Pie de Limón or Lemon Meringue Pie is a traditional Chilean dessert or pastry. My family recipe does not fail, and it’s easy. You bake the dough but skip baking the filling since we don’t use egg yolks. The meringue is stable and lasts well for a couple of days.
You can refrigerate it for 2-3 days.
Tips for making the Pie de limón:
Are you sure it is not necessary to bake the filling?
It is NOT necessary to bake the filling in this version of lemon pie without egg yolks, but you must be very careful when mixing the lemon juice with the condensed milk. It needs to mix thoroughly to set and have excellent final consistency.
Is it worth making the meringue in a bain-marie?
Yes, it is a much more stable meringue that will release water or syrup.
Is it any substantial difference between Lemon Meringue Pie and Chilean Pie de limón?
Not really; it’s not clear how Pie de limón was introduced to Chile and why it became so popular and such an ingrained pastry in our culture.
What I can do with the egg yolks?
I make Chilean Alfajores.
You may also be interested in the recipe: Chilean Espuma de Limón Lemon Froth.
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Chilean Pie de Limón Lemon Meringue
My family’s recipe, easy and delicious.
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 10
Ingredients
Dough:
- 125 grams butter, room temperature
- 3 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 cups regular flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 pinch of salt
filling:
- 2 cans sweetened condensed milk
- 1 1/4 cup lemon juice, strained
- lemon zest
meringue:
- 4 egg whites at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 180C or 350F.
- Butter an 11″ removable bottom quiche or tart pan (affiliate link).
- In a bowl, beat the butter and confectioner’s sugar for 5 minutes until creamy. Add egg and stir to combine. Add flour, salt, and baking powder and beat until crumbles form. Keep working it using your hands until the dough is soft.
- Make a disc and extend over a form compressing the dough with your knuckles until the base and the walls are covered.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until it is slightly golden.
- While the dough bakes, mix condensed milk with lemon juice and lemon zest. Stir until combined –you need to be patient as this may take some time.
- Remove the cooked dough and pour the lemon- condensed milk mixture over the warm dough.
- Prepare a water bath in a large pot. Boil 5cm water.
- Prepare the meringue. Use a clean un bowl (I use my KitchenAid’s) that you can place over the pot of boiling water without touching the water. Mix the egg whites with sugar and beat with a wired beater. Place over the water bath and constantly beat until sugar dissolves; it’s quick, about 3-5 minutes. The easiest way of checking is to take some of the egg whites between the fingers; you should not feel any grains.
- Remove from Bain Marie and beat the egg whites with the hand mixer at maximum speed until the mix cools and the meringue is white, bright, and firm. You can put the meringue in a piping bag with a star tip (use the largest you have) and make whatever design you like.
- Brown in the oven at 180C (keep an eye on it continuously, it’s quick 5-8 minutes) or burn with a kitchen torch as I did.
- Serve cold; you can refrigerate overnight unmolded.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Pie
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Chilean
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 547
- Sugar: 66.8 g
- Sodium: 367.4 mg
- Fat: 17.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 10.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 88.3 g
- Fiber: 0.9 g
- Protein: 11.2 g
Keywords: lemon meringue pie, chilean pie, lemon pie
It looks delicious, I’m a big fan of lemon pie… i newd to do it!!
Thanks Pilar. It’s so good!
I love lemon meringue pie! Thanks for sharing your recipe!
You are welcome. It’s delicious.
What is the pan size?
Thank you
Standard quiche or tart pan with removable bottom 11″ or 28 cm. I added the information to the recipe. Thanks for asking.
Hola Pilar. Yo también soy Chilena y vivo hace 21 anos acá en USA. MI primo de Chile vino a vernos para Navidad y siempre hace pie de limón. Esta va a ser mi primera vez con tu receta, Te comento como me queda.
Saludos. Please be safe.
Elena.
Suerte. Espero que sea un éxito. Bienvenida al blog.
I have tried your recipe and I love the taste of everything! Just one thing I concerned is that my filling is too soft and not set enough even I left overnight in the fridge. Even I use full cream condensed milk.
Why is that still too soft?
Thank you 🙂
You need to mix the condensed milk with the fresh lemon juice (real) very carefully and thoroughly, both ingredients and technique are key to the result.
I do use the fresh real lemon juice. But maybe I didn’t mix well combined. I would try it again today. Thank you 🙂
The mixing is key.
Thanks for this. Really great turn out for me! Only thing I added was two egg yolks to the filling which made it perfect 🙂
Fantastic. Thanks for coming back to comment.
Is this with sweetend condensed milk or unsweetened?
Sweetened.
Zesty sweet sour and delicious, es muy rico!! Muchas gracias Pilar ❤
The recipe worked beautifully! 👍
★★★★★
I’m so happy! Thanks for coming back and commenting.