MSG Free Classic Lemon Meringue Pie
Few desserts hit the way a proper lemon meringue pie does — that bright, custardy filling against a buttery, flaky crust, all crowned with billowy toasted meringue. Every component here is built from scratch using real, whole ingredients: fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, egg yolks, butter, and a simple homemade pastry. That means no flavor packets, no stabilizer blends, and none of the processed shortcuts that sneak unwanted additives into store-bought versions. The lemon filling gets its body from cornstarch and a careful tempering technique, so the texture is silky and clean-tasting without anything artificial doing the heavy lifting. The Italian meringue — made by streaming hot sugar syrup into whipped egg whites — is remarkably stable and glossy, torched to golden peaks that hold beautifully when you slice. It's the kind of recipe that looks like it came from a serious bakery but relies entirely on pantry staples you can trust. Whether you're cooking for someone with sensitivities or just want to know exactly what's in your dessert, this pie delivers pure, from-scratch satisfaction.
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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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