Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe: Mary Berry & Jamie Tips

There’s something almost theatrical about pulling a lemon meringue pie from the oven — the billowing white topping catches the light, and that glossy tart filling peeks out beneath it like sunshine in pastry form. Whether you’ve been chasing this recipe since the 1970s or just spotted one on a celebrity chef’s show last night, the good news is that a few key techniques make all the difference between a pie that weeps and one that holds its shape beautifully.

Classic Pastry Base: Plain flour, butter, icing sugar, egg yolk · Lemon Filling Key: 6 lemons zest and juice, 65g cornflour · Meringue Top: Egg whites, caster sugar · Serves: 8

Ingredient amounts vary significantly between Mary Berry’s and Jamie Oliver’s approaches, with Mary Berry using more lemons and a thicker cornflour base.

Simple Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe

A reliable homemade lemon meringue pie starts with a shortcrust pastry base, a bright lemon curd filling, and a cloud-like meringue topping. The technique has stayed largely the same for decades, though celebrity chefs have each added their own fingerprints — sometimes simplifying, sometimes enriching the classic.

Ingredients

• 225g plain flour, 150g butter, icing sugar, 1 egg yolk for pastry
• 6 lemons for zest and juice, 65g cornflour, 250g caster sugar, 6 egg yolks for filling
• 3–4 egg whites and 175g caster sugar for meringue

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Make the pastry: blend cold butter into flour until it resembles breadcrumbs, add icing sugar and egg yolk, pulse until dough forms. Chill 30 minutes.
2. Roll out pastry and line a 23cm loose-bottomed tin. Blind bake at 180°C for 15 minutes, then 5 minutes more until pale golden.
3. Warm the empty shell in the preheating oven to prevent sogginess before adding filling.
4. Make the lemon filling: zest and juice 6 lemons into a saucepan, whisk in cornflour and caster sugar, cook over medium heat until thick. Cool slightly, then whisk in egg yolks.
5. Pour warm filling into the pastry case, leaving a small gap at the top.
6. Make the meringue: whisk 3 egg whites to soft peaks, add sugar gradually, whisk in cornflour last.
7. Spread meringue over the filling, covering completely to the edges to prevent weeping.
8. Bake at 170°C for 15 minutes until meringue is golden and set.

Tips for Success

• Separate eggs when cold; let them warm to room temperature before whipping — this makes a visible difference to meringue volume.
• Use a spotlessly clean bowl for meringue. Any grease or yolk residue prevents whites from reaching full volume.
• Don’t overfill the pastry — leave at least 1cm from the top edge to avoid overflow when you add the meringue.

Mary Berry Lemon Meringue Pie

Mary Berry’s lemon meringue pie has undergone a quiet evolution since its 1970s debut. Her original recipe used fewer lemons and a simpler filling, but her modern version — featured in her cookbook “Mary Berry’s Absolute Favourites” — reflects a more generous approach with six whole lemons and a thicker cornflour base.

Filling with Cornflour and Lemons

The modern Mary Berry filling relies on 6 lemons for both zest and juice, creating an intensely citrusy curd. The cornflour thickener — 65g — gives the filling a custard-like body that holds together when sliced. Her filling uses 6 egg yolks, which contribute richness and help the curd set properly when cooled.

Her 1970s recipe, by contrast, called for just 2–3 lemons and 3 egg yolks, with 1.5oz (about 42g) cornflour. The difference in lemon intensity is immediately noticeable — the modern version tastes brighter and more assertive.

Meringue Method

Mary Berry’s meringue technique is straightforward: whisk egg whites to soft peaks, add caster sugar gradually (175g), then fold in a tablespoon of cornflour. The cornflour stabilizes the meringue and helps it hold its shape during baking.

Her tip: cover the pie top completely with meringue, sealing right to the pastry edge. This prevents liquid from the filling weeping up through the meringue as it cools — the most common complaint with homemade versions.

Condensed Milk Variation

Some adaptors substitute condensed milk for part of the lemon filling to create a sweeter, creamier result. The condensed milk version bypasses some of the cornflour-thickening technique entirely, relying instead on the dairy’s natural thickness. However, this variation diverges significantly from Mary Berry’s original method and isn’t featured in her official recipes.

The catch: substituting condensed milk eliminates the need for the cornflour technique that defines the classic Mary Berry approach, producing a fundamentally different dessert.

Lemon Meringue Tart

The distinction between lemon meringue pie and lemon meringue tart often comes down to pastry style rather than filling. A tart traditionally uses a shorter, more crumbly pastry and is served in a shallower vessel, while a pie implies a deeper filling and sometimes a fluted crust.

Differences from Pie

• Tart pastry is typically richer with more butter and less water content
• Tarts are usually served at room temperature or slightly chilled; pies can be served warm or cold
• The pastry-to-filling ratio differs, with tarts featuring a higher proportion of filling

Pastry Adaptation

For a tart-style lemon meringue, reduce the flour slightly and increase butter by about 10–15%. Some recipes add an extra egg yolk for richness. The result is a more crumbly, melt-in-the-mouth base that contrasts nicely with the firm lemon filling.

Baking Adjustments

Because tart pastry is more butter-rich, it benefits from slightly longer blind baking — an extra 2–3 minutes at 180°C — to ensure the butter renders fully and the base sets completely. The filling and meringue steps remain essentially identical.

The implication: home bakers who prefer a more elegant presentation should choose the tart format, as it showcases the lemon filling more prominently and offers a noticeably different texture on the first bite.

Jamie Oliver Lemon Meringue Pie

Jamie Oliver’s lemon meringue pie takes a more streamlined approach, using a pre-made sweet pastry pack (375g) for the base and a slightly lighter lemon filling than Mary Berry’s modern version. His recipe prioritises simplicity without sacrificing the essential technique.

Signature Twists

Jamie Oliver opts for a biscuit crumb base in some variations — digestives crushed and mixed with melted butter, pressed into the tin and chilled for 20 minutes. This creates an entirely different texture from shortcrust pastry: more sandy and crumbly, closer to a cheesecake base.

For his official recipe on jamieoliver.com, he uses the 375g sweet pastry pack, which saves significant time without compromising the final result. The filling calls for 3 lemons (both zest and juice), 150g caster sugar, 3 egg yolks plus 1 whole egg, and 40g cornflour with 300ml water.

Ingredients List

• 375g sweet pastry pack (or equivalent homemade)
• 3 whole lemons for zest and juice
• 150g caster sugar
• 40g cornflour
• 3 egg yolks + 1 whole egg
• 50g butter
• 4 egg whites for meringue

Step Guide

1. Roll out pastry and line a tin; blind bake at 190°C for 10–12 minutes plus 4–5 minutes uncovered.
2. Make filling by cooking lemon zest, juice, sugar, cornflour, and water until thick. Whisk in butter and egg.
3. Chill filling for at least 30 minutes before adding meringue — this prevents the topping from slipping.
4. Whisk meringue whites with 270g caster sugar, spread over filling, bake at 150°C for 30 minutes.

“To make the perfect lemon meringue pie, take the time to really focus on your lemon curd filling – this will make all the difference.”

— Jamie Oliver, Jamie Oliver official recipe

The pattern: Jamie Oliver’s approach demonstrates that simplified ingredients can still produce excellent results when technique is prioritised.

Best Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe

Determining the “best” recipe depends on what you value most: simplicity, lemon intensity, classic technique, or time efficiency. Here’s how the major approaches stack up for different priorities.

Old Fashioned Easy Version

The most traditional approach uses a simple shortcrust pastry with 225g flour, 150g butter, and an egg yolk. The filling sticks to the classics — lemon juice, sugar, and a thickening agent — with a straightforward 3-egg-white meringue. This version takes longer but rewards with the most authentic result.

The key to an old-fashioned lemon meringue pie: don’t rush the cooling. The filling needs time to set properly before the meringue goes on, and the whole pie benefits from at least 30 minutes of cooling before serving.

Delia Smith Method

Delia Smith’s approach, like Mary Berry’s, emphasises technique over shortcuts. Her filling uses whole eggs rather than yolk-heavy ratios, creating a lighter-coloured curd with a slightly different texture. The meringue is made separately and piled high before baking.

Her signature tip: warm the serving plate before placing the pie — this prevents the pastry from absorbing moisture from the filling as it cools.

Top Tips

• Whisk lemon curd continuously over heat to avoid lumps and curdling, as Jamie Oliver recommends.
• Trim pastry edges while warm for a neater finished appearance.
• Use low heat to thicken the curd without boiling — high heat causes the eggs to scramble.
• Serve warm or cold; if warm, allow to cool slightly to avoid burns from hot filling.

The implication: the three most common failures — weeping meringue, soggy pastry, and lumpy filling — all trace back to specific technique gaps that home bakers can directly address.

“Sweet peaks of fluffy meringue marry gorgeously with the tangy lemon curd, crowning a perfectly crumbly sweet pastry base.”

— Mary Berry, Mary Berry Absolute Favourites cookbook

Related reading: Chicken Salad Recipes NZ

Mary Berry fans perfecting zesty lemon fillings in pies often turn to her lemon drizzle cake recipe for a moist, syrup-soaked cake that pairs beautifully with tea.

Frequently Asked Questions