Lemon Chess Pie is an easy and delicious southern dessert you won’t soon forget. The filling is similar to lemon custard, while the crust is flaky and baked to perfection. This simple lemon pie is ideal for all occasions!

Lemon Chess Pie slice on plate


 

I grew up eating various flavors of chess pie, so I knew as an adult that I was going to have to stick with the tradition. Eating this lemon chess pie has become a favorite at all of our family gatherings, especially in the spring and summer months. It’s so light and refreshing and not overly heavy like some desserts tend to be. 

You only need 9 ingredients to make this lemon chess pie. It’s an inexpensive dessert option that will please any crowd. If you are in the mood for chocolate, you should also check out my recipe for chocolate chess pie too. It’s truly divine!

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easy Lemon Chess Pie dessert recipe

How to Blind Bake a Pie Crust

Whether you are using a prepared pie crust in your own dish or a homemade pie crust, you’ll want to blind bake your crust for this pie. Blind baking is when you bake a pie crust before filling it. This ensures that the bottom of the pie will be well-baked and not soggy.

To blind bake your crust start by rolling out the crust and placing it in your pie dish. Press the dough down firmly but gently, into the pie dish, and use a fork to press the pie crust into the rim of the pie dish, making sure not to press all the way through the crust.

Now you have two options to keep your pie crust from puffing up as it bakes:

  1. Pie weights – You can also use pie weights to weigh down your crust as it bakes. Line your pie crust with parchment paper or aluminum foil and fill it with dried beans or ceramic pie weights.
  2. Docking – Prick the bottom and sides of your pie crust with a fork. This is called “docking” and it allows the steam to escape from under your pie crust as it bakes. To keep your pie filling from seeping through those little holes as it bakes you’ll want to bake the crust for 7 minutes then brush the bottom of the crust with an egg white egg wash and continue baking for 3 more minutes.

Place your crust in the refrigerator to chill while you preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. When the oven is ready, remove the pie crust from the refrigerator and bake for 8-10 minutes.

Lemon Chess Pie perfect Easter dessert

How to Make the Pie Filling

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, melted butter, lemon juice, lemon zest, all-purpose flour, yellow cornmeal, and salt.
  2. Place the cooked pie crust on a baking sheet and then pour the filling into it. 
  3. Bake at 325 degrees F for 35-45 minutes.
  4. When the pie comes out of the oven, let it cool completely before serving.

How to Keep Your Pie Crust From Burning

If your blind-baked pie crust is already a nice golden brown you should consider covering the edges of the pie to keep them from getting too dark. You can use aluminum foil to cover just the edges of the pie crust, or use a silicone adjustable pie crust shield to cover the edges. 

Do I Have To Use Cornmeal?

This version of lemon chess pie does require cornmeal to thicken the filling. If you skip the cornmeal the filling will be runnier and won’t hold it’s shape when it is cut.

Could I Make This Chess Pie With Different Fruit?

Yes, this chess pie recipe is very versatile, and you can easily swap out lemon for other types of fruit. It’s best if you stick with a fruit that is citrus, such as oranges, key limes, or grapefruit. You can follow the directions, but instead, use the zest and juice from the fruit of your choice.

This is a lovely way to add some variety when you are making several desserts. Or if you are fortunate enough to grow your own fruit, it’s a great way to use it.

Lemon Chess Pie is a classic dessert recipe

Do I Need To Refrigerate Lemon Chess Pie?

This pie does not have to be refrigerated. It can be covered and kept at room temperature for up to 3 days. I’ve never had one last longer than that!

If you need to store it for longer than that you can cover it and refrigerate it for up to 5-7 days.

You can eat the lemon pie at room temperature or chilled. If you prefer it at room temperature, take a piece out of the fridge and let it sit until it warms up then enjoy!

Can You Freeze Lemon Chess Pie?

Yes, freezing this lemon pie recipe is really easy! Just let the pie cool all the way down. Then take plastic wrap and cover it completely. After that, use a piece of aluminum foil and cover it again. This allows it to be double protected from the harsh cold in the freezer. 

When you are ready to serve the pie, just sit it in the refrigerator overnight or on the counter for a couple of hours. Once it’s thawed, you can eat it. The lemon chess pie will last up to 2 months in the freezer.

classic southern Lemon Chess Pie

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Servings: 8
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Lemon Chess Pie

Lemon Chess Pie is an easy and delicious southern dessert you won’t soon forget. The filling is similar to lemon custard, while the crust is flaky and baked to perfection. This simple lemon pie is ideal for all occasions!
Lemon Chess Pie slice on plate
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Ingredients

  • 1 Pie crust
  • 5 large Eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups Granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup Unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
  • 4 tablespoons Lemon juice, fresh squeezed
  • 2 tablespoons Lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon All-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon Yellow cornmeal
  • 1/4 teaspoon Salt

Instructions

Blind bake pie crust:

  • If you are using a prepared pie crust in your own dish or a homemade pie crust you’ll want to start by rolling out the crust (if needed) and then placing it in your pie dish . Press the dough down firmly but gently, into the pie dish and use a fork to press the pie crust into the the rim of the pie dish making sure not to press all the way through the crust. You can skip this step if you are using a prepared pie crust in a tin.
  • Place the pie crust back in the refrigerator while you preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
  • When the oven is ready remove the pie crust from the refrigerator.
  • Cut a piece of parchment paper slightly bigger than the pie and place it in the pie crust. Pour in pie weights or dried beans to fill the pie crust. This will keep the crust weighed down as it bakes so you don’t get bubbles. (See note 2 below if you do not have pie weights)
  • Place the pie in the oven and bake at 450 degrees F for 8-10 minutes. Note: We used a prepared Pillsbury pie crust. Times and temperature may vary for other crusts. Please follow the instructions for the pie crust you use.
  • When the time is up remove the crust from the oven and let cool completely before removing the pie weights/beans.

Pie:

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
  • In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, sugar, melted butter, lemon juice, lemon zest, all-purpose flour, yellow cornmeal, and salt.
  • Place the cooked pie crust on a baking sheet and then pour the filling into it.
  • Bake at 325 degrees F for 35-45 minutes. (See note 3)
  • When the pie comes out of the oven let it cool completely before serving.

Notes

Notes:
  1. Don’t stretch the crust larger in the pan or it may shrink while baking.
  2. If you do not have pie weights or dried beans you can prick the bottom and sides of the crust with a fork to keep it from forming bubbles as it bakes. To keep the filling from seeping through later blind bake your crust for 7 minutes and then seal the holes by brushing an egg wash (1 egg white whisked until foamy) over the inside of the pie and up the sides. Continue baking for 3 more minutes.
  3. If your blind-baked pie crust is already a nice golden brown you should consider covering the edges of the pie to keep them from getting too dark. You can use aluminum foil to cover just the edges of the pie crust, or use a silicone adjustable pie crust shield to cover the edges.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice, Calories: 399kcal, Carbohydrates: 50g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Cholesterol: 147mg, Sodium: 206mg, Potassium: 71mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 38g, Vitamin A: 523IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 27mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition Disclaimer: We are not certified nutritionists. Nutrition facts are an estimate and are provided as a courtesy. They are generated by an online API which recognizes ingredient names and amounts and makes calculations based on the serving size. Results may vary.
Author: Kat Jeter & Melinda Caldwell
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: lemon chess pie
Handwritten signature for Kat & Melinda