📋Old Fashioned Lemon Pie Recipe

a piece of lemon pie being lifted out of a whole pie, with a lemon cut in half in background

5 from 1 vote

📋Old Fashioned Lemon Pie Recipe

Old Fashioned Lemon Pie is a classic dessert, with freshly squeezed lemon juice, sugar, eggs, and butter. And this lemon pie from scratch has the perfect balance of sweet and tart. It's ideal any time of the year and for any occasion, whether you're hosting a summer barbecue or a holiday dinner.

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American, Canadian, North American

Keyword lemon, meringue, old fashioned, pie

Special Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 40

Servings pieces

Calories 426kcal

Author Terri Gilson

Equipment

Ingredients

2 cups boiling water
1 whole lemon rind, grated
¾ cup white granulated sugar
⅔ cup all-purpose flour
2 egg yolks
¼ cup butter
4 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon lemon extract
1 9 inch baked pie shell
yellow food coloring (optional)

Meringue

2 egg whites
¼ cup white granulated sugar

Garnish

lemon zest
lemon twist

US Customary - Metric

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

Prep: Blind bake pie shell as per directions (generally it's 8-10 minutes on 400- 425 degrees f ( 205-218 degrees c) *You can use pie weights or simply prick the bottom of the pie shell.

Pie Filling:

Cook lemon rind with boiling water on stovetop for 10 minutes on med-high heat.
Reduce to med low heat. In a mixing bowl, mix sugar and flour;
Add boiling water, a little at a time.
Mix it together until it's fully incorporated.
Return to stove and cook, over med-low heat, until thickened, stirring constantly. *It should be the consistency of gravy
Cover with lid and continue cooking for 20 minutes longer, without stirring, until very thick.
Beat egg yolks slightly with a fork.
Then add a little of the hot flour mixture to them. Mix well and return to heat, for 1-2 minutes
Remove from heat, whisk in butter, lemon juice and lemon extract.
Add yellow food coloring, a little at a time, until you get the right color.
Cool filling to lukewarm before spreading into baked and cooled pie shell.
Spread into baked and cooled pie crust.
Heat oven to 350 degrees F/176 degrees C.

Meringue

Beat egg whites until stiff, but not dry (video).
Add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating between additions. Beat until mixture holds it shape.
Pile gently onto cooled pie filling. Spread to edge of crust. Swirl or peak for an attractive top.
Bake in oven for 8- 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Garnish

Add lemon zest and lemon twist to the top of the pie.

Notes

*Note: How to blind bake a pie crust

**Note: How to make a lemon twist (garnish)

***Note: Adapted from: Pg. 82 Five Roses Cookbook

Expert Recipe Tips:

Use Fresh Lemon Juice Only. Do not use bottled lemon juice, as it has a bitter, artificial taste. Fresh lemon juice gives the best flavor and balance of sweetness and tartness.

Blind Bake the Pie Crust Properly. To prevent a soggy bottom, bake the crust before adding the filling. Use pie weights or dried beans to keep the crust from puffing up while baking. You can also prick the bottom of the crust with a fork 4-5 times.

Thicken the Filling Correctly. The lemon filling should be cooked until it reaches the consistency of thick gravy before pouring it into the crust.

Stir constantly to prevent lumps and burning.

Temper the Egg Yolks. Slowly add a little hot mixture to the beaten yolks before adding them back into the main filling. This prevents scrambled eggs in your lemon pie!

Prevent a Weepy Meringue. Spread the meringue while the filling is still warm, ensuring it adheres properly and prevents separation.

Avoid overbeating the egg whites—stiff peaks should form, but they shouldn't be dry. Seal the meringue to the edges of the crust to keep it from shrinking.

Get That Perfect Golden Top. Bake the meringue at 350°F (176°C) for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. If the meringue starts browning too fast, tent the edges with foil.

Chill Before Slicing. Let the pie cool completely at room temperature before refrigerating. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or overnight) for clean, even slices.

🌡️Storage

Store this creamy lemon meringue pie in the fridge, in an airtight container for up to 4 days. You can simply cover in plastic wrap if you are only storing it overnight.

You can also freeze lemon pie for up to 3 months in an airtight container.

To use a frozen lemon meringue pie, it’s best to allow it to thaw completely in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.

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