Mustard Free Classic Lemon Meringue Pie
Few desserts hit the way a lemon meringue pie does — that bright, custardy filling, the buttery homemade crust, and a cloud of toasted meringue that practically begs to be photographed. The good news for anyone navigating condiment and spice sensitivities is that this recipe is built entirely from scratch with clean, straightforward ingredients, so there's no guesswork about what's hiding in a store-bought component. The lemon filling gets its gorgeous thickness from cornstarch and egg yolks, tempered carefully so the texture is silky and sliceable rather than runny or gummy. Italian meringue — made by streaming hot sugar syrup into whipped egg whites — is sturdier and more stable than the classic version, which means those dramatic peaks hold their shape beautifully whether you torch them or run them under the broiler. Fresh lemon juice and zest do all the heavy lifting on flavor, giving you that punchy citrus hit without relying on any pre-mixed seasonings or sauces that could introduce unwanted ingredients. The blind-baked butter crust is flaky and golden, and it seals the whole thing together in a way that feels genuinely impressive for a homemade bake. This is the kind of pie that disappears fast at any table.
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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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