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A Gluten Free Lemon Meringue Pie will always be my dessert of choice. With a buttery shortcrust pastry, tangy lemon curd and pillowy meringue topping, what’s not to love? Perfect for any occasion, and nobody will ever know it’s gluten free and coeliac-safe!
Notes On This Gluten Free Lemon Meringue Pie
- Why choose this recipe? Well, for starters lemon meringue pie is my favourite dessert EVER – but despite it being easy to make gluten free, you almost never see it on any menus! You only need my gluten free pastry and it’s coeliac-safe.
- Easy Recipe: Don’t be put off by the different components of this recipe, as really it’s very easy. The gluten free pastry can be made in advance, the lemon curd is very simple and the meringue is simply a case of whipping it up. Doddle!
- Dairy Free Too? Most of this recipe is dairy free, you’ll just need to swap the butter for a vegan alternative in the pastry and lemon curd. I recommend a harder vegan butter, especially in the pastry, to avoid it melting too easily.
Table of Contents
Ingredients and Substitutions
There’s a printable recipe card below for this gluten free lemon meringue pie recipe with the full quantities. But here are the main ingredients and ideas for any swaps.
- Gluten Free Pastry: I used a half quantity of my gluten free pastry for this recipe, though you could try source some pre-made if you don’t want to make your own.
- Lemons: You’ll use both the juice and zest for this recipe. For a variation you could make the Citrus Meringue Pie in my book.
- Eggs: The yolks are used in the lemon curd and the whites in the meringue, so there’s no waste here!
- Caster Sugar: Or look for baker’s sugar or superfine sugar in the US.
- Cornflour: Or corn starch in the US – and yes, this is gluten free!
- Butter: I use butter in my pastry as well as in the lemon curd, so to make this dairy free you’d need a vegan alternative.
How to Make a Gluten Free Lemon Meringue Pie
There’s a printable recipe card below with the method. But here are some step-by-step photos to show you how easy this gluten free lemon meringue pie recipe is to make.
Want To Get Ahead?
The lemon meringue pie itself is definitely best eaten on the day of baking, but you can make some of the elements ahead of time to make life easier on the day.
PASTRY: The gluten free pastry can be made up to 48 hours in advance and chilled, or make it months in advance and freeze it!
LEMON CURD: The lemon curd can be made 1-3 days in advance and kept in the fridge in a sealed container, ready for use. I recommend warming it before adding to the pastry, as this helps to cook the meringue from the bottom to prevent weeping.
MERINGUE: I’d recommend making this at the time of baking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some FAQs about this gluten free lemon meringue pie recipe. If you can’t find the answer to your question here or in the post above, please comment and I’ll try answer!
This lemon meringue pie is definitely best eaten on the day of baking – I like to have mine while it’s still a little warm from the oven! Leftovers can be stored in the fridge though, but after 1-2 days you may find the pastry softens.
It’s important to spoon the meringue onto the lemon curd working from the outside in. If you plop a load in the middle and try to spread it from there, it will sink!
I always say this dessert is best eaten on the day of baking, as the meringue can weep a little in the fridge if left overnight. This can be for a number of reasons, including the temperature change, or undissolved sugar in the meringue layer. It won’t affect the taste but may make the pastry go soft if left more than 24 hours.
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Gluten Free Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 0.5 batch gluten free shortcrust pastry, (using my recipe, linked)
For the lemon curd:
- 4 lemons, juice and zest
- 4 egg yolks, (save the whites for the meringue)
- 1 large egg
- 250 g caster sugar
- 65 g cornflour
- 85 g unsalted butter
For the meringue:
- 4 egg whites
- 200 g caster sugar
- 2 tsp cornflour
Instructions
Make the Pastry Case
- Make the pastry and chill in the fridge. Once chilled, flour the work surface and roll out to around 4mm thick. Lift the pastry over a 23cm deep fluted round tin and gently press into the sides.
- Gently push the overhanging pastry back over the pie dish so you have a couple of mm which are slightly thicker at the top of the pie crust. This will help to minimise any shrinking. Roll the rolling pin over the top of the dish and then remove any excess pastry and prick the bottom all over with a fork.
- Place a piece of baking paper over the top of the pastry and fill with baking beans. Blind bake in a preheated oven at 180’C / Fan 160’C / Gas Mark 4 for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the baking paper and beans, then bake for another 5-10 minutes until golden then remove from the oven.
Make The Lemon Curd
- While the pastry is blind baking, make the lemon curd filling. Separate the eggs, popping the egg yolks in one bowl (along with the extra egg) and the egg whites in another bowl, ready for making the meringue. Beat the egg yolks and egg together.
- Add the caster sugar and butter to a saucepan. In a separate bowl, add the cornflour and keep adding a little of the lemon juice at a time, stirring until it forms a paste with no lumps. Add to the saucepan along with the rest of the lemon juice and the lemon zest.
- Place the pan on a low heat and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly with a whisk. Simmer for 1-2 minutes and then remove from the heat. Add in the beaten egg yolk mixture and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon for another minute. Set to one side.
Make The Meringue
- To make the meringue, beat the egg whites in a large bowl with an electric whisk, until they form soft peaks. Continue to whisk while adding the caster sugar in, 1 tbsp at-a-time, beating between each portion.
- When all the caster sugar has been added, sprinkle in the cornflour and beat for another 30 seconds, so you have glossy peaks.
To Construct The Pie:
- Pour the lemon curd into the baked pastry case and smooth out. Spoon the meringue around the outside of the curd (if you put it in the middle first it may sink!) and spread out to the edges.
- Pile the rest of the meringue into the middle, swirl, and then place back in the oven for another 15-20 minutes until the meringue is golden on top.
- Remove from the oven and cool completely before serving.
Nutrition
More Gluten Free Dessert Recipes
If you like this gluten free lemon meringue pie recipe then make sure you check out these other gluten free dessert recipes too…
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I actually cheated with the bottom of the pie by using a gluten free biscuit base ,mainly as my pastry never seems to work and I didn’t want to spoil it. The result was amazing and very very tasty the oohs and ahs said it all when it came out of oven ,it is my husbands favourite so to be able to make one that good gluten free ( I am the coeliac) was a triumph Thankyou for your recipe