There's something about a lemon meringue pie that just feels a bit special - that buttery shortcrust base, the perfectly tangy lemon filling and those gorgeous golden peaks of meringue on top. It's proper showstopper territory. And the best part? It's genuinely very doable at home, even if it looks like it came from a fancy bakery.
If you love a good citrus dessert, my no-bake Lemon Coconut Slice and these zesty Lemon Bliss Balls are both absolute crowd-pleasers too.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
✅ Recipe Name: Lemon Meringue Pie
🕒 Total Time: About 2 hours (including chilling and cooling)
🍋 Serves: 8-10
🥣 Main Ingredients: shortcrust pastry, fresh lemons, eggs, caster sugar, cornflour
📖 Dietary Info: Can be made gluten-free with a GF pastry or biscuit base
⭐ Why You'll Love It: Stable meringue that won't weep, silky lemon filling, foolproof steps - and it looks absolutely stunning on the table.
SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS CONTENT ON
This was really delicious! I made this for my family for Christmas and it was a really really big hit. I have shared this recipe with many since then.
- Jacinta
This lemon meringue pie is all about balance - a crisp buttery pastry, a perfectly thickened filling that's tangy but not face-puckering sharp, and a light golden meringue that holds its shape beautifully without weeping. All three layers, done properly.
I've included simple, reliable steps that get consistent results every time - no runny filling, no collapsing meringue. If you love classic bakes like this, you'll also love my Vanilla Custard Slice, this gorgeous Homemade Lemon Tart or my Lemon Delicious - all use similar techniques you'll have nailed after making this.
Why You're Going To Love This Recipe
- Perfectly balanced flavours - tangy lemon + sweet fluffy meringue = absolute heaven.
- No soggy bottoms - proper blind baking technique gives you a crisp base every time.
- Stable, glossy meringue - no weeping, no collapsing. The tips below are gold.
- Thermomix-friendly - silky smooth filling and easy mixing, with Thermomix instructions included in the recipe card.
- Great for entertaining - make the components ahead and assemble day-of for a stress-free showstopper.
Jump to:
Pie Ingredients
Just everyday ingredients - but a few of them really matter. Here's what to know:
Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method.
- Lemon juice and zest - fresh lemons only. Bottled juice won't give you the same flavour and doesn't set the filling properly.
- Cornflour (cornstarch) - essential for thickening the filling so it slices cleanly without being gluey.
- Egg whites - must be at room temperature for maximum volume and a stable meringue. Cold egg whites straight from the fridge won't whip as well.
- Caster sugar - its fine texture dissolves more easily than regular sugar, which helps prevent a grainy or weeping meringue.
Variations
- Gluten-free - swap the pastry for a gluten-free shortcrust blend or a simple crushed biscuit and butter base.
- Biscuit base version - crushed digestives or Arnott's Nice biscuits mixed with melted butter makes a quick, no-fuss base.
- Mini lemon meringue pies - bake in muffin tins for individual serves, perfect for a party or dessert table.
- Lime meringue pie - swap the lemons for fresh limes for a tropical, slightly more tart twist.
How To Make A Lemon Meringue Pie
Six steps to a seriously impressive dessert. Take your time with each layer and you'll be rewarded!
Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method.
- Make the pastry: Blitz flour, icing sugar and butter in a food processor (or Thermomix) until crumbly. Add egg yolks and mix until just combined. Bring into a dough, wrap and chill for about 10 minutes.
- Blind bake: Press into a greased pie tin, trim the edges, then freeze for 20 minutes to prevent shrinkage. Prick the base with a fork, line with baking paper and weights (or uncooked rice), and bake for 15 minutes until lightly golden. Remove weights and set aside.
- Make the lemon filling: Heat sugar, cornflour, lemon zest, juice and water, stirring constantly until thick. Remove from heat and whisk in butter, egg yolks and egg, then cook again briefly until the filling is thick and glossy.
- Fill the base: Pour and spread the hot lemon filling evenly into the cooked pastry shell. Keep it hot - the meringue goes on next!
- Make the meringue: Beat egg whites to soft peaks, then gradually add caster sugar and cornflour until thick, glossy and holding firm stiff peaks. Spoon over the hot filling - start from the outside edges to seal, then work inward to the centre.
- Swirl and bake: Swirl the top decoratively, then bake for 20 minutes until golden. Cool completely in the tin before slicing - this step is non-negotiable for a clean cut!
Recipe Tips
- Use fresh lemon juice only - bottled juice won't give you the same flavour and won't set properly.
- Chill the dough before pressing into the tin - this is what gives you that melt-in-your-mouth pastry.
- Don't skip blind baking - it's the only way to get a genuinely crisp, non-soggy base.
- Spread meringue onto hot filling - this is the number one tip for preventing weeping. Hot filling cooks the underside of the meringue and seals it.
- Seal the meringue to the edges - right to the pastry crust. Any gap and it will shrink away from the sides as it bakes.
- Make sure your bowl and beaters are completely clean before whipping egg whites - any grease and they simply won't whip properly.
- Avoid humid days if possible - meringue absorbs moisture from the air, which can cause weeping.
- Don't rush the cooling - the filling needs time to set fully before you slice.
- Store in the fridge in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
- Best served on the day for the crispest meringue - but it's still delicious the next day.
- Not suitable for freezing once assembled - the meringue texture changes when thawed. The pastry base can be baked and frozen separately.
Lemon Meringue Pie FAQs
This is the most common lemon meringue pie problem! It usually happens when the sugar hasn't fully dissolved, or when the meringue is spread onto cold filling. Always add meringue to hot filling so the underside cooks and seals. Make sure egg whites are beaten to glossy stiff peaks with fully dissolved sugar, and bake just until golden. If serving within a couple of hours, leave at room temperature rather than refrigerating.
It hasn't cooked long enough. The filling needs to be really thick and 'globby' before you take it off the heat - it should look almost too thick at that point. Don't worry, it'll loosen slightly when you add the eggs and butter, then set again as it cools.
Yes! The pastry base can be blind baked 1-2 days ahead and stored in an airtight container. The lemon filling can also be made a day ahead and kept in the fridge. The meringue is best made and baked on the day you're serving so it's at its fluffiest and crispest.
Absolutely - a store-bought shortcrust pastry shell is a brilliant time-saver and works perfectly here. You can also use a crushed biscuit and melted butter base if you'd prefer to skip the pastry altogether.
More Lemon Recipes
Can't get enough of that bright citrus flavour? Here are a few more lemony favourites to try next.
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Lemon Meringue Pie
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 300 g (2 cups) plain flour
- 150 g (1 cup) icing sugar
- 200 g butter chilled
- 2 egg yolks
For the lemon filling
- 110 g (½ cup) caster sugar
- 2 tbs cornflour
- lemon zest finely grated from 3 lemons
- 200 ml lemon juice
- 125 ml water
- 85 g butter
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 whole egg
For the meringue
- 5 egg whites room temperature
- 200 g caster sugar
- 2 teaspoon cornflour
Instructions
Conventional Method
- Place the flour, icing sugar and butter in a food processor and blend until combined. Add the egg yolks and blend until just combined but still crumbly.
- Knead dough into a ball, wrap is plastic wrap and place into the fridge for 10 minutes.
- Press the dough evenly into a round 30cm flan tin with a removable base. Trim any overhanging pastry from around the top. Place the pastry tin onto a flat tray (this makes it easier to move) and place into the freezer for 20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius (fan-forced).
- Prick the base of the pie with a fork and then blind bake the base for 15 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the oven.
- To make the lemon filling, place the caster sugar, cornflour, lemon zest, lemon juice and water into a saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until thickened. Remove from the heat.
- Use a whisk to beat through the chopped butter, egg yolks and egg.
- Once melted, place back over a medium heat and continue to stir constantly for a further 2-3 minutes or until the mixture has thickened and will drop off your whisk in a chunk.
- Spread the lemon filling over the top of the cooked pie base.
- To make the meringue, beat the egg whites in a large bowl until soft peaks form. Very slowly (while continuing to beat), add the cornflour and the caster sugar.
- Place large spoonfuls of the meringue around the edge of the lemon meringue pie and then work your way into the middle with the remaining meringue. Use a knife to add a few swirls.
- Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden on top. Allow to cool in the tin for 30 minutes before removing and leaving to cool for a further 1 hour (minimum) before serving.
Thermomix Method
- Place the flour, icing sugar, butter and egg yolks into the Thermomix bowl. Mix on Speed 8, 10 seconds then on Interval/Knead function for 2 minutes.
- Knead dough into a ball, wrap is plastic wrap and place into the fridge for 10 minutes.
- Press the dough evenly into a round 30cm flan tin with a removable base. Trim any overhanging pastry from around the top. Place the pastry tin onto a flat tray (this makes it easier to move) and place into the freezer for 20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius (fan-forced).Prick the base of the pie with a fork and then blind bake the base for 15 minutes (see notes) or until golden. Remove from the oven.
- To make the lemon filling, place the caster sugar into the Thermomix bowl and mill for 10 seconds, Speed 9. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the cornflour, lemon zest, lemon juice, water and butter and cook for 4 minutes, 60 degrees, Speed 2. With blades still rotating on Speed 2, add the egg yolks and whole egg one at a time through hole in mixing bowl lid. Once eggs are mixed through, cook for 7 minutes, 80 degrees, Speed 2. The mixture will thicken on cooling.
- Spread the lemon filling over the top of the cooked pie base.
- To make the meringue, insert the butterfly into a clean and dry Thermomix bowl and add the egg whites. Set the timer for 8 minutes, 37 degrees, Speed 3.5. When the meringues form soft peaks, very slowly add the cornflour and then the caster sugar through the MC hole. Continue to beat until firm peaks form.
- Place large spoonfuls of the meringue around the edge of the lemon meringue pie and then work your way into the middle with the remaining meringue. Use a knife to add a few swirls.
- Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden on top.
- Allow to cool in the tin for 30 minutes before removing and leaving to cool for a further 1 hour (minimum) before serving.
Notes
- Always use fresh lemon juice - bottled juice won't set in quite the same way.
- Chilling the dough is most important for a melt-in-your-mouth pie crust.
- Blind baking is essential for a crisp, non-soggy base.
- Spread meringue on to hot filling to avoid weeping.
- Seal the meringue to the edges - this prevents shrinking.
- Don't rush cooling - the filling needs time to fully set.
- Store in the fridge in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
- Not suitable for freezing once assembled (meringue texture changes), however the base can be baked and frozen separately.
- For a crisp meringue topping, this pie is best to serve on the day it's made.
Jacinta Weeks says
This was really delicious! I made this for my family for Christmas and it was a really really big hit. I have shared this recipe with many since then.
Some things I learned along the way; I mention these points incase it helps others (I made two pies, one earlier in the week as a test run)
1. I subsituted the flour for a gluten free flour and it worked really well, no alterations needed.
2. I love lemon - so i thought the more lemon the better... which i discovered was not the case for lemon zest. I zested 6 lemons and my first pie was too bitter; def stick to the recommended 3.
3. With the first pie, I made the base 2 days earlier and then did the curd and meringue later, this worked well. The second pie, I did the base and curd earlier, then put it in the fridge and later did the meringue...I think this was not as good and possibly caused a bit of weeping between the meringue and curd
cheers, i hope that helps
Lucy says
Hi Jacinta, thank you so much for your lovely feedback and tips!!!
Sinea says
Can the lemon curd filling be frozen in preparation?
Lucy says
Yes, lemon curd filling can be frozen in preparation for lemon meringue pie. Just make sure to:
Let it cool completely first
Transfer it to an airtight container
Press a layer of plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin forming
Freeze for up to 3 months
Thaw it overnight in the fridge and give it a good whisk before using. Keep in mind that while the curd freezes well, the meringue topping doesn’t—so it’s best to make and add that fresh.
Emma says
Arrrrg help! I’m just making this via thermomix method. My filling seems to be to runny to set like it should. Does it go better once cooled? Or have I done something wrong.
Lucy says
Hi Emma, it will set firmer, however, if you're worried you can cook the mixture a little longer (but remember that it still has to cook in the oven as well!).
Rebecca Griffiths says
Really good, though i cant comment on the base as i used a left over biscuit mix i had left. I made the thermomix recipe. Big hit
Megan says
This recipe was delicious!
My filling seemed to split a little when in the oven but it was so tasty and a nice texture in the mouth. The meringue was beautiful. My only trouble was in blind baking the pastry. It kind of melted down the sides of the tin. Maybe in needed a bit more time in the freezer... none the less, i smooshed it up the sides of the tin with a spoon and baked it a bit longer and i still used it successfully. The base was lovely and biskuity
Tylah says
This looks delicious. Does the finished start last well in the fridge?
Lucy says
It's best served fresh but will last a few days in the fridge!
Katerin says
Hey lucy,
Can I use the filling from your other lemon tart instead of this one here? I'm just missing dome of the ingredients.
Thanks,
Katerin
Lucy says
Absolutely!