Easy Lemon Meringue Pie
This easy lemon meringue pie or tart requires a simple list of ingredients and as the name suggests, is so easy to make. You get your classic lemon meringue pie flavors with a much easier approach for making it. It has a press in graham cracker lemon infused crust, simple lemon custard filling and an easy French meringue that cooks in the oven. Stick close to the simple but detailed instructions and I assure you this will be your go to #1 lemon meringue pie recipe.
Easy Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe Ingredients
- GRAHAM CRACKER CRUMBS: Use regular graham crackers and process to crumbs or pre ground graham cracker crumbs as the main ingredient for the base and topping.
- BUTTER: Melted unsalted butter is the glue that holds the crust together.
- SUGAR: You will need a little sugar for the crust - technically it is optional but I recommend it. Adding sugar to a graham cracker crust acts as a binder, helps to prevent a crumbly, fragile crust. You will also need it for the meringue topping.
- LEMON ZEST & LEMON JUICE: Freshly squeezed and zested lemons are always best for flavor. We like to use some of the zest in the crust for flavor and the rest for the lemon filling. You will need 2-4 lemons depending on the size to get ½ cup of juice. I zest then juice them. A little less or more lemon zest is fine but DO NOT change the amount of lemon juice it will affect the way the filling sets.
- SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK: This is an essential ingredient and the recipe will NOT work without it. There is not substitute for it for this recipe. I very strongly recommend using Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk because it is superior to generic or store-brand alternatives due to its, thicker consistency, richer flavor, and consistent quality, providing a more reliable texture for baking and for filling to set the way it should. I tested first hand with generic or no name brands and there most definitely is a difference in the filling setting.
- EGGS: You will need 3 large eggs that are room temperature - this is very important especially for the meringue. You will need to carefully separate them. The yolks are for the filling and the egg whites are for the topping.
- VANILLA EXTRACT: I add this to the filling for extra flavor and a little splash to the meringue for better flavor.
- CREAM OF TARTAR: Cream of tartar is added to meringue as an acidic stabilizer that prevents egg white proteins from bonding too tightly. This crucial step keeps the foam stable, prevents over-whipping (graininess), reduces weeping, and ensures a glossy meringue.
- CORNSTARCH: Cornstarch acts as a stabilizer in meringue, preventing it from weeping (releasing liquid) and helping to maintain a fluffy, high-volume structure. Acting as a moisture-absorbing agent, it helps create a crisp exterior while maintaining a soft, marshmallowy center.
How To Make This Easy Lemon Meringue Pie
- Prepare Crust & Bake: Combine the crust ingredients until you have sandlike clumpy mixture, transfer to light greased tart pan and press it evenly into sides and bottom. Bake 12 mins
- Prepare Pie Filling & Bake: While crust is baking whisk together the filling ingredients until smooth and thickened. Pour into hot baked pie crust and smooth it out. Transfer to oven and bake 10 mins.
- Prepare Topping & Bake: While filling is baking whip the eggs whites & cream of tartar till foamy, gradually add the sugar while beating on high until you have nice stiff but soft peaks. Whisk in the vanilla. Use a metal spoon to fold in the cornstarch. Pour over the middle of hot filling and spread out pressing gently to reach the edges of the crust. Bake 15-20 mins
- Cool To Room Temperature: Cool on wire rack until room temperature - it should be fully cooled no warm spots underneath.
- Chill: Transfer pie on rack uncovered to fridge to chill for 1-2 hours
- Slice & Serve: Slice and serve chilled.
Recipe Testing, Results & Tips:
- I tested this recipe with 4 eggs and it was way too much for this type of pie - for setting and for the topping spreading or not cooking evenly. If you do use 4 eggs you will have to adjust the sugar and potential the cream of tartar and cornstarch measurements for the meringue.
- I tried the cheats version which calls for not pre-baking crust, or filling before adding the meringue and instead just layering and baking it all at once, and everything was so inconsistent: the crust felt a little soggy, the filling didn’t quite set enough, and the topping was very weepy. It is worth the extra few minutes of baking to ensure all layers cook and set properly.
- I did a lot of testing and research and fundamentally the meringue topping does way better if spread over hot filling. This is the only way a French meringue works as it starts to cook and cooks more evenly as it is spread over hot filling then baked in the oven for the remaining time. French meringue is best applied to hot filling (like lemon curd) when making pies or tarts. Applying the meringue while the filling is piping hot is a crucial technique to prevent a watery layer from forming between the custard and the meringue, known as “weeping”. Also the filling will set 100% better if it is par baked before putting the meringue over it.
- I like using a 9 inch tart pan with removable bottom for this recipe as it is the perfect ratio of crust, filling and meringue. You can use a standard pie pan for this recipe (not a deep dish) and it will work out perfectly but I like the crust to filling and topping ratios in tart pan. I have tested it both ways and prefer the flatter pie using the tart pan.
- I tried the meringue with less sugar, more sugar, more egg whites, and what made the absolute biggest difference was adding the vanilla extract and the cornstarch. The vanilla gave it flavor - totally masking that slight hint of eggy flavour that meringue can have sometimes, and the cornstarch helped absorb extra moisture and helped with the weeping and beading of sugar.
- I noticed that over-baking the meringue could also cause beading so I recommend baking just until light golden brown no need to scorch the topping.
- Some recipe call for dolloping the meringue around the edges and then the middle to make it easier to spread the topping to the edge of the crust to seal and prevent weeping. I tried it that way several times and compared it to pouring it all out into the middle and the latter worked the best. The dollop method created the potential for too many air pockets which contribute to weeping and separation from the filling. Although this may happen regardless with this type of recipe you get more of it happening if you dollop the topping on. Pouring it all into the middle of the pie then gently pressing and spreading it, and evenly pressing out any pockets of air to prevent air pocket and better adhesion to the filling. I also found that whipping the meringue to just under super stiff peaks was best - still stiff peak but not super stiff peaks - meringue stands up on its own when lifted but a little softer on the edges - it bakes up better and easier to spread without it affecting the filling.
More Recipes You Will Love:
Recipe
Servings: 8 slices
Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 45 mins
Non Active Time: 2 hours (to chill)
Total Time: 3 hours
Ingredients
For the crust
- 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- 6 Tablespoons butter melted
- 1-2 tablespoons granulated sugar (optional)
- ½-1 teaspoon lemon zest
- Pinch of salt
For the filling
- 3 large egg yolks, from room temperature eggs (whites reserved for the topping)
- 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (Eagle brand recommended)
- 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice (from about 2-3 large lemons)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the meringue
- 3 large egg whites, at room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼-½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon corn starch
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 9 inch tart pan with removable bottom, or a standard pie tin.
Prepare Crust
- In a medium bowl whisk the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, salt and lemon zest to combine then pour in melted butter, and stir to combine until the crumbs are fully moistened. Press the mixture into the bottom and sides of the pan. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
Prepare Filling
- In the meantime, in large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, and the condensed milk until combined.
- Then stir in the vanilla, lemon juice and lemon zest until well incorporated. The mixture should be smooth and it will thicken.
- Pour filling mixture into warm baked crust and smooth out with an offset spatula. Transfer to oven and bake 10 minutes. The filling will be partially set.
Prepare Meringue
- While the filling is baking, beat egg whites and cream of tartar together with a hand mixer (or the whisk attachment on a stand mixer) on medium speed until soft foamy peaks form, 2-3 minutes. Gradually add sugar (I like to pour it in slowly) while beating at medium-high speed, until stiff peaks form and mixture becomes white and glossy. You want the meringue to be stiff but still spreadable.
- Add the vanilla and continue to mix until combined, 30-60 seconds.
- Stir/ fold in the cornstarch with a metal spoon until incorporated.
- Pour or spoon meringue over the middle of the hot baked filling. Spread it out gently but uniformly all the way to the edges of the pie to seal. Gently press down while spreading to ensure there are no holes or gaps in the meringue - you want it adhering to the filling while it’s warm to help keep it from shrinking and separating while baking.
- Carefully transfer pie to oven and continue to bake 15-20 minutes or until meringue is lightly golden brown all over.
Cool & Chill Pie
- Transfer Pie onto cooling rack and allow to cool to room temperature. Check the bottom and ensure it is no longer hot in any way otherwise any residual warmth will cause condensation and beading to occur. (At this point you can slice into it but we recommend chilling so that the pie sets fully.) Transfer pie to fridge and chill uncovered 1-2 hours to ensure pie is fully set before slicing and serving.
- Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Recipe Notes
- When making meringue make sure your bowl is free of any grease — don’t use a plastic bowl. Glass or stainless is best.
- If you prefer to do a Swiss meringue, simply bake the tart with the custard for 20 minutes until set. Allow to cool fully before making meringue. Use any Swiss meringue recipe you would like or scale this recipe to use 3-4 egg whites
- If you are using a tart pan with removable bottom it is a good idea to bake it on a sheet pan so it is easier to transfer in and out of the oven without disturbing the pie or the crust. When it is done baking it’s best to carefully transfer it off sheet pan and onto a wire rack so that it can cool evenly (air can flow underneath it) and no extra moisture develops from it resting on hot sheet pan. I like to chill it over a small wire rack as well so that air can flow under pie pan too while in the fridge in case there are any residual warm spots
- This lemon meringue pie is quick and easy to make and technically a cheats lemon meringue pie so I do not recommend making any of it ahead of time as it is at its best the day it is baked. Putting it together takes no time and no serious effort at all - it’s the cooling and chilling time that take the longest so plan accordingly. On that point, as this pie recipe does come together very quickly, I strongly suggest you have all your ingredients measured and ready to go.
