Welcome to the world’s best vegan lemon meringue pie. 🍋 The silkiest smooth lemon filling with just the right balance of tart and sweet, topped with mounds of luscious vegan meringue in a golden buttery flaky crust.
If you were to ask me what is my favorite recipe, it's this one. Everything about this delightfully lemony dessert is pure bliss. From the light and fluffy meringue topping to the perfect pie crust. And that fabulous lemon custard filling, OMG. Just like a traditional lemon meringue pie - but without eggs or dairy. How sweet is that?
Becoming vegan does not mean you have to give up many of the traditional dishes you love. By using the right plant-based ingredients to replace animal products, you can update many of your beloved family recipes, making them better than ever - like this amazing vegan lemon meringue pie. For this recipe, we use JUSTEgg vegan egg-replacer which is ideal for dishes that have a custard-like texture. We also use it for making a luscious lemon curd filling in our fabulous lemon layer cake recipe.
★★★★★ I'm a believer! What an amazing recipe, best lemon meringue pie I've made - vegan or non-vegan. Thank you! Gale
Table of Contents
The challenge with preparing a perfect vegan lemon meringue pie is not only duplicating the airy texture and mouth feel of meringue, but creating a smooth pie filling that sets without being thick and gelatinous or too runny.
Some vegan recipes include tofu, which results in a dense and opaque filling. Don't get me wrong, I like tofu but it has no place in my lemon meringue pie. I'll admit, I am a bit of a lemon meringue pie snob, and I'll tell you why.
(BTW, If you are here just for the recipe and not the story behind it, just click the jump to recipe button at the top of the post - you won't hurt my feelings - I promise).
The Mother of All Lemon Meringue Pies
I think most of us have that one sentimental recipe that holds a very special place in our hearts. This one is mine, or rather my wonderful mom's.
My mom Dori aka "Mama Love" was a fabulous home cook & baker. Every year for my birthday, she made my absolute all-time favorite dessert - her homemade lemon meringue pie. For me, those pies represented the patisserie personification of my pretty, petite & precious mama. When she passed away, her pies became a part of my past. Thankfully she left me her recipe.
When I became vegan, the only dish I truly missed were those exquisite lemon meringue pies. I had resigned myself to the idea that I'd never taste them again. That was, until my daughter Madison - who has inherited my mom's cooking & baking genes - decided to "veganize" her Grammy's lemon meringue pie recipe for my birthday. By replacing eggs and butter with all vegan ingredients, Madi perfectly duplicated all of the familiar flavors and textures from my mom's recipe.
It was as if my daughter had channeled my mother, via this lusciously scrumptious, picture perfect lemon meringue pie. Just like a warm hug from above!
Why I adore love this recipe
- It's absolutely scrumptious!
- 100% vegan - no eggs or dairy
- It's made without tofu
- Perfect texture and flavor
- It's my mom's recipe!
How to make the world's best vegan lemon meringue pie
🍋Ingredients
NOTE: This recipe requires a few ingredients you might not keep on hand. See the printable recipe card below for complete instructions and details.
Vegan Pie Crust
- all-purpose flour
- vegetable shortening - chilled
- vegan butter - chilled
- salt
- water - cold
Lemon Pie Filling
- white granulated sugar - organic preferred
- salt
- cornstarch
- water - boiling
- lemon zest
- vegan butter
- JUST Egg* egg replacer (important)
- lemon juice - fresh
Vegan Meringue
- aquafaba (liquid from canned of chickpeas)
- cream of tartar
- powdered sugar - I prefer organic vegan sugar
- vanilla pod - we use the seeds scraped from the pod
- xanthan gum - for thickening
- lemon zest (optional)
🍋Instructions
This recipe is prepared in 3 stages:
Pie Crust - Lemon Filling - Meringue
How to make a vegan pie crust
Theres nothing quite like a buttery, flaky homemade pie crust. It’s so simple to make, you’ll think twice before buying a pre-made pie shell again! You’ll love this easy recipe for preparing the tastiest, flakiest, and best vegan pie crust ever! Be sure to watch our video on making a basic vegan pie crust.
If you don't have time to prepare your own pie dough, you can use a store-bought vegan pie crust.
How to make vegan lemon meringue pie filling
- Place sugar, salt, and cornstarch in a 4 qt. or medium size sauce pan.
- Add boiling water and lemon zest.
- Cook on stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring continuously with a wire whisk until thickened (approx. 10-15 minutes).
- Add butter, don't stir. Remove from heat.
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir together the JUST Egg and lemon juice, then pour into hot mixture, stirring until fully combined. Pour lemon filling through a wire strainer (to remove any possible lumps or lemon seeds) into a pre-baked pie shell.
- Bake at 400º for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and place on wire rack while preparing meringue. (Pie filling will still be liquid when removed from oven.)
How to make vegan meringue
One word - Aquafaba.
What is Aquafaba?
Aquafaba (bean water) is the viscous water or liquid in which legume seeds such as chickpeas have been cooked. It is often used to replace egg whites in vegan cooking. Plus, it's a key ingredient in making plant-based desserts, like this marvelous meringue!
🍋Vegan Meringue Tips
- Be sure to read this recipe for vegan meringue. Watch our helpful quick video on making meringue using aquafaba.
- Use an electric mixer
The first time I made meringue, using aquafaba, I really couldn’t believe it. Just like meringue made from egg whites, aquafaba meringue whips best using an electric mixer with a whisk attachment. With aquafaba, you need to be a bit more patient, as it will take a little longer. Once it starts to foam up and take form, you’ll be amazed how dense and fluffy it becomes. I prefer using a stand mixer because it's so convenient to just turn it on and have both hands free to add ingredients to the bowl.
The recipe I use for meringue is inspired by Prue Leith’s recipe for Vegan Tropical Pavlova as seen on The Great British Bake Off. You will see that some of the ingredients are listed by weight, which is quite common in baking recipes, as it is far more accurate. If you don’t have a food scale, you really should consider getting one. A scale can make the difference between a hit or a miss in baking.
★★★★★ If you’ve enjoyed this recipe, please rate it in the comments below. Sharing your experience helps others decide if they should give it a try too. Thanks a bunch!🥕
Recipe
World's Best Vegan Lemon Meringue Pie
Equipment
- Electric hand or stand mixer(your best friend when making meringue)
- 4 quart sauce pan
- Rolling Pin
- Large mixing bowl
- Measuring cups
- Rubber or silicone spatula/scraper
- Can opener
- Pastry cutter or fork
- Wire whisk
- Mesh strainer
- Cooling rack
- Parchment paper
- Large piping bag with star nozzle (optional)
- Hot pads or mitts
Ingredients
Basic Vegan Pie Crust
- 1 C all-purpose flour
- ¼ C vegetable shortening chilled
- ¼ C vegan butter chilled
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2-3 tablespoon water cold
Vegan Lemon Pie Filling
- 1-¼ C white sugar organic preferred
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 C water boiling
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- ¼ C vegan butter vegan, non-dairy
- 4 tablespoon JUST Egg* egg replacer (important)
- ½ C lemon juice fresh
Vegan Meringue
- 200 ml aquafaba liquid from one 15 oz. can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 2¼ C powdered sugar organic, vegan (roughly 2-¼ C)
- ½ vanilla pod, seeds scraped
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum for thickening
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest optional
Instructions
- Basic Vegan Pie Crust
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour and salt.
- Using either a pastry cutter or fork, begin working the shortening and butter into the flour. Keep cutting in the shortening and butter until the dough becomes crumbly, turning into pea-sized pieces. If you need to, use just the tips of your fingers to work the flour and fat together, avoiding over-heating or melting the butter and shortening. The trick to creating a nice flaky crust is keeping your fats cold, so don't overwork the dough with your hands.
- Once the dough has reached a crumbly consistency, begin adding cold water, one tablespoon at a time, just until you can roll the dough into a ball. While you can roll out your dough immediately, I recommend wrapping the dough ball in a piece of plastic wrap and placing it in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours to completely chill.
- When you're ready to roll out your dough, you'll want to prepare a clean, flat surface. A large cutting board or silicone mat works best. Sprinkle and spread a small amount of flour onto your board and rolling pin and begin rolling out the dough in each direction until you have about an 11-12 inch circle.
- Lay the circle of dough over the rolling pin and lift it off the board, gently setting it across your pie dish. Very carefully, use your fingers to lightly press the dough into the dish, making sure not to tear the dough.
- Once the dough is completely pressed into the dish, take a sharp knife and cut around the rim of the pie dish, removing the excess dough. You can finish the edges of the crust either by pinching or fluting the edge, or easier still, gently press the back of a fork all along the edge creating a ridged pattern. Or, if you are using a classic style fluted pie dish, simply shape your dough to fit the rim.
- 🥕NOTE: This recipe calls for a pre-baked or 'blind-baked' pie crust. Using a fork, prick the bottom of the unbaked shell several times on the bottom, or weight the bottom of the shell using dried beans or pie weights. This helps to keep your crust from bubbling up from the bottom or shrinking around the sides when baking. If you use beans or weights, just make sure to first line the unbaked crust with a layer of parchment paper before adding the weights. Bake the shell at 425º for approximately 10 minutes or until edges are slightly golden.
Vegan Lemon Pie Filling
- Place sugar, salt, and cornstarch in a 4 qt. or medium size sauce pan. Add boiling water and lemon zest.
- Cook on stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring continuously with a wire whisk until thickened (approx. 10-15 minutes). Add butter, don't stir. Remove from heat.
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir together the JUST Egg and lemon juice, then pour into hot mixture, stirring until fully combined. Pour lemon filling through a wire strainer (to remove any possible lumps or lemon seeds) into a pre-baked pie shell.
- Bake at 400º for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and place on wire rack while preparing meringue. (Pie filling will still be liquid when removed from oven.)
Vegan Meringue
- Preheat oven to 325º
- Pour aquafaba into a deep mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl.
- Add cream of tartar.
- Using an electric hand or stand mixer with a whisk attachment, whisk on medium speed for 3-5 minutes, until foaming. Increase speed to high and continue whisking for 5-10 minutes, until stiff peaks form.
- Start adding sugar, one tablespoon at a time, while continuing to whisk into a stiff meringue.
- Add vanilla seeds and xanthan gum. Whisk an additional 30 seconds.
- Spoon the meringue into a large piping bag fitted with a star nozzle. Pipe meringue over pie, covering completely. If you don't have a piping bag, simply spoon dollops of meringue with a spatula or large spoon over the pie filling, covering to the edges.
- Place pie into oven at 325º and bake for approximately 18 minutes or until meringue is lightly brown on the peaks. Pie filling will be wobbly and not yet fully set. Remove from the oven and place pie on cooling rack for 20-30 minutes. Sprinkle with zest (if desired), then refrigerate, uncovered, until filling is completely set (1-2 hrs.)
Video
Notes
Nutrition
These are estimated values generated from a nutritional database using unbranded products. Please do your own research with the products you're using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.
Diane says
Is lemon meringue filling similar to key lime pie filling? I've never had non-vegan key lime pie so I don't have a reference but, if it is, I'd love to try this recipe using key lime juice! 🙂
Connie Edwards McGaughy says
Hi Diane, what a great question. I love key lime pie and lemon meringue pie. Both have the wonderful combination of a smooth, citrusy tart & sweet filling. But beyond that, they are actually quite different. Key lime pie filling is traditionally made with sweet condensed milk, creating a thick and rather opaque consistency and baked in a graham cracker crust. Lemon meringue pie filling is a more like a lemon pudding and baked in a flaky flour-based pie crust. I don't see any harm in trying this recipe with limes instead of lemon, but it likely won't taste or look anything like key lime pie. Love to hear if you give it a go!
Kim Marie Evans says
Hi, I was reading the comments and to those who can't get Just Egg get some yellow mung bean flour and mix it with water and let it sit about 15 minutes and use it just like Just egg products You can spice it and use it like scrambled egg. There is a web site called The Hidden Veggies she has recipes with mung bean as just egg equivilent. Thanks Kim
D’Angelo says
After years (4.5) of living a plant based life, I longed for the silky texture and heavenly flavor of a lemon meringue pie. The nostalgia of them is much like that of when the gourmand taking the bite of ratatouille, instant flash to childhood with the aroma of the confection wafting in throughout the house as I lay my head to sleep while my mom prepared it for the feast of “tomorrow.” I couldn’t wait to have a slice or three. I searched, researched and had many failed attempts until… this one.
I anxiously made this pie without fully reading the directions so my wait of two hours was met with disappointment as it hadn’t set. Though the flavors were spot on, the soup did not work for me. Still, I put the remainder in my fridge over night and went to bed saddened with the thought of never having the portal to my culinary past opened. The next morning I hesitantly opened the door of my refrigerator and poked the pie. I danced a happy dance, grabbed a plate, knife and fork and carved out a “healthy” chunk to slide onto my plate. Four thumbs up to Miss Maddi for the love of you and unlocking the key to a tofu free and perfect recreation of, whatI agree to be, the perfect vegan lemon meringue bliss.
Connie Edwards McGaughy says
D'Angelo, thank you for what may be the sweetest review ever! I'm in tears. There's just something about that pie that transports me to my childhood unlike anything else. I'm so happy you experienced it too. 🍋💚
Michelle Arden says
It was soooo yummy!!! Question! How do I keep my pie crust from sticking to the ceramic pie dish when done? Thank you!
Connie Edwards McGaughy says
Hi Michelle! I'm so happy you enjoyed the recipe. I haven't had the crust stick before so I'm not sure why that happened. Did you blind-bake the crust before adding the filling? Did any of the filling or meringue seep under the crust while baking? Love to help you solve this puzzle.
Sabina Charles says
I dont have any way to obtain the JUST EGG. Could I use my usual flax seed egg as a replacement?
Connie Edwards McGaughy says
Hi Sabina - that's a really good question. I don't think flax meal will work as an egg substitute in this particular recipe, as it needs to thicken the filling to a custard consistency. If you're up to experimenting, you could try using a very small amount of xanthan gum - maybe a tablespoon or less. It won't alter the amazing flavor of the filling, but will make it gelatinous in texture if you use too much. Perhaps just make a batch of the filling instead of an entire pie to make sure you like it. I would love to hear if you give it a go
Christine says
Unfortunately we don’t have just egg in Australia
Connie Edwards McGaughy says
Hi Christine, I just read that the JUSTEgg company is expanding its distribution. Currently it's in the US, Canada and some Asian countries and should be available in Europe by the end of this year. I have to believe you'll see it on store shelves in Australia in the future. Here's hoping!
Connie Edwards McGaughy says
If I had to choose my all-time favorite dessert recipe - this is the one. For those who love lemon meringue pie, look no further. The combination of a delicate flaky, buttery crust filled with the ultimate smooth luscious lemony custard and topped with light billowy meringue. You won't believe it's 100% vegan. It's simply sublime.
Akshita Jain says
You are such a wonderful daughter! I loved looking at your connection with your mother and how she will forever hold that affectionate space in your memories! Can't wait to try this wonderful recipe and revert back!
Connie Edwards McGaughy says
Akshita - What a kind and beautiful thing to say. ❤️You've made my day. Thank you! When you make the pie, I would love to hear your thoughts!
Gale says
I'm a believer! What an amazing recipe, best lemon meringue pie I've made - vegan or non-vegan. Thank you!
Connie Edwards McGaughy says
So glad you love it!💚🥕