This Vegan Lemon Meringue Pie is the ultimate summertime dessert! Made with a lemon curd filling, toasted aquafaba meringue, and buttery homemade crust, it’s everything you love about the classic, but 100% vegan!
Key Ingredients You’ll Need
- Vegan pie crust: If you’re making your own pie crust, you’ll need all-purpose flour, sugar, cold vegan butter, and salt. Or, opt for your favorite store-bought crust.
- Cornstarch: Thickens the filling and helps it set into a sliceable custard.
- Turmeric: Adds a natural yellow hue without artificial dyes.
- Lemon juice and zest: Essential for the bright, tangy citrus flavor that defines a classic lemon meringue pie.
- Vegan butter: Adds richness and helps the filling set with a creamy, buttery texture.
- Aquafaba: Also known as the starchy brine from canned chickpeas, aquafaba serves as an egg replacer and whips into a light, fluffy meringue consistency!
- Cream of tartar: Helps to stabilize the aquafaba and hold its stiff peaks.
- Sugar: Used to sweeten the curd filling and meringue. To ensure your pie is vegan, opt for organic sugar.
How to Make and Blind Bake a Vegan Pie Crust
- Combine the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, sugar, and salt.
- Cut the butter into the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, cut the vegan butter into the flour mixture until a crumbly mixture forms and the butter pieces are about the size of lentils. It’s okay if the butter pieces are uneven.
- Add the ice water. One tablespoon at a time, add the ice water. Mix together with a wooden spoon or spatula. The dough should still be very crumbly.
- Work the dough into a round disc. Dump the pie dough onto a clean work surface and work together with your hands. Flatten into a round disc and wrap in plastic wrap.
- Refrigerate for at least one hour. Transfer the dough to the fridge and chill for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
- Roll into a circle ¼” thick. Once the dough has chilled, sprinkle a work surface and rolling pin with flour. Roll the dough into a large circle about ¼” thick. Carefully transfer to a 9” pie dish.
- Trim, fold, and crimp. Lift the edges of the dough and gently drop the bottom into the corners of the pie dish. Trim any excess dough, leaving about 1” overhang. Fold the edges and use your fingertips to crimp the dough as desired.
- Freeze the pie shell. Poke the bottom of the crust with a fork, then place the pie dough in the freezer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375F.
- Prep to blind bake. After 30 minutes, remove the crust from the freezer, line the bottom with parchment paper, and fill with dried beans or pie weights.
- Bake! Place the pie crust in the oven and blind bake for 20 minutes. Remove the parchment paper and weights, and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
Find the full printable recipe here: Classic Vegan Lemon Meringue Pie
