Description
Lemon Chess Pie is a classic Southern dessert featuring a rich, silken lemon custard filling baked in a flaky pie crust. With a perfect balance of sweet and tart flavors, this pie is baked until the top turns golden and the center is deliciously gooey. Perfect for any occasion, this recipe yields two 9-inch pies and includes tips for storage and serving.
Ingredients
Scale
Pie Shells
- 2 9” pie shells (store bought or homemade)
Filling
- 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)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pie Shells: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Let store-bought frozen pie shells sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes to soften slightly. If using refrigerated or homemade dough, roll it gently, fit it into your pie plate, and crimp the edges. Place prepared pie shells on a large baking sheet for easy handling.
- Mix Sugar and Butter: In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine sugar and softened butter. Mix for about one minute until well incorporated.
- Add Eggs: Add eggs to the mixer and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Incorporate Remaining Ingredients: Add milk, all-purpose flour, cornmeal, salt, lemon zest, and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Continue mixing for another minute until all ingredients are thoroughly combined and the mixture is thin.
- Fill Pie Shells: Pour half of the lemon filling into each of the prepared pie shells on the baking sheet.
- Bake the Pies: Place the baking sheet with the filled pies in the preheated oven. Bake for 40 minutes or until the tops are golden and the centers no longer jiggle when gently shaken.
- Cool and Serve: Transfer pies to a wire rack and cool to room temperature before cutting. The center should remain gooey and silky. For easier slicing, refrigerate the pies for at least one hour after they reach room temperature.
Notes
- If using frozen store-bought pie shells, thaw at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before using.
- Refrigerate the pies after cooling to make slicing easier.
- Store leftover pie sealed in plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- To freeze, wrap securely in plastic wrap and aluminum foil; freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving—no need to reheat.
- Using freshly squeezed lemon juice and zest enhances the pie’s bright flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/8 of a pie)
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 35 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 140 mg
