Lemon Meringue Pie
Lemon Meringue Pie is back on the menu! We’ve given the zesty classic a slimming-friendly makeover, swapping the pastry case for a homemade biscuit base that’s lighter and even more delicious. The zingy-sweet lemon filling gets covered with airy meringue, then it goes into the oven until it’s golden and starting to crisp on top. It’s the perfect pudding for any occasion!
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NutritionPer Serving
- Calories263
- Carbs45g
- Protein4.9g
- Fat9.1g
- Saturates1.6g
- Sugars18g
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For the full list of ingredients and comprehensive instructions, please see the recipe card below. Before you scroll, there’s important stuff in the blurb!
We’ve been dreaming up this Lemon Meringue Pie for a while, looking for a way to cut down on the calories, without losing out on any of the gorgeous zesty flavours. With traditional versions of this recipe, the buttery pastry case and sugary pie filling make it far from slimming friendly.
The good news is that we’ve cracked it! By whipping up an airy-light meringue, swapping sugar for sweetener and cutting out the pastry, we’ve created a zingy pud that’s only 263 calories per slice.
Don’t worry, our citrus-sweet dessert still has a satisfying crunch – instead of the pastry we’ve made a case out of crushed biscuits. You’ll need to bash some reduced-fat digestives into a fine crumb, before mixing them with melted reduced-fat spread to make the perfect golden, crispy case.
Patience is key for this recipe! Make sure you leave your baked meringue to cool for an hour at room temperature, and then chill for at least 2 hours in the fridge before you try to slice it.
What diets is this Lemon Meringue Pie suitable for?
This Lemon Meringue Pie recipe is suitable for vegetarians.
It can be made gluten free as long as you use gluten-free digestive biscuits. To make the recipe dairy free, you’ll need to swap the reduced-fat spread for a suitable dairy-free alternative.
Please make sure to double or triple check all of your ingredients if you’re cooking for people with allergies.
Do you need any special ingredients to make Lemon Meringue Pie?
You don’t need any fancy ingredients to make this recipe, although you will need a 24cm loose-bottomed tart tin and an electric hand whisk (or stand mixer) to whip up the egg whites. You could do this by hand but it would be quite tricky!
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This 24cm Fruit Pie Baking Pan is ideal for this recipe. It can also be used to make all kinds of sweet and savoury pies.
This VonShef Hand Mixer Electric Whisk will make baking quicker and easier. It has 5 speeds to save you time whisking up ingredients.
How many calories are in this Lemon Meringue Pie?
There are 263 calories per portion in this Lemon Meringue Pie recipe, which means it falls into our Weekly Indulgence recipe category. If you’re counting calories or following one of the popular diet plans like Weight Watchers, this recipe fits in perfectly!
NHS guidelines suggest men should aim for 2,500 calories per day to maintain a healthy body weight, and women require around 2000 calories. Each person has different calorie requirements depending on their goal, so you may want to adjust your daily calorie intake according to your own personal goal.
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease a 24cm loose-bottomed tart tin with a little reduced-fat spread. Add the biscuits to a large food bag and bash with a rolling pin into a very fine crumb.
Step 2
Add the egg white to a mixing bowl and whisk with an electric mixer until frothy and slightly thickened. Add the crushed biscuits along with the melted spread. Mix together.
Step 3
Pour the mixture into the tin. Using the back of a spoon, press the crumbs down onto the base and up the sides of the tin to form a biscuit crumb pie case. Place the tart tin onto a baking tray and then place into the oven for 10-12 minutes. The case should be crisp. Remove from the oven and lower the oven temperature to 160°C.
Step 4
To make the filling, add the lemon juice, lemon zest, cornflour, sweetener and sugar to a saucepan. Mix using a balloon whisk until smooth. Pour in the cold water and set the pan on medium heat. Continue to whisk as the mixture heats. It should start to bubble and thicken into a smooth mixture.
Step 5
Lower the heat and add the reduced-fat spread and egg yolks and whisk quickly to incorporate. Cook for a further 4-5 minutes, vigorously stirring until the mixture thickens. It should coat the back of a spoon and look like custard in consistency. Pour into the pie case and spread out evenly. Leave to one side to cool slightly while you make the meringue.
Step 6
Place the egg whites into a very clean mixing bowl. Make sure there is no egg yolk in the bowl with the egg whites. Start to whisk, using an electric hand whisk, until the egg whites form soft peaks.
Step 7
Add the caster sugar one tablespoon at a time and whisk until fully mixed in. Then sift in the icing sugar and whisk in a little at a time. The egg whites should be stiff and glossy, and when you feel the meringue, you should not be able to feel any grittiness, as the sugar should be dissolved. If it hasn’t, continue to whisk for another minute.
Step 8
Add the cornflour and vanilla and whisk for an extra minute until combined.
Step 9
Spoon the mixture onto the pie filling. We find it’s best to add smaller spoonfuls of meringue all over the pie filling so that it doesn’t sink. Once all of the meringue is on top of the pie, spread it out all the way to the crust, sealing in the filling and creating peaks and swirls as you go.
Step 10
Place into the oven for 20-25 minutes. The meringue should be just turning golden brown and going crispy. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 1 hour, then place into the fridge to chill for a minimum of 2 hours. Slice and serve!
What could I serve with this Lemon Meringue Pie?
This is the perfect sweet treat to enjoy at the end of a light meal. We’d serve it after a dinner including the following recipes:
How do you know when Lemon Meringue Pie is cooked?
You should cook this Lemon Meringue Pie until the filling is set, the biscuit case is crisp and the meringue is turning golden. This will take around 40 minutes in total. If you prefer, you can crisp up the meringue topping even more using a blowtorch.
Remember to cool the pie at room temperature for an hour before chilling in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours.
To keep your family safe, the advice here in the UK is to cook food until it has reached 70°C and stayed at that temperature for 2 minutes.
How long can you keep Lemon Meringue Pie in the fridge?
Once you’ve served this recipe, you’ll ideally need to eat it within 4 hours.
You can store any leftovers of this Lemon Meringue Pie in the fridge for around 3 days. Make sure that you place them in an airtight container and keep them chilled in the refrigerator.
Can I freeze Lemon Meringue Pie?
This recipe isn’t suitable for freezing.
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Lemon Meringue Pie
Lemon Meringue Pie is back on the menu! We’ve given the zesty classic a slimming-friendly makeover, swapping the pastry case for a homemade biscuit base that’s lighter and even more delicious. The zingy-sweet lemon filling gets covered with airy meringue, then it’s into the oven until it’s golden and starting to crisp on top. It’s the perfect pudding for any occasion!
-
Prep Time
20 MINS
-
Cook Time
40 MINS
- KCals 263
- Carbs 45G
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease a 24cm loose-bottomed tart tin with a little reduced-fat spread. Add the biscuits to a large food bag and bash with a rolling pin into a very fine crumb.
- Add the egg white to a mixing bowl and whisk with an electric mixer until frothy and slightly thickened. Add the crushed biscuits along with the melted spread. Mix together.
- Pour the mixture into the tin. Using the back of a spoon, press the crumbs down onto the base and up the sides of the tin to form a biscuit crumb pie case. Place the tart tin onto a baking tray and then place into the oven for 10-12 minutes. The case should be crisp. Remove from the oven and lower the oven temperature to 160°C.
- To make the filling, add the lemon juice, lemon zest, cornflour, sweetener and sugar to a saucepan. Mix using a balloon whisk until smooth. Pour in the cold water and set the pan on medium heat. Continue to whisk as the mixture heats. It should start to bubble and thicken into a smooth mixture.
- Lower the heat and add the reduced-fat spread and egg yolks and whisk quickly to incorporate. Cook for a further 4-5 minutes, vigorously stirring until the mixture thickens. It should coat the back of a spoon and look like custard in consistency. Pour into the pie case and spread out evenly. Leave to one side to cool slightly while you make the meringue.
- Place the egg whites into a very clean mixing bowl. Make sure there is no egg yolk in the bowl with the egg whites. Start to whisk, using an electric hand whisk, until the egg whites form soft peaks.
- Add the caster sugar one tablespoon at a time and whisk until fully mixed in. Then sift in the icing sugar and whisk in a little at a time. The egg whites should be stiff and glossy, and when you feel the meringue, you should not be able to feel any grittiness, as the sugar should be dissolved. If it hasn’t, continue to whisk for another minute.
- Add the cornflour and vanilla and whisk for an extra minute until combined.
- Spoon the mixture onto the pie filling. We find it's best to add smaller spoonfuls of meringue all over the pie filling so that it doesn't sink. Once all of the meringue is on top of the pie, spread it out all the way to the crust, sealing in the filling and creating peaks and swirls as you go.
- Place into the oven for 20-25 minutes. The meringue should be just turning golden brown and going crispy. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 1 hour, then place into the fridge to chill for a minimum of 2 hours. Slice and serve!
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Recipe notes
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2 comments
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SarahTuesday 11th June 2024
Are the eggs medium or large?
HollyWednesday 12th June 2024
Hey Sarah, this recipe uses medium eggs, hope that helps!
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