Sesame Free Classic Lemon Meringue Pie
Few desserts hit the way a proper lemon meringue pie does — that sharp, silky citrus filling, the buttery homemade crust, and a cloud of toasted meringue that crackles just slightly when you cut through it. The good news for anyone navigating sesame concerns is that this recipe is built entirely from pantry staples and fresh lemons, with zero need to scan labels for hidden sesame oil or tahini-adjacent ingredients that sometimes sneak into store-bought pastry doughs and dessert mixes. The crust comes together with flour, cold butter, and ice water — nothing more — so you're in full control from the very first step. The lemon filling gets its gorgeous, glossy body from cornstarch and egg yolks, tempered carefully so it sets up firm and slices cleanly after chilling. The Italian meringue is the real showstopper here: hot sugar syrup poured into whipped egg whites creates a stable, marshmallow-like topping that holds its swirls and peaks beautifully under a kitchen torch. Spreading the meringue all the way to the crust edge is the small but crucial trick that keeps it from pulling away and looking sad. This is the kind of pie that makes people ask if you went to pastry school — and you can just smile and say nothing.
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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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