Wonderfully fresh and full of vibrant flavors, this classic lemon meringue pie is a show stopping dessert. Make it ahead of time to wow your friends and family!
Make Ahead Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe
You can not go wrong when you serve up a homemade lemon meringue pie.
It’s rich and tangy filling is covered in soft and chewy meringue for a dessert everyone will love.
Be sure to try my Lemon Meringue Cookies and Sour Cream Lemon Pie!
Why you’ll love this Lemon Meringue Pie recipe:
- MAKE AHEAD: You can make the components of this recipe a couple of days ahead of time and assemble it the day of serving.
- PERFECT FOR OCCASIONS: This traditional pie is great to serve at any celebration meal. It’s great for Easter, Christmas and any other time you fancy a treat!
- GREAT FOR A CROWD: This pie will easily serve 12, so it’s great for family feasting!
How to make Lemon Meringue Pie (The Best!)
You can jump to the recipe card for full ingredients & instructions!
- Blind bake the crust.
- Whisk sugar, lemon juice water, cornstarch and salt and simmer.
- Whisk in the egg yolks, zest and butter.
- Strain into the pie shell and let cool.
- Heat the water and sugar to a boil. Set aside.
- Beat the egg whites and add the salt and cream of tartar and form soft peaks.
- Pour in the sugar syrup and add vanilla and beat until thick and shiny.
- Place the meringue on top of the lemon filling.
- Bake.
How long does it keep?
The assembled Lemon Meringue Pie will keep a few days in the fridge, but the meringue and/or the lemon filling will begin to weep. It is best eaten the day it is assembled. If perfection isn’t necessary (ie: if not making to share) the pie will still be delicious – just not ideal.
You can make the filling and bake the pie crust a day or two ahead of time and assemble on the day of serving.
How do you keep the meringue from deflating?
When you are whipping the egg whites, wait until they have formed soft peaks until you add the sugar. Don’t whip them on full speed, lower it a little so small, rather than large air pockets form.
How do you brown the tips of the meringue?
Use a cook’s torch to toast the meringue peaks for a more dramatic presentation. Be very careful to be ready to blow out any meringue that catches fire and to go slowly!
Tips!
- This pie, like all Lemon Meringue Pies, is best the day it is assembled. Unlike most lemon meringue pies, the lemon filling can be made one day ahead and stored refrigerated in an airtight container.
- The pie crust can be cooked and stored (in the pie tin) in an airtight container (or zipper-style bag) up to two days before.
This classic lemon meringue pie is such a wonderful dessert. I love that the components this version can be made ahead of time for less stress in the kitchen!
More Homemade Pie Recipes we Love
If you make this recipe be sure to upload a photo in the comment section below or leave a rating. Enjoy! You can also jump to recipe.
Recipe
Make Ahead Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 50 minutes
Serves12 slices
Wonderfully fresh and full of vibrant flavors, this classic lemon meringue pie is a show stopping dessert. Make it ahead of time to wow your friends and family!
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1 9-inch pie crust 213 grams (homemade or store-bought), prebaked & cooled
For the Lemon Filling
- 1¼ cups granulated sugar 250 grams
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice 227 grams, from 6 lemons
- ½ cup water 114 grams
- ¼ cup cornstarch 28 grams
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 large eggs 200 grams, separated (whites reserved for meringue below)
- 4 egg yolks 56 grams
- 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest 12 grams, from 2 lemons
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 42 grams, room temperature and cut into pieces
For the Meringue (an Italian Meringue)
- ½ cup water 114 grams
- 1 cup granulated sugar 200 grams
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract 2 grams
Recommended Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- Kitchen Torch (Click for my favorite) (optional)
Instructions
For the Pie Crust
- The crust needs to be blind-baked (prebaked) before adding the filling. If using store-bought pie crust, prepare the crust per package directions and cool completely before filling.1 9-inch pie crust
- If using homemade, follow the directions to your favorite pie crust.
For the Filling
- In a large saucepan set over medium heat, whisk sugar, lemon juice water, cornstarch, and salt until cornstarch dissolves. Bring to a simmer, whisking occasionally, for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture becomes translucent and just begins to thicken. Vigorously whisk while adding the yolks. Add the zest and butter and stir until combined. Once again, bring the mixture to a simmer while stirring constantly. Cook another 2 minutes, or until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon without it sliding off the spoon.1¼ cups granulated sugar, 1 cup fresh lemon juice, ½ cup water, ¼ cup cornstarch, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 4 large eggs, 4 egg yolks, 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest, 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Strain the filling through a fine-mesh strainer into the prepared pie shell. Remember to scrape the excess filling from the underside of the strainer into the shell. Place plastic-wrap directly on the surface of the filling, and place in the fridge to cool until set (at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours).
For the Meringue
- Preheat oven to 400°F and adjust oven rack to middle position.
- In the small saucepan set over medium-high heat, add the water and sugar. Bring to a vigorous boil. Once the syrup is boiling vigorously, cook for exactly 4 minutes (set a timer). The mixture should be syrupy and slightly thickened. Remove from the heat after 4 minutes and set aside. (At this time, it isn’t necessary, but I found it helpful to pour the sugar syrup into a 2-cup, heatproof, measuring cup).½ cup water, 1 cup granulated sugar
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the balloon whisk attachment, beat the reserved 4 egg whites at medium speed until frothy, about 1 minute. Add the salt and cream of tartar, and gradually increase the speed to medium-high, about 2 minutes, or until whites hold soft peaks.¼ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- With the mixer running, slowly pour the hot syrup down the inside of the bowl and into the whites (avoid the whisk so the syrup won’t splash).
- Add the vanilla and continue beating until the meringue has cooled and is very thick and still shiny, about 7-10 minutes.½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Once the lemon filling is cooled and set (see above), mound the meringue over the filling and then work your way around the edge being sure the meringue butts up against the crust. Once the meringue is all around the edge of the crust, mound more meringue toward the middle, pressing down slightly to ensure there are no air pockets and the meringue completely covers the filling.
- Add as much meringue as you like, then use a tablespoon or rubber spatula to create peaks all over the meringue.
- Place the pie on a baking sheet (for easier handling) and bake until peaks turn golden brown with white meringue showing through.
- Remove the pie to a cooling rack.
- At this point, the pie is beautiful and can be left alone to cool, but… if you'd like a more dramatic presentation, use a kitchen torch to toast the meringue where wanted. Be very careful to be ready to blow out any meringue that catches fire and to go slowly. Practice makes perfect.
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
Original recipe Cooks Illustrated Mile-High Lemon Meringue Pie
- This pie, like all Lemon Meringue Pies, is best the day it is assembled. Unlike most lemon meringue pies, the lemon filling can be made one day ahead and stored refrigerated in an airtight container.
- The pie crust can be cooked and stored (in the pie tin) in an airtight container (or zipper-style bag) up to two days before.
- The assembled Lemon Meringue Pie will keep a few days in the fridge, but the meringue and/or the lemon filling will begin to weep. It is best eaten the day it is assembled. If perfection isn’t necessary (ie: if not making to share) the pie will still be delicious – just not ideal.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1slice Calories: 305kcal (15%) Carbohydrates: 50g (17%) Protein: 4g (8%) Fat: 11g (17%) Saturated Fat: 4g (25%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g Monounsaturated Fat: 4g Trans Fat: 1g Cholesterol: 134mg (45%) Sodium: 242mg (11%) Potassium: 91mg (3%) Fiber: 1g (4%) Sugar: 38g (42%) Vitamin A: 266IU (5%) Vitamin C: 9mg (11%) Calcium: 25mg (3%) Iron: 1mg (6%)
Did You Make This?I want to see! Be sure to upload an image below & tag @thecookierookie on social media!
Hi! Recipe looks amazing! If I make the crust the day before and the lemon filling the day before will the filling still spread into the crust the next day or will it be “set” in the container? Thanks!
It will set in the container! Definitely make the crust, then add the filling to set!
In the Becky’s tips, it states, “…the lemon filling can be made one day ahead and stored refrigerated in an airtight container.” Part of the reason this caught my attention was that parts of the pie could be made ahead of time. I’d assemble it the day of serving. Is this not so?
It can be made 1 day ahead, but it may be difficult to spread into the crust!
Recipe mentions 4 egg yolks & 4 eggs separated. Does that mean 8 eggs?
Yes! You will use 8 egg yolks in the filling and 4 egg whites in the meringue. I just separated the ingredients out so you would know to reserve enough whites for the meringue since I often forget and toss mine! You can either save the additional 4 egg whites for later (they freeze well!) or toss them.
eAnnemost recipes say you have to put the meringue on the filling while the filling is hot to avoid weeping. Why does this work?
The hot filling helps cook the meringue from underneath, which seals out moisture and prevents weeping!
I thought pie crusts were baked in the oven, not cooked on the stove.
Yes, pie crusts are baked in the oven. The filling and meringue are cooked over the stove, then added to the pre-baked pie crust!
Can you Use canned lemon filling?
I am sure you can.
Looks good, can’t wait to taste them! Easy recipe to follow, thanks for the tips!
I did the crusts and filling a day ahead.
Those look cookbook cover-worthy!!
This the BEST Lemon Meringue pie recipe! I have been in search for the PERFECT PIE RECIPE! Thank you.
Thanks for sharing, Charlotte!!
The pie looks so good! Thank you so much for the recipe!
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Thanks for stopping by!
Lucious! The lemons on my tree make me want to make this recipe today! One question: a friend always says her lemon filling runs…why would that happen and how can that be avoided?
Cornstarch is the best solution to thicken things!
When you thicken with corn starch and it cools down, it will break (get watery) if it gets reheated.
Is tapioca starch a a better option than?