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 ½ 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 ½ 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:
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- Key Lime Pie
- Chocolate Cream Pie
- Oreo Cheesecake Pie
- Banana Cream Pie
- Coconut Cream Pie
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Recipe
Lemon Chiffon Pie
Equipment
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 + ½ cup water
- 3 large eggs , yolks and whites separated
- lemon zest , from one small lemon
- fresh whipped cream , for topping
Instructions
- Add 1 ½ 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 ½ 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 ½ 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.
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I had the same problem as many others; the filling did not set, even overnight. I’ve seen only one reply to these comments which suggested the baker must have done something wrong and that the author had made the pie “a million times” with no problem.
I think the issue with family recipes is that you “get an eye” for how things should be (consistency, texture, etc) that people using the recipe for the first time don’t have.
Can I suggest/request the next time you make it, you record the temperature of the filling when it’s the right thickness? Also, knowing the volume of egg whites used would be useful – 3 large eggs whites may not weigh/measure the same everywhere.
It does taste delicious but having to serve pie in a bowl with a spoon isn’t quite the same as a beautiful slice.
Thanks.
We love lemon meringue pie and I make a pretty darn good one.. But wanted something different. I found this recipe a year ago and I Thought it sounded good. It is now my go to everyone loves it!! It is even better than lemon meringue pie! I use 3/4 of a cup of lemon juice because I’d like it a little more tart and a splenda sugar blend. I also let the lemon curd cool for longer than 15 minutes and make sure it’s thick enough sometimes add a little more corn starch. This is one of the best pies ever!!!
I made this EXACTLY as written and the filling did not set up. Flavor was excellent but texture was less than optimum. Gotta use a different recipe. Won’t trust this site again.
Today March 11, 2022, I went right by your directions for this pie……….it NEVER set up!!!!
after all the good ingredients and time for this to happen, well , I’m more then disappointed!:(
I I have made this pie several times and Always need to add a few more tablespoons of corn starch to The putting mixture to get it to thicken up enough
Very good and easy to make lemon pie
I loved my grandmother’s and now I can make one of my own!
unfortunately have to echo others comments; you are the absolute pie guru and I paid very good attention to detail, but after 8 hours still runny. flavor very lemony, but can’t help but think some thickening agent was missing. All other pies such as triple berry, regular lemon have been absolute perfection along with your excellent crust. I’ll keep trying.
With any egg/custard-based recipe thickened with cornstarch it can become tricky if we stop just when it thickens. Eggs can cause cornstarch to deactivate when cooling if it’s not cooked to a bubble/simmer. A thermometer comes in handy because it should do that beyond 185 degrees F. Make sure you take it off the heat when checking the temperature and keep stirring when it is on the heat so it doesn’t burn or scramble.
I think I know what thickener was missing. In a chiffon pie, the egg yolk mixture (whether it’s custard or fruit curd) is usually thickened with bloomed gelatin that is melted in the yolk mixture rather than cornstarch.
I followed all of the steps precisely using the required ingredients.
The lemon sugar corn starch mixture got thick, and when it cooled I mixed in the stiffly beaten egg whites. Poured all into a cool baked pie crust.
I covered with Parchment paper and it has been in the fridge for 2 hours and I just checked it… a milky runny texture!!!!
I’ve never had faith in corn starch in the past. I should have used plain gelatin instead. NOT HAPPY.
Terrible instructions and does not make up a custardy filling☹️
Can I use a frozen pie crust that needs to be rolled out? Would I have to bake the crust first?
Yes, the pie shell needs to be baked.
This recipe does NOT set up!!! I was looking for a quicker version of lemon chiffon pie than using gelatin and a double boiler. I am a professional baker, making this pie at a customers request. I even added an additional tablespoon of corn starch because what was called for didn’t seem like enough. Followed the instructions it to a T. It’s a soupy pudding consistency. Disappointed.
I’m really sorry Amy, but something definitely went wrong during the process. I’ve made this recipe a million times (and it’s been in my family for generations) and it always sets up perfectly. I’m sorry you had trouble with it!