The Best Lemon Pie Filling Recipe - Our Wabi Sabi Life (2024)

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Want to make a lemon pie filling from scratch? This Lemon Pie Filling Recipe is tart, tangy, and so easy to make you will wonder why you never made it homemade before.

The Best Lemon Pie Filling Recipe - Our Wabi Sabi Life (1)

Homemade Lemon Pie Filling is so much better than anything you buy from a can.One of my favorite pies every is my great grandmother’s lemon meringue pie recipe.

She used to have it all the time. I think from that love of lemon meringue I developed a love for all lemon desserts. It is sweet and sour and amazing.

I remember having a dessert a long time ago that they used pie filling in the frosting and I thought ooh what a unique idea. When I was making my Lemon Cake, I decided to try to make lemon frosting using homemade lemon pie filling.

Another delicious dessert idea is our Lemon Dump Cake. This is such a simple recipe that the lemon lovers in your family will love!

Jump to:
  • 🥘Ingredients
  • 🔪Instructions
  • 🧾Substitutions
  • 📖Variations
  • 🍽Equipment
  • 🥫Storage
  • 👩🏻‍🍳Top Tips
  • ❔FAQ
  • Lemon Pie Filling

🥘Ingredients

  • Sugar
  • Cornstarch
  • Cold water
  • Egg
  • Concentrated lemon juice.

You will find a complete list of the ingredients, with measurements listed below.

🔪Instructions

The Best Lemon Pie Filling Recipe - Our Wabi Sabi Life (2)
The Best Lemon Pie Filling Recipe - Our Wabi Sabi Life (3)

At the bottom of the post, in the recipe card, you will find the full instructions.

🧾Substitutions

  • Fresh lemon juice can be used in lieu of concentrated, but you will need to use more of it, and it take longer to cook.

📖Variations

Most recipes have four main ingredients: lemon juice, eggs, sugar, and cornstarch. The ratio of these ingredients varies depending on the recipe, but the basic principle is always the same: the acidity of the lemon juice interacts with the eggs and cornstarch to create a thick, creamy filling.

Sugar is added to offset the tartness of the lemon juice and provide sweetness. Water is used to thin out the filling if it is too thick. Some recipes use flour to thicken the filling, but I use just the cornstarch.

Ultimately, the goal is to create a balance of tartness, sweetness, and creaminess that will make your taste buds sing.

🍽Equipment

You can make lemon pie filling and store it in these mason jars in the refrigerator or use the jars to can the filling. That way you have it whenever you want it. Don’t know how to can? Use this FREE book to learn how.

🥫Storage

You can freeze this filling. Just place it into a freezer-safe container and store it for up to six months.

It will last in the fridge for up to two weeks. Make sure you put it in an airtight container though, so it doesn’t pick up the other smells from your refrigerator.

You can also make up a double batch and can this for later. To do this, simply sterilize some canning jars and then fill them with the pie filling.

Be sure to leave some headspace at the top of each jar, and then seal them with canning lids.

Then, process the jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes before allowing them to cool and storing them in a cool and dry place.

👩🏻‍🍳Top Tips

Besides the lemon cake with lemon icing, you can also make a delicious dessert with lemon pie filling.If you love baking with lemon pie filling, try these ideas:

  • Lemon Meringue Pie
  • Lemon Cookies
  • Lemon tarts
  • Lemon Danish
  • Lemon Muffins

Need a low calorie, low point pie crust recipe that tastes amazing- Use the one from this Skinny Easy Strawberry Pie Recipe.

As the lemon filling cools, it will thicken. It will usually take 3 to 4 minutes to start to thicken.

❔FAQ

Can Filling be Used as Cake Filling?

If want to add a burst of lemon flavor without the cake itself being lemon, you can add a thin layer of lemon pie filling between the layers of the cake. How much pie filling you put in between depends on how thick and how messy you want the cake to be.

How to Make Lemon Pie Filling Thicker

If you find that the pie filling isn’t as thick as you like, simply cook it longer. This is all it takes to make lemon pie filler thicker.

The Best Lemon Pie Filling Recipe - Our Wabi Sabi Life (5)

The Best Lemon Pie Filling Recipe - Our Wabi Sabi Life (6)

Lemon Pie Filling

Want to make a lemon pie filling from scratch? This Lemon Pie Filling Recipe is so easy to make you will wonder why you never made it from scratch before. Homemade Lemon Pie Filling is so much better than anything you buy from a can.

3.88 from 225 votes

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Prep Time 0 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 1 pie

Ingredients

Directions

  • In a small saucepan, mix together water and cornstarch.

  • When the cornstarch dissolves, add sugar, lemon juice, and a slightly beaten egg.

  • Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until it thickens and comes to a boil.

  • If adding food coloring, add it in this step.

  • Remove the thicken lemon mixture from the heat.

  • Let the filling cool before using.

Keyword lemon pie filling

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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The Best Lemon Pie Filling Recipe - Our Wabi Sabi Life (2024)

FAQs

What is lemon pie filling made of? ›

Lemon Meringue Pie Ingredients

For the filling: white sugar, all-purpose flour, cornstarch, salt, water, lemons, butter, and beaten egg yolks.

What is the liquid at the bottom of the lemon meringue pie? ›

What is the best way to prevent having liquid at the bottom of a lemon meringue pie? Don't over bake your meringue! Overbaking causes the egg whites to shrink and squeeze out small droplets of moisture. Always make sure to check on your pie at the minimum baking time.

Why does my lemon pie filling get watery? ›

A lemon pie may become watery when put in the oven to brown the meringue, if it is left in the oven too long; or it may water because the filling was not sufficiently cooked before putting into the pastry shell, or it may be from an insufficiency of flour being used in making the filling.

What is the best thickener for pie filling? ›

Very often flour or cornstarch is used, but in certain instances tapioca, arrowroot and potato starch can also help achieve the desired consistency. Tapioca starch is preferable for products that will be frozen because it will not break down when thawed. We like tapioca in blueberry, cherry or peach pies.

Why put butter in pie filling? ›

A: Dotting the top of a fruit pie filling with butter is an old habit but one that is called for in only about half of the pie recipes out there. Some maintain that the butter is for taste; others claim that it helps the filling set up, particularly when using flour as a thickener.

Why does my lemon pie filling weep? ›

The watery layer between the meringue and the filling (weeping) is usually caused by undercooking.

How to increase lemon flavor? ›

Combine lemon zest with oil or butter

Rub the lemon into the sugar, then add your cooking fat, like butter or oil. The tangy zest will infuse the whole batter, elevating the tart flavor of your dessert. For a shortcut, you can use lemon-infused olive oil.

Why is my lemon filling not thickening? ›

Why is my lemon curd not thickening? Make sure to cook the curd until thickened and bubbling. Stir it frequently with a rubber spatula or whisk to make sure it doesn't get lumpy. Once it's cooked, add cold butter and stir until it melts and becomes smooth.

Why did my lemon pie not set? ›

The key to thickening Lemon Meringue Pie so it sets properly is to cook the filling until bubbles start to pop on the surface of the lemon/egg yolk mixture. It should be the consistency of thick pudding before you remove it from the heat. If it's not thick before you add it to the pie, it will never set properly.

Why is lemon juice added to lemon pie filling after the starch? ›

The acid in the lemon limits the ability of starch to capture moisture, contributing to the pooling in the bottom of the pie plate. We need to use enough juice to provide the lemon flavor but not so much that the starch can't do its job.

Why is my lemon pie crust soggy? ›

A soggy bottom crust happens when the wet filling of your pie soaks into the raw pie dough beneath before it's had a chance to set, causing it to become sodden and gummy.

How to thicken up lemon pie filling? ›

In a medium saucepan, add 6 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 1/3 cup sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 1/2 cups water, and whisk to combine. Bring to a boil on medium heat, whisking constantly. Let simmer for a minute or two until the mixture begins to thicken.

How do you make pie filling less runny? ›

Experiment with different thickeners

If you usually use flour to thicken your apple pie and it's not doing the job, try something different: cornstarch, tapioca, and arrowroot are other established fruit pie thickeners. For more on specific thickeners and how to use them, see our Pie Filling Thickeners Guide.

How do you firm up pie filling? ›

All-purpose flour is an easy solution, as you're sure to have it in your pantry. Since it's lower in starch, you'll use more of it than you would higher-starch thickeners. Quick-cooking tapioca makes filling bright and clear, but also gives it a stippled and somewhat sticky texture.

What is lemon filling made of? ›

Directions. In a saucepan over medium heat mix the white sugar, flour, orange juice, orange zest, lemon juice and the egg. Cook until thickened. Remove from heat and let cool completely before folding in the whipped cream.

What is lemon bar filling made of? ›

Make the filling: Sift the sugar and flour together in a large bowl. Whisk in the eggs, then the lemon juice until completely combined. Pour filling over warm crust. Bake the bars for 22-26 minutes or until the center is relatively set and no longer jiggles.

What is pie filling made of? ›

Fruit, sugar, cornstarch, acid, extras. These are the only things you need to remember to turn out a perfect pie filling. You've already read our step-by-step guide to the flakiest, butteriest pie crust.

What is lemon cream pie made of? ›

Creamy Lemon Pie Filling

We have the sweetened condensed milk to thank for that. It's actually adapted from my oatmeal lemon crumble bars filling, but we also add egg yolks here for structure and fresh lemon juice for flavor. That's it—only 3 basic ingredients that have big jobs to do.

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