Classic Lemon Pie Filling
Canned just can’t compete. Whether you’re filling doughnuts, spreading between cake layers, or assembling a pie, it’s definitely worth all the squeezing and mixing!
Ingredients
Don’t you dare use bottled juice on me!
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups water
- 2 lemons (juiced and zested)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 4 egg yolks (beaten)
Instructions
Step One: Prepare The Lemon Mixture
In a medium saucepan, whisk together 1 cup of granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons of flour, 3 tablespoons of cornstarch, and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Stir in 1 ½ cups of water, the juice, and zest of 2 lemons. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture comes to a boil.
Step Two: Thicken The Filling
After the mixture boils, turn down the heat and let it simmer for 1 minute. Keep stirring until the mixture thickens noticeably.
Step Three: Temper The Egg Yolks
In a small bowl, whisk 4 beaten egg yolks. Gradually whisk in about ½ cup of the hot sugar mixture to temper the egg yolks. This step prevents the eggs from curdling.
Step Four: Combine And Cook
Pour the tempered egg yolks back into the saucepan. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil and continue cooking, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. The filling should be thick and smooth.
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Step Five: Finish The Filling
Remove from heat. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and keep stirring until it melts completely and mixes into the filling.
Step Six: Cool And Use
Let the filling cool a bit before pouring it into your pie crust. If you’re not using it right away, cover the filling with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface to avoid forming a skin.
If you don’t have a large, airtight container to store this, pour the filling into a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap to prevent skin from forming on top. It can be refrigerated like this for up to 3 days.
How to Use It Up
It’s not just for pies! There are many recipes with lemon pie filling.
- Use it for a lemon cobbler – like a pie, but easier!
- Sourdough lemon bars are a travel-friendly dessert.
- Make homemade yeast doughnuts without cutting a center hole, and pipe the filling in after you fry them.
More Homemade Pie Fillings
Now you are ready for ALL pie emergencies.
- Everyone loves a classic apple pie, and this apple pie filling will make your life easier.
- If you want enough for a big batch, this cherry pie filling will give you enough to make 7 pies!
- Blueberry pie filling is also really good on cheesecake. 😋
- We like to spoon blackberry pie filling over ice cream.
Printable Recipe
Classic Lemon Pie Filling
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups water
- 2 lemons (juiced and zested)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 4 egg yolks (beaten)
Instructions
- Prepare the lemon mixture. In a medium saucepan, whisk together 1 cup of granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons of flour, 3 tablespoons of cornstarch, and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Stir in 1 ½ cups of water, the juice, and zest of 2 lemons. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture comes to a boil.
- Thicken the filling. After the mixture boils, turn down the heat and let it simmer for 1 minute. Keep stirring until the mixture thickens a lot.
- Temper the egg yolks. In a small bowl, whisk 4 beaten egg yolks. Gradually whisk in about ½ cup of the hot sugar mixture to temper the egg yolks. This step prevents the eggs from curdling.
- Combine and cook. Pour the tempered egg yolks back into the saucepan. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil and continue cooking, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. The filling should be thick and smooth.
- Finish the filling. Remove from heat. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and keep stirring until it melts completely and mixes into the filling.
- Cool and use. Let the filling cool a bit before pouring it into your pie crust. If you're not using it right away, cover the filling with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface to avoid forming a skin.
Notes
Nutrition
I made this today. it is so lemony and it has a lovely texture. Just making a pastry case for it. will this recipe work using oranges
Hi Carol, I’ve never actually tried an orange version. it SHOULD work but i’d reduce the sugar a LITTLE
I needed a Lemon pie filling and didn’t really want to go to the store so I found this recipe online and I already had the ingredients to make it. It was so easy and it turned out delicious. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
hi beth! so glad it turned out 🙂 hope you enjoy whatever you made with it.
I made it twice,v1st time was excellent, 2nd time I had too old if lemons.l they didn’t zest well. Making again next week by request.
thank you richard! i’m glad you liked it!
Delicious! And not difficult at all with your instructions!
thank you sandy!!! 🙂
very easy with everything we already had in the house. tastes delicious. Thanks for posting the recipe.
I just made this recipe and my curd is cooling. My question is how much juice do you actually need.? My lemons were very large and I used all the juice. I wish there was a measurement instead of just the juice of the lemons. How much would you suggest? I’m just hoping that it’s not going to be too thin. But it does taste very good. I guess I’ll have to wait and see when it cools a bit.
This is great over raspberries!
This turned out beautifully! The flavor is so lemony…was a little concerned about the flour and cornstarch. Amazing!
Hey Teri, so glad you liked it. I love how tart it is without being too sweet.
I have to make this gluten free! So can I use 5 TBSP of cornstarch and eliminate the flour?
it should work in theory but I have never tried it. you can also try clear gel
Tasted great but too soft. What did I do wrong?
just SLIGHTLY undercooked most likely! also keep in mind it thickens considerably as it cools, so if you just made it, pop it in the fridge and you’ll see a change!
I just made this for a pie for my husband’s birthday tomorrow and it was absolutely delicious!! Lemon pie is his favorite!! Thanks for sharing!👍
Might be the best thing I ever tasted. I had to leave the kitchen to avoid eating it all – I swear there is something kind of trickery involved to make it super-addictive. Can’t stop thinking about it.
Oh wow, that makes me so happy! I agree, homemade lemon pie filling is just too good. Maybe it’s the sweet and tart mix that makes it so addictive! I know how hard it is to stop eating it. Thank you for your kind words, and I hope you make it again soon!
I love lemon anything. My younger brother and I would eat them like oranges. We really messed up a kid that was a bully to my younger brother. The kid got up to sing a solo and he saw us eating lemons, he couldn’t sing because his jaw was clinching and everything that goes with eating lemons. Needless to say he never bullied him again. LMBO. THIS WAS 1969. SO GIVE ME SOME ROOM TO GET BACK ON S.A.B
I like your recipe for lemon pie filling. Can it be use for filling in a layer cake?
Yes it’s PERFECT for that!!! my favorite for this is king Arthur’s yellow cake the the layers and a buttercream with coconut on top. 🙂
Can you can this for use later?
no it’s not approved for canning.
Thank you. I have never made a lemon filling before I was surprised at how easy this was. It will not be my last time making it. Thanks so much for the ease n tips you included
Hey Barbara, you’re so welcome! I’m happy to hear you found it easy and enjoyable to make. Lemon pie filling is such a game-changer, isn’t it? I hope it becomes a go-to recipe for you. Thank you for taking the time to share your experience—it means so much!:)
I made this a few days ago and used it as filling for lemon meringue pie. It’s delicious and just perfect for those who don’t want milk or cream in their desserts. So a big thankyou and I’ll be making this again soon. Next up will be the cookies…..