolks in the filling to give it richness and creaminess. Don’t throw out the egg whites, though—they’ll form the base of the meringue.
- Water. When combined with cornstarch, the water and lemon juice will form a gel to thicken the pie filling.
- Salt. To balance sweetness and enhance flavor throughout.
- Vanilla bean paste. I prefer using paste over extract in the meringue, since you can see all the flecks of vanilla bean throughout.
Lemon Meringue Pie Tips and Tricks
Because there are so many steps to this recipe, it can seem a little overwhelming, but don’t worry! I’ve compiled a list of my top tips and tricks to getting the perfect lemon pie every time.
- Don’t over or undercook the filling. Cornstarch can get finnicky if not properly cooked, which will make your pie filling too runny. You’ll know if the filling is done when it begins to bubble and take on a pudding-like texture—if it doesn’t reach this stage, then the cornstarch hasn’t been heated enough to activate and thicken, which will result in a runny filling.
- Make the meringue right after filling the pie. It might seem counterintuitive, but topping the hot pie with meringue actually helps them adhere to one another.
- Cool the pie completely before serving. Not only does this make the filling firm up, but it helps the meringue hold its shape and allows for clean slices later on.
- Toast the meringue with a kitchen blowtorch. In my opinion, this produces the best-looking pie.
lemon meringue pie Faqs:
- Can I use regular pie crust instead of graham cracker crust? Yes—just use a fully baked homemade or store-bought crust.
- Why is my filling runny? Most likely, you either didn’t cook the filling for long enough or you didn’t give the pie enough time to set.
- Can I make the filling or meringue in advance? Unfortunately, it’s best to make the filling and meringue on the same day, since they don’t keep well and need to be assembled together. However, the graham cracker crust can easily be prepared up to 2 days in advance.
- Can I pipe the meringue on top? Yes! Once the meringue is done, just put it into a piping bag and decorate as desired.
- I don’t have a blowtorch! Can I use a broiler to toast the meringue? Yes. Just keep an eye on the pie so the meringue doesn’t burn or get too toasty.
How to Make Swiss Meringue
Unlike a basic French meringue, which is made from whipping together sugar and egg whites, Swiss meringue adds the extra step of cooking the egg whites and sugar together. In doing so, the proteins stabilize and the sugar granules dissolve, resulting in a smoother, glossier, and stabler meringue topping that’s less prone to weeping. Here’s how to make it:
- Heat the sugar and egg whites. Place a bowl with egg whites and sugar over a pot of simmering water—make sure that the bowl does not touch the water, otherwise the whites could scramble. You’ll heat the mixture for around 5 minutes or until it reaches 160°F. If you don’t have a thermometer, no worries! Rub a bit of the egg white mixture between two fingers—you’re looking to have a dissolved, homogeneous mixture and shouldn’t feel any sugar granules.
- Whip the meringue. With the sugar dissolved, transfer the bowl to a stand mixer and whip on high until stiff peaks form. You’ll know when you’ve reached this stage if you can lift the whisk out of the bowl and the meringue stands straight up and forms a peak that holds its shape without drooping.
- Top and toast the pie. Now that the meringue is made, swirl it all over the pie, then use a blowtorch or broiler to toast it!
Swiss Meringue Top Tips:
- Separate the eggs when cold. Cold eggs are much easier to separate than those at room temperature, and it’s incredibly important that you get no yolks in your egg whites (otherwise the meringue won’t whip up)!
- Make sure your bowl is clean. Egg whites will not whip properly if there are traces of fat or grease in your bowl, so make sure it’s clean! If you want to triple check, wipe the bowl down with a bit of vinegar or lemon juice before using.
- Use the meringue immediately. In general, all meringues are best used immediately after whipping, since they begin to deflate and separate if held in the fridge.
Serving and Storage Instructions
Once the pie has set up in the fridge, it’s time to dig in! But of course, one of the hardest parts about pies is cutting them (let’s be honest, the first slice is always the ugliest one). When it comes to serving, use a very sharp knife that you’ve run under hot water, then clean it with a paper towel in between cuts. I’ve found this to be the most foolproof method for clean slices!
Lemon meringue pie is best enjoyed the day of, but since we’re using a graham cracker crust that won’t get soggy, the leftovers will keep for a bit longer. To store the pie, keep it in an airtight container in the fridge—try not to wrap it tightly with plastic, or the meringue will weep—and consume within 2-3 days.
Hope you give this recipe a try—leave any questions in the comments below!
Perfect Lemon Meringue Pie
Ingredients
For the graham cracker crust
- 12 graham cracker sheets (186g)
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 scant teaspoon kosher salt
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the lemon filling
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- 2 large eggs
- 4 large egg yolks (reserve the whites for the meringue)
- ¾ cup fresh lemon juice, from 4-5 lemons
- 1 ½ cups water
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
For the Swiss meringue topping
- 4 large egg whites
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare the graham cracker crust. Preheat the oven to 350℉. Pulse the graham cracker sheets in a food processor for around 30 seconds, until pulverized into finely ground crumbs. Alternatively, place the graham crackers into a plastic bag and use a rolling pin to crush them.
- Pour the graham cracker crumbs into a medium-sized bowl, then add in the granulated sugar and salt. Using a rubber spatula or a fork, stir in the melted butter until evenly incorporated and a sandy mixture forms.
- Press the graham cracker mixture into a 9'' pie dish, using your hands or a flat-bottomed measuring cup to compact it into an even thickness along the bottom and sides.
- Bake the prepared crust for 10-13 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges and fragrant. Set the crust aside as you prepare the other elements.
- Prepare the lemon curd. Place the fresh lemon zest and granulated sugar into a large saucepan, then use your fingers to rub them together until the sugar clumps and becomes fragrant, around 1 minute.
- Stir in the cornstarch, followed by the eggs and egg yolks until well incorporated. Whisking all the while, carefully stream in the lemon juice, water, and salt.
- Place the saucepan on medium heat and cook, whisking frequently, until the mixture thickens enough to coat a spoon and begins to bubble. If using a food thermometer, the temperature should reach 160°F.
- Remove the pan from the heat and gradually whisk in the cubed butter. Once completely melted and well combined, pour the lemon filling into the prepared crust and smooth the top.
- Prepare the meringue. Immediately after the lemon filling is done, begin the meringue. Place a small pot of water on the stove and bring to a simmer. In the meantime, combine the sugar and reserved egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large heatproof bowl).
- Set the bowl on top of the simmering saucepan, ensuring that the bottom does NOT touch the water. Whisk the mixture constantly for 4-5 minutes until the sugar is dissolved—you should be able to rub some of the egg whites between two fingers and not feel any granules of sugar. If using a food thermometer, it should reach 160°F.
- Remove the bowl from the heat and transfer to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (alternately, you can use an electric hand mixer).
- Whip the egg white mixture on medium-high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 5-7 minutes. After 5 minutes, add in the salt and vanilla bean paste and whisk to incorporate.
- Spoon the Swiss meringue over the hot lemon filling, spreading all the way to the edges of the crust to create a seal. Use the back of a spoon or offset spatula to create decorative swirls on top.
- Use a kitchen blowtorch to toast the meringue, or broil the pie in the oven for 1-2 minutes until golden brown.
- To prevent any condensation from forming, let the pie cool at room temperature for 1 hour, then place into the fridge to set for at least 4 hours before slicing and serving.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
