Spice Free Classic Lemon Meringue Pie
Bright, tangy, and crowned with a cloud of glossy toasted meringue, this pie is a showstopper that happens to be completely free of any added spices or seasonings that might cause concern. The filling gets all of its bold flavor from fresh lemon juice and lemon zest, so every bite is pure citrus sunshine without any hidden heat or aromatic blends to worry about. The Italian meringue method — where a hot sugar syrup is streamed into whipped egg whites — creates an incredibly stable, silky topping that holds its dramatic peaks beautifully. A buttery, from-scratch crust rounds everything out, and since you're making it yourself, you know exactly what goes into every layer. It takes a little patience between the blind-bake, the chilled filling, and the final set time in the fridge, but none of the steps are difficult once you break them down. The result is a pie that looks like it came from a serious bakery and tastes like the best version of a timeless classic.
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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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