High Fructose Corn Syrup 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 bright punch from fresh lemon juice and zest, and the custard is thickened with cornstarch and egg yolks rather than any packaged pudding mix or sweetened shortcuts that often sneak in unwanted additives. Every gram of sweetness here comes from plain granulated sugar, so you know exactly what's going into the pie and what isn't. The Italian meringue technique — pouring a hot sugar syrup into whipped egg whites — gives you that thick, glossy, stable topping that holds its peaks beautifully without any stabilizers or processed syrups. Toasting it with a kitchen torch (or a quick run under the broiler) turns those swirled peaks a gorgeous caramel gold. It's a showstopper that tastes as clean and bright as it looks, and every component is made entirely from scratch with straightforward pantry staples.
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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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