Ever since I was a kid, my favourite pie has been Lemon Meringue. I have such fond memories of mom making it for special occasions and licking the pan clean with a spatula. It seemed like a special kind of pie… one that took more thought and effort than a regular fruit pie where you just seal a heap of cooked fruit between two pie crusts.

Five years ago, when I became fully vegan after being vegetarian for 8 years, I figured there was no point in trying to make lemon meringue pie. Most lemon meringue pie recipes call for numerous egg whites, (like up to 10)! WTH? Those poor hens, and your poor body! Some recipes also call for milk, butter, and even egg yolks. As well, it seemed impossible to create fluffy meringue without using egg whites.

Then… I found out about aquafaba! If you don’t know what it is, prepare to have your mind blown! It is simply the liquid that you drain down the sink from a can of chickpeas. Who knew that it would whip up, with a little added sugar, into a gorgeous meringue like consistency and taste?!

I also figured, if aquafaba can be the substitute for egg whites in the meringue, why not put it in the main lemon filling as well?

So, even though this Luscious Lemon Meringue Pie might not exactly be a health food, it is completely void of any animal products, contains loads of vitamin C from the 4 1/2 lemons, and a bit of coconut milk for some added flavour and richness. I also give you tips below on how to use less sugar.

So, if you have been thinking it is too tough to make a great vegan Lemon Meringue Pie, I am here to tell you, it’s not!

How to use less sugar in this pie.

Tiny trick here… If you would like to reduce the amount of sugar you use in the lemon layer of the pie, you can use a product like Truvia, which is a mix of Stevia and cane sugar. You could also use erythritol, which is a fruit alcohol that can be used as a sugar substitute. More about erythritol here. Dr. Greger defines it as a sugar that is harmless, shows no sign of toxicity and may possibly even be an antioxidant. Watch his short video on this topic here.

You may have heard me describe date sugar as the only truly healthy option for sugar, as it is just dried dates. Unfortunately in this instance, date sugar would discolor the lemon layer, making it look less appealing.

If you are craving a lemony, sour but sweet treat, here you are! I hope you and yours enjoy this pie!

Luscious Lemon Meringue Pie
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Serves: 8 Prep Time: 45 minutes Cooking Time: crust 30 minutes, pie: 10 minutes crust 30 minutes, pie: 10 minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

CRUST:

1 cup unbleached flour

1/3 cup vegan butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

3-4 tablespoons water

LEMON FILLING:

1 1/2 cups of cane sugar or white sugar (or substitute 3/4 cup of Truvia or Erythritol)

3/4 cup lemon juice (4.5 lemons squeezed)

3/4 cup aquafaba liquid (all of the liquid drained from one can of chickpeas)

1/2 cup coconut milk (open a can, mix well and pour)

5 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons lemon zest (zest from 2 lemons)

MERINGUE LAYER:

3/4 cup aquafaba (all of the liquid from a 13.5 oz can of chickpeas)

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1/4 cup of granulated sugar or cane sugar (for a very sweet meringue you could add a couple of tablespoons more)

Instructions

Pie Crust:

To make the pastry, mix the flour and salt together in a medium sized bowl. With a pastry cutter, blend in the room temperature vegan butter. For photos of the pastry making process, link to my recipe for Mincemeat Tarts.

Start on one end of the mixture and pour a tablespoon of water onto the batter. With a fork, stir together the area around where the water is, mixing, then mashing the mixture up against the side of the bowl.

Continue adding one tablespoon of water like this until the entire mixture is pressed against the bowl.

Remove the pastry and gently press it into a ball trying not to handle it too much.

Roll out the pastry, with a rolling pin, dusted with flour, onto a flat surface also covered with a skiff of flour so that it doesn’t stick.

Continue rolling the pastry out until it is large enough to cover your 8 inch pie plate.

Cut a circle out of the rolled out pastry and gently lift to place on the pie plate. (You can lightly oil the plate first or place a piece of parchment paper on the pan first if you like.)

If you have extra pastry pieces, roll them out, cut them into small pieces, sprinkle on some cinnamon and sugar, roll them up and bake along side the pie for a little treat.

Next, cut out another piece of parchment paper to place over the pie. Place enough uncooked beans or rice on top to weigh the pastry down so that it doesn't bubble up when cooking.

Bake the crust at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 minutes, or until it starts to turn slightly brown.

Remove from oven and allow it to cool on a rack.

Lemon Layer:

Place all of the lemon layer ingredients in a medium sized pot on medium low. Make sure to press the cornstarch through a fine sieve to help avoid lumps.

Blend with a whisk until completely mixed. Whisk continually for 7 minutes while it heats. Do not allow it to boil. It will blend into a nice, thick mixture.

After 7 minutes, remove from heat and allow to cool. Once cooled, pour into the crust and smooth out the top.

Meringue Layer:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Drain the liquid from a can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans (aquafaba).

Place the aquafaba, cream of tartar and vanilla into the bowl of a stand or hand mixer.

Mix at a high speed for about 3 minutes.

Slowly add in the sugar while continuing to whip the meringue.

At around the 6 minute mark you should see the mixture start to form peaks.

Once the meringue is whipped, spread it thickly over the pie. Place in the oven and bake for a few minutes, until the meringue browns lightly. Do not overbake.

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