Easy Keto Lemon Meringue Pie - My Crash Test Life (2024)

This easy Keto Lemon Meringue Pie is the perfect way to eat your favourite pie flavour while staying on your low carb diet. Gluten-free, sugar-free and keto-friendly, this Keto Lemon Meringue Pie is a lemon-lovers dream dessert.

I have a confession to make. This is my very first attempt at making a lemon meringue pie. Shocking, right?! Well, I decided that there is no time like the present to try something new!

You may be wondering why in the world someone who loves to cook and bake as much as I do, has never attempted a lemon meringue pie. Well, truth be told, I was a very picky eater as I was a child. Although I have always had an enormous sweet tooth, I would only eat chocolate desserts, filled with chocolate and then layered between chocolate. Since lemon meringue pie does not contain any chocolate, I was never interested in it!

Things have definitely changed as I have gotten older. The more interesting, flavourful and crazy (ie. my creation of a Dairy-Free Avocado Pizza Crust (Whole30, Keto, GF), the more intrigued I become. Since we had extra lemons lying around, I decided to see if I could take a classic lemon meringue pie and turn it into a sugar-free, gluten-free, low carb version.

How to Make a Gluten-Free, Low Carb Lemon Meringue Pie

Step 1: Making a crust

After doing some quick research online, I realized that all pie crusts contain only 4 basic ingredients: flour, salt, sugar and a source of fat. For the gluten-free, low carb version, I simply replaced the flour with almond flour, switched out the sugar for a sugar-free sweetener and then decided to use butter as my source of fat. I placed all of the ingredients in a large bowl and combined the ingredients with a fork until I had a crumbly mixture.

Next, I pressed the mixture into a round dish and pressed it firmly up the sides. I used a fork to create small holes so that the crust would not bubble. NOTE: I only realized after I had made my mind up that I was going to make a pie that I actually don't own a pie pan! (Since pie crusts don't contain much chocolate, you can now understand my lack of purchasing a pie pan!:-) Since I plan on making more pies, I went out and bought a real pie pan. The second time I made the pie with a pie pan, I was able to crimp the edges to make the border look prettier. However, on my second attempt, I did not get the meringue as close to the edge so you can see how it pulled away in the pictures.

Next, I placed my crust in the oven for 10 minutes to crisp it a little. As it was baking, I set out to accomplish the second part of the pie, the lemon filling.

Step 2: Making a sugar-free lemon filling

This was a little more challenging. However, knowing the fundamentals of a lemon meringue pie, I knew I had to create a custard type filling. I whisked the sweetener and salt in a medium saucepan until combined. I then whisked in the eggs and yolks until no streaks of egg remained. Then, I whisked in the lemon zest and juice. I cooked it over medium-low heat, whisking constantly and scraping the corners of the saucepan until the mixture thickened slightly and registered 160 degrees F (about 5-8 minutes)

I removed the pan from the heat and whisked in the olive oil until incorporated. Once the pie shell came out of the oven, I pour the lemon mixture into the shell.

*If your mixture does not seem to thicken, simply add a little xanthan gum while whisking until it thickens slightly*

Step 3: Making the Meringue

This was the easy part. Since I loveChocolate Souffle (Low Carb, Keto, GF), I knew the basic principles governing meringue. I simply whipped the egg whites, salt, vanilla and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. Then I gradually added the sweetener and dolloped it in the crust. Into the oven, the pie went.

And look at what came out!

Lastly, I sprinkled a little erythritol on top to get the nice shimmer on the top of the meringue. Beautiful and delicious and ridiculously easy to make!

If your pie does not work, here are some troubleshooting techniques:

1. Do not use reactive metal when making the lemon filling as you can end up with a "metallic" taste.
2. The meringue falls after it cools - this is most likely due to beating the egg whites too quickly on high. When making meringue, start beating at a low to medium speed and slowly increase to high. If you start beating the egg whites on high from the start, you can create large air bubbles which will deflate as the pie cools.
3. The edges of the crust start to brown before the pie is done - Simply tent a piece of aluminum foil over the entire crust. This happened to me when I used the glass dish on my first attempt which will burn faster than my second attempt with a metal pan.
4. The meringue pulled away from the edge of the pie - make sure that the dollops of meringue actually touch the crust to form an anchor. If you don't do this, as the meringue shrinks slightly when cooling, it will pull away from the crust
5. The custard is too soupy - you probably did not cook the custard long enough in the saucepan to help to reduce its water content. Also, make sure you let the pie cool for AT LEAST 3 hours to help it solidify.
6. To make peaks with the meringue, simply use the back of a spoon to lift meringue before placing it in the oven.
7. This pie is best served the same day as the sweetener will crystallize if you put it in the fridge UNLESS you use Allulose (allulose is 70 % as sweet so you may need to reduce the amount of sweetener if you choose a different brand. Do not worry about what type of sweetener you use in the crust as it will not make a difference)

If you like this Keto Lemon Meringue Pie, you may also like:

• Chocolate Souffle (Low Carb, Keto, GF)
• Paleo Chocolate Almond Butter Banana Cake with Banana Almond Butter Frosting (Gluten-Free)
• No-Bake Carrot Cake Bars (Keto, Gluten-Free)

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