the old barn

Lemon Meringue Pie: Low carb, gluten free

May 5, 2017
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(This post is copied from my food blog, www.defiantlygoodfood.com.

Growing up, I remember my grandmother making the best Lemon Meringue Pie. There are family legends about her pie. She made it look effortless, pie shell from scratch and all! And it was so lemon-y it would make your cheeks pucker a little bit, but that’s how we like it. She would pull out a worn-out, handwritten recipe card each time but I don’t believe she needed it because I’m pretty sure she had the recipe memorized. She has a magic touch and a calm confidence in the kitchen, adding a little more of an ingredient if needed to make it taste just right.  One of our family legends is that she would share a recipe with someone and purposely leave off an important ingredient. But of course being the sweet giving person she is, everyone who knows her knows this is a ridiculous joke.  They made the joke because whatever recipe it is, if she makes it herself it always tastes better.  Her Lemon Meringue Pie just tastes amazing because she has that magic touch and that’s something you can’t put on a recipe card.  My grandmother is turning 90 years old this year and she still cooks for herself and goes overboard in the kitchen when she has visitors. We all adore her.

As you can imagine, creating a low carb, gluten free version of my grandmother’s legendary Lemon Meringue Pie is a bit daunting and my own family will be the toughest to impress because they will be comparing it to The Original. I wanted to make a pie that would not only satisfy a craving for lemon, but also connect me to my childhood and family history of eating my grandmother’s Lemon Meringue Pie. Luckily, my mom has mastered my grandmother’s Lemon Meringue Pie recipe.  She shared it with me and then we worked together to create a low carb, gluten free, sugar free version that could do just that. I knew I wanted to use gelatin instead of cornstarch. 10 Health Benefits of Gelatin), however if you use too much your lemon pie will be more like lemon jello, too little and it will ooze all over the plate when you cut into the pie…not pretty. There’s also the issue of the acid in the lemon counteracting the thickening process. It’s a delicate balance, which is why it has taken several attempts to perfect this recipe. Don’t get me wrong, we happily gobbled up each “failed” attempt, so they weren’t terrible…just not quite right. A few months ago, my cousin Patty was visiting and she helped us eat an overly tart version.  She waited so impatiently as I beat the meringue for what seemed like forever with my hand mixer.  (I now have a

Feingold: This can be a Feingold friendly recipe if you omit the crust and make it in small bowls, or substitute an approved flour like Namaste Gluten Free Flour for the almond flour.

Dairy Free: This can easily be made dairy free by substituting a dairy free butter or coconut oil in place of the butter.


  1. Shay says:

    That looks really good. I love hearing stories about family. My grandmas were both very good cooks and bakers. Thanks for the recipe! Looks super yummy!

    • Old Barn Co says:

      Thank you. I love hearing stories from my grandmother from when she was a child during the depression living on a farm. So interesting! Enjoy the recipe!

  2. Kim says:

    Thank you for this. Lemon meringue is my absolute favourite and being gluten free means I can actually eat this, no guilt!

  3. Stephanie says:

    OMG! I know what I am making my mother in law this weekend. Looks amazing.

  4. ivana says:

    This dish is amazing, i had the chance to eat it and was stunned how delicious it is xo

    http://www.theninebyivana.blogspot.com

  5. Ant says:

    I have been using almond and coconut flour in my recipes a lot lately. Love that this is a pretty clean dessert and low carb!

  6. Davi says:

    This looks delicious and your meringue looks perfect! I have never been very successful with meringue, but I LOVE it! I’m going to follow your directions exactly to see if mine turns out as good as yours!

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