Amazing Blood Orange Meringue Pie

When I was thumbing through my great grandmother’s cookbook to find a vintage recipe to make, I saw a recipe for orange pie. It’s a bit different than the one that I usually make, but I put a twist on this version and brought it up to the twenty-first century. I used her recipe as the inspiration for this pie creation and it turned out crazy good. If you love lemon meringue, you will love this twist on a traditional favorite made with a sweet and tart orange custard. I love using blood oranges in this recipe for their deep, rich color and flavor. Blood oranges are deliciously sweet with subtle hints of raspberry and tart cherry. 

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Classic citrus pie flavors with a unique twist
• Uses premade crust to save time
• It’s easy to make and prep ahead
• The custard has a deep crimson color that makes a beautiful presentation

For the pie:

• Premade pie crust: Blind baked for a filled pie (instructions below). I love the Trader Joe’s frozen pie crusts made with butter. You just thaw, roll, and bake. Easy peasy.
• Sugar: For added sweetness.
• Cornstarch: This helps to thicken the cooked orange custard to achieve the proper consistency.
• Blood Orange Zest: For a flavor boost. Don’t skip the zest!
• Blood Orange Juice: Freshly squeezed blood orange juice adds a unique and delicious flavor to this orange pie recipe.
• Fresh Lemon Juice– Adding a little fresh lemon juice helps to balance the sweetness of the orange juice, so it’s not overly sweet.
• Egg Yolks– For rich and delicious custard texture and flavor. You’ll save the whites for the meringue.
• Butter– For added flavor and creaminess in the custard filling.
• Salt– To balance the sweetness.

For the meringue:

• Egg Whites: An essential ingredient to making fluffy meringue.
• Cream of Tartar: Helps to stabilize the whipped egg whites and prevents the sugar from crystallizing.
• Sugar: Adding sugar creates a thick, glossy, meringue.

How To Blind Bake A Pie Crust

To blind bake a pie crust, start with a chilled crust and press it into a pie plate. Line the crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights (I use dried beans- cheap and easy).

Bake at 375 degrees F. for 15 minutes, until the crust is lightly golden. Remove the parchment and pie weights/beans and poke holes in the bottom of the crust with a fork. Return the crust to the oven, covering the edges if necessary, and bake 8 more minutes until the bottom starts to turn lightly golden. Cool and fill according to the recipe.

How To Make Blood Orange Pie with Meringue Topping

Step 1: Prepare for baking. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. 

Step 2: Prepare the orange custard. In a medium-size sauce pan, whisk the cornstarch and sugar in a saucepan. Add the blood orange zest, blood orange juice, and lemon juice slowly, while stirring, over medium heat. Stir until thickened, about 4 minutes, then boil for one minute.

Portion a half a cup of the boiling mixture and add to your egg yolks slowly, stirring very quickly with a whisk so your eggs don’t curdle.

Add the yolk mixture back to the pot with the sugar mixture. Boil one more minute over medium heat, stirring constantly. It should be fairly thick and starting to cling to the whisk.

Stir in butter and salt until butter is melted and pour the mixture into the blind-baked pie shell. Set aside while you prepare the meringue.

Step 3: Make the meringue topping. Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer on high speed until frothy. Slowly add sugar until meringue is thick and glossy.

Step 4: Assemble and bake. Spread the meringue over the pie filling, sealing to the edges, and bake for 12-15 minutes until meringue is set. Set aside to cool.

Step 5: Serve room temperature or chill. .Cool to room temperature and enjoy or chill for several hours, uncovered, and serve.

Recipe Tips

• If you are chilling the pie before serving, make sure to leave it uncovered so water droplets don’t form on the meringue.
• Don’t forget to blind bake the pie shell to avoid a soggy crust.
• Make sure that you spread the meringue to the edges of the pie crust, sealing the hot filling underneath so it doesn’t pull away from the crust when it’s chilled. I use the back of the spoon to spread and create pretty peaks.
• You’ll get more volume in your meringue if your egg whites are room temperature instead of cold. Also, make sure that there isn’t any yolk in your egg whites, just pure whites for perfect meringue.

Variations

• Instead of blood oranges – you can use regular oranges if blood oranges are hard to find or not in season.
• You can also bake the crust from scratch if that’s your jam.

Storing

Storing: This blood orange meringue pie is best served the day it’s prepared. If you do have leftovers, store in the refrigerator and use within 2 days for best taste and texture. However, the meringue will naturally begin to separate when covered and stored in the refrigerator. Freezing is not recommended.

More Pie Recipes You’ll Love

Crustless Coconut Pie

Fresh Strawberry Pie

Cool Whip Chocolate Pie

Gluten-Free Summer Squash Pie

If you love this recipe I would be so grateful if you could leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below. I love reading your comments and feedback!