Lemon Chess Pie
This bright and tangy lemon chess pie recipe is made with a creamy lemon custard filling and baked in a flaky crust.
Traditional chess pie is a classic Southern dessert with a rich, sweet, and custard-like filling. There are many variations on this classic custard pie, like buttermilk chess pie or chocolate chess pie.
This lemon version is perfect for lemon lovers. The lemon filling is tangy and creamy, similar in flavor to this old-fashioned lemon pie recipe. However, cornmeal adds a delicious textured top layer to the custard.
People aren’t exactly sure where the name chess pie comes from, but some think it might have come from “cheese pie” or even a mix-up of the words “just pie.”
You might like this lemon meringue pie with graham cracker crust too!
Equipment
A 9-inch pie pan
Ingredients
Find the ingredients amounts for this delicious pie in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here is a rundown of what you will need.
- A 9-inch unbaked pie shell. You can use a pre-made pie crust, but homemade pie crust is best. For this recipe, I used my flaky pie crust recipe, which is made with yogurt or buttermilk, to make it extra tender.
- Sugar – Old-fashioned chess pie traditionally has a good amount of sugar. This recipe has slightly less sugar than the classic but enough to ensure a decadent sweet custard.
- Large eggs- Eggs play a crucial role in the pie, as they are the base for the custard.
- Heavy cream – Adds richness
- Cornmeal – A tablespoon cornmeal provides a subtle texture to the pie, giving it a rustic and authentic Southern touch.
- All-purpose flour – A small amount is needed to help thicken the pie filling.
- Melted butter – Butter provides richness and depth to the pie, enhancing its overall flavor. This can be salted or unsalted butter.
- Fresh lemon juice and lemon zest – Fresh lemon flavor brightens the pie’s sweetness.
- Salt – Salt is needed to elevate the flavors and balance the pie’s sweetness.
Method
Par-baking the pastry
Roll out pie pastry on a lightly floured surface into an 11-inch/28cm circle.
Lightly dust the top of the dough with flour, then gently roll it up the rolling pin like a spiral. Transfer it to a 9-inch pie plate and carefully unroll it from the rolling pin until it’s draped over it and overhangs the sides—dust off any excess flour.
If your circle is uneven, cut off any excess dough around the pie dish to make it even, but leave a bit of an overhang.
Roll the overhanging dough under the edge to make a thick border.
Push an index finger from one hand into the dough edge between the thumb and index finger of the opposite hand. Continue this all around the dough edges.
To prevent the pastry from slipping down and sinking during baking, press it down well along the edge of the pie plate.
Prick the bottom of the pie crust all over with a fork.
Chill the pastry for at least 20 minutes while you preheat the oven.
Line the crust with parchment paper and fill it with pie weights.
Bake it at 400°F/200°C for around 15 minutes until the edges of the pie crust are lightly browned. Remove it from the oven and lift off the parchment paper and weights. Place the pastry back in the oven for 2-3 minutes until it no longer looks wet. Remove it and let the hot pie crust cool to room temperature on a wire rack.
Chess pie filling
Lower the oven temperature to 350°F (180°C)
Combine sugar and lemon zest in a large mixing bowl. Rub the zest into the sugar to release the lemon oils. Add cornmeal, salt, and flour, then mix well to ensure no lumps.
Add the melted butter and heavy cream and stir until well combined.
Whisk eggs in a separate bowl with a fork to combine them. Add the eggs to the rest of the filling and whisk until everything is combined.
Lastly, pour in the lemon juice and whisk to combine.
Pour the filling into the crust.
Bake the pie in the preheated oven for approximately 35-40 minutes until the center is set, and the top is golden brown.
You can tent the pie edges with aluminum foil or use a pie shield to prevent them from quickly browning. There should be a slight jiggle left in the center of the pie. Turn off the oven and let the pie cool for 20 minutes before removing it.
Let the finished pie cool right down to room temperature before serving.
Serving and storing
Enjoy a slice of this pie with a dusting of powdered sugar and a dollop of whipped cream.
Leftover pie can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, wrapped tightly in plastic or airtight container.
Related recipes
- Lemon Curd Crumble Cookies
- Lemon Pie Bars with Graham Cracker Crust
- Old-Fashioned Lemon Pie
- Lemon Curd Cake
Lemon Chess Pie
This bright and tangy lemon chess pie recipe is made with a creamy lemon custard filling and baked in a flaky crust.
Ingredients
- 1x 9-inch unbaked pie crust
- 300g (1 ½ cups) granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
- 10g (1 Tablespoon) cornmeal
- 9g ( 1 Tablespoon) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 60g (¼ cup) butter, melted
- 60g (¼ cup) heavy cream
- 4 large eggs
- 60g (¼ cup) lemon juice
Instructions
Par-baking the pastry
- Roll out pie pastry on a lightly floured surface into an 11-inch/28cm circle.
- Lightly dust the top of the dough with flour, then gently roll it up the rolling pin like a spiral. Transfer it to a 9-inch pie plate and carefully unroll it from the rolling pin until it's draped over it and overhangs the sides—dust off any excess flour.
- If your circle is uneven, cut off any excess dough around the pie dish to make it even, but leave a bit of an overhang. Roll the overhanging dough under the edge to make a thick border.
- Push an index finger from one hand into the dough edge between the thumb and index finger of the opposite hand. Continue this all around the dough edges. To prevent the pastry from slipping down and sinking during baking, press it down well along the edge of the pie plate.
- Chill the pastry for at least 20 minutes while you preheat the oven.
- Prick the bottom of the pie crust all over with a fork.
- Line the crust with parchment paper and fill it with pie weights.
- Bake it at 400°F/200°C for around 15 minutes until the edges of the pie crust are lightly browned.
- Remove it from the oven and lift off the parchment paper and weights. Place the pastry back in the oven for 2-3 minutes until it no longer looks wet. Remove it and let the hot pie crust cool to room temperature on a wire rack.
Lemon filling
- Lower the oven temperature to 350°F (180°C)
- Combine sugar and lemon zest in a large mixing bowl. Rub the zest into the sugar to release the lemon oils. Add cornmeal, salt, and flour, then mix well to ensure no lumps.
- Add the melted butter and heavy cream and stir until well combined.
- Mix eggs in a separate bowl with a fork. Add the eggs to the rest of the filling and whisk until everything is combined. Lastly, pour in the lemon juice and whisk to combine.
- Pour the filling into the bottom of the crust.
- Bake the pie in the oven for approximately 35-40 minutes until the center is set and the top is golden brown. There should be a slight wobble left in the center of the pie.
- During baking, you can tent the pie edges with aluminum foil or use a pie shield to prevent them from quickly browning.
- Once baked, turn off the oven and open the door a crack. Let the pie cool for 20 in the oven minutes before removing it.
- Let the finished pie cool down to room temperature before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 291Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 93mgSodium: 193mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 1gSugar: 31gProtein: 4g
This is an informational estimate only. I am not a certified Dietitian or Nutritionist
