Skip to content

The dessert, French classic

Lemon meringue pie

Lemon meringue pie is a classic French dessert for 6 people, with a shortcrust pastry, homemade lemon curd, and a golden Italian meringue on top. It takes 75 minutes of active work spread over two days, the crust and curd are made the day before, and only the meringue is finished right before serving. It's rated medium difficulty, costs about €1.80 per person, and success depends on balancing the lemon's tartness against the sugar.

A tart lemon filling under a golden meringue, this is the dessert that wakes everyone up at the end of the meal.

Lemon meringue pie
For
6 people
Work
1 h 15
Total time
4 h
Prep
Prepared the day before
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€1.80
Calories per person
510 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach

This is the dessert that cuts through a heavy meal, the lemon's sharpness wakes up your palate while the meringue brings soft sweetness and a lightly crisp top. The almond flour shortcrust stays crisp under the cold lemon curd, which goes on right before you need to finish the pie.

It fits a birthday as easily as a Sunday family lunch, any time of year, since kids and adults both go for it. It follows a rich main course well, a braised meat dish or a gratin, and ends the meal on a bright note instead of another heavy chocolate dessert.

The schedule

What happens when, so you can be with your guests instead of in the kitchen.

  1. The day before 3 steps, 2 h
  2. The same day 1 step
  3. Before the guests arrive 1 step, 20 min
  4. When it's time to serve 1 step

The day before, make the crust, blind bake it, and prepare the lemon curd, everything just waits in the fridge. The morning of, spread the cold lemon curd over the baked crust and chill again. Right before guests arrive, whip and pipe the Italian meringue onto the pie, then torch it golden right at the table.

The ingredients

6 people

Pantry

  • Flouroften in the pantry 250 g
  • Powdered sugaroften in the pantry 80 g
  • Almond flour 30 g
  • Sugar for the curdoften in the pantry 150 g
  • Sugar for the meringueoften in the pantry 200 g
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Dairy

  • Butter for the crust 125 g
  • Egg for the crust 1
  • Eggs for the curd 4
  • Butter for the curd 150 g
  • Egg whites 4

Fruits and vegetables

  • Organic lemons 5

Allergens Gluten, Lactose, Eggs, Tree nuts

The recipe, moment by moment

The day beforeWhat's better after resting overnight in the fridge.

  1. Rub the flour with the cold butter, add the powdered sugar, almond flour, egg, and salt, form a ball and let it rest for an hour in the fridge. 1 h 10

    Work the dough with your fingertips only, it shouldn't warm up.

  2. Roll out the dough into a tart pan, prick it, fill it with dried beans on parchment paper, and blind bake it at 180 °C. 30 min

    Bake five more minutes without the beans for a nicely golden crust.

  3. Make the lemon curd with the zest and juice of the lemons, the eggs, and the sugar, cook over low heat while whisking, add the butter in pieces, and let it cool. 20 min

    Whisk constantly over very low heat, the curd thickens all at once.

The same dayDuring the day, whenever you get a moment.

  1. Pour the cold lemon curd into the cooled crust and chill it again.

    Spread it with a spatula so it sits flat.

Before the guests arriveThe last hour, right before the doorbell rings.

  1. Heat the sugar with a little water to 118 °C, pour it in a thin stream over the whipped egg whites, and whisk until the meringue cools, then pipe it over the pie. 20 min

    Pour the syrup between the bowl and the whisk, never directly onto the whisk, or it will splatter.

When it's time to serveThe final touches, right in front of your guests.

  1. Torch the meringue right before bringing the pie to the table.

    Form small peaks with a spoon, they catch more color.

Our tips to get it right

  • Use organic, unwaxed lemons since you're using the zest, the flavor of the curd depends directly on it.
  • Always let the lemon curd cool completely before pouring it onto the crust, otherwise the warm curd softens the shortcrust from underneath.
  • Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks before pouring in the hot syrup, an under-whipped Italian meringue collapses and becomes hard to pipe cleanly.

The variations

  • Swap some of the lemons for limes for a more fragrant, slightly less sweet curd.
  • For a quicker version, use a store-bought shortcrust shell and spend your time on the curd and meringue instead, the result still holds up well.
  • For kids who find it too tart, add an extra spoonful of sugar to the lemon curd to soften the flavor.

What to serve it with

  • A strong coffee to cut the sweetness
  • A verbena tea after the meal
  • Fresh berries as garnish

Storage

The pie keeps for two days in the fridge in a closed container, though the meringue softens a bit over time. It doesn't freeze once assembled, but the blind baked crust alone can be frozen before filling.

Questions about this recipe

Can you make the meringue without a candy thermometer?

It's riskier but possible, the syrup is ready when a drop in cold water forms a soft ball. A thermometer stays more reliable to avoid undercooking or overcooking the syrup.

Why does my lemon curd stay runny?

Lemon curd thickens suddenly near the end of cooking, so keep whisking over low heat until that exact moment. If it stays runny, it likely needs more time on the heat or the heat was too low.

Can you brown the meringue without a blowtorch?

Yes, the oven broiler works well, with the door cracked open and close watching for about two minutes. A blowtorch stays more precise and avoids overbaking the rest of the pie.

How do you get a smooth piped meringue?

Use a piping bag with a wide tip and move steadily from the center out to the edges. Small peaks formed with a spoon right after also add texture that browns nicely.

Can a lemon meringue pie be made ahead?

Yes, it's even recommended. The recipe needs 1 h 15 of work in total, split up like this, the day before, 3 steps, the same day, 1 step, before the guests arrive, 1 step, when it's time to serve, 1 step.

How long does it take to make a lemon meringue pie?

Allow 4 h in total, including resting and cooking time, of which 1 h 15 is actual work. The recipe is rated "medium".

How many calories are in a lemon meringue pie?

About 510 kcal per person, for a recipe meant for 6 people. The calories are calculated by Kiloach, your kilo coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a lemon meringue pie cost?

About €1.80 per person, that's €10.80 for 6 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, lactose, eggs, tree nuts. Remember to ask your guests about their allergies before putting your menu together.

To round out your menu

Build a menu
Bacon wrapped prunes The appetizer

French classic

Bacon wrapped prunes

  • 15 min of work
  • Prepared the same day
  • Very easy, €1.10 per person

100 kcalcalculated by Kiloach

Desserts for entertaining

See all
Blueberry tart The dessert

Regional

Blueberry tart

  • 45 min of work
  • Prepared the day before
  • Easy, €2.40 per person

410 kcalcalculated by Kiloach

Tiramisu The dessert

Mediterranean

Tiramisu

  • 30 min of work
  • Prepared the day before
  • Easy, €2.30 per person

520 kcalcalculated by Kiloach