Lemon Meringue Pie

One of the best lemon meringue pies you will ever make and has to also be the easiest way to do it. I even just buy the graham cracker crust at the store.

This lemon meringue pie takes me back to my teenage years – I used to go to a little English lunch place run by a sweet old English lady named Berryl. The luncheonette was a tiny store in the back of a strip mall that had at most 5 tables. She would make tuna and egg salad sandwiches and a random dessert. 

My Mom and I would get a sandwich each and then share a dessert, quite regularly. 

We loved the days Berryl served Lemon Meringue Pie and one day I had asked her if it was a family recipe. 

She said, “No, it is from the recipe on the jello box.” 

I went home that day and made a lemon meringue pie myself using the jello instructions.

Even as a teenager, it came out pretty good – following the box instructions – although my meringue was never very good and became weepy.

Now – many years later, I have tried to remake it and I failed miserably on several occasions. 

But, I finally did it – and it came out perfect.

Failing so many times means I think I can help you if you’re having issues making this – it is pretty simple if you get the basics down pat.

COMMON MISTAKES:

• Buying the wrong jello – this used to be very easy to find but now it is not and I tried making this with the wrong type a few times and it was a runny, liquid mess that cannot be recovered. You have to buy the JELLO that is COOK AND SERVE — or, use the MY T FINE that I have linked. The cold milk pudding version will never be the pie version that I list here.
• Don’t let your egg yolks turn into scrambled eggs – make sure you stir up the pie mixture with water before turning on the heat.
• Don’t let any egg yolk (I mean not even a spec) into the meringue mixture.
• To prevent the weeping meringue, make sure the pie filling is hot and the meringue mixture is at room temperature. Also, be sure to seal the edges of the pie with the meringue.
• Don’t cover the meringue for the first 6 hours to ensure it doesn’t get condensation which leads to weeping.
• You can use a bit of Cream of Tartar after the initial foaming of the egg whites, and then slowly add the sugar in about a teaspoon at a time towards the end of the mixing process. This helps the mixture stay stiff and slowly adding sugar prevents graininess.
• Don’t add lemon juice before the eggs are boiling or this will curdle your liquid.

TIP FOR A KNOCK OUT PIE:

• Adding fresh lemon (after the eggs are brought to a boil) into your water mixture will take this pie from good to incredible. 

Lemon Meringue Pie

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Additional Time: 4 hours

Total Time: 4 hours 37 minutes

This is the BEST lemon meringue pie and it is also the easiest way to make it - using Jello or another pie filling mix.

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Ingredients

Meringue

• 3 Egg Whites
• 1/4 tsp Cream of Tartar
• 1/4 cup Sugar

Lemon Pie Filling

• Lemon My T Fine Cook & Serve Pie or Pudding
• ½ cup Sugar
• 2 Egg Yolks
• ¼ cup Water
• 1 1/2 cup Water
• 1/4 cup Fresh Lemon Juice

Pie Crust

• 1 Store Bought Pie Crust or make with your favorite pie crust recipe

Instructions

Mernigue

1. Beat 3 egg whites in large bowl with mixer on high speed until foamy.
2. Add 1/4 tsp Cream of Tartar to help hold the shape
3. Gradually beat in 1/4 cup sugar until stiff peaks form.
4. After putting hot pie filling into the crust (next steps) then spread meringue over the pie reaching to the edges of the pie crust to make sure it is sealed well.

Pie Filling

1. In a medium saucepan, combine pie filling mixture, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 egg yolks and 1/4 cup of water
2. Heat on medium heat until boiling.
3. Add the rest of the water and lemon juice and bring to a boil, if not thick enough let it cook for 2 more minutes.
4. After mixture boils, let it cool for 5 minutes, stirring twice.
5. Pour the pie mixture into your pie crust. 

Bake

1. Bake at 350 for 10 to 15 minutes to brown the meringue. 
2. Let cool at room temperature for 3 hours.
3. Once cooled the pie can be placed in the refrigerator.

Recommended Products

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• 
  Lemon Pudding and Pie Filling Mix By My T Fine - 2.75 Ounce Box - 2 Box Pack

Nutrition Information

Yield 6 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 574Total Fat 25gSaturated Fat 8gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 15gCholesterol 64mgSodium 434mgCarbohydrates 80gFiber 3gSugar 36gProtein 8g

This nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although alteredrecipe.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.