Lemon Meringue Pie with Milk is exactly what you'd think -- a lemon meringue pie made with milk instead of water! Most lemon meringue pie fillings use egg yolks, water, lemon juice, lemon zest, cornstarch, sugar and butter. This one's similar, it's just the water is replaced with milk. And by milk, I mean regular whole milk. There are lots of lemon meringue pie recipes that call for condensed milk which are usually similar to Key lime. This one is more like a traditional lemon meringue pie, just slightly creamier.
Best Crust for Lemon Meringue
This is a recipe that calls for a blind baked pie crust. My default is the Baked All Butter Crust, but I also love one called Grandma Ruth's. Graham cracker crust would also be good, but I haven't tested it yet.
Which Meringue?
For the meringue, I used my latest favorite (4 eggs, ½ cup sugar, etc.) which I find convenient and easy to remember. However, if you are on a mission to find the perfect no-weep meringue, check out this page where I posted a lot of different meringues back-to-back. The one I like best is Shirley Corriher's recipe (pictured on that page), but it calls for marshmallow creme and I hardly ever have that around.
Recipe
Creamy Lemon Meringue Pie -- Made With Milk
Ingredients
- 1 9 inch deep dish pie crust baked as directed
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 4 large egg yolks
- 2 cups of milk I used half 2% and half whole
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
- 2-3 teaspoons lemon zest
- 3 tablespoons butter
Meringue
- 4 large egg whites
- ¼ teaspoon of cream of tartar
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons of cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Line up all the ingredients and have everything ready to go.
- Prepare the meringue as directed at the bottom or wait and prepare it after you make the filling. I prefer to make the meringue first so that it's ready to go and I can quickly slather it on top of a piping hot filling.
- Mix the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a large (3 ½ quart) non-aluminum saucepan.
- Whisk the egg yolks, milk and lemon juice together in a bowl. Whisk the milk mixture into the saucepan with the sugar mixture and turn heat to medium. Whisk constantly until mixture begins to boil -- this could take anywhere from five to 10 minutes. When mixture begins to thicken and boil, boil for 1 minute, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and whisk in the lemon zest, butter and vanilla. Pour into the pie shell and immediately spoon meringue around the edges to seal. Spoon remaining meringue over the center and cover all of the lemon filling.
- Bake at 325 F for about 25 minutes. Let cool at room temperature, then transfer to the refrigerator and chill for several hours.
- Meringue: Beat the egg whites until foamy, then add the cream of tartar. Continue beating until soft peaks form, then beat in the sugar a few tablespoons at a time along with the cornstarch.
Anna says
That's interesting! I had no idea it was a Southern style, but not surprised.
G.Perry says
My family has always used milk rather than water, I think it’s a southern style. I never buy or eat most peoples lemon meringue for that very reason. Once you’ve had the lemon filling made with milk, you never like anything else. Thank for this recipe.
a.whitt says
I increase everything by half and make an extra fat pie. Everything fits fine in my Pyrex deep dish glass pan. Tastes delicious made with milk!
Abi Cossey says
Looks super yummy!!!
Sue says
Yum!!
Darlene says
I have to say, I find the appearance of Grandma Ruth's flaky crust (from earlier this week) more appealing. I'm definitely going to try it during the holiday baking season (hopefully, I'll have lost these pesky extra pounds by then!).
Adam says
This sounds perfect! But am I the only one that prefers Graham cracker crusts with lemon meringue pies? 🙂
This is a must try when I get home.