• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • TERMS AND CONDITIONS
    • Privacy Policy
  • FAQ
  • Recipes
    • Keto Desserts
    • Keto Breakfast Recipes
  • WORK WITH ME
  • KETO COOKBOOKS
  • PRESS
  • CONTACT
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter

All Day I Dream About Food

All the best low carb keto recipes for a healthy lifestyle

  • Recipe Index
  • Main Dishes
  • Breakfast
  • Muffins & Scones
  • Side Dishes
  • Keto Cakes
  • Cookies
  • Dairy Free

June 23, 2015

Lemon Meringue Pie

This post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

11.3Kshares

The beloved classic lemon meringue pie gets a low carb, grain-free makeover. The lemon filling is both tart and sweet, and the meringue is crisp on the outside, tender in the middle. 

Low carb lemon meringue pie recipe, a classic!

I sincerely love making over the classics to be low carb and gluten-free. The funny part is that many of these classic dishes and desserts are not things I would have bothered with back in my sugar and flour days. Some of them I simply wasn’t interested in and some of them were just a little too daunting. For others, I would have had to follow the recipe to the letter and goodness knows how I hate doing that. I can hardly make my own recipes the same way twice. But now the challenge of recreating the classics in a healthy format I can enjoy holds great appeal. Can I take an iconic dish, something that stands out in people’s minds as the food or dessert they remember from childhood, that their grandmother made every time they came over, and can I remake it without sugar or flour or grains? Can I make it more than simply palatable, more than a mere approximation of the classic they love so much? Can I not only make it, but make it really, REALLY good?

Classic lemon meringue pie made low carb and gluten-free. It's heavenly!

Yep, I sure can. At least in this case, I believe I conquered that challenge and conquered it admirably. Now if only I could conquer crusty Italian or French bread. Then I would be the master of the low carb universe.

Lemon meringue is honestly not one that was very significant in my childhood. Ever the chocoholic, I would forego the citrus-based desserts in favour of something darker, creamier and denser. I know I had lemon meringue pie on a number of occasions, and it was even pretty good a few times. Other times, it was an overly-sweet, soggy mess. But such is the way with any classic dessert, there are good ones and there are awful ones.

Low Carb Keto Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe

Since I already have a low carb pastry recipe that I love, my challenge with this classic lay in both the filling and in the meringue. Lemon meringue fillings are made with plenty of cornstarch to help them set properly and we know that isn’t a gonna fly for low carb. And meringue without sugar can be tricky, as it can either be overly hard and crunchy, or it can lack structure and deflate during baking. I wanted the filling to be slightly gooey but not liquid, so I decided to tackle that in two ways. First, with xanthan gum to help thicken it a little, and secondly, with a little gelatin to help it set properly. I was more worried about the meringue, thinking it might disintegrate when I tried to spread it over the warm filling. But it held up nicely and even better, it baked to that perfect soft crispness. It was crisp on the very outside but sweet and tender on the inside, and I think it was the mix of both granulated and powdered sweetener that helped.

One word to the wise: be patient. Let it chill the full 3 hours. Don’t do as I did and cut in too soon or the un-set lemon filling starts oozing out everywhere. Patience is a virtue that I don’t have enough of!

Classic lemon meringue pie made sugar free and low carb. Guilt-free indulgence!

4.88 from 8 votes
Classic lemon meringue pie made low carb and gluten-free. It's heavenly!
Print
Low Carb Lemon Meringue Pie
Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
50 mins
Chill Time
3 hrs
Total Time
4 hrs 15 mins
 
The beloved classic lemon meringue pie gets a low carb, grain-free makeover. The lemon filling is both tart and sweet, and the meringue is crisp on the outside, tender in the middle.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Dessert
Servings: 1 pie
Calories: 218 kcal
Ingredients
Pastry Crust:
  • 1 1/4 cup almond flour
  • 2 tbsp coconut flour
  • 2 tbsp arrowroot starch OR 2 tbsp oat fiber for THM
  • 1 tbsp granulated Swerve Sweetener
  • 1 tsp xanthan gum
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 5 tbsp butter chilled and cut into small pieces
  • 2-4 tbsp ice water
Filling:
  • 1 cup plus 2 tbsp water divided
  • 1 cup granulated Swerve Sweetener
  • 2 tsp lemon zest
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
  • 1 tbsp grassfed gelatin (can use 1 envelope Knox gelatin)
Meringue Topping:
  • 4 large egg whites at room temperature
  • 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
  • Pinch salt
  • 1/4 cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
  • 1/4 cup granulated Swerve Sweetener
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Crust:
  1. Preheat oven to 325F.
  2. Combine almond flour, coconut flour, arrowroot starch, sweetener, xanthan gum and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to combine.
  3. Sprinkle surface with butter pieces and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  4. With processor running on low, add ice water, one tablespoon at time until dough begins to clump together.
  5. Place a large piece of parchment on work surface and dust liberally with additional almond flour. Turn out dough and pat into a circle. Sprinkle with more almond flour and cover with another large piece of parchment.
  6. Roll out carefully into an 11-inch circle. Remove top layer of parchment. Place a 9-inch pie pan upside down on crust and then carefully flip both over so crust is lying in the pie pan. Remove parchment. (Alternatively, you can skip rolling out the pastry and simply press the crust into the bottom and up the sides of the pan).
  7. You may get some cracking and tears. Simply use small pieces of pastry from the overhang to patch them up. Crimp the edges of the crust and prick all over with a fork.
  8. Bake crust 12 minutes, then remove and let cool.
Lemon Filling:
  1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine 1 cup of the water, sweetener, lemon zest and salt. Bring to just a boil, whisking frequently, until sweetener dissolves.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks until smooth. Slowly add about 1/2 cup of the water to the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Then gradually whisk the egg yolks back into the pan and lower the heat to low. Cook for 1 minute more, stirring continuously.
  3. Stir in lemon juice and butter and whisk until smooth. Sprinkle surface with xanthan gum and whisk vigorously to combine.
  4. In a small bowl, stir together the remaining two tablespoons of water and the gelatin. Let sit 2 minutes until gelled, then stir into hot lemon mixture, whisking until well combined. Cover and set aside while making the meringue.
Meringue Topping:
  1. In a large bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar and salt until frothy. With beaters going, slowly add sweeteners and vanilla extract and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.

To assemble:
  1. Preheat oven to 300F.
  2. Pour warm filling into crust. Dollop with meringue and spread right to the edges so that the meringue meets the crust. Swirl the top with the back of a spoon.
  3. Bake 20 minutes or until meringue topping is golden and just barely firm to the touch. Remove and let pie cool 20 minutes, then refrigerate at least 3 hours to set.
Recipe Notes

Serves 10. Each serving has 7.22 g of carbs and 2.12 g of fiber. Total NET CARBS = 5.1 g.

Food energy: 218kcal
Total fat: 17.51g
Calories from fat: 157
Cholesterol: 98mg
Carbohydrate: 7.22g
Total dietary fiber: 2.12g
Protein: 6.45g
Sodium: 174mg

Nutrition Facts
Low Carb Lemon Meringue Pie
Amount Per Serving (1 slice)
Calories 218 Calories from Fat 158
% Daily Value*
Fat 17.51g27%
Cholesterol 98mg33%
Sodium 174mg7%
Carbohydrates 7.22g2%
Fiber 2.12g8%
Protein 6.45g13%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

11.3Kshares

Filed Under: Gluten Free, Low Carb, Pies & Tarts Tagged With: almond flour, lemon, meringue

free email series

Secrets to Keto Baking

Tips and tricks to delicious and healthy recipes!


Nutritional Disclaimer

Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.

Reader Interactions

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Comments

  1. Kelly says

    June 23, 2015 at 8:59 am

    Do you think you could do this with a whipped cream topping instead of meringue? I’d love a low carb lemon ice-box pie for summer.

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      June 23, 2015 at 11:06 am

      Absolutely. In that case, I would bake the crust alone for much longer, probably for about 25 minutes. Then I would do the filling the same way and pour it in, but refrigerate right afterward for 3 hours. Then do whipped cream for the top.

      Reply
  2. edna weddell says

    June 23, 2015 at 11:29 am

    hi Carolyn………..in the meringue you mention that the last items to put in are the sweeteners and vanilla………….in the ingredients list vanilla is not listed………..I am assuming 1/4 or 1/2 tsp of vanilla would be the amount to put in…………looking forward to your reply………….thanks edna

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      June 23, 2015 at 1:25 pm

      Sorry, looks like that got cut off. It’s 1/2 tsp and I’ve amended the recipe.

      Reply
  3. edna weddell says

    June 23, 2015 at 11:33 am

    a huge thank you Carolyn for finally making all my past loves my current loves once again……you did a great job on the butter tarts………and now my lemon meringue pie…………you most certainly our no sugar low carb angel…………..now I know you have lived in Canada so here is another original Canadian dessert you may want to experiment with………..nanimo bars…….lol……….you said you loved a challenge ……………….thank you for all you hard work ………..edna from Ontario canada

    Reply
    • heather says

      July 11, 2015 at 9:41 pm

      Carolyn did two recipes for Nanaimo Bars/Tart a while back. It will come up if you search her site

      Reply
  4. Briana Thomas (briana-thomas.com) says

    June 23, 2015 at 7:00 pm

    As always, this looks scrumptious. Perfect for summer! I’ll be sharing a link this week.

    Reply
  5. peasmom says

    June 24, 2015 at 7:46 am

    Hi, your recipes really make me so happy that I can eat desserts that are low-carb. May I know that in the absence of xanthan gum, would it possible for the filling to hold together if I add more gelatin?

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      June 24, 2015 at 2:31 pm

      Should be fine but will be a little more like jello and less like custard. I wouldn’t add more than another 1/2 tbsp of grassfed gelatin.

      Reply
  6. Hillary says

    June 25, 2015 at 11:58 am

    I just love you a little more today! Thank-you for this Lemon Meringue Pie recipe, esp THM style!!

    I, too, am a Canadian ex-pat but I live in San Jose. I found your Butter Tarts recipe and Nanaimo Bars recipe. I grew up on Vancouver Island… Nanaimo was close to home! Thank-you for helping me continue to share my food loves with my children- but in a healthier way! My grandmother lived to be 101 years old and she made all her recipes with the classic ingredients. It was different in the past. She never ate box, packaged food, and sugar wasn’t so readily used.

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      June 25, 2015 at 1:23 pm

      I have family that lives in Nanaimo too. 🙂

      Reply
    • Dallas Fox says

      December 22, 2016 at 12:06 pm

      What does THM mean?

      Reply
      • Hillary says

        December 23, 2016 at 11:26 am

        THM= ‘Trim Healthy Mama’ is a balanced carb/fat/protein healthy eating lifestyle. Find us on FB!

        Reply
        • Connie says

          March 10, 2019 at 2:17 am

          You read my mind! I didn’t know THM☺️

          Reply
  7. Deborah says

    June 26, 2015 at 12:46 am

    oh my god. one of my favourite desserts ever, low-carbed. i was going to make chocolate mousse today but i may have to skip it and do this instead. oh, and by the way, i made your caramel cupcakes with milk chocolate frosting and took them away with us on our romantic getaway without the kids. i didn’t even taste them before we left. omg… heavenly!!!

    Reply
  8. Deborah says

    June 26, 2015 at 6:53 am

    So I made this, and when I poured the lemon ‘custard’ into the pie shell it was still basically liquid. I didn’t know whether or not that was right, so I figured I’d just go ahead and cook it. I’ve waited the 3 hours and cut into the pie… and although the lemon custard is a bit gloopier than it was, it’s now basically a thick soup instead of a thin one. What did I do wrong? Was the custard maybe not cooked enough? I followed your instructions exactly… what should the custard look like before it is poured into the shell? (It tasted delicious nevertheless) Thanks

    Reply
    • Deborah says

      June 26, 2015 at 10:44 am

      UPDATE: I just checked the pie again and the lemon custard has set! Maybe for some reason it needed more than 3 hours… this is now about 8 hours after I made it. No idea at what point it solidified, but yay!!

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        June 27, 2015 at 9:45 am

        Oh now I just saw this! So good to know, I still wonder if the gelatin didn’t set properly for some reason…

        Reply
    • Carolyn says

      June 27, 2015 at 9:44 am

      It should be quite liquid, so I wonder what kind of gelatin you used?

      Reply
    • Mellsa says

      June 19, 2016 at 10:21 am

      I’m at the stage of having a very liquids lemon filling in the oven and am quite nervous. Not like the Sherriffs I’ve used in the past at all. Crcrossing my fingers here…

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        June 19, 2016 at 10:41 am

        It should set as it chills.

        Reply
  9. Guinan says

    June 28, 2015 at 8:26 am

    HI! I’m Dutch, but I lived in Burlington, Ontario for 5 years as a kid, and ohhhhh….. those lo-ve-ly Lemon Merengue Pies!!! Thank you so much for this recipe! <3 X X X

    Reply
  10. Guinan says

    June 28, 2015 at 8:30 am

    PS… I can’t buy Swerve Sweetner in Holland. Which should I use instead, erythritol, xylitol or stevia? Or a mixture of 2 of them? I can never remember which one turns grainy.

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      June 28, 2015 at 10:00 am

      I would use erythritol wherever you can. It’s the closest to Swerve.

      Reply
  11. Dianne says

    June 28, 2015 at 9:38 am

    Hi there, my all time favourite dessert, love that you have made it low carb. Do you have a particular brand of gelatin that you like or use? Here in Canada it is difficult to get some ingredients, but if I have a name many shops will try to get a product if I give them a brand name…thanks for your wonderful recipes.

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      June 28, 2015 at 10:01 am

      I use the Great Lakes grassfed gelatin in the Orange can. But you can use Knox gelatin instead, if that’s all you can get.

      Reply
    • Heather says

      July 11, 2015 at 9:50 pm

      I get ingredients in Canada online from Low Carb Canada, Amazon.ca or from vitacost.com. I also get the really fine almond flour in a large 25 pound box directly from jkgourmet.com. Hope that helps! The gelatin from this recipe can be found on Amazon.

      Reply
  12. Mary says

    June 28, 2015 at 6:07 pm

    To make this Keto and nut free, I’m going to make the crust out of a meringue shell and fill with the lemon filling and top with whip cream. Can’t wait. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      June 28, 2015 at 6:33 pm

      Sounds great!

      Reply
  13. Patrice says

    June 29, 2015 at 6:33 pm

    Carolyn,

    Is there any sub for the arrowroot or oat fiber for those diabetics who do not do starch or oats?

    Thanx,

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      June 29, 2015 at 8:42 pm

      You could try more coconut flour (1 tbsp) but I think it’s going to make your crust very tough.

      Reply
    • Mary Ann says

      March 27, 2016 at 12:27 pm

      I added flax seed meal instead of oat fibre in the crust because I’m diabetic. Worked well!

      Reply
  14. Ron Dans says

    July 19, 2015 at 4:25 pm

    I’m always excited to get your new recipes. My wife and I try to stay low-carb for medical reasons, even tending to pure ketogenic at times. This recipe looks wonderful, but I’m concerned with the large amount (1/12 cups) of Swerve. I know all about it’s “neutrality” when it comes to carb effects in the body, but I still have my doubts about using so much in any one dish (aside from the cost, which is $12/lb on Amazon). I’ll probably try making it with 1/2 the amount. Any other ides would be appreciated.

    Reply
  15. Anne o says

    September 8, 2015 at 10:30 am

    Completely yummy! Made this pie for a dinner party on Saturday night. Success with the full sugar crowd too. One piece was left over that I had for breakfast. My meringue was a bit gritty / crunchy with the sugar but yummy none the less. Thanks Carolyn for another winner. Making your double Choc zucchini bread today!

    Reply
  16. Deborah says

    September 21, 2015 at 4:23 am

    Just wanted to let you know that I’ve been using the crust from this pie, minus the tbsp of swerve, as a base for quiches, and it comes out fantastic!

    Deborah

    Reply
    • Rosie says

      April 24, 2016 at 3:03 pm

      Good idea, I will try that thanks or sharing!

      Reply
  17. Azrael says

    November 25, 2015 at 7:20 pm

    Would it be a problem tob7se the grassfed gelatin in the green can. I have better luck with it.

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      November 25, 2015 at 11:21 pm

      I am not sure it will gel enough to solidify the lemon portion.

      Reply
  18. Carrie says

    January 31, 2016 at 3:37 pm

    I made this recipe for the first time last night. My dad always has a lemon meringue pie for his birthday (which was on Friday). So I thought I’d try this in honor of him. I can’t remember the last time I had lemon meringue pie and didn’t really see one on my low carb horizon. This was UNBELIEVABLE!!! Can you take a guess on what I had for breakfast today? (I’m ashamed to admit that I had THREE slices last night!)

    Thanks for another wonderful recipe!

    Reply
  19. Melasdesign says

    March 25, 2016 at 7:57 pm

    Wonderful recipe. A big treat as my first low carb pie with a crust. Clear instructions took the guesswork out of crust-making (and the rest). Got the difficult AOK from my husband and am completely happy myself.

    Reply
  20. Estelle says

    March 27, 2016 at 2:16 pm

    From the flaky crust to the perfect meringue that surprisingly for the first time ever that I made a lemon meringue pie, did not slide all over the place, in taste and appearance it is a perfect pie 🙂 big thank you for making me look and feel like a good cook, thumbs up from kids and hubby too!

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      March 27, 2016 at 2:54 pm

      Wow, what a lovely comment. Thanks!

      Reply
  21. Bob Smith says

    April 5, 2016 at 4:50 am

    Hi. I tried the recipe, but it had a few problems.

    The filling took upwards of 6~7 hours to actually gel (@ 31F), and it made the crust soggy (as it was poured into the crust in a liquid state, then baked another 20+ minutes). That was a bummer, as it was suppose to be for my mom’s birthday :(shoulda made it the night before). I didn’t have oat fiber, and I couldn’t bring myself to use the arrowroot powder as it has more carbs than wheat flour. So I went with someone’s suggestion here, and used flax meal instead.

    Given, I was using a larger pie pan (an 11″ stoneware pie pan), so I had also increased the recipe by 50%. Between the stoneware pan probably staying hot longer, and the extra 50% filling, it explains the extended time it took to gel. The filling looked more like a banana cream pie filling, instead of what a lemon pie usually looks like (not very firm at all). I seen a regular sugar & starch version of one the very next day to compare it with.

    The meringue part tasted okay, even a bit too sugary, but it had a hard shell on the outer surface because the erythritol tends to re-crystallize when there is no fat present in the recipe (and egg whites won’t whip into a meringue if there is even a drop of oil in the bowl). I’m thinking I might try using something like liquid sucralose instead if I ever make another meringue. Or just go with a whipped cream topping instead….

    I used erythritol + stevia (1C to 1/3tsp ratio) instead of swerve, but I usually don’t have a problem doing that substitution for most recipes. I used some LC corp’s confectioner sweetener in the meringue, very similar to swerve powdered sweetener in ingredients.

    I’m thinking that maybe one might use a combination of konjac flour and maybe a little xantham instead of gelatin for thickening the filling? I’m thinking along these lines as that is a more direct analog to how traditional lemon pie filling is made, where as gelatin is not, has a different texture, and takes longer to solidify. That would also give an immediate thickening to the filling (less soggy pie crust, faster/better gelling).

    Any opinions on this idea? Has anyone tried it, or something like it? Would you need to put a pinch (or more) of pickling lime in it to get the konjac flour to gel properly?

    Otherwise the pie tastes pretty good, so it ain’t going to waste ;-).

    Reply
  22. Rosie says

    April 24, 2016 at 2:59 pm

    This IS the best GF LC pie crust I have ever tasted!! Usually almond flour pie crust ends up more like a graham cracker crust you would use for cheese cake. I can’t wait to try this again with a blueberry filling.

    I made this for Easter dinner and it was a huge hit! No one noticed it was gluten free and sugar free! Usually my family eats my “healthy” desserts to be polite, this time they asked for seconds!

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      April 24, 2016 at 3:39 pm

      Thanks! I actually have a video coming out with this crust soon!

      Reply
  23. Christy says

    June 2, 2016 at 8:44 pm

    Ooooooh my!! I couldn’t wait and made this (unfortunately) on a humid day 🙁 while my egg whites never really fluffed up- the custard was AMAZING! I made mine using lime zest and key lime juice… can’t wait for a less humid day to try a lemon version!! Thank you for your brilliance!!!

    Reply
  24. Sande Edwards says

    July 11, 2016 at 8:51 am

    This was really good the first day but the next day the erythritol had crystallized and the pie was way too sweet. I have seen other recipes online that use teaspoons of sweetener as apposed to the cup and a half in this one. If I remake this I think I will a LOT less.

    The crust is amazing though!

    Reply
    • Scott says

      November 15, 2016 at 7:23 am

      Interesting – I had the opposite experience. I baked it at 10 pm and had a piece for breakfast and concluded that the custard was good but the meringue was off. That night at dinner, however, the pie was delicious and my son said that this is the only low-carb desert I ever should make! The erythritol in the meringue had crystallized and was a bit gritty but the flavor was excellent! Even my wife liked it and she generally won’t eat any of my low-carb deserts except a fruit tart I make with xylitol. I didn’t have any granulated Swerve so I used only powdered Swerve at a 1:1 ratio which was probably not enough initially but great after it sweetened up like yours did. The amount of real sugar in a “normal” meringue recipe I saw is 6 TBS so next time I may try using 3 TBS of Truvia Baking Blend, which, if I did my math correctly, would add 1.5g sugar per serving (assuming 12 servings) which is acceptable for me.

      Reply
  25. Diana says

    October 23, 2016 at 5:10 pm

    Once again I used this beautiful crust for a pie, (although I haven’t done the lemon meringue yet). This time I made a chayote “apple” filling, spread that in the bottom of a deep pie dish and covered with this crust. Painted with egg wash and cinnamon “sugar” and baked for 30 minutes. All my guests went back for seconds of this pie, as opposed to the real apple pie with traditional crust I also made. Now I’ve got to try it with your great-sounding lemon filling and meringue! Thank you for the wonderful recipes!

    Reply
  26. Diana says

    October 23, 2016 at 5:20 pm

    BTW, did you ever make a video for this particular crust? It is so spectacular and easy to make, I’d love to encourage others to try it.

    Reply
  27. Stephen says

    November 27, 2016 at 4:37 pm

    Just wondering if i can omit the xathum gum in both the crust and curd? Its not available in my small town and i would have to wait a week to get it by post.

    Also is it possible to use splenda instead of swerve? Again its something I would have to mail order.

    Reply
  28. Helen says

    March 12, 2017 at 6:58 pm

    Made this for the first time today and it was amazing! And it has to be the best low carb, gf pastry case recipe ever! Thank you.

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      March 12, 2017 at 9:18 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
  29. Bethanie Nice says

    April 9, 2017 at 7:02 pm

    My first low carb pie! It is fabulous! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      April 9, 2017 at 7:33 pm

      So glad you like it!

      Reply
  30. Ciana says

    April 17, 2017 at 7:10 am

    Carolyn, this recipe is fantastic, especially the crust. We made this for Easter dinner, and my whole family agreed it tasted just like the “real thing.” The only complaint was that since we have been eating a low-glycemic diet for quite a while, we have noticed our preferences have changed. We agreed that we would prefer the filling to be half as sweet. If I only add a half-cup of Swerve would I need to change anything else in order to make sure the filling sets properly?

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      April 17, 2017 at 7:59 am

      I think it should be fine!

      Reply
  31. Ashley says

    April 20, 2017 at 9:25 am

    Hi! thanks so much for this recipe. When i had it the morning after i made it, it was amazing. But by the second day, it started to become very strange. It seemed like there was lumps of sugar everywhere and was not appetizing. Am I doing something wrong?! Thanks!

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      April 20, 2017 at 1:48 pm

      Nothing you are doing wrong, it’s the nature of erythritol sometimes that it re-crystallizes. Sometime it doesn’t, though. The more you heat it, the more it does it, so make sure you are not over-heating the filling as you cook it.

      Reply
  32. Lu Vickery says

    April 26, 2017 at 11:33 pm

    Thank you for this recipe. I am also grateful for the comment section, as I rely on comments from those that have tried these recipes before, to look for tips for when I make it. I thought that the filling was not too sweet, just right and perfectly lemony and the meringue came out perfectly as well. The crust was tasty, but not crisp. Even tho I kept it in the oven 5 min longer than suggested, next time I would bake it longer. It seemed “undone”, not soggy, but pretty close to soggy, or I might use another almond flour crust recipe that I have. I was so very worried when I took the completed pie out of the oven. The filling, when I poured it into the crust, before baking, was so very runny, I thought I had not cooked it enuff on the stovetop, and when it came out of the oven, it was still runny. As a matter of fact, it was so runny, I spilled some on the floor and countertop getting it from the oven to the counter. But after 4 hours in the fridge, Viola! it set up beautifully. So be careful when removing it from the oven, and do not worry, it will set up nicely. Again, thanks for the recipe, and thanks to those that share their experiences.

    Reply
  33. Demi says

    October 30, 2017 at 9:32 am

    Dear Caroline,

    I’m from the netherlands And I really, REALLY want to make this recipe. But I can’t figure out the exact ingredients because everything is in “cups” and we don’t have that here.. we only have grams. Maybe you can translate the recipe in grams for me if it’s not to much work? I just can’t really figure out how cups work to translate (like a cup of water is different to a cup of flour?) I would like to make the merengue pie and share it with our dutch low carb facebookgroup (500.000 members already..) I hope to hear from you! Regards, Demi

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      October 30, 2017 at 10:31 pm

      Hi Demi…It is actually a lot of work to translate it all for my recipes. However, here’s what I can tell you. There are lots of translating sites for basic ingredients like butter, water, etc. Water is easy because it should be in ml. Anything liquid would be equivalent to water. Eggs are eggs, of course, although they do vary in size

      For more unusual low carb ingredients like almond flour and coconut flour, I measured them for my cookbook so that there is more standardization. 1 cup almond flour = about 100g. 1 cup of coconut flour is 110g. I don’t know what sweetener your are planning on using but Swerve, which I use, measure like sugar. So just like sugar, 1 tablespoon is 15g.

      For your further information… 1 cup is equal to 16 tablespoons. 1 tablespoon is 3 teaspoons.

      Hope that helps!

      Reply
      • Demi says

        November 7, 2017 at 3:20 am

        Thank you for the reply! I found more info on internet about the measurements. We don’t have swerve here but we do have “sukrin” and thats also 1:1 so that will work. Still haven’t made the pie but I will soon.

        Reply
  34. Anita says

    November 5, 2017 at 12:21 pm

    Made this yesterday, holy YUM!!! I used Meyer lemons so the lemon curd wasn’t as tart, but still super yummy! Thanks so much for this amazing recipe!

    Reply
  35. Bonny says

    November 8, 2017 at 4:31 pm

    In your meringue, you use both powdered & granulated sweetner. Why both? In my “old days”, I used bakers granulated sugar which is a fine granulated instead of grocery shelf sugar.

    Luv luv your recipes. Thanks for all your hard work.

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      November 8, 2017 at 8:06 pm

      Bonny, you nailed it. That’s exactly why…a combo of the granular and powdered is more consistent with the fine granular sugar (or Caster Sugar, as they say in the UK). It seems to give it the best consistency, whipping in the air bubbles but not making it gritty.

      Reply
      • Bonny says

        November 9, 2017 at 12:49 pm

        I don’t buy powdered sweetener (I use splenda). I just toss it into my food processor & buzz away to make powdered. I would be worried that standard granular sweetener wouldn’t dissolve as well as my old bakers fine sugar. But, I get your point, consistency. It just hit me, I bet I can make fine granulated/nearly powdered in my processor! Doh!

        Thanks for the terrific reciepes.

        Reply
  36. Lurene passaro says

    November 21, 2017 at 4:36 pm

    Just made this pie! It’s seems like it’s going to be yummy! The delicious lemon filling has not thickened and it’s very cool,now!
    How can imthicken the filling?

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      November 21, 2017 at 5:58 pm

      Did you chill it for the required amount of time?

      Reply
  37. Ness says

    April 4, 2018 at 1:25 pm

    OMG, I am NOT a fan of lemon meringue in the least but needed something different for Easter that would somewhat please everyone and THIS pie was AMAZING!!! I am awful at pie crust, this was so simple and came together on it’s own (thank the heavens!). The rest of it went so smooth! I made it the night before, and I read all the comments so I was prepared for it to look scary when it was “finished” from the oven. Only ONE slice was left after dinner that consisted of people from 7-80 years old, from Keto to pretty much vegan. All LOVED it!! I seriously can’t say enough about this pie, and this was a very picky hard to please crowd. THANK YOU!!

    Reply
  38. Jessa says

    April 29, 2018 at 10:00 pm

    Makes a tasty lemon meringue soup!

    Not sure why it didn’t set— I put in TWO geletain packs as it was exceptionally liquid-y upon pouring into the crust. Gave it five hours in the fridge and it was a sad, runny mess.

    At least it tasted okay!

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      April 30, 2018 at 7:53 am

      If you put in regular gelatin and you didn’t let it bloom first, that might be the issue.

      Reply
  39. James says

    June 5, 2018 at 7:44 pm

    5 stars
    I made this today and boy was it good. I too experienced a gritty meringue wondering if the mixing was too short. Pressing in the crust worked best as it stuck to the parchment paper and wouldn’t let go. Thank you for these gifts to the world of low carb.

    Reply
  40. Lorna says

    July 23, 2018 at 5:40 am

    5 stars
    This pie looks delicious. I am wanting to make one that is dairy free, do you think I could substitute the butter for coconut oil?
    Thank you for your inspirational work, it’s people like you who make a ketogenic lifestyle a lot more enjoyable AND acceptable to our friends and families

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      July 23, 2018 at 12:47 pm

      I think so but because I haven’t tried it, I can’t say for sure. I know it will be fine in the crust.

      Reply
  41. Melissa says

    August 10, 2018 at 6:06 pm

    Can tapioca flour/starch be used to sub for arrowroot starch?

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      August 10, 2018 at 10:35 pm

      Sure.

      Reply
  42. Zach says

    November 14, 2018 at 8:09 pm

    Is there anything I can use in place of Coconut Flour? For someone allergic to coconut?

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      November 14, 2018 at 11:00 pm

      Use this pie crust instead. No coconut flour, easier and fewer carbs! https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/easy-low-carb-press-in-pie-crust/

      Reply
      • Zach says

        November 15, 2018 at 12:46 pm

        Thanks!

        Reply
  43. Kim says

    December 8, 2018 at 3:52 pm

    Could I put this in an 8×8 cake pan instead of pie pan for bars? Or would it need to be in a 13×9 pan?

    Reply
  44. Kim says

    December 13, 2018 at 10:09 am

    Can this be made ahead and froze??

    Reply
  45. Susan Hoefer says

    January 19, 2019 at 8:44 am

    Hi Carolyn, thanks for your recipes, I have purchased 3 of your cookbooks! In your Everyday Ketogenic Kitchen, your crustless lemon meringue recipe is different from this one! When I made it, it didn’t turn out! But I see the ingredients are different now in this recipe???? Love Lemon pudding, don’t even need pie part of it!! Hope to try this soon!

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      January 19, 2019 at 9:54 am

      What didn’t turn out about it?

      Reply
  46. Jacqui L says

    March 12, 2019 at 3:39 pm

    5 stars
    I have been instructed by my husband that I absolutely MUST post about this recipe – he says it is possibly the best low carb he has ever tasted!

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      March 12, 2019 at 3:53 pm

      Wow, that’s so lovely! Thank him for me. And thank you too.

      Reply
  47. sara says

    August 18, 2019 at 12:07 am

    Can I use cornstarch instead of arrowroot? Also are both types of sweetener necessary?

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      August 18, 2019 at 6:56 pm

      Yes, both sweeteners are necessary. I don’t use cornstarch so I can’t really guide you there.

      Reply
  48. whisperingsage says

    October 12, 2019 at 8:40 pm

    5 stars
    I really love that you remade this even though it wasn’t a childhood favorite for you. It was for me. My mother knew how to cook and back. I didn’t know as a child or appreciate what she was teaching me , but as a 57 year old that knows basic skills like cooking and sewing, I am shocked at the level of ignorance of most people today. How can they live? I just learned one of our men in church in his 30’s ate pixie stix for his dinner. Well, that boy is going to die if he doesn’t change that habit.
    Anyway, I do remember my mother making the most perfect and beautiful lemon meringue pie, and I will be thrilled to try this. Thank you. And yes I love chocolate but I love fruit and especially lemon too. I can always taste the artificial flavors and hate the chemical taste. That’s why chocolate is an easy choice. Usually it’s cheaper and easier to use the real thing. I hate fake strawberry but love real strawberry. It’s too obvious to me. And of course lemon is easy to get. I even use lemon juice on my hair as a rinse.

    Reply
  49. Patricia Clayborn says

    November 10, 2019 at 9:07 pm

    Could you use your newly revised Easy Almond Flour Pie Crust recipe instead of the one that is included with this recipe card?

    https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/easy-low-carb-press-in-pie-crust/

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      November 10, 2019 at 10:15 pm

      Yes indeed!

      Reply
  50. Sharma Dutton says

    November 25, 2019 at 8:52 pm

    Hi Carolyn, LOVE your recipes! I was hoping to make a keto-friendly lemon meringue pie for Thanksgiving to fulfill a special request from my husband that we could both enjoy (I was diagnosed at 53 as a T1 diabetic…go figure!). I use the keto diet to manage my diabetes with only 1 shot long-acting insulin/day, no other meds since I keep my carbs super low.

    Anyway, was curious if you thought that Bocha Sweet or some other version/combo of sweeteners besides Swerve would work in this. My family can’t stand Swerve, so I use stevia, pure monk fruit, minimal erythritol (my least favorite), and occasionally sucralose for certain things. I just recently purchased Bocha Sweet and Allulose. Tried Bocha Sweet today for the first time, pretty cool! I thought Bocha Sweet due to the structure needed and lower carb count as opposed to Erythritol, especially for the meringue. I’m pretty sure if pushed I could use sucralose for the lemon filling, but would like a healthier option if possible since I’m trying to move completely away from that if possible.

    It doesn’t look like any of the comments were recent, so I thought I’d ask. Any help you could provide would extremely appreciated!

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      November 25, 2019 at 9:12 pm

      Hi Sharma… Never ever use BochaSweet, Xylitol or allulose for meringue. It will make it so soft and gooey, it will never cook through. For my big baking book, I tried meringue with a combination of BochaSweet and Swerve and it never firmed up. I tried again with mostly Swerve and a single tablespoon of Bocha, and it still didn’t firm up. Sorry, but it makes things too gooey. It would be fine for the filling, but not for the topping.

      Also, where are you getting the idea that Bocha has fewer carbs than erythritol? I believe they are exactly the same per teaspoon and the only one I trust for a zero carb impact is Swerve.

      Anyway, I already have a lemon meringue pie recipe if you want to use that. https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/best-low-carb-lemon-meringue-pie/

      Reply
    • Laura says

      November 29, 2019 at 10:46 am

      4 stars
      I had the same problem as others who made this pie the day before – the filling became gritty. The meringue looked beautiful the entire day before also, but ended up collapsing. Now I know for next time to make it the day of.

      My only comment on the recipe itself, which is indeed very good, is that the filling has too much sweetener. I brought this to Thanksgiving – all 4 of us on low-carb diets thought it wise to cut back on the sweetener for next time. If the sweetness intensifies over time in the same way it re-crystallizes (which was only a day in my case), then I suppose that isn’t this recipe’s fault either, but I’ve never heard of such a thing. I’ll try 3/4 cup next time.

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        November 30, 2019 at 7:37 am

        So re-crystallization is a problem with erythritol, no matter what. Now that I’ve tried Bocha Sweet, I would probably do half of that instead of half the Swerve for the filling in this recipe.

        Reply
  51. KAY says

    February 9, 2020 at 11:07 am

    What can I substitute for Whey powder in this recipe? lemon POPPYSEED BUNDT CAKE?

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      February 9, 2020 at 1:16 pm

      Egg white protein powder.

      Reply
  52. Erica B says

    March 1, 2020 at 1:31 am

    Hi Carolyn, I wonder if you could answer a baking question for me. Once a year, I make a lemon meringue pie based mostly on your recipe (I call it my annual attempt, because I’ve had various degrees of success). This year’s pie was the best yet. I was careful to add the meringue when the lemon filling was hot, and I didn’t refrigerate the pie at all. The meringue and lemon filling were both great, but my meringue wept on the underside and separated the two layers. I was told that this was probably because I baked my pie on the convection setting (my oven is sort of broken and that was the only button working today.) Can you offer any insight about this? Could convection baking cause meringue to weep? I don’t see how, myself. I’d appreciate any thoughts you have. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      March 1, 2020 at 8:18 am

      Hi Erica, I truly can’t actually. I rarely use convection for keto baking as I find it hard to control on my oven. Like you, I can’t see how that would change things… all convection does is circulate the air more efficiently. Supposedly, anyway. As I said, mine is hard to control and over-bakes things even when I set it 50 degrees powder than my standard setting.

      Reply
      • Erica B says

        March 1, 2020 at 6:26 pm

        Thank you for the input! I suppose I’ll just have to see how next year’s pie comes out baked on the standard setting, so I can compare the results. 😄

        Reply
  53. DMarie says

    March 18, 2020 at 10:01 am

    5 stars
    I made this and spread it with whipped cream, as one of your readers suggested. It is superb! Next time I’ll get more adventuresome and make the meringue ha ha. The crust is very much like a traditional crust, too-yum!

    Reply
  54. Lynna says

    April 18, 2020 at 10:07 pm

    I would like to make this but do not want to use that starch. Is there are replacement I could use?

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      April 21, 2020 at 8:30 am

      Use this pie crust instead: https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/easy-low-carb-press-in-pie-crust/

      Reply
  55. Lily says

    April 22, 2020 at 2:59 pm

    Can someone help me out to why my filling did not set? I have made lemon filling/curds and never had an issue until now.

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      April 22, 2020 at 3:10 pm

      But have you ever made them without sugar? Totally different ball game. What brand of sweetener did you use?

      Reply
  56. Name Carol Spooner says

    June 17, 2020 at 5:25 pm

    I’m late coming to this recipe. Don’t know if you will see this comment. Just found it as my husband requested Lemon Meringue Pie for Father’s Day. He’s a vegetarian. Can this be made without the gelatin?

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      June 17, 2020 at 5:51 pm

      There may be a vegetarian replacement but I honestly can’t say as I don’t use them myself. But to skip it altogether would mean a messy, gooey filling.

      Reply
  57. Josie says

    July 12, 2020 at 11:06 am

    5 stars
    I have made this pie several times and love it! However, my friend wants one for her bday and doesnt like meringue or any other topping. Can I just cover with foil and still bake 20 min? Thanks!!!!

    Reply
    • Carolyn says

      July 12, 2020 at 8:18 pm

      I honestly can’t say, I’ve never tried to make a lemon pie that way. You will have to experiment.

      Reply
  58. Mark says

    December 24, 2020 at 5:42 pm

    5 stars
    Hi Carolyn m I made this pie yesterday 12/23/20 to have tomorrow night on Christmas. I cut a tiny sample piece today and it’s wonderful! As good if not better than any of the better quality lemon meringue pies I’ve ever eaten.

    Thank you so much for all of your great recipes! I plan to make your Basque cheesecake for New Year’s Eve!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

free email series

Secrets to Keto Baking

Tips and tricks to delicious and healthy recipes!

Carolyn PortraitLooking for the best low carb recipes? You've come to the right place! I'm Carolyn, a major carnivore and an unrepentant sweet tooth. Here you will find all you need to enjoy the low carb keto lifestyle to the fullest! Read more

Recipe Key

Diet & FitnessPaleoKeto Meal Plans
Low Carb Gluten Free

Footer

All Day I Dream About Food
COPYRIGHT © 2021 · ALL DAY I DREAM ABOUT FOOD · DISCLOSURE POLICY · PRIVACY POLICY