Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe
This pie has a tender pastry crust, a tangy lemon filling and a topping of soft, fluffy meringue. We like to serve it cold with vanilla ice cream. It is best consumed within a day of making as the filling can start to soften the pastry.
We do not recommend using margarine as a substitute for butter in the lemon filling. Because butter sets harder than margarine, the filling will be softer if margarine is used.
We use a 20ml measuring tablespoon. If you are using a 15ml tablespoon, you will need to use 6 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon of cornflour for the filling (otherwise the filling may be too soft).
You will need about 3 lemons for this recipe.
Serves about 8.
Pastry
70g (1/2 cup) self-raising flour
130g (3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon) plain flour
30g (1 tablespoon plus 3 teaspoons) caster sugar
120g cold butter, cut into pieces
1 large egg (we use eggs with a minimum weight of 59g)
Lemon Filling
56g (4 tablespoons plus 3 teaspoons) cornflour
170g (3/4 cup) sugar
180ml (2/3 cup plus 2 teaspoons) fresh lemon juice
230ml (2/3 cup plus 1/4 cup) water
60g butter, cut into pieces
3 large egg yolks (we use eggs with a minimum weight of 59g)
Meringue
3 large egg whites
170g (3/4 cup) caster sugar
Begin by making the pastry. Place the self-raising and plain flours, caster sugar and butter in a food processor. Process on medium speed for about 20 seconds, until mixture resembles fine fresh breadcrumbs (there shouldn't be any large chunks of butter).
Add egg and process on medium speed for about 15-30 seconds, until egg is incorporated and mixture clumps together.
Form dough into a flattened round and place in a freezer bag or wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
Combine cornflour, sugar, lemon juice and water in medium saucepan. Stir until mixture is smooth. © exclusivelyfood.com.au
Place saucepan over medium-high heat and stir constantly until mixture reaches the boil (this will probably take about 7-10 minutes). Reduce heat to low and continue stirring for about 30-40 seconds, until mixture changes from cloudy to transparent and becomes thick and smooth.
Remove saucepan from heat and vigorously stir in butter and egg yolks. Continue stirring until all the butter has melted and the ingredients are well combined.
Pour filling into a small container, cover and refrigerate until cold.
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (160 degrees Celsius fan-forced). If you are not using a fan-forced oven, adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position.
Roll out pastry between two sheets of baking paper or on a lightly floured board to fit a 23cm (9 inch) pie plate (pastry should be about 4mm thick and 29cm diameter). Lift pastry into pie plate and gently press into dish.
Trim pastry overhanging the sides.
Place a sheet of baking paper on top of the pastry and fill with pastry weights or uncooked rice.
Bake at 180 degrees Celsius (160 degrees Celsius fan-forced) for 10 minutes. Remove weights/rice and baking paper and bake for 10-15 minutes more, until the pastry is a light golden colour. Allow pastry shell to cool completely.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius, or 190 degrees Celsius fan-forced. If you are not using a fan-forced oven, adjust the oven rack to the middle position.
To make meringue, place egg whites in a large bowl of an electric mixer and beat on high speed until at soft peak stage (when the beater is lifted, a peak will form and then droop over). Add the sugar gradually, about 2 tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition. Once all the sugar has been added, continue beating until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is thick and glossy. To test whether the sugar has dissolved, rub a small amount of meringue between your thumb and finger. If you can still feel sugar crystals, beat the meringue for another minute then test again.
Spoon lemon filling into cooled pastry shell and spread evenly. Dollop meringue on top of the lemon filling. Spread meringue to cover filling. Form peaks in the meringue with a spoon (we press the back of a spoon against the surface of the meringue, then lift the spoon to form a peak).
Bake for about 7-10 minutes, or until meringue is lightly coloured.
Allow pie to cool to room temperature. Cover pie and refrigerate until cold.
Slice chilled pie into wedges and serve. Store pie in an airtight container in the refrigerator. © www.exclusivelyfood.com.au
posted by Amanda and Debbie at
7:29 PM
106 Comments:
Just beautiful! I've tried so many recipes and have always had problems. This one was just perfect. Thanks
This was the best lemon meringue pie ive ever had!(and i've tried a lot of them) And still cant believe i cooked one as good as this. It was a hit at our fathers day dinner we had tonight. I searched the net after losing my normal recipe that i use and i must say that this one was 10 times better.So easy to make and so so yummy.....thanks so much
I made this yesterday and it turned out perfectly (and I rarely bake)! My man was suitably impressed, as were the girls at work who consumed the leftovers today! Thanks for sharing this great recipe!
i made this lemon meringue pie in my home ec class and i got great marks (which is really unusual for me, i can't cook) it was great and my friends all loved it at lunch, thanks muchly
~Lu
I have been searching for ages for a great lemon mreingue pie recipe which keeps for a day without the meringue weeping. Thanks so much for posting this recipe which is definitely the best I have tried.
delicious!
I cooked this for a friend whos favourite sweet is this one and I made her go, "mmmmmm im impressed!" So thankyou for this recipe.
I have made about 4 lemon meringue pies in the past and never got it right, however this recipe was so easy and my mum said it was the best she had ever tasted. It looked better than one you would buy in a shop... thanks for the recipe this is the best website.. off to try something else now
i had this pie and it was THE bomb
have been looking for another pud this is quick easy and delicious the best lemon meringue pie we have ever eaten great hot or cold
Really yummy recipe easy to make and lemon filling has fantasic tangy flavour, thanks.
This is simply the most easiest recipes ever for Lemon Meringue Pie. This Pies are simply to Die for.
TRULY AWESOME!
Very easy too!!
This is a wonderful reipe it is so easy and quik to make after the first Lemon meringue i made i made 5 more the same week. It is so yum
My pie looked great but when I went to serve it the lemon filling was not set and made for very sloppy end to dinner! What went wrong??
dude, who ever said the pie wuz sloppy is wrong, since u need 2 chill. the pie i mean, with only the filling in the fridge for aleast 4 hours, them make the meringue, slop in on, make swirly motions, and bake for ten minutes or until the meringue in slightly golden
this pie, is a make ahead pie, but withbeautiful results
It looked fabulous but filling ran - I will chill longer next time & hope that works.
Way too lemony - husband & kids giggling over faces it made us make - maybe when using fresh lemons from tree it should be less juice.
Looks promising though so I will try again.
If you have made this pie and the filling was too soft, but you wish to try again, we have added more detail to the instructions to help you get a better result. Here are some tips to help ensure that the filling isn't too soft.
1. Measure the ingredients as accurately as possible. Weighing the ingredients using good digital scales will probably give the best result.
2. Cornflour is the main thickener in the filling. If you are using a tablespoon to measure the cornflour and your measuring tablespoon is not an Australian metric tablespoon (20ml or 4 teaspoon capacity), then you might not be using enough cornflour. Unfortunately, some measuring tablespoons available in Australia have a 15ml or 3 teaspoon capacity. (In a number of other countries, one tablespoon equals 15ml.) To test yours, see how many 5ml teaspoons of water will fit into one tablespoon.
3. Once the cornflour, sugar, lemon and water mixture has come to the boil and you have reduced the heat, don't remove the saucepan from the heat until the mixture is thick, smooth and transparent.
4. Use butter, not margarine, in the filling (see the reason stated at the start of the recipe).
5. The filling is firmer when the pie is served cold.
One tip I have is that I use a teaspoon of lemon juice in my meringue, it makes it a little zinger and works better with the pie. Although a teaspoon of vinegar will work too (I took this from making Pavlovas).
i used your recipie and made this for my home ech class. it was soo good. thank you so much for posting it. definatly the best iv ever tasted!
thanx!
I want to use this dough in a recipe for a berry pie im making, the only thing is that i have to cook the whole pie for approx 55mins (190oC) and im not sure how much I should cook the crust before I add the filling and lid. Help wopuld be greatly appreciated yours is the only site on the net i trust!
I had never made a Lemon Meringue pie, this recipe was sooo easy to follow & the pie turned out absolutely fabulous..Im keen to bake other things now that i have some confidence in baking thanks to your recipe, you made it so user friendly...
We think that this pastry would probably overbrown if baked for 55 minutes at 190 degrees Celsius. Would it be possible to reduce the cooking time (or temperature), or does the filling require this time/temperature?
If you will be baking the whole pie for more than 40 minutes, you may not need to prebake the crust. We don't prebake the base of our apple pie and it doesn't go soggy because the filling isn't very moist and juicy. However, if your berry filling is quite juicy, we would suggest you prebake the base for about 10 minutes.
This looks fantastic! Im overloaded with lemons so this is next up in the kitchen. Plan to use graham crust though....family tradition.
I did make this pie today, with graham crust, it looks and tastes amazing, thanks for sharing the recipe...
I found this recipe and I'd love to give it a try (it seems to have very good reviews) but I do not have a food processor to make the base in. Any hints on getting around this or do I definitely need one?
If you don't have a food processor, you can make this pastry by hand. Place the flours and sugar in a large bowl. Cut the butter into small pieces. Add the butter to the bowl and rub the butter into the flour mixture using your fingertips. Add the egg and stir to combine. Then use your hand to bring the pastry together into a ball.
Is it possible to substitute the self raising flour with plain flour?
You could try using plain flour; however, the pastry won't be as light. If you have some baking powder, you could replace the 70g self-raising flour with 70g plain flour plus 1 teaspoon baking powder.
I've made this twice now in a week and each time it's nothing but divine! Thank you! My little baked creation in being showed off my blog too!
Can you make the pastry and lemon filling ahead refrigerate overnight and finish process the next day?
It should be fine to make the pastry and lemon filling a day in advance. Refrigerate the egg whites in a small airtight container so they don't dry out.
I think it was absolutley fantastic! my family enjoyed it immensly, coming from a person who is a disaster in the kitchen i think i did well!
Thankyou!!
This pie is genius!!! I have had several attempts at making this particular type of pie and this is my first at succeeding and wow did it succeed!! Thankyou very much!!!!!
Really great one this is.
For somthing a tad different i use
1/4 lemon juice
2 tbls organe juice
2 tabls lime juice
makes it more a citrus pie and less tart.
another great recipe girls thanks
xxoo
LOVE IT!!!!! :) I just finished making it, it's in the oven now cant wait to eat it hehe :) thanks so much
My whole family was very impressed with this pie. It was so easy and enjoyable and much better than any bought one could ever be. I made it for my husband's birthday and put a few candles around it. Made the pastry and filling in morning and meringue at about 5.00pm, it looked exactly like your picture. Perfect. Thank you so much for the recipe, I will be using you website for more cooking in future.
I just made it today but it unfortunately I think I messed up the filling.
It's really watery and not firm at all. I followed all the instructions (used butter and chilled it). I think I didn't heat it long enough. I thought it was thick and soft but obviously not thick enough.The colour of my filling is just as the picture.
Secondly, I felt as if I didn't have enough meringue to cover my pie.
But it could be due to the mixer I'm using. It's a handheld portable mixer. Would whipping it manually improve the thickness of the meringue?
Either way, the taste is there. I just need to fix the filling part :D
Hi Miszmilk,
After your filling mixture came to the boil, did you notice the mixture change from cloudy to clear? To ensure the filling will be thick enough, we continue to cook it until we notice this change in appearance. Also, make sure you measure the amount of cornflour as accurately as possible.
If your mixer is not very good at aerating the egg whites then you will have a smaller volume of meringue to work with. Using only a hand whisk to make the meringue would be hard work! You could try beating the egg whites with your mixer for about 10 minutes, and then switching to a hand whisk to finish them off.
so proud that I have conquered the lemon meringue pie! or more in my case a lime meringue pie...it was amazing!
Amazing recipe!
I just added a bit of Lemon zest to the filling.
Just Beautiful, first time Lemon Meringue pie maker, and it turned out GREAT... Thanks so much for posting this great recipe :)
wow what a wonderful recipe, and it is quick and simple.
just marvellous!
ours turned out "perfect"
havent made it yet but am really looking forward to it!!
sounds like a fantastic recipe
lots of love
random teenager
This was really really really good, it was sooo quick and easy, and DELICIOUS!!! :D
Good recipe, and probably one of the best you'll find.
However it was way too lemony which pretty much ruined what was otherwise a very well formed and attractive pie.
Like previous comments that have been made, when using fresh lemon you don't need anywhere near 180ml of lemon juice.
I'm sure you could cut it down to half and then if it's not strong enough it won't be the end of the world, and better than being too overpowering.
Other than that, no problems!
this pie was DELICIOUS!!!!!
it was so easy to make, i always thought that Lemon Meringue Pie would be difficult to make but..
..it was so easy and fun
YUM!
Very nice recipe that makes a delicious end result. I have just made one for my Grandmother's birthday and it has turned out fantastic.
The lemon filling is the perfect tartness to sweetness ratio. Grandma thought so as well.
I used a teaspoon of Cream of Tartar in the meringue mixture and it has turned out beautifully.
Thanks for sharing such a wonderful recipe...Grandma thanks you as well.
i am planning on making this pie soon but i do not have enough time to refrigerate the lemon filling for several hours, so could i put it in the freezer for a shorter amount of time or would it be better to make it the night before?
i would appreciate som advice and extra tips!
thanks a million!
We don't recommend cooling the filling in the freezer as any freezing of the filling may harm its texture. Please see the above comment dated 20/12/07.
Is this filling the same filling you use to make Citrus tarts.. or difference
I just made this a couple days ago and wow. I'm allergic to eggs, so I couldn't really eat it (I did have a bite or two just to make sure it was okay, and suffered for that), but it's one of my boyfriend's favourite sweets. I've been putting off making it, as I've never done it before, but this could not have been easier.
The only thing I did differently was I used 100 ml fresh lemon juice, then the rest was from the bottle (3 lemons wasn't enough for me). The lemon flavor wasn't too strong at all, and I'm not sure it would have been even if I had used all fresh lemon juice. I suppose it depends on your tastes. All I know is that cutting it in half was nowhere NEAR lemony enough.
I also have to say that you REALLY do have to chill for hours. I agree with another reviewer who recommend chilling just the filling for 4 hours, and then the chill the pie for an additional four, I think. Otherwise it really is too runny. So plan ahead!
And thank you Amanda and Debbie =)
Hi Anonymous,
You could use our lemon meringue pie filling to make a citrus tart. However, we generally think of citrus tart as something like this, where the filling does not contain cornflour or water.
I have attempted this lemon meringue pie twice. The first time I think I added the butter & yolk too early. The second time I followed the recipe exactly and it was better but still quite runny. I am not quite sure what else to do to ensure it is firm. What would happen if I increased the corn flour? I would also like to reduce the amount of lemon juice by half.
I used this recipe to make mini meringue pies ... THANK YOU you made it soooo easy and I am the star chef in my house now!!!!!
Hi Lauren
Have you tried the suggestions from our comment dated 1/8/07? If you increase the quantity of cornflour or reduce the amount of liquid (e.g. lemon juice), the filling will have a thicker consistency.
I had always wanted to make one of these pies...my first attempt was really great. It was easy to follow my crust was a little hard as didn't roll out so evenly!No one else notices it...will try again.
Thank you so much for such a beautifully written, easy to follow recipe. I am allergic to wheat and dairy so modified the ingredients and it still worked perfectly. The only change I needed to make was to reduce the pastry cooking time a tiny bit as gluten free flours seem to cook more quickly than wheat flour and cause the pastry to be overly crumbly. A perfect result and by far the best Lemon Meringue Pie I've eaten. Thanks a million!!
Thank you so much for this recipe! This is the first time I every make a lemon meringue pie and it turned out awesome! It looked great too. I just have one tiny suggestion brought to my attention by my mother. Is it possible to add a hint of vanilla to the meringue to take away the egg flavor?
Thanks again! =)
Hi Farah,
Yes, you could add vanilla to the meringue. We suggest that you beat the vanilla into the meringue once all the sugar has dissolved.
Thank you for the recipe and clear step-by-step description! :)
Do you think you could use regular flour instead of cornflour? I'm in Europe, I don't think cornflour exists here (or cornstarch, and related products.)
Hi Cath,
We have never come across a lemon meringue pie recipe that includes flour as a thickener in the filling. We aren't sure how well it would work. If you try it, please let us know how it turns out.
Hi
In Europe you will most likely be able to get potato flour. That is what we use in Sweden, and it works exactly as corn flour. So try that. I now live in Australia, but still use potato flour in Swedish recipes.
Louise.
Firstly, thank you very much for such a foolproof recipe on something I always thought was a challenge.
I do have a few things I wish to clarify. I'm an amateur in baking and would just to enquire, what's the temperature to be used for the final baking? And would using a Kenwood K-shaped mixer cause the meringue to be unable to aerate?
Thank you very much. :)
- Angela
This is truly the best lemon meringue pie i have ever tasted in my entire life! It was an absolute hit at my brother's 21st!! Thanks a lot it was so YUMMY!!!
Hi Angela
The temperature for browning the meringue is 200 degrees Celsius (190 degrees Celsius fan-forced). The meringue can be made with a Kenwood K beater.
Hey Im only 12 and I have made this three times!!
It wa so easy! and so yummy!
Beautifully laid out recipe. Thank you!
One question - I made the filling ahead and left it to chill in the fridge for a few hours in the saucepan with the lid on - when I went to put it into the pie it was quite solid and I had to stir it up again quite firmly to get it to a use-able consistency (although there were still some lumps). Any ideas on bettering this?
Hi M
What do you think the lumps were made from (bits of egg, lumps of 'skin' that formed during cooling etc.)? Were the lumps perceptible when you were eating the pie?
Do you think the filling was a little too firm? If so, you could try reducing the amount of cornflour slightly to produce a softer consistency. If the filling was not too firm, you could try cooling it for a shorter time before spooning it into the pastry case. That way, the filling will be a bit softer and easier to work with.
I love eating my pie warm, so can I eat it after I have cooked the meringue and it has cooled a bit, or do I need to refrigerate after cooking the meringue so the filling sets well????
Also, I cheated as I ran out of time and used a flan case from the supermarket, hope it tastes ok, next time will put int he hard work and make the case also.
Thanks
The filling will be soft when warm, but we aren't sure how soft. You could try cutting a tiny piece out of the pie to see whether the filling oozes out into the empty space. If it does, then we don't recommend serving the pie at that stage because the filling won't remain between the pastry and meringue. If the filling is able to hold its shape, then it should be fine to slice and serve.
This is a wonderful recipe, thankyou very much. I add an extra 1/2 egg into the pastry mixture and i find that it all holds together better and doesn't crumble. Very tasty!
Lemon meringue pie is my husband's favourite dessert and when I made it to your recipe for the first time, he said it was one of the best he'd ever tasted - thanks!
The filling will have trouble setting if the lemons aren't perfectly ripe as well, for anyone who is doing everything as per the instructions without it setting
Just made this pie today. It was perfect, only the filling was slightly thin, I microwaved it for a minute, stirring every 10 seconds and it thickened up!
this is the first pie and the best pie i have ever made.I'm not going to any other websites for recipes. You guys are the best!
Can i use tin foil instead of baking paper. i totally forgot to get it and im in the middle of making it right now hahaha..
Yes, foil could be used instead of baking paper when blind baking the pastry case.
Its been said before but was so good just wanted to tell you how really lovely this recipe was. Never made one before and was looking for the best and I found it! :) I did find I had to double the recipe but then I found my pie flan was a little bigger lol Not to worry it was all gone the next day! The boys loved it!
Great Job love your site.
i'm allergic to cornstarch, is there a substitution i can use instead?
I made the pie yesterday for a family dinner and it was great. It was surprisingly easy to make (I had never made one before) and the family was pretty impressed. Thanks for the visual instructions!
To the person who asked about a substitute for the cornflour (cornstarch): Are you able to eat wheat starch?
hey the recipe looks great ! was just wondering weather it would work if i made smaller individual lemon merinques????
Yes, this recipe could be used to make small lemon meringue pies. For individual serve pies, you will probably need to use a shorter pastry baking time than specified.
Hello. First of all, I would like to thank you for such a detailed recipe. I wish to bake this for my Home Economics test, and as there are regulations to abide to, I was wondering if it is absolutely necessary that I cannot replace butter with margarine, or that I have to refrigerate the filling. Thank you! :)
The pie looks delicious! I would love to make it, but I only have a 26 cm pie pan. Can I use these quantities or do I have to increase them?
Hi Soba o-t-a-k-u
You could use margarine in place of the butter in the pastry and filling, but the filling will have a softer consistency. If you are unable to refrigerate the filling or the finished pie, the filling will probably ooze out when the pie is cut (not hold its shape as in the pie pictured above).
To the person who asked about using a 26cm pie pan: A 26cm diameter pan is about 1.3 times the size of a 23cm diameter pan. We suggest that you multiply the ingredient quantities by 4/3 (so you can use 4 eggs for the filling/meringue). If you don't wish to use 1 1/3 egg yolks for the pastry, you could double the quantities for the pastry, use as much pastry as you need, and freeze the remainder for later use.
I use this recipe all the time and my whole family loves it.
For my brothers birthday i made him a lemon meringue pie with extra filling - he told me it was the best birthday present i had ever given him!
Thanks for such a great recipe!!! :)
Dude this recipe is da bomb I am gun at lol The recipe was superb and the family loved it to bits thanks G
beautiful.. best lemon pie ever thanks.xxx
very yummy
This Recipe looks wonderful. I have a morning tea coming up at work and was wondering if this will be ok to use with bought tart cases please?(i dont own a food processor)
Hi, just made this for dessert last night as had guests over. Made it with fresh lemons from the garden and it was just SO delicious and worked perfectly, thankyou!!
To the person who asked about using bought tart cases: Yes, bought tart cases could be used. If you would like to try making the pastry by hand, please see our above comment dated 2/10/07.
This was awesome. So yummy. I'd never made one before and i thought i would mess it up but it tasted amazing. Great, clear instructions. Watch the time though.... i didn't realize there was so much heating/cooling and i was still putting it together through dinner
1st pie ever made and it turned out a treat. The only issue I had (and my wife who is an ex-chef was kind enough to point it out for me) was that my meringue was not beaten sufficiently. In any case, it may not have had the stiff peaks that make the pie pleasing to the eye. but it did taste scrummy. Thanks v much Amanda and Debs.
Hi guys!
Made this pie today and it turned out fantastic! Tasted amazing! Thanks!
O wow I this was the tastiest LMP I have ever made and I have made quite a few!! The Lemon mixture was the perfect mix of sweet and tangy!! And the pastry was good to! This will definitely be a regular in our house.
This recipe is brilliant!! :)
I made this yesterday for my family and it was great! It did take a while, and i don't have a hand mixer - so i had to use a whisk, and my arm was sore afterward, but it was extremely worth it! I put some lemon zest into the filling to make it a bit more lemon-y and it was good.
Thanks a bunch!!!
i would like to make this pie with a slightly longer shelf life (4-5 days.) Apart from adding vinegar to the meringue to get a slightly stiffer texture, has anyone come across a way to get a nice, firm meringue that lasts, and still binds to the pie?
also, has anyone tried to bake this in a springform pan instead of a pie dish?
r.
I made a booboo with my pastry. Instead of using 120gm butter, I used only 60gm, but it still worked out well. Also, I lined my dish with the pastry and then fridged it for an hour. Still baked the same.
Also, can someone please tell me, how do I stop the meringue from sliding off the lemon filling?
This was an utterly fantastic recipe! This is one of my favourite desserts, and I'm so glad I can make it now. After a couple of cooking mishaps this week, it's boosted my kitchen confidence :). My only problem now is finishing it before the pastry gets soggy...
I've got a bit of leftover lemon filling...any ideas on how I can use this?
Thanks!
Just made this. I used lemons from my tree and it tasted fine. Not sour at all. I would not open the oven door when cooking the meringue. 10 mins is enough. Not the best but Id give it 3.5- 4 stars. But I did use a different base than the one mentioned in the recipe. The banana cake on this site with cream cheese is YUM. The best.
Just tried it. I used only two thirds of a/m amounts for a smaller dish. I put ground zest into the meringue. Tastes delicious. The meringue shrinks a bit after baking, this may result in clefts. More sugar will make it inherently stable but will taste too sweet... Looks vs taste.
However, I was deeply surprised that a lemon meringue pie can be made so easily. Greetz, Georg from Vienna
Review this recipe/article (if you have a question, please email us)
Have you made this? Share a photo in our Flickr group.<< Home