Brazil Nut Free Classic Lemon Meringue Pie
Few desserts hit the way a proper lemon meringue pie does — that sharp, silky citrus filling against a buttery, flaky crust, all crowned with a cloud of toasted meringue. The filling gets its glossy, sliceable texture from cornstarch and a careful tempering of egg yolks, so every slice holds its shape beautifully on the plate. Fresh lemon juice and zest do all the heavy lifting here, delivering a bright, tangy punch that no bottled shortcut can match. The Italian meringue method — pouring hot sugar syrup into whipped egg whites — creates a topping that's dramatically more stable and glossy than a standard meringue, and it toasts up into those gorgeous caramelized peaks. Every ingredient in this recipe is straightforward pantry and produce staple, so there's no need to scan labels for hidden tree nut additions or worry about cross-contact from specialty nut products. The whole process is genuinely satisfying to work through, from pressing the dough into the dish to running a kitchen torch over those swirled peaks. This is the kind of showstopper dessert that looks like it came from a bakery but was made entirely in your own kitchen.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
For the crust
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes and chilled
- 3–4 tbsp ice water
For the lemon filling
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 ½ cups water
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice (from about 3–4 lemons)
- 1 tbsp lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
- 5 large egg yolks
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
For the Italian meringue
- 4 large pasteurized egg whites, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar
Instructions
- 1
Make the crust: Whisk together the flour, 1 tbsp sugar, and 1/2 tsp salt in a large bowl. Add the chilled butter cubes and work them in with your fingertips or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining. Drizzle in 3 tbsp ice water and stir with a fork until the dough just comes together; add the fourth tablespoon only if the dough is still crumbly. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, press into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- 2
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough into a 12-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Drape it over the rolling pin and transfer it to a 9-inch pie dish, pressing it gently into the bottom and sides. Trim the overhang to about 1 inch, fold it under, and crimp the edge. Prick the bottom all over with a fork, line with parchment paper, and fill with pie weights or dried beans.
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