Honey Free Classic Lemon Meringue Pie
Few desserts hit the way a lemon meringue pie does — that sharp, silky citrus filling against a buttery, flaky crust, all crowned with a cloud of toasted meringue. Every component here is built from scratch using straightforward pantry staples: flour, butter, fresh lemons, eggs, and granulated sugar. There's no sweetener beyond plain white sugar, so anyone avoiding bee-derived ingredients can dig in without a second thought. The lemon filling gets its body from cornstarch and egg yolks, tempered carefully so it sets into that glossy, sliceable layer that makes the whole thing worth the effort. The meringue is an Italian-style version, made by streaming hot sugar syrup into whipped egg whites — it's more stable than a standard meringue and holds those dramatic peaks beautifully. A kitchen torch gives the top those gorgeous caramel-tipped swirls, though a quick pass under the broiler works just as well. This is a showstopper that tastes as impressive as it looks, and it's entirely achievable with a little patience and a good thermometer.
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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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