This Lemon Cranberry Meringue Pie Recipe is quite the showstopper, not to mention delicious! 3 layers of sweet and tart goodness make this pie everyone's new favorite.
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Why I Love This Recipe
This Lemon Cranberry Meringue Pie is the perfect dessert for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any occasion just like my Chocolate Covered Strawberry Turkeys and my Santa Hat Rice Krispie Treats! There are quite a few steps, but if you plan ahead, anyone can make this pie and everyone will be impressed.
Lemon is at the top of my favorites list after making my first batch of Meyer Lemon Curd Cream Puffs. Now I try to find any excuse to use it in my cooking or baking.
As usual, I was flipping through my magazines for inspiration and landed on the Martha Stewart Lemon Cranberry Meringue photo. I knew I had to make this pie!
Key Ingredients For This Recipe
- Pie Crust (homemade or store-bought): Both options work well, but homemade crust offers a rich buttery flavor.
- Fresh Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed juice gives the best tartness and brightness compared to bottled versions.
- Cranberries: Use fresh or frozen cranberries for the perfect balance of tart and sweet in your dessert.
- Eggs: Room-temperature eggs mix more smoothly, especially for curds and meringues.
- Cream of Tartar: This stabilizes egg whites, helping create a firm, glossy meringue.
How to Make This Cranberry Lemon Meringue Pie
Step 1: Whisk sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan, then add egg yolks, lemon zest, and water. Boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat and mix in lemon juice and butter.
Step 2: Pour the lemon curd layer into the prepared crust and place it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to set.
Step 3: Cook cranberries, sugar, cornstarch, salt, and water over medium-high heat until boiling. Boil for 1 minute, mashing cranberries, then press through a fine-mesh sieve.
Step 4: Spread cranberry gelee over the chilled lemon pudding, smoothing to the edges. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Step 5: Whisk egg whites and sugar in a bowl over a pan of boiling water until hot and sugar dissolves. Transfer to a mixer, beat on low until foamy, then add cream of tartar and vanilla. Increase speed to medium-high and whisk until glossy, stiff peaks form, about 7-8 minutes.
Step 6: Spread meringue over the cranberry layer, leaving a border near the edge. Use a kitchen torch to brown it evenly to your liking.
Expert Tips For Making This Pie
- This recipe has quite a few steps so read through the whole recipe at least once before starting.
- This pie is best the day you make it. If you do have leftovers, store them covered in the fridge for 2-3 days.
- If you don't have a kitchen torch, you can brown the meringue under the broiler in your oven. I would suggest using the low setting and keeping a close eye on it so it does not burn.
- I used Meyer lemons when making this pie, but regular lemons will work as well.
- You can make the crust, lemon pudding, and cranberry layers a day ahead and store them covered in the fridge overnight. Make and toast the meringue on the day you are planning to serve this pie.
If you get a chance to make these Lemon Cranberry Meringue Pie, tag me on Instagram or Facebook and show me, or leave a review below! You can also follow me on Pinterest and sign up for my e-mail list to receive more fun and delicious recipes right in your inbox.
Meyer Lemon Cranberry Meringue Pie
Ingredients
- 1 pie crust (homemade or store-bought)
Meyer Lemon Pudding
- 1⅓ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 large egg yolks (whites are needed for the meringue so don't toss!)
- 2 teaspoon meyer lemon zest
- 1⅓ cup water
- ¾ cup meyer lemon juice
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
Cranberry Gelee Filling
- 12 ounces cranberries, rinsed (1 bag)
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- ¾ cup water
Meringue
- 5 egg whites, room temp
- ¾ cups sugar
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Prepare a basic pie crust dough ahead of time (or buy it) and make sure it is nice and cold before rolling out and placing in the pie pan. I used a regular 9-inch pie pan or you could use a deep tart pan.
- Roll out the crust dough pretty thin and ensure it's big enough to fill your pan. Layout the crust over the pan and press it lightly into all sides. Cut off the excess dough so that you just have a nice flat side (no fancy crust decoration needed, trust me).
- Place parchment paper and pie weights on top of the crust and bake for 25 minutes. Remove weights and parchment paper and continue baking for 10-15 minutes longer until nice and brown. Remove and cool completely.
Meyer Lemon Pudding
- Place the sugar, cornstarch, and salt into a saucepan and whisk together. Add the egg yolks, lemon zest, and water and whisk together until nice and smooth. Turn on the heat to med-high and continue whisking until the mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 1 minute and do not stop whisking! Remove from heat and whisk in lemon juice and butter pieces until everything is melted and beautifully smooth.
- Pour the lemon pudding into the cooled pie crust and place it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to set.
Cranberry Gelee
- Place the cranberries, sugar, cornstarch, salt, and water into a saucepan. Turn on the heat to med-high and bring the mixture to a boil. Boil for 1 minute and smash up the cranberries as you are stirring.
- Pour the cranberry mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and gently press through. Discard the solids and the liquid will become your gelee.
- Pour the cranberry gelee over the chilled lemon pudding to make your next layer. Gently spread the gelee all the way to the edges using a spatula. Place the pie back into the fridge for at least another 30 minutes. You can let your pie set lightly covered overnight in the fridge and prepare the meringue the next day.
Meringue
- In the bowl from your mixer (or a metal or glass bowl if using a hand mixer), add the egg whites and sugar and whisk together. Place the bowl over a pan with boiling water, but make sure the bowl doesn't touch the water, creating a double boiler effect. Whisk the egg whites and sugar until the sugar has dissolved.
- Remove the bowl from the heat and place it in the mixer stand. Whisk on low speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and vanilla and increase the speed to medium-high. Whisk until you have nice stiff peaks and the meringue is glossy. This takes about 7-8 minutes.
- Place the meringue on top of the cranberry layer, starting in the middle and spreading out lightly and evenly, leaving a gap around the edge of the pie to create a border. Using your kitchen torch (and being very careful) slowly brown the meringue all over until you get your desired look.
Video
Notes
- This recipe makes a 9" pie.
- This pie is best the day you make it. If you do have leftovers, store them covered in the fridge for 2-3 days.
- If you don't have a kitchen torch, you can brown the meringue under the broiler in your oven. I would suggest using the low setting and keeping a close eye on it so it does not burn.
- I used Meyer lemons when making this pie, but regular lemons will work as well.
- You can make the crust, lemon pudding, and cranberry layers a day ahead and store them covered in the fridge overnight. Make and toast the meringue on the day you are planning to serve this pie.
Nutrition
Any nutrition calculations are only estimates using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
Carol says
My lemon filling did not set. On second try I boiled for 3 minutes. Still no set
Emily says
Sorry, you were having trouble, Carol. I haven't experienced this issue but I know pudding can sometimes be finicky. Sometimes you may need to boil pudding mixtures for up to 6-8 minutes.