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This old fashioned Lemon Chiffon Pie is light, creamy, and has an irresistible fresh lemon flavor. It's easy to make ahead and made with simple ingredients with only 15 minutes of prep!
Great Grandma's Lemon Chiffon Pie
I can trace this this lemon chiffon pie recipe all the way back to my great-great-grandmother from the 1800's–it's so special to me! It's one of those recipes that feels like a little piece of family history in every single bite, and still timeless and delicious. It has a light and creamy fresh lemon filling inside my homemade pie crust. It seriously doesn't get better than this!
If you love lemon desserts, try my Lemon Bars, Lemon Cake, Lemon Mousse, Lemon Meringue Pie, Lemon Cream Pie, Lemon Brownies, and Lemon Tiramisu!
How to make Lemon Chiffon Pie:
Combine: In a saucepan, mix together water, lemon juice, salt, 1 cup of the sugar, and butter. Stir and bring to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, stir cornstarch and ½ cup of water in a small bowl then pour into the hot mixture, whisking constantly on low heat. Cook until it has thickened.
Separate and Temper Eggs: Separate egg yolks and whites into two separate bowls then beat the egg yolks with a fork. Pour in a large spoonful of the hot mixture from the saucepan into the egg yolks, stirring constantly. Continue stirring while you add a couple more, stirring as you go. Pour the tempered egg yolk into the saucepan, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in lemon zest. Let cool for 10-15 minutes.
Whip Egg Whites: With a hand mixer, beat the egg whites, slowly adding ½ cup sugar as you go. Beat until stiff peaks form then fold the egg whites into the warm mixture in the saucepan.
Finish Pie: Pour lemon pie filling into a cooled pie shell then refrigerate for at least 2 hours. I recommend placing a piece of wax or parchment paper on top of the pie (plastic wrap and tinfoil will pull some off of the top). Top this no bake lemon chiffon pie with whipped cream before serving.
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 + 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.1 ½ cups water, ½ cup lemon juice, dash of salt, ½ cup butter
- 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.5 Tablespoons cornstartch + ½ cup water
- Separate the egg yolks and whites into two separate bowls. Beat the egg yolks with a fork.3 large eggs
- 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.lemon zest
- 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).1 9 inch baked pie shell
- Top with freshly whipped cream.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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*I originally shared this recipe in November 2013. Updated November 2018 and March 2026.
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!