Lemon Meringue Pie

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Sweet, tangy, and absolutely stunning—this Lemon Meringue Pie is made with a buttery graham cracker crust with a silky lemon filling and golden meringue that's toasted to perfection. It’s a dessert that says “Wow” without you having to say a word!

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Calories: 491kcal

Author: Amanda Mason

Equipment

1 medium mixing bowl
1 Mixing Spoon
1 9 inch round pie dish
1 medium saucepan
1 hand whisk
1 rubber spatula
1 hand mixer or standing mixer
1 large bowl
1 cooling rack

Ingredients

For The Graham Cracker Crust

1½ cups crushed graham crackers, about 8 whole crackers
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt

For The Lemon Pie Filling

⅓ cup cornstarch
1½ cups granulated sugar
4 egg yolks
⅓ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1¼ cup water
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons finely grated lemon zest

For The Meringue

5 egg whites
½ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

To Make The Graham Cracker Crust

Preheat the oven to 375°F
Crush the graham crackers until they are small crumbs.
Combine the 1½ cups crushed graham crackers, 6 Tablespoons of melted butter, 3 Tablespoon of sugar, and ¼ teaspoon salt in a medium bowl and mix well with a spoon.
Press the crumb mixture evenly into a 9-inch pie dish and place in the oven.
Bake until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove the pie dish from the oven and set aside on a wire rack to completely cool.

To Make The Lemon Filling

Add ⅓ cup cornstarch, 1½ cups of sugar, 4 egg yolks, and ⅓ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice, to a medium saucepan and mix well to combine. Cook over medium-high heat for 1 minute, whisking constantly so the mixture does not burn.
Add in 1¼ cup water and continue whisking until blended, using a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the saucepan to make sure the mixture is well combined.
Continue to cook the mixture over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium and continue to stir for 1 minute, stirring constantly. The mixture should be thick like a custard.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and then add in 2 Tablespoons of butter and the lemon zest and stir vigorously until the butter is completely melted and the ingredients are combined.
Pour the mixture into the graham crack crust pie dish. Cover the pie filling with a round piece of parchment paper and let cool until it reaches room temperature.

To Make The Meringue

Add the 5 egg whites into the mixing bowl and mix on high speed until soft peaks start to form.
Slowly add in the ½ cup of sugar and continue beating until stiff, glossy peaks form.
Turn the mixer speed to low and then add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and mix until combined. Set aside.

Baking The Lemon Meringue Pie

Remove the parchment paper. Spoon the meringue onto the lemon filling and spread it evenly to cover the whole pie. Make sure the meringue touches the crust all the way around so it doesn’t shrink and expose the filling.
Place the pie in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes, or until the meringue starts to turn a golden brown color.
When done, remove it from the oven and let it cool on the wire rack to room temperature.
Then, place the pie in the refrigerator until the filling is cold, about 4 hours. Make sure it is covered with a pie dome or a large cake carrier so the meringue does not get damaged.
When chilled, slice and serve. Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator.

Notes

When making the meringue, make sure you add the sugar gradually. When you do this, the meringue will get fluffier and will be more stable and hold it's shape better.

Spread the meringue over the filling while it’s still warm. The warmth helps cook the underside of the meringue slightly, creating a stronger seal between the layers.

Nutrition