Lemon Meringue Pie is a delicious dessert, with a sweet, crispy pie crust filled with tangy lemon custard and topped with meringue then baked until golden.

This delicious recipe has been generously shared by one of our Lovefoodies supporters, Cathy Kopp.
Lemon Meringue Pie always looks so beautiful, and you would think by looking at it, it would be hard to make, when in fact it's very easy!
Here, Cathy shows us how she makes her pie, and as you can see, it really does look wonderful. You can make your own pastry crust or use a ready-baked one, the choice is yours! We've popped some links in the ingredients if you'd like to make your own pie crust.
The filling is made up of a delicious lemon curd type of custard, and it's got a lovely balance of sharp and sweet. It's smooth and creamy, and when you combine that with the crisp pastry and the fluffy meringue, every bite is a delight!
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This meringue pie can be served for any occasion and is always popular at Summertime parties as well as Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's an all-year-round pie recipe for sure!
So let's get straight to the recipe and see how we make this lovely dessert.
Recipe by Cathy Kopp
Prep Time
15 minutes plus extra for cool time
Cook Time
15 - 20 minutes
Yield
6 slices
Ingredients
1 Pie shell, baked
For the Filling:
1 & ½ cups sugar
6 Tablespoons cornstarch
A pinch salt
1 & ⅓ cups cold water
2 Tablespoons butter or margarine
6 egg yolks, whisked in a small bowl
½ cup lemon juice
1 Tablespoon grated lemon zest
You can make your own pie crust using our delicious French Pastry recipe or our basic Shortcrust pastry recipe.
For the Meringue:
6 egg whites, room temp
pinch cream of tartar
pinch salt
¾ cup sugar
For a lighter meringue pie version
Use the same pie crust
For the Filling
Instead of 1-½ c. sugar , use 1 c. Splenda and ½ c. sugar
For the Meringue
Instead of ¾ c. sugar use ½ c. Splenda and ¼ c. sugar
Instructions:
First, prepare the filling:
1. Combine sugar, corn starch, salt and water in a non-reactive saucepan.
2. Whisk until all lumps are gone.
3. Place over medium heat, whisking constantly until it boils.
4. Remove from heat and add butter or margarine.
5. Temper the egg mixture with the sugar mixture and add all to the saucepan.
6. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. Boil for 2 minutes.
7. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and zest.

8. Set aside, and move straight on to preparing the meringue. (you need to do this before the filling cools down.)
Prepare the meringue:
1. Using the whisk attachment of your mixer, beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt on low speed until combined.
2. Increase speed to high and whip until stiff peaks form.

3. Whisk in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Putting it all together:
1. Preheat oven to 375F
2. Add filling to pie shell.
3. Top with meringue, making sure to spread it to the edges of the crust, forming a seal.
4. Bake 10 to 15 minutes, until meringue is golden with darker peaks.
5. Let cool at least 2 hours.
6. Refrigerate leftovers.


Tips for a good meringue pie
- Be scrupulous about not letting any fat get into the egg whites.
- Egg whites produce more volume at room temp.
- Don't put the filling in the crust until the meringue is ready or the crust gets soggy.
- The filling must be hot for the meringue to stick well.
- The longer you can wait to eat it, the better it sets up. (I know it's difficult to wait, but trust me.)

We'd love to hear from you and what you thought of our post. Did you make any changes or add some other goodies? Let us know in the comments below. Thanks for reading and happy cooking!

Recipe Card

Lemon Meringue Pie
Lemon Meringue Pie is a delicious dessert, with a sweet, crispy pie crust filled with tangy lemon custard and topped with meringue then baked until golden.
Ingredients
- 1 Pie shell, baked
- For the Filling:
- 1 cups & ½ sugar
- 6 Tablespoons corn starch
- pinch salt
- 1 cups & ⅓ cold water
- 2 Tablespoons butter or margarine
- 6 in egg yolks, whisked a small bowl
- ½ cup lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon grated lemon zest
For the Meringue:
- 6 egg whites, room temp
- pinch cream of tartar
- pinch salt
- ¾ cup sugar
Instructions
First, prepare the filling:
- Combine sugar, corn starch, salt and water in a non-reactive saucepan.
- Whisk until all lumps are gone.
- Place over medium heat, whisking constantly until it boils.
- Remove from heat and add butter or margarine.
- Temper the egg mixture with the sugar mixture and add all to the saucepan.
- Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. Boil for 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and zest.
- Set aside, and move straight on to preparing the meringue. (you need to do this before the filling cools down.)
Prepare the meringue:
- Using the whisk attachment of your mixer, beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt on low speed until combined.
- Increase speed to high and whip until stiff peaks form. Whisk in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Putting it all together:
- Preheat oven to 375F
- Add filling to pie shell. Top with meringue, making sure to spread it to the edges of the crust, forming a seal.
- Bake 10 to 15 minutes, until meringue is golden with darker peaks.
- Let cool at least 2 hours.
- Refrigerate leftovers.
Notes
For a lighter version, use these ingredients, keeping the pie crust the same;
For the Filling
Instead of 1-½ cups sugar, use 1 cup Splenda and ½ cup sugar
For the Meringue
Instead of ¾ cup sugar use ½ cup Splenda and ¼ cup sugar
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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KINGSBULL HOME Pie Pan Porcelain Pie Dish Ceramic Pie Plate 10.5-Inch Teal Non-Stick Safe for Microwaves, Dishwasher, Ovens, Navy blue
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Webake 4 Inch Mini Tart Pan Set of 6, Non-Stick Quiche Pan Removable Bottom Mini Tart Tins
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HIC Round Quiche, Fine White Porcelain, 10 x 1.5-Inches
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Kitchen Craft MasterClass Crusty Bake Non Stick Pastry/Flan Tin, Grey, 25 cm
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Wilton Performance Pans Flower Cake Pan, 4-Piece Petal Shaped Set of 17, 12.75 and 9-Inch Pans
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Non-stick Quiche Pan, 8 Inch Perforated Pizza Flan Pan with Removable Loose Bottom, Carbon Steel Round Tart Pan, Fluted Perforated Pie Tray Bakeware Pan for Pizza, Cakes, Cheese, Desserts
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S & K S&K Pie Server. A Cake and Pastry Spatula a Strong Food-Grade Stainless Steel Cake Slicer a Pie Cutter Edge. Our Pie Servers look great too. S&K metal pie knife for serving a perfect slice.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 270Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 179mgCarbohydrates: 47gFiber: 1gSugar: 29gProtein: 6g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate
Cathy
says:Yum, Mary! It’s been ages since I made this. Thanks for the reminder!
Lovefoodies
says:It’s THE BEST Lemon Meringue Pie I ever tried Cathy!!!
Elizabeth Hauswirth
says:Lemon Meringue Pie is my all time favorite! This recipe sounds great, the only different thing I would do is add vanilla to the meringue. I know it does weep but it gives the meringue great flavor.
lovefoodies
says:Hi Elizabeth, adding vanilla sounds lovely! When I made this a few weeks back, one of my worries was that it would weep, but Cathy assured me it wouldn’t, and she was right! So unless you do something different to the recipe, you should have success. I don’t think the vanilla will make a different to the structure. You could of course use vanilla powder which will help stiffen the egg whites, but I say give it a go, I can fully recommend this recipe!!
Happy baking!
Francene Kaufman
says:This recipe reminds me of watching my Mom, Aunts making theirs like this, the old fashion way, the best way. Thank you for it. I will definitely make mine this way for Christmas, if not before.
lovefoodies
says:It’s a great recipe, I agree Francene. I am planning of making this next week, and at Christmas, (I can’t wait!!) Please enjoy and hope it brings back many fond memories when it’s time to eat it with your family too.