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
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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.
Kelby Groesbeck says
I swear I did everything right, but when I folded in the stiff egg whites, the filling became lumpy with bits of cooked meringue. What might I have done wrong? (It still tastes yummy otherwise!)
Lauren Allen says
I’m so sorry you had trouble. Next time try letting the lemon filling cool a bit before adding the beaten egg whites.
Maggie Carr says
So, while the “yolks” do cook… the “whites” are basically being added in and will be consumed raw?
priyanka says
nice post keep it up…….
Lesa says
Can I freeze completed pie
Lauren Allen says
No, I wouldn’t recommend freezing it! It stores well in the fridge for a few days. You could blind bake the crust and freeze it and then add the filling the day of. My favorite method is to freeze the unbaked pie dough (see directions in the post)!
jane Higgins says
excellent recipe , easy, quick and delicious. just like I remember back in New England!
Cindy says
I followed the recipe exactly, but my filling did not set very much or become firm. It tastes delicious, but not that attractive! Any suggestions?
Joanna Eades says
The pie is absolutely delicious. Perfect balance of sweet and tartness. The only concern is that the pie did not set up fully. I was careful to cook the mixture until thickened and temper the eggs and then fold the egg whites in as described. Perhaps unflavored gelatin would it set? I will update to 5 stars if I can get my next pie to set.
Hannah says
This was soooo tasty!!! We made it last night
I am dieting so I eat in moderation but my mom loves massive pie slices!
Soooo good!
Joanna says
I made this today, and it is delicious. Not too tart or too sweet, but still perfectly lemony. The consistency wasn’t spot on, however. My egg tempering and folding techniques need improvement. But I will try again (this quarantine business is NOT good for the waistline!) until I perfect this as the flavor is so good. This is going to be my signature pie recipe. Thanks!
Rose says
After my second attempt, I finally got it to look like the one on the recipe! I used graham cracker crust instead. My brother loved it.