My Best Lemon Meringue Pie

If you want a lemon meringue pie with creamy curd that sets properly and a cloud of Italian meringue, this is it. I’ve refined this recipe through trial and error, and it now reliably delivers a perfect slice every time.

Growing up, lemon meringue pie was one of my best desserts and I love this recipe. It always felt very grown up and something quite indulgent. My friends and I call it ‘LMP’ and it was always a favourite coffee shop treat too. I love the tartness of the lemon against the fluffy sweet meringue.

Why this Lemon Meringue Pie works

1. Browning the butter adds so much flavour to this pie. I used Kerrygold butter in this recipe, a top-quality Irish butter brand. Their butter is made from the milk of grass-fed, free-roaming dairy cows. Kerrygold products do not contain any artificial additives and only use natural ingredients.
2. Italian meringue – Making the meringue separately from the set lemon base ensures you get pillowy, high meringue topping. Say goodbye to weeping, soft, baked meringue.
3. Set lemon base – By baking the lemon curd separately, you ensure it’s fully baked through a nd set. You can make this in advance and set it in the fridge.

Key tips to making Lemon Meringue Pie

Only six ingredients are needed to make lemon meringue pie. You can make the base and filling by hand, but it’s best to use an electric whisk to make the meringue. 

To make the base you will need biscuit (cookie) crumbs and melted butter. I like to use digestive biscuits but Marie biscuits or Graham crackers will work too. It is easiest to grind these up in a food processor, but otherwise, you can make them by bashing them in a Ziploc bag with a rolling pin.

The filling is made up of egg yolks, condensed milk, and the juice and zest of lemons. 

The topping is Italian meringue made from the whites of the egg and sugar. Half the sugar is added directly to the whisked egg whites, and the other half goes into making a syrup that cooks the egg whites.

FAQs

Can I bake lemon meringue pie ahead of time?

Yes. You can bake the pie fully and then chill it.

Why use Italian meringue for lemon meringue pie?

Italian meringue stays glossy and holds its shape much better than French meringue. It’s more stable, so you’re less likely to end up with a collapsed topping.

My best lemon meringue pie recipe

My best lemon meringue pie with a biscuit (cookie) crumb base and Italian meringue topping.

Print Recipe

Prep Time:20 minutes mins

Cook Time:25 minutes mins

Ingredients

Pie:

• 300 gm digestive or Marie biscuits
• 150 gm Kerrygold butter melted or browned
•  4 large free-range eggs separated
•  2 x 385gm tins of condensed milk
•  ¾ cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice
•  Zest from 2 lemons

Italian meringue:

• The 4 x egg whites from the pie recipe
• 1 cup caster sugar divided
• 3 Tbs cup water
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Instructions

• Make the pie in advance to allow cooling.
• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
• Crush the biscuits in a food processor or by hand in a zipped plastic bag and a rolling pin. Melt and brown the butter in a small pot.
• Add the crushed biscuits and melted butter to a bowl and mix. Tip this into a pie or tart tin about 26cm wide. Press the biscuits around to evenly coat the bottom and sides. Use a glass to press down to compress them.
• Make your filling by hand. Add the egg yolks, condensed milk, lemon zest, and juice to a bowl and whisk until well combined.
• Pour this into the biscuit base and bake for 25 minutes until set. Allow to cool and then refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight.
• When you are ready to serve make your Italian meringue topping. Whisk your egg whites using a stand or hand-held electric beater. Make sure the bowl and whisk or squeaky clean.
• When the egg whites have reached the soft peak stage, slowly add half a cup of the caster sugar. Do this one tablespoon at a time until the meringue is glossy.
• Heat three tablespoons of water with the remaining sugar, and cream of tartar in a small pot and bring to a boil. Make sure all the sugar has dissolved and the syrup is bubbling. Pour this hot syrup into the meringue mixture in a steady slow stream while the beater is still running. Continue to beat the meringue for a further 3 – 4 minutes.
• Pile the meringue onto the cooled lemon pie and singe the edges with a blowtorch to brown (optional).

Notes

The pie can be made and baked before but it would be best to make the meringue frosting on the day you serve it.

Store the lemon meringue pie in a sealed container and it will keep for up to 3 days.

Servings: 8 large pie

Author: Sam Linsell

A few other South African Heritage recipes:

Classic South African unbaked milk tarts

The best buttermilk bran rusks

The best chocolate malva pudding

South African Recipes: My Collection Of Classics And Favourites

Earl Grey tea milk tart  -Baked milk tart 

Orange malva pudding

Pear & ginger malva pudding

Malva pudding with cranberries & ginger

My grandmother Betty’s crunchy recipe

Easy peppermint crisp pudding

Traditional South African bobotie with fragrant yellow rice

*This post is sponsored by Kerrygold

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