
Lemon Meringue Pie: A Family Tradition of Love and Art
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Time to read 5 min
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Time to read 5 min
Lemon meringue pie was my mother’s favourite.
She made it the way she did everything, with intention. She would pile the meringue high, sculpting soft peaks with the back of a spoon, coaxing them into delicate curls. It was her piece of art for the day, the kind of creation that wasn’t just about beauty but about taste, form, texture, and precision.
Ruth was an artist at heart, not just in baking but in everything she did. If she sunbathed (which she did very often), she laid and baked in the sun with lotion and beautiful towels surrounding her. If she sewed, it was to make art on windows. She loved crafts, knitting, anything that required her hands to shape something from nothing. And if she started something, she finished it, unlike me, who often starts projects and loses interest quickly. It’s a miracle when I finish long projects that I began with such fervour. Ruth was not a woman who left things undone. If she set out to make something beautiful, she saw it through, and in our home, beauty, and art quite often took the shape of a pie. She was good at it, and probably learned from her grandmother, who she told me she adored. Pie-making, she once told me, was the one thing she could count on to turn out just right, the one thing that brought her the validation she so desperately craved.
That’s the thing about people with deep longing and regrets—they don’t just crave a beautiful future; they ache for a different past and for validation. They long to be seen, to be told they did something right, to know that something they made mattered.
Lemon meringue pie has deep North American roots, blending French meringue techniques with early American lemon custard pies. While variations existed in Europe, the pie as we know it today was refined and popularized in North America, becoming a beloved classic. It’s a dessert that balances contrasts—bright, tart lemon curd against soft, sweet meringue, all cradled in a flaky crust. That balance is what makes it unforgettable.
We were a pie family, the kind that believed a meal wasn’t complete unless there was a golden crust cooling on the counter. Apple pie in the fall, strawberry pie in the summer, pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving. But lemon meringue—that was the special one my mother loved to make. It was the pie that marked moments, that appeared when guests were expected, or when the weight of winter needed something bright to cut through it.
I never liked the meringue. Always scraped it off. But the lemon curd? The curd was bright and sharp and real, the way truth is real, unapologetic, unmasked, unsoftened by anything sweet. Maybe that’s why I liked it. It wasn’t pretending to be something else.
35–40 minutes
35–40 minutes total
6-8
Desserts
North American
This pie is bright, bold, and tender all at once. The lemon curd is tart and smooth, the meringue is cloud-like, and the crust—if you're using our sourdough version—is flaky with the perfect tang. It's a pie that asks you to be present and rewards you with something beautiful.
1 9-inch pie crust (pre-baked)
Want to make it from scratch? Try our homemade sourdough pie crust recipe .
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar (250g)
5 egg yolks
6 tablespoons cornstarch (35g)
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups water (300ml)
¾ cup lemon juice (180ml), freshly squeezed
2 tablespoons lemon zest (optional, but lovely)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (56g), cubed
4 egg whites
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
If using store-bought, follow the package instructions. For homemade, roll out the dough into a 12-inch circle and place in a 9-inch pie dish. Crimp the edges, poke the bottom with a fork, and freeze for 20 minutes.
Blind bake: Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line the frozen crust with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and weights, then bake for another 15–20 minutes until golden brown and fully set. Let cool completely.
In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Slowly whisk in the water, lemon juice, and lemon zest until the cornstarch is dissolved.
Place over medium heat and cook, whisking frequently, until thickened and bubbling (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat.
Temper the yolks: Slowly drizzle 1 cup of the hot mixture into the egg yolks while whisking constantly. Then pour the yolks back into the saucepan and return to medium heat. Cook for 2 minutes more, until thick and glossy.
Remove from heat and whisk in butter, one cube at a time, until melted and silky.
Important: Pour the hot lemon filling directly into the cooled pie crust. Do not let it cool before adding the meringue.
Reduce oven temperature to 350°F (175°C).
In a clean mixing bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar on medium-high until foamy. Gradually add sugar and beat until stiff, glossy peaks form (about 5 minutes).
Immediately spoon the meringue over the hot lemon filling , spreading it all the way to the crust to seal the edges.
Bake for 15–20 minutes or until the meringue is golden brown.
Cool at room temperature for at least 2 hours before refrigerating. Refrigerate uncovered. Cover only after the pie has chilled completely to avoid weeping or sogginess.
☁️ Have the meringue ready to go.
The meringue must go on while the lemon curd is still hot or it will weep. Spread the meringue all the way to the crust to seal it and prevent shrinking.
🍋 Use fresh lemon juice.
Bottled juice will work, but fresh-squeezed gives that bright, clean citrus flavour that makes this pie sing.
🧈 Cube the butter and add it one piece at a time.
Adding butter slowly helps create a silky, stable lemon curd—and gives you a quiet moment to just stir.
⏳ Let it cool at room temperature first.
Don’t rush it into the fridge. Let it rest uncovered at room temperature for at least 2 hours before chilling.
In this recipe
Yes! While the sourdough crust adds a lovely depth and flake, you can use any pre-baked 9-inch pie crust—store-bought or your favourite homemade recipe.
This usually happens when the filling isn’t hot when the meringue is added. Be sure to spread the meringue onto the hot lemon curd and seal it to the crust to prevent weeping and shrinking.
This pie is best eaten the day it’s made or the next day. For best texture, store it uncovered in the fridge after it has cooled completely. Don’t cover it too soon or it may weep.
You can! The pie will still be bright and tangy, but the lemon zest adds extra flavour and aroma. If you have it—use it. If not, the pie will still shine.