Sugar-Free Lemon Meringue Pie #SundaySupper

by Anne Papina on March 31, 2013

Sugar-Free Lemon Meringue Pie by Webicurean

Happy Easter! Did you know it’s also National Oranges and Lemons Day? Sure enough, the #SundaySupper crew is celebrating this special day with a citrusy feast. Lemon Meringue Pie is one of my mom’s favorites, so that’s what I’m bringing for dinner, I mean, dessert. Since she’s really not supposed to be having sweets, I’ve made this sugar-free. As a bonus, I decided to make it gluten-free as well.

According to food historians, lemon flavored custards and pies have been enjoyed since Medieval times, however, the lemon meringue pie we know and love didn’t make the scene until the 19th century. Of course, in those days, they weren’t worrying about eating too much sugar. Normally, I don’t care much for cooking with sugar substitutes, but when it comes to puddings and meringues, I don’t mind making an exception. For this pie I used granulated Splenda which can be substituted 1:1 for granulated sugar.

Since the custard and the meringue are mostly eggs and sugar, and since we’ve cut out the sugar, this turns out to be a pretty decent, protein-packed treat. Honestly, if you didn’t tell someone this is sugar-free, they probably wouldn’t notice the difference. Visually, the Splenda does make the lemon custard less translucent, and the meringue seemed a little less poufy, but I’m the only one who pays attention to such details anyway. For the crust, I used Alton Brown’s pie crust recipe, substituting all-purpose gluten-free flour for the regular. Oh, and I subbed vegetable shortening for the lard. The pie itself was adapted from McCall’s Cooking School, which is long out of print, but if you can find it, snatch it up.

Sugar-Free Lemon Meringue Pie by Webicurean

First, prepare your favorite pie crust recipe.  As mentioned above, I used  Alton Brown’s pie crust recipe substituting gluten-free all-purpose flour for the regular and using vegetable shortening instead of lard. This will need to rest 30 mins in the fridge before rolling out, and then it’ll need another 30 minutes in the fridge after you’ve lined your pie plate.

Sugar-Free Lemon Meringue Pie by Webicurean

Meanwhile get the rest of the pie going. Since the egg whites should be brought to room temperature, now would be a good time to separate your eggs.

Sugar-Free Lemon Meringue Pie by Webicurean

Grate the lemon peel and juice the lemons, so this is all ready to go as well.

Sugar-Free Lemon Meringue Pie by Webicurean

Let’s start the lemon filling. First blend the cornstarch, flour, Splenda, and salt in the pan. Then gradually stir in 2 cups water, and bring this to a boil, cooking until thick, shiny and translucent.

Sugar-Free Lemon Meringue Pie by Webicurean

Whisk some of the hot mixture into the egg yolks to temper the eggs, then stir this back into the pot.

Sugar-Free Lemon Meringue Pie by Webicurean

Continue cooking for another 5 minutes, then remove from heat, and stir in the lemon juice, zest, and butter. Pour this into your baked pie shell.

Sugar-Free Lemon Meringue Pie by Webicurean

In the mixer bowl, beat the egg whites and the cream of tartar until frothy. Slowly add the Splenda, and beat on high until stiff peaks form. Spread decoratively over lemon filling, then bake until golden brown.

Sugar-Free Lemon Meringue Pie by Webicurean

Let this cool two to three hours, then refrigerate before serving.

Sugar-Free Lemon Meringue Pie by Webicurean

Since I was bringing the pie to my mom’s, I didn’t get a chance to take a picture of the inside until much later (with my phone).  She sure enjoyed it!

Here’s the printable recipe card:

Sugar-Free Lemon Meringue Pie
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
This sugar-free and gluten-free lemon meringue pie is tart yet perfectly sweet.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Serves: 8
Ingredients
Lemon Filling
  • 1//4 cup cornstarch
  • 3 tbsp gluten-free all-purpose flour
  • 1¾ cups granulated Splenda
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 2 cups water
  • 4 egg yolks, slightly beaten
  • ½ cup lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp grated lemon peel
  • 1 tbsp butter
Meringue
  • 4 egg whites, room temperature
  • ¼ tsp cream of tartar
  • ½ cup granulated Splenda
Instructions
  1. Line 9-inch pie plate with pie crust and forming a decorative edge. Refrigerate about 30 minutes.
  2. Preheat oven to 450F.
  3. Remove pie crust from refrigerator, prick entire surface with a fork, and bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on rack.
Lemon Filling
  1. In a medium saucepan, combine the cornstarch, flour, Splenda, and salt. Gradually stir in water until completely smooth, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil, stirring occasionally, for about 1 minute or until thickened, shiny and translucent.
  2. Stir some of the hot mixture into the egg yolks to temper the eggs. Pour the egg mixture into the pot stirring well, and cook for an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, then stir in the lemon juice, lemon peel, and butter. Pour into pie shell.
  3. Preheat oven to 400F.
Meringue
  1. In a mixer bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until frothy. Gradually add in the sugar, a little at a time, and beat on high until stiff peaks form when the beater is raised.
  2. Carefully spread the meringue over the lemon filling, being sure to seal over the edge of the crust. Make decorative swirls with your spatula.
  3. Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until meringue is golden brown.
  4. Cool completely, and refrigerate before serving.
Notes
Cut with a wet knife.

 

Let’s see what other citrusy goodness the others have going on!

Better with Citrus Breakfasts:

Big On Citrus Breads & Condiments:

Make You Pucker Salads, Sides, & Main Dishes:

Sour Citrusy Sweets & Desserts:

Sour Sips & Drinks:

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on Twitter on Sunday, March 31st to talk all about citrus recipes! We’ll tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm EST. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag, and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more delicious recipes and food photos.

Note: I earn a modest commission from any purchases made through the amazon.com links on this page.

{ 26 comments… read them below or add one }

Jen @JuanitasCocina March 31, 2013 at 5:24 am

I cannot believe this beauty is sugar free! So gorgeous!

Reply

Renee March 31, 2013 at 5:57 am

How great of you to make a dessert your mom could enjoy since she isn’t supposed to be having sweets. I need to make this for my sister-in-law. She would love it and it would fit in with her eating plan.

Reply

Anne Papina April 2, 2013 at 9:05 am

truth is, even though my mom is now diabetic, she continues to eat sweets unless we sneak in sugar free alternatives. I brought this up to her this weekend, and she didn’t notice the difference…. so for me, that’s a win!

Reply

Paula @ Vintage Kitchen March 31, 2013 at 6:29 am

Hard to believe this has no sugar… it looks stunning Anne! Have a great day!

Reply

Sherron@SimplyGourmet March 31, 2013 at 7:05 am

Gorgeous pie! What a great alternative to those that cannot have sugar–well done!

Reply

Diana @GourmetDrizzles March 31, 2013 at 9:08 am

This is beautiful Anne! I love having an option that is sugar free… plus the gluten free flour- love it! Thanks for the interesting post, and fantastic recipe! 😉

Reply

Amanda @ Marocmama March 31, 2013 at 9:13 am

Love meringue! Love this pie.

Reply

Conni @FoodieArmyWife March 31, 2013 at 11:59 am

Lemon meringue always reminds me of my grandmother. She made one of these pies every holiday for the family.

Reply

Stacy March 31, 2013 at 1:19 pm

What a gorgeous pie, Anne! Gluten free and sugar free too. That is absolutely amazing. If it is even half as delicious as it looks, it would be perfect.

Reply

Kim Beaulieu March 31, 2013 at 3:52 pm

This is so pretty, love lemon pie. And sugar free, you’re a genius.

Reply

Sarah March 31, 2013 at 3:57 pm

Brilliant! Never thought it would work sugar free!

Reply

Arlene @FlourOnMyFace March 31, 2013 at 4:26 pm

Your lemon meringue pie turned out beautiful.

Reply

Soni April 1, 2013 at 7:25 am

Ooh this looks divine! I love the citrus flavors going on here and its sugar free!!! Amazing!

Reply

Bea April 1, 2013 at 8:56 pm

Such a delicious looking lemon meringue pie – yum!!! I very much like all the photos you have posted with the different steps. Thank you! ~ Bea

Reply

Laura | Small Wallet, Big Appetite April 2, 2013 at 1:56 am

I love lemon meringue pie so much. I am allergic to splenda but I am sure it is just as amazing with sugar.

Reply

Anne Papina April 2, 2013 at 8:59 am

Actually, before my mom got diabetes, I made this exact recipe with regular sugar quite a few times, and it’s really good.

Reply

Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom April 2, 2013 at 1:28 pm

Your Lemon Meringue Pie looks perfect and delicious! and sugar-free? wow, love this!

Reply

Nancy @ gottagetbaked April 2, 2013 at 2:45 pm

Wow! For a sugar-free, gluten free version, your lemon meringue pie looks amazing! I would never be able to tell, not by looks alone, that you made all those healthy tweaks. I would gladly have this for dinner 😉 I love the step by step photos too – not only do they show me how my ingredients should look each step along the way but I really appreciate the time and effort it takes into photographing everything and then editing.

Reply

Sunithi April 3, 2013 at 9:53 am

Yummy ! Looks gorgeous !! This has been on my bucket list for sometime. Now I can try this version. Using coconut sugar I think. Beautiful pics !!!!!

Reply

Anifeja October 16, 2014 at 7:58 pm

Sugar free and gluten free and so awsome? This is not possible.I must try this recipe,although I will replace splenda with coconut sugar.

Reply

Anne Papina October 17, 2014 at 6:37 am

Thanks, Anifeja! I had to look up coconut sugar, as I’m not familiar with it–sounds like a great alternative to using Splenda! I’ll have to see if I can find some locally to try it out. Enjoy the pie!

Reply

Anifeja October 18, 2014 at 8:52 am

I really like coconut sugar and coconut in general.I have heard that splenda is actually very bad couse it is artifical.You can find it at healthy stores.I will tell you how mine tasted when I make it 😉

Reply

Chris February 12, 2016 at 11:12 am

I am trying to find an orange meringue sugar free jello pie. Can you help me?

Reply

icho November 21, 2017 at 12:38 am

Yummy! This looks delicious! I will try this next week

Reply

Anne Papina November 21, 2017 at 9:06 am

Enjoy!

Reply

Judith Pacifico February 23, 2020 at 7:19 pm

How many cups of lemon curd filling does this make?

Reply

Leave a Comment

Rate this recipe:  

{ 23 trackbacks }

Previous post:

Next post: