Gluten free Lemon Meringue Pie was a request from Morganna, a young gluten free baker. During a cooking class she told me she wanted to make lemon meringue pie so I made it and here are all my tips for you to make it at home.
Once you master gluten free pie pastry you can make hand pies, pot pies, quiche and of course, whole pies.
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Ingredients
The filling is simple with cornstarch as the thickener.
- sugar
- cornstarch
- eggs
- lemons
- butter
- vanilla
- cream of tartar (optional)
- uncooked pie shell - Gluten free pastry needs adjustments for a tender, flaky pastry that stays together. America's Test Kitchen did the testing and said all butter is best. Sour cream and vinegar to work with the properties of gluten free flours.
See recipe card for exact amounts.
Pie Pastry vs Tart Pastry
In case you never thought about it, there is a difference between pie pastry and tart pastry.
- Pie pastry is crisp and flaky. Pies can have a top and bottom crust and are typically served right out of the pie plate. Pumpkin pie and lemon meringue pie are examples of a single crust pie.
- Tart pastry has a firm, crumbly cookie-like crust. Tarts are typically baked in a pan with a removable bottom and are removed from the mold before serving. Tart pans come in many shapes and sizes. Don't miss this Bourbon Caramel Pumpkin Tart.
Instructions: How To Make Gluten Free Pastry
Tips for The Best Meringue
My mom and grandmother would both say meringue is simply beaten egg whites with sugar, and a pinch of cream of tarter to help stabilize it. They both made amazing lemon meringue pies with that knowledge.
Bakers around the world have their preferences and these are the finer points about meringue.
- French meringue often referred to as "ordinary", is the most basic of the three and the least stable until baked.
- Swiss meringue is smoother, silkier, and somewhat denser. The egg whites and sugar are heated in a double boiler then taken off the heat and beaten until cool and stiff.
- Italian meringue is made by drizzling hot sugar syrup into egg whites that have already been whipped to hold firm peaks.
Equipment
You don't need much more than a pie plate and a rolling pin but here are a few things to help bakers.
- A standard pyrex 9-inch pie plate with a fluted edge is needed for many recipes. If you change to colourful ceramic deep dish pie plate you'll need to adjust the cooking times and may need more pastry and filling.
- Every kitchen needs a rolling pin whether it’s a classic wooden rolling pin, a heavy marble one designed to stay cool for working with pastry or a modern silicone style pin.
- Flexible baking mats or inexpensive light weight cutting boards are perfect for flipping pastry to ensure it doesn’t stick.
- If you're interested in the science of gluten free baking America's Test Kitchen has published two cookbooks, excellent resources for home cooks.
Top Tip
Pile on as much meringue as you want. I made a few small tarts with the extra pastry, filling and meringue from this recipe.
Gluten Free Lemon Meringue Pie
Ingredients
LEMON FILLING
- 1½ cups water
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 6 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
- ½ cup lemon juice about 3 lemons
- 2 tablespoon butter
MERINGUE
- ⅓ cup water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 4 egg whites
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar (optional)
- ½ cup sugar
FLAKY PASTRY
- 9-inch uncooked pie shell, cold (bottom only)
Instructions
MAKE LEMON CURD
- In a medium saucepan combine water, sugar, cornstarch and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly.
- When the mixture turns translucent, about 5 minutes, add egg yolks, 2 at a time.
- Whisk in lemon zest, lemon juice and butter.
- Let mixture come back to a simmer then remove from heat. Cover warm curd with wax paper to prevent a skin from forming on top. Set aside.
- Rewarm curd before filling pie shell.
BAKE PIE PASTRY
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- If you made your own pastry refrigerate the pie shell for 10-15 minutes before baking.
- Bake cold pie crust, without filling, until crisp and golden, about 25 minutes. (Make meringue while crust is baking.)
- Remove from oven and cool slightly. Add warm filling to warm pastry shell.
- Decrease oven to 325°F.
MAKE MERINGUE
- In small saucepan bring water and cornstarch to simmer. Cook, whisking, until thickened, 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
- In stand mixer beat egg whites, vanilla and cream of tartar on medium speed until frothy, about 1 minute.
- Increase speed to medium-high and beat in sugar, a spoonful at a time, until mixture forms soft peaks.
- Add cornstarch mixture, a spoonful at a time, and continue beating until glossy with stiff peak, 2-3 minutes.
ASSEMBLE PIE
- Reheat lemon curd and pour into warm pie shell. Once pie is full pour leftover lemon filling into small ramekins for a treat later.
- Using a spatula spoon meringue onto filling to completely cover. Using the back of a spoon, create nice swirls and peaks in the meringue.
- Bake in 325°F oven until meringue is lightly golden, about 20 minutes. Rotate pie halfway through baking time for even baking.
- Let pie cool on wire rack until filling is set, about 1½ hours. Transfer to fridge after 45 minutes if you want it to cool down more quickly.
Notes
Nutrition
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