Name: Lemon meringue pie recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: Serves: 8
Cuisine: British, Baking
Ingredients: 397g can condensed milk; 2 medium egg yolks; Finely grated zest and juice of 2 lemons

By Sue McMahon

last updated 3 August 2023

in Recipes

This lemon meringue pie is easy to make with just five ingredients. It’s on the table in around an hour and is perfect for dinner parties.

This is a classic dessert for a reason. The combination of sweet pastry with a rich curd and crisp meringue is hard to beat. Our recipe uses ready-made pastry but if you want to go the extra mile, making your own is easy and leftovers can be frozen for future baking adventures.

Ingredients

200g sweet shortcrust pastry

For the filling:

397g can condensed milk
2 medium egg yolks
Finely grated zest and juice of 2 lemons

For the meringue:

2 egg whites
125g caster sugar

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Method

Set the oven to 220C (200C fan, Gas 7). Put a baking sheet in the oven to heat up.
Roll the pastry out and line a 24cm pie dish. Prick the base and pinch the edges to pattern them. Chill for 10-15 minutes.
To make the filling: Mix together the condensed milk, egg yolks, lemon rind and juice. Pour the mixture into the pastry case.
To make the meringue: Whisk the egg whites until stiff, then gradually whisk in the sugar. Spoon the meringue on top of the pie, either leaving it just in the centre or covering the top of the pie completely.
Place the pie on the hot baking sheet and turn the oven temperature down to 190C (170C fan, Gas 5) and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the meringue has turned a light golden colour and the pastry is cooked.
Remove the pie from the oven and serve warm or at room temperature.

Top tips for making lemon meringue pie

For the best lemon flavour, buy the best quality lemon curd you can afford. Cheaper jars are often not made with fresh lemons and can be very sweet. Alternatively you could make your own. For more tips on how to upgrade this recipe, read our tips below.

Why is my lemon meringue pie soggy on the bottom?

This recipe doesn’t call for you to blind bake the pastry case first but if you’re worried about a soggy bottom food writer Jessica Ransom recommends you do this first. She explains: ‘Once the pie tin is lined with pastry and nice and chilled, line it with some baking paper and fill with beans. Bake for 10-15 mins until lightly golden. You can brush the pastry with a little egg white and blast in the oven for another minute to help seal it and protect it from the wet curd filling.’

Why is the bottom of my meringue sticky?

The bottom of the meringue will not be crisp because it has been in contact with the wet, sticky curd. If you would prefer a crunchy meringue pie, consider baking mini meringues separately and use them to decorate once the pastry and curd are cooked.

Why is my lemon meringue pie not golden on top?

Many lemon meringue pies are finished with a blowtorch to achieve the classic golden effect on top. You can also put it under a hot grill for a minute or two but this risks over-cooking the curd and burning the pastry so a blowtorch is best.

We cook this recipe in an enamel pie tin. It’s a timeless dish which can be used when making savoury pies and lots of other recipes.

If you love the flavours of this dessert but want an afternoon bake, try our lemon meringue cake. It’s a twist on our classic lemon drizzle cake. Alternatively, for more dessert options, check our our lemon creams or lemon pudding.

Sue McMahon is a former Food and Recipes Writer at GoodTo and Cooking Editor at Woman's Weekly. Her primary passion is cakes and Sue regularly travels the world teaching cake decorating. Her biggest achievement to date was winning the Prix d’honneur at La Salon Culinaire International de Londres beating over 1,200 other entries.