My Best Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe is bakery-worthy and beginner-friendly—with a crisp crust, tangy filling, and fluffy meringue anyone can master!
- 1 recipe Homemade Perfect Pie Crust
- Egg wash
- 4 (4 fl oz/120 ml) large egg whites , at room temperature
- ⅔ cups (5 oz/142 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 recipe Lemon Curd , chilled
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Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
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On a floured surface, roll the pie crust to about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick and line a 9-inch (23 cm) pie pan with it. Crimp the edges and dock the bottom with a fork.
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Line the crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights (or dried beans). Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden. Carefully remove the pie weights and parchment and brush the crust with your egg wash. Continue baking for another 10-15 minutes, until the crust is dry and golden brown. Let cool completely.
If you want more information check out my article on How to Blind Bake a Pie Crust.
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In a large heat-proof bowl combine the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar. Place the bowl over a bain marie on medium low and heat the egg white mixture until the sugar dissolves and it is warm to the touch, about 3 minutes.
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Carefully transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whip on high speed for 5-7 minutes until stiff peaks form.
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Fill the pie crust with lemon curd all the way to the rim. Pile your meringue high on top. The BIGGER the BETTER!!
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Toast the meringue with a kitchen torch or brown it in a 400°F (200°C) oven for about 5-8 minutes. (It can burn easily so watch carefully and remove as soon as its nicely browned). Serve immediately!
Watch the Recipe Video!
- Make ahead tips
- When making a recipe that calls for one pie crust, we often make a double recipe and freeze the second half to save time when we next want to make a pie. (Defrost frozen pie dough in the refrigerator overnight.)
- Lemon curd can be made up to 3 days in advance,
- When heating the egg whites for the meringue, check that the sugar has dissolved by rubbing a bit of the mixture between your fingers. If it feels smooth and not grainy, you are good to go.
- For an extra crisp crust, you can brush a thin layer of melted white chocolate on the baked crust and let harden before filling.
- You can add more lemon zest to the pie filling for a more refreshing flavor.
- For more meringue-topped pies, try our Raspberry Curd Pie or Sweet Potato Pie!