Lemon Chiffon Pie
This lemon chiffon pie is a TREASURED family recipe. We can trace it back to my great, great grandmother who lived in the 1800’s! If you’ve never had lemon chiffon pie before than you’re really in for a treat–it’s one my all time favorite pies!
Unlike more tart and dense lemon pies, this one has a soft lemon flavor and it’s ultra creamy, light and fluffy. Pair it with our Perfect Pie Crust and you will really “wow” your guests.
How to make Lemon Chiffon Pie:
I love this pie because the ingredients are simple and I usually have everything on hand.
Add water, lemon juice, salt, 1 cup sugar, and butter to a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Meanwhile, stir together the cornstarch and 1/2 cup of water in a small bowl. Add it to the saucepan and cook it until it has thickened.
Separate the egg yolks and whites into two separate bowls. Beat the egg yolks with a fork, and beat the egg whites with electric mixers, slowly adding the remaining 1/2 cup sugar.
Add a large spoonful of the hot mixture from the saucepan to the egg yolks and stir well. Continue slowly adding a few more spoonfuls, stirring after each addition to temper the eggs.
Add the tempered egg mixture to the saucepan and the remove it from heat and stir in the lemon zest. Allow the filling to cool for 10-15 minutes before folding in the beaten egg whites.
Pour the filling into a cooled pie shell and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. I like to place a piece of wax or parchment paper gently over the top of the pie (if you use plastic wrap or tinfoil it will pull some of the topping off when you remove it). Top the pie with freshly whipped cream, for serving.
CONSIDER TRYING THESE HOMEMADE PIES:
- Lemon Sour Cream Pie
- Key Lime Pie
- Chocolate Cream Pie
- Oreo Cheesecake Pie
- Banana Cream Pie
- Coconut Cream Pie
You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST for more great recipes!
Lemon Chiffon Pie
Ingredients
- 1 9 inch baked pie shell
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- dash of salt
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar , divided
- 1/2 cup butter
- 5 Tablespoons cornstartch + 1/2 cup water
- 3 large eggs , yolks and whites separated
- lemon zest , from one small lemon
- fresh whipped cream , for topping
Instructions
- Add 1 1/2 cups water, lemon juice, salt, 1 cup sugar, and butter to a large saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil.
- While waiting for mixture to boil, stir cornstarch and 1/2 cup of water together in a small bowl. Stir into saucepan and turn heat to low. Cook until thickened.
- Separate the egg yolks and whites into two separate bowls. Beat the egg yolks with a fork.
- Add a large spoonful of the hot mixture from the saucepan, to the egg yolks and stir well. Continue slowly adding a few more spoonfuls, stirring after each addition to temper the eggs.
- Add the tempered egg mixture to the saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in lemon zest. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes.
- Beat the egg whites with electric beaters. Slowly add 1/2 cup sugar as you go. Beat until stiff peaks form.
- Fold egg whites into the mixture in the saucepan.
- Pour filling into cooled pie shell. Chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours. I like to place a piece of wax or parchment paper gently over the top of the pie (if you use plastic wrap or tinfoil it will pull some of the topping off when you remove it).
- Top with freshly whipped cream.
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?!
RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.
*I originally shared this recipe in November 2013. Updated November 2018.
James Barry says
Change 1: I left the pie in the fridge for a couple days, and it had set up nicely. Normal slices, filling was firm. I guess the filling was too warm, Hadn’t had enough time to set, even after three hours. I followed recipe amounts and times exactly, so not sure what I’d do differently. Maybe leave in fridge overnight. In the end, a very good pie. Five stars.
Carolyn says
I would like to make a lime chiffon pie using this recipe—i.e., substituting lime juice and zest for the lemon. Would that work?
Thank you!
Lauren Allen says
Sure! Sounds delicious.
Carolyn says
Thank you!
Alisa says
This looks amazing! I’m just a little confused about the eggs. Do they cook in the hot lemon mixture? Or do the eggs stay raw?
Lauren Allen says
Yes, the eggs get cooked as they are tempered with the hot custard. If you want to cook them for a few extra mintutes in the saucepan before removing it from heat, you can. :-). Enjoy!