Lemon Chess Pie
This Lemon Chess Pie is a bright, sunny classic with a creamy custard filling that tastes like lemon curd in pie form. The flaky crust holds a silky sweet citrus center that bakes up golden on top and perfectly soft underneath. Simple ingredients, big lemon flavor, and a nostalgic Southern charm that always wins.
Servings: 16
Calories: 287kcal
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, or pie crust
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). If you are using store bought frozen pie shells, let them sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes so they soften slightly.If you are using refrigerated pie dough or homemade crust, roll the dough gently, fit it into your pie plate and crimp the edges. Place both prepared pie shells on a large baking sheet. The filling is quite thin, so having the pies already on the tray makes moving them to the oven much easier.
- 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
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!
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 287kcal | Carbohydrates: 41.4g | Protein: 3.3g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5.4g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 207mg | Sugar: 34.4g
