Lemon meringue pie with condensed milk recipe.
A tart and sweet lemon meringue pie recipe with condensed milk and juice from fresh lemons in the mix. This recipe is fast and easy to make with the help of a pre-made graham cracker pie crust.

Recipe updated: April 12th, 2024

This is a simple and easy-to-make lemon meringue pie recipe with only 6 ingredients. It uses four lemons, vanilla extract, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, granulated sugar, and a 10-inch graham cracker crust. And it is oh so delicious! If you have never tried lemon meringue pie, it will soon be one of your favorite desserts. It has a sweet meringue top and a fresh creamy lemon filling with condensed milk. This easy recipe is perfect for all of your special occasions.

A slice of lemon meringue pie with condensed milk on a plate.
Lemon Meringue Pie on a plate.

🥧 Key Ingredients

  • Fresh lemon juice from 4 medium-sized lemons (about 1/2 cup of lemon juice)
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • 1 can of sweetened condensed milk (14 ounces) – Eagle Brand or your favorite brand
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup of granulated sugar
  • 1 10-inch graham cracker ready pie crust
Ingredients for A slice of lemon meringue pie with condensed milk.
Ingredients for A slice of lemon meringue pie with condensed milk.

👩‍🍳 How to Make Lemon Meringue Pie

These step-by-step instructions are accompanied by detailed photos for enhanced clarity and guidance.

Step 1. Preheat the Oven

Set the oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 2. Separate the Eggs

Take the 3 eggs and separate the egg whites from the egg yolks, putting them into 2 different bowls. Set the egg whites aside for now while we use the egg yolks to make the lemon filling.

Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites.
Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites.

Step 3. Combine the Egg Yolks and Condensed Milk

In a medium separate bowl, add the egg yolks together with 1 can of sweetened condensed milk.

Add the egg yolks with the sweetened condensed milk.
Add the egg yolks with the sweetened condensed milk.

Stir the sweetened condensed milk together with the egg yolks using a whisk if you have one. If not, a spoon or fork will work fine.

Use a whisk to blend the egg yolks with the sweetened condensed milk.
Use a whisk to blend the egg yolks with the sweetened condensed milk.

Step 4. Squeeze Some Lemons

First, wash the lemons by running cold water over them, then roll the 4 lemons on the countertop to soften them up a bit. A cutting board, a table, or your favorite workplace will do. Then cut the lemons in half. After that, use a citrus hand squeezer to get the juice out of the lemons.

Squeeze the juice out of the four lemons.
Squeeze the juice out of the four lemons.

We squeezed four fresh lemons for this lemon pie recipe. There are approximately two tablespoons of lemon juice in one medium-sized lemon, so that equals about 1/2 cup of lemon juice for the 4 lemons.

Note: Lemons can be different sizes and have different amounts of juice in them, so it is best to measure the juice you need if a recipe you are making doesn’t tell you how many lemons to use. In this recipe, four medium-sized lemons will be enough.

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Fresh lemon juice from four lemons, about 1/2 of a cup.
Fresh lemon juice from four lemons.

Step 5. Add the Lemon Juice to the Egg Yolks and Condensed Milk

Pour the lemon juice into the mixing bowl together with the condensed milk and egg yolk mixture.

Lemon juice, egg yolks, and sweetened condensed milk in a bowl.
Lemon juice, egg yolks, and sweetened condensed milk in a bowl.

Step 6. Mix the Lemon Juice, Egg Yolks, and Condensed Milk

Mix the lemon juice, egg yolks, and condensed milk until thoroughly blended using a whisk or spoon to create the lemon filling.

Lemon juice, egg yolks, and sweetened condensed milk are mixed in a bowl.
Lemon juice, egg yolks, and sweetened condensed milk are mixed in a bowl.

Step 7. Pour the Lemon Filling into the Pie Crust

We used a 10-inch graham cracker pie crust for this recipe. Pour all the lemon filling into the pie crust, then set aside for now.

Pour the lemon filling into the pie crust.
Pour the lemon filling into the pie crust.

Step 8. Make the Meringue

Put the 3 egg whites we saved earlier into a mixing bowl together with 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Note: I’ve read about not using a plastic or glass bowl when whipping up the egg whites, so I guess a stainless steel bowl would be the one to use. The egg whites slide down the sides of the glass bowl, so they won’t whip properly, and the plastic bowl has some kind of fat or whatever to interfere with the egg whites while whipping them.

However, we used a plastic bowl, and the egg whites whipped up just fine. But use a stainless steel bowl if you are skeptical.

Three egg whites and one teaspoon of vanilla extract are in a bowl.
Three egg whites and one teaspoon of vanilla extract are in a bowl.

Step 9. Whip the Egg Whites

Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer with a whisk attachment on high speed, whip up the egg whites together with the vanilla extract until the egg whites form soft, stiff peaks.

The egg whites and vanilla extract are whipped in a bowl.
The egg whites and vanilla extract are whipped in a bowl.

Step 10. Add the Sugar

Then, gradually add the 1/4 cup of granulated sugar together with the whipped egg whites and vanilla extract while still using the hand mixer at high speed.

Gradually add the sugar to the three whipped egg whites and one teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Gradually add the sugar to the whipped egg whites and vanilla.

Step 11. Put the Meringue on Top of the Lemon Filling

After whipping up the egg whites and having formed the meringue into nice soft peaks in the bowl, then, spread the meringue over the top of the lemon filling. Make sure to spread the meringue to the edges of the pie using a spatula.

Spread the meringue over the top of the lemon filling.
Spread the meringue over the top of the lemon filling.

Step 12. Make Some Peaks

Using a spatula, make peaks on the meringue topping across the whole pie. To do that, as you spread the meringue around over the top of the lemon filling, slightly flip up the spatula, which will form the peaks.

Make peaks in the meringue topping.
Make peaks in the meringue topping.

Step 13. Bake the Lemon Meringue Pie

Bake the pie in the 350 degree oven for 20 minutes until the meringue is slightly browned.

Lemon meringue pie hot out of the oven.
Lemon meringue pie baked in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes.

Step 14. Cool the Lemon Meringue Pie

After baking, take the lemon meringue pie out of the oven and let it cool for about 20 minutes at room temperature on a wire rack before slicing. This will give the lemon filling time to set. Cutting this pie while it is still hot will make the lemon filling spread and run into the rest of the pie. We don’t want that to happen, so be sure to wait a little bit first.

A slice of lemon meringue pie with condensed milk on a plate.

❓ FAQs

Can I Freeze Lemon Meringue Pie?

Yes, you can freeze a baked lemon meringue pie for about 3 to 4 months. But take note that it can affect the quality and taste of the meringue. Let the pie cool completely, then put the whole pie into the freezer in a freezer-safe sealed container, or a zip lock bag big enough to hold the whole pie. But, one better option is to make the pie without the meringue and just freeze the crust and lemon filling. Then make the meringue topping right before you are ready to serve the pie.

How Do You Store Lemon Meringue Pie?

Store any leftover pie in the refrigerator for about 3 days. Also, putting the lemon pie into the refrigerator will form little beads on top of the meringue from the sugar, but this does not affect the taste.

A slice of lemon meringue pie with condensed milk on a plate.

💡 Final Thoughts for the Best Lemon Meringue Pie

This lemon meringue pie recipe is made with very simple ingredients and does not use that much sugar. It has a homemade lemon filling made from fresh lemon juice and a meringue top made from beaten egg whites and sugar. I love the taste of this pie. It only takes 20 minutes of cooking time. The graham cracker pie crust has just the right amount of graham crackers crunching up against the soft and smooth lemon filling inside. So the next time you are at the grocery store, make sure you have these 6 ingredients in your cart so you can make this easy lemon meringue pie recipe.

What’s nice about this lemon meringue pie recipe is you don’t need a pie pan. The ready-made graham cracker crust comes in a tin foil pan.

It is best to eat lemon meringue pie within a couple of days. The longer the pie sits in the refrigerator, the worse the meringue will get, becoming rubbery and watery. But no problem, we always eat it up before that happens. Discard any leftover lemon meringue pie after 3 days, unless you freeze it.

A close-up shot of a slice of lemon meringue pie with condensed milk on a plate.

📄 Recipe Card

Lemon meringue pie with condensed milk recipe.

Lemon Meringue Pie with Condensed Milk

Avatar for FloFlo
A tart and sweet lemon meringue pie recipe with condensed milk and juice from fresh lemons in the mix. This recipe is fast and easy to make with the help of a pre-made graham cracker pie crust.
4.94 from 16 votes
Cost $10
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings 1 Pie

🧂 Ingredients
  

👩‍🍳 Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Separate the egg yolks and egg whites.
  • Add the sweetened condensed milk to the egg yolks and mix well.
  • Roll the lemons, cut them in half, then squeeze the juice out using a citrus hand squeezer.
  • To make the lemon filling, pour the squeezed lemon juice into the egg yolk and condensed milk mixture and mix well.
  • Pour the lemon filling into the graham cracker crust. Set aside for now.
  • Add the egg whites and vanilla extract into a mixing bowl.
  • To make the meringue, use a hand mixer on high speed and whip the egg whites and vanilla until soft peaks form.
  • Still using the hand mixer on high speed, gradually add the sugar while mixing the egg whites and vanilla.
  • Spread the meringue on top of the pie all the way to the edges.
  • Using a spatula, make peaks on top of the meringue.
  • Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes.
  • After baking, let the pie cool at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.

*️⃣ Recipe Notes

  • Store leftover pie in the refrigerator for about 3 days. After that, either discard or freeze.
  • You can freeze lemon meringue pie for about 3 to 4 months in a proper freezer container.
  • Note that freezing lemon meringue pie may alter the quality of the meringue.
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4.94 from 16 votes (16 ratings without comment)

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