This Lemon Chess Pie is really easy to make and quick to put together. All the lemons simply make this pie divine, with its flaky crust and its incredible lemon curd like filling.
Lemon Chess Pie
This is one of my all time favorite pies! If you’re a lemon nut like me, you will also fall head over heals in love with this lemony pie. It’s super simple with no meringue to hide behind like other classic lemon pies, just simple lemon, butter, and sugar.
There’s just something about lemon in desserts, I know I can’t be the only one who goes crazy for it. Besides the incredible rich lemon flavor, I love the custard/curd like filling. I love these pies so much I made them twice this weekend, that’s 4 pies my friends, I love a slice early in the morning with my cup of coffee, so good and what a great way to start the day.
What Is Lemon Chess Pie?
Chess pies are a Southern specialty with a really simple filling made of sugar, butter, eggs and very little flour and cornmeal. But I love its name; lemon chess pie. Believe it or not, it has nothing to do with chess, I know, big surprise there.
Apparently, the name chess pie may have come from the term “pie chest” because these pies are made with so much sugar, they could be stored in a pie chest rather than refrigerated. So in case you weren’t sure before, this is a sweet pie, so sweet that all it needs is maybe a dollop of whipped cream – if that. I definitely recommend you guys test out this pie if you’re looking for something easy and delicious, it’s even southern grandma approved!
How Do I Know When My Lemon Chess Pie Is Done Baking?
This pie can also be a bit finicky when you bake it and it really depends on your oven. I found mine was perfectly done after 40 minutes, and to make sure it was done I jiggled it a bit. If the middle doesn’t jiggle much it should be done.
Keep in mind, it might get golden brown before the inside is actually done. If that’s the case, I would cover the top with aluminum foil and continue baking it. Just play with it and see what works for you. But trust me, if you’re looking for a perfectly tartly sweet pie, then this pie’s for you!
Ingredients In Lemon Chess Pie
Detailed measurements can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Sugar – We want to just use white granulated sugar today for a bright, clean flavor.
- Butter – Unsalted and softened at room temperature. Don’t melt your butter for this recipe!
- Eggs – We’re using 5 whole eggs today, it may seem like a lot but believe me you’ll need them.
- Milk – Some recipes call for regular milk, some for butter milk. I say use whatever you have on hand.
- Lemon – We want both fresh lemon juice and lemon zest. Trust me fresh isn’t just best in this case, it’s necessary!
- Dry ingredients – All purpose flour, cornmeal, and salt. The cornmeal is essential for flavor and structure so don’t skip it.
- Pie shells – I wanted to keep this recipe nice and easy today and store bought pie shells worked just as well as fresh. If you’d prefer to go homemade I’ll include a section below detailing just how to go about that!
How To Make Lemon Chess Pie
Detailed measurements can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Preheat your oven: To 350 F degrees.
- Combine the filling: Add the sugar and butter to the bowl of your mixer and mix using the whisk attachment for about a minute until well incorporated. Add the eggs and beat until light and fluffy. Add the milk, flour, cornmeal, salt, lemon zest and lemon juice and continue mixing for another minute until everything is well incorporated. Mixture will be quite thin.
- Bake the pie: Pour half of the filling in each of the pie shells. Place pie shells on a baking sheet and place the baking sheet in the oven. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top is golden and the center of the pie no longer jiggles when you shake the pie.
- Finish the lemon chess pie: Transfer the pie to a wire rack and cool to room temperature before cutting. The center of the pie should be gooey, so don’t fret if it begins to fall. This is what gives this lemon chess pie the silken texture.
How Best To Zest A Lemon
If you’ve never really zested a lemon before, don’t fret it’s super easy! But there is a certain trick to it so let’s get into it.
Prepare the lemon: If you’re not using organic lemons, I recommend washing them in warm water using a clean sponge. Warm water melts the wax layer that protects the fruit and dissolves any chemicals with which it has been sprinkled.
Grate the lemon: Wipe the lemons well after they have been washed and grate them on the smallest holes of your grater. You must be careful that the white and bitter part of the shell is not grated so change where you are zesting often. If you look at the lemon and see you have hit any white parts you’ve zested too far.
How Much Juice Is In A Lemon?
The answer varies because each lemon is different in size. Usually one lemon yields about three tablespoons of juice. I recommend keeping your lemons at room temperature and rolling the whole lemon firmly against your countertop to ensure you get the most juice.
Want To Make Homemade Pie Crust?
If you’d prefer to go completely homemade for this recipe, I certainly won’t stop you! It will make for a pie that really goes above and beyond the call of duty. I have my own pie crust recipe right here, which I consider the all time perfect crust, and no I’m not biased, I swear.
Storing Leftover Lemon Chess Pie
You can store this pie in the fridge after snacking on your first few servings, properly sealed in plastic wrap it’ll keep for up to 2 days. You can also freeze this pie, just be sure it’s wrapped securely in both plastic wrap and aluminum foil before popping in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just allow the pie to thaw overnight in the fridge, no need to pop in the oven before eating!
More Delicious Desserts To Try:
- Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake
- Old Fashioned Lemon Bread
- Lemon Blueberry Scones
- Lemon Yogurt Cake
- Strawberry Lemon Bundt Cake
- Lemon Poppy Seed Bread With Lemon Icing
- Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Loaf
- The Best Lemon Bars
- Peach Upside Down Cake
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Lemon Chess Pie
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- ½ cup butter softened
- 5 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornmeal
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon lemon zest
- ¼ cup lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 2 9″ pie shells store bought
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 F degrees.
- Add the sugar and butter to the bowl of your mixer and mix using the whisk attachment for about a minute until well incorporated. Add the eggs and beat until light and fluffy. Add the milk, flour, cornmeal, salt, lemon zest and lemon juice and continue mixing for another minute until everything is well incorporated. Mixture will be quite thin.
- Pour half of the filling in each of the pie shells. Place pie shells on a baking sheet and place the baking sheet in the oven.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top is golden and the center of the pie no longer jiggles when you shake the pie.
- Transfer the pie to a wire rack and cool to room temperature before cutting. The center of the pie should be gooey, so don’t fret if it begins to fall. This is what gives this lemon chess pie the silken texture.
Video
Recipe Notes
- If you’re using frozen store bought pie shells make sure you take them out of the freezer at least 15 minutes before using. Simply place them on the counter and let them thaw out at room temperature.
- I like to refrigerate the pies after after they come to room temperature, for at least an hour before cutting into it. I find they’re easier to slice into.
- This recipe will yield 2 pies.
- You can store this pie in the fridge after snacking on your first few servings, properly sealed in plastic wrap it’ll keep for up to 2 days.
- You can also freeze this pie, just be sure it’s wrapped securely in both plastic wrap and aluminum foil before popping in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just allow the pie to thaw overnight in the fridge, no need to pop in the oven before eating!
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Can this recipe be cut in half, to make just one pie? If so recipe please and thank you.
Yes, of course!
What are the ingredient amounts if recipe is cut in half to make just one pie?
If you hover over the number of servings you can change the slider to whatever number of servings you want, this will also change the ingredient amounts accordingly.
Can you use almond milk instead of milk ??
You can give it a try! It might not come out the exact same.
I love anything lemon and this was amazing!!
OMG This looks so good!