This magic lemon pie has a creamy lemon custard filling and a fluffy meringue topping. The magic is how the filling ingredients come together and instantly turn into a creamy custard without the need for cooking, baking or added thickeners. This old fashioned pie is easy to make and a refreshing dessert.
A few months ago I shared a 4 ingredient magic lemon pie. It was an easier version of the old-fashioned classic that didn’t require the meringue topping. Now I’m sharing my version of magic lemon meringue pie, complete with the light fluffy meringue topping.
Ingredients
- Lemons
- Condensed milk
- Eggs
- Sugar
- Frozen pie crust
Lemons: The creamy custard layer is made with lemon juice.
Condensed milk: Sweetened condensed milk is used to make the creamy lemon custard filling. Dairy-free condensed milk substitutes will not work. The filling relies on the reaction of the dairy protein with the acid in the lemon juice, which instantly thickens the mixture.
Eggs: Eggs yolks add richness to the filling and help stabilize the filling during baking. Egg whites are beaten with sugar to create a fluffy meringue.
Sugar: This recipe uses regular granulated white sugar to sweeten the meringue.
Frozen pie crust: This pie uses premade frozen pie crust. You want to use the kind that is already in the pie tin so there is less shrinkage during baking. You can also use a premade graham cracker crust.
Magic Lemon Pie History
Magic Lemon Pie was introduced in the 1930s. The first version was a no bake version called Magic Lemon Cream Pie, which is now more widely known as lemon icebox pie or no bake lemon pie. It was called magic lemon pie because when the lemon juice and condensed milk were mixed together, they would instantly thicken to a custard-like mixture without the need for gelatin or other thickeners and without needing to bake or cook the filling.
Then another version of magic lemon pie was introduced called Magic Lemon Meringue Pie, which added a meringue topping. This version became more popular than the original and became known as magic lemon pie. This version included egg yolks in the custard filling. It still was considered magical because when you mixed the condensed milk, egg yolks and lemon juice, it would instantly turn into a custard filling. The custard filling was not baked. The pie was only lightly baked after adding the meringue topping in order to toast the meringue layer.
More modern versions of magic lemon pie also bake the filling because of the raw egg yolks. The most current version of this pie recipe has also increased the number of eggs from 2 to 3 but after testing it, I actually preferred it with 2 eggs. While 3 eggs will yield an incredibly high meringue topping which looks beautiful for presentation, I found the meringue topping to be disproportionate to the custard layer and felt the pie was more balanced with a meringue layer that makes up half of the filling. I also thought the custard layer tasted better with two egg yolks instead of three.
How to Make Magic Lemon Meringue Pie
- If using a frozen pie crust, you will want to prick the bottom with a fork a few times and then prebake it until golden.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix the condensed milk, lemon juice and egg yolks together. Pour the filling into the pie crust once it is done baking.
- Place the pie into the oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until the filling is set and cooked.
- While the pie is baking, add the egg whites to a mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Beat at medium speed until it turns frothy. Gradually add in the sugar. Increase the mixing to medium high speed and continue to beat until the mixture forms soft peaks.
- When the pie is ready, add the meringue layer on top. Place the pie back into the oven on the lowest oven rack setting and bake until the meringue is cooked and lightly golden brown.
Taste and Texture
This pie has a sweet, creamy lemon custard filling and a very light cloud-like meringue. It isn’t quite as sweet as the no bake version because it only has half of the custard filling.
More Lemon Pie Recipes
5 Ingredient Magic Lemon Pie
Ingredients
- 1 (9-inch) frozen pie crust
- 1/2 cup (4 fl oz/118 ml) lemon juice
- 1 (14 oz/397 g) can full fat sweetened condensed milk
- 2 large eggs whites and yolks separated
- 5 tbsp granulated white sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (191°C). Let pie crust soften to room temperature, about 10-15 minutes.
- Use a fork to prick the bottom of the pie crust several times (I did about a dozen times). You want there to be holes fairly evenly spread across the bottom. This will prevent the pie crust from puffing up during baking. Bake pie crust for about 15 minutes or until golden brown and cooked. Most pie crust brands recommend a higher baking temperature but I found that lowering the baking temperature slightly helps reduce shrinkage.
- While pie crust is baking, make the filling. Add lemon juice, condensed milk and egg yolks to a large mixing bowl. Whisk until all the ingredients are evenly combined and egg yolks are fully beaten and incorporated.
- Pour filling into the pie crust when it is done baking. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F (163°C). Place the pie back into the oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until filling is cooked.
- While the pie is baking, add egg whites to clean mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Using the wire whisk attachment, beat eggs at medium speed (about 5 speed) until light and frothy. With the mixer still running, gradually add the sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, waiting about 15-20 seconds for the sugar to dissolve before adding more. When all the sugar is added, increase the mixing speed slightly to medium high (around 7 speed) and beat until your meringue forms soft peaks. This will take about 5-7 minutes. You don't want to mix at the highest speed, which will cause the meringue to stiffen too quickly. You want to gradually build up the meringue to soft peaks. This will result in more volume and a better meringue.
- When the pie is ready, remove from oven. Add the meringue on top, sealing the meringue to the edges of the crust. You want to do this while the pie is still hot. Evenly spread the meringue across using a spatula. You can then make waves or soft peaks across the meringue layer with your spatula for decoration.
- Place pie back into the oven but this time place it on the lowest oven rack. This is important because it will give the meringue more time to cook without the top becoming too brown. Bake for about 10-15 minutes or until the meringue is cooked and lightly golden brown. Place pie into the fridge to chill. Pie is best served a few hours after baking because the meringue will start to weep after a while. Any uneaten pie should be stored in the fridge or freezer.
Notes
- If you are not experienced with making meringue, you can also add 1/4 tsp cream of tartar to the egg whites. I don't use it but it does help ensure that you have a stable meringue.
- If you want a tall meringue layer that goes above the pie crust, you can use 3 egg whites instead of 2. I prefer using 2. Even though the meringue layer is not as high, I think it is a better ratio of custard and meringue.
- Make sure to seal the meringue all the way to the crust. This will help prevent weeping.
- This pie is best served within a few hours after it is baked because the meringue topping will start to weep after a while.
- This recipe will not work with dairy-free condensed milk alternatives. See post for more details.
- I used Wholly Wholesome 9 inch frozen pie crust*. You want to use a pie crust that already comes shaped in the pie tin to prevent shrinkage. You can also use a graham cracker pie crust.
- *This product link is an affiliate link. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
- You can use fresh squeezed lemon juice or store bought lemon juice. I used store bought. If using store bought, make sure that the only ingredient is lemon juice. Just because it is labeled "100% lemon juice" does not necessarily mean there aren't other ingredients in the bottle so make sure to check the nutrition label. I used Santa Cruz Organic 100% lemon juice*. The RealLemon brand (sometimes in those little lemon shaped containers) will not work.
- *This product link is an affiliate link. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
My mom made the lemon pie with egg yolks but did not bake it when I was growing up. I’ve been told the lemon acidity makes the eggs “cook”. ??? We never got sick and I loved that pie!!!
I also read that the acid in the lemon cooks the eggs but I couldn’t find a lot of information on it.
The header of the 5 ingredient lemon pie states no cooking, no baking. The instructions advise to pre-bake the crust, then bake with the filling. The no baking part is nowhere else to be found.
Why have readers been misled?
I recommend that you re-read the header because it doesn’t state that the lemon pie is no cooking or no baking. The header states that the reason why it is called magic pie is because the filling magically sets without needing to cook, bake or add thickeners. And if you read the rest of the post, I discuss this in further detail. The filling does not need to be cooked or baked and the original version was not cooked or baked. But the more modern version does cook it only because of raw egg concerns. However, the filling does not need to be baked or cooked to set.