Lemon Chess Pie: A Southern Family Tradition
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Lemon chess pie is a deliciously thick custard pie bursting with zesty lemon flavor that’s long been associated with Southern cuisine. You are going to love it!
I’m so excited to share this lemon pie recipe with y’all today. There are many, many pie recipes on Southern Plate, but lemon chess pie is my personal favorite. There’s just something about the light, sweet, and tangy lemon curd-like filling paired with the flaky pie crust that I can’t resist. This is a classic Southern dessert that you need to try for yourself.
Fortunately, this is a super quick and easy lemon chess pie recipe. Let’s hear it for simplicity! All you need to make this pie is butter, eggs, lemons, and sugar. I have used lemon juice on occasion when I didn’t want to fuss with fresh lemons or didn’t have them on hand and it was still wonderful. I like to make it with my homemade pie crust for a totally old-fashioned, simple but good experience. But it works beautifully in a standard store-bought pie shell, as you’ll see in this tutorial.
To make my chess pie, we’re going to cream the butter and sugar together, then beat in the egg yolks, fresh lemon juice, and grated lemon zest. Now here is my secret weapon. You see, most chess pie recipes use cornmeal or flour as a stabilizer to thicken the filling. But in this recipe, the egg whites have the same effect. So beat them separately until stiff peaks form, fold them into the pie filling, and then pour this into your pie crust.
In 30 minutes, your lemon chess pie is ready to serve. Serve your pie slice with a dusting of powdered sugar and a dollop of whipped cream if you like.
Recipe Ingredients
- Pie crust
- Butter
- Eggs
- Granulated sugar
- Lemons (we use both the lemon juice and lemon zest).
How to Make Lemon Chess Pie
Begin by separating your egg yolks from the whites.
Make sure there is no yolk at all in your white because we are going to beat those and they won’t do what we want them to do if they have yolk in them.
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
Beat in egg yolks.
Lightly grate the rinds of your lemon to get some lemon zest.
Add grated lemon rind and fresh lemon juice to the mixing bowl and beat the ingredients together.
In a separate bowl, with clean beaters (important), beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.
Then lightly fold them into your batter by hand using a spatula or large spoon (this means just stir them by hand until they are mixed in).
The above photo shows stiff egg whites.
After you fold egg whites into your batter, pour the filling into the pie pan or pie shell.
Bake the pie at 350 until set and golden (about 25 to 30 minutes).
It will have a perfectly golden crust on top and smell like heavenly sunshine.
For pretty sake, you can sprinkle a little confectioner’s sugar on top, if you like.
Allow to completely cool before cutting. Even better if you make a day ahead of time and refrigerate until serving.
Storage
- Store leftover lemon chess pie in an airtight container or covered in plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- However, you can also freeze lemon cheese pie for up to three months. After slicing the pie into individual servings, place the slices into an airtight container or wrap them individually in both plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Once you’re ready to eat, simply thaw the slices overnight in the fridge.
Recipe Notes
- As mentioned, you can definitely use a homemade pie crust. Here’s my easy recipe where you mix the pie dough directly in the pan!
- For gluten-free lemon chess pie, use a gluten-free pie crust instead. All of the other ingredients are naturally gluten-free.
- For best results, ensure both the butter and eggs are at room temperature before mixing.
- As mentioned, you can use bottled lemon juice and skip the lemon zest if you like.
Recipe FAQs
Why is it called chess pie?
Chess pie has been a Southern tradition since the 1700s, so there are several rumors about where the name came from. Some people believe it has to do with enjoying a slice while playing chess. Others believe it was kept in the kitchen chest in the olden days and later referred to as chess pie. And some believe that the term chess pie came from the fact a Southerner once said “just pie,” which can sound like “jes’ pie” in the Southern dialect and that somehow transformed into chess pie. Choose the story you like the most!
What’s the difference between chess pie and regular pie?
The main difference between a Southern chess pie and a regular pie is that it has a custard filling made with butter, sugar, and eggs. Regular pie fillings can be made with a variety of ingredients. Take fan favorite, pecan pie for example, which is made with eggs, butter, sugar, corn syrup, and chopped pecans.
Why is my lemon chess pie runny?
Sometimes, lemon chess pie will unfortunately still be runny after the recommended cooking time. If this happens, you can leave the pie in the turned-off oven for an additional 5 to 10 minutes. If that doesn’t work, place the pie in the fridge for a few hours to help it set.
What does chess pie taste like?
The chess pie filling is similar to that of a custard pie, so think a light and sweet custard filling. In this instance, the filling is a similar taste and texture to lemon curd.
How do you serve chess pie?
I love to serve my lemon chess pie with a dusting of confectioner’s sugar and a dollop of whipped cream (here’s my homemade recipe).
You may also like these Southern pie recipes:
Water Pie: Recipe from the Great Depression
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2-3 lemons (for lemon juice and lemon zest)
- 4 eggs, separated
- 1 pie crust
Instructions
- Cream sugar with butter until light and fluffy.1 cup sugar, 4 tablespoons butter
- Beat in egg yolks.4 eggs, separated
- Beat in grated lemon rind and juice.2-3 lemons (for lemon juice and lemon zest)
- Beat egg whites in a separate bowl (with clean beaters) until stiff peak forms, then lightly fold this into the pie mixture.4 eggs, separated
- Pour into the pie shell and bake at 350 until set and golden brown on top (about 25 to 30 minutes).1 pie crust
Video
Nutrition
Hi Christy,
I want to make this pie to take to my parents on Easter. Do you have to use the zesting? I don’t have a zester and probably don’t have time to go get one before Sunday so how else could I do that?
Thanks!
I just made this pie, and am waiting for it to cool down to take a bit. I used a pottery pie pan, and found the crust actually took about 16-17 minutes to brown nicely. But the baking went a few minutes too long for 25 minutes, as the top got a little dark. I will probably back it down to 22 minutes next time. I cheated and used my food processor to whip the egg whites, and they came out perfect.
Woolworth’s in downtown West Palm Beach used to serve this at the luncheon counter in the 60s when I was a kid. Can’t wait to try it.
Also, Christy, I ordered your cookbook. As I get older, I find I’m enjoying home cooking again, especially southern cooking.
This sounds yummy and easier than a traditional lemon meringue pie, which I have never made (too afraid!). I don’t have any lemons right now, but do have bottled lemon juice. How much would you suggest using instead of fresh lemons? I’m gonna try this with the mix in the pan pie crust. Sounds too easy!
Thanks for all the recipes, they sound great. I just found this site today and subscribed and received the ecookbook and am excited to try out some of the recipes in there also.
I’m not “southern”, having been born in California and living in Oregon the last 15 years but all this food sounds so delicious. I’m a stay at home mom of 3 with #4 on the way and all these recipes are so simple and most ingredients I either already have, or are very easy and inexpensive to get. I’m sure my husband and kids will be forever grateful for all the yummy meals and snacks I’ll be making from your recipes!
I made this tonight for our weekly dessert, and even though I over-baked it(I totally forgot about it!), it is DIVINE! We used your pie crust recipe as well, and I think we have a new family favorite. I can’t wait until I can eat it cold for my midnight snack! I mean,…..umm never mind. Thanks for the recipe!
This recipe was a big hit with my husband! I think I have found a use for all the Meyer lemons the bush in my backyard is producing right now! It was much easier than a standard lemon meringue since you don’t have to cook the filling before baking or make sure the meringue seals properly, and it tastes about the same. I reduced the recipe by 1/4 to make it fit into a store bought pie crust. And the tartness of the lemons covered up the chemically taste of the Splenda I used to make it lower in carbs.
Thanks for the inspiration, Christy!
Hey Treva! I’m taking care of posting about that thing, you know the really really neat and pretty thing, this week! Wednesday, to be exact!!! Thank you for being such a great encouragement to me!!!
Leslie Oh girl, after spending that week in Orlando, every time I think about you I think of how hot you must be!!! Hehe, I got princess bowls, too!
Donna Weeeeeee, you know how good it is, too! I just love simple things, don’t you? I don’t guess there is much that is simpler than a plain old chess pie, and not much that is better tasting, either! Let me know how you like the crust, I enjoy it and hope others do as well!
Kingsqueen Buttermilk pie! I’m gonna make one of those eventually, too! You know its hard because I want to make so much, but there are only four people living in my house! I am taking the rest of the Lemon Chess Pie to my mother’s house today, I’ve had it in the fridge! You have the prettiest little picture for your avatar!
Len I DO have a recipe for chess bars, or my grandmother does actually. I’m going to see her this afternoon so I’ll snag it for ya!
Tina (Mommy’s Kitchen) You know, I’m a lemon dessert person, too. I guess its just something about the taste that makes things kind of sunshiney, you know?
Nikki OOOOOOOOOh yes, I grew up on them, too! I love that we have so much of our food heritage in common!!!! I can just see myself sitting down to a meal of pintos and greens with you and both of us eating like it was dinner at the Ritz!
You’re awesome!!!
Jo You have no idea how much I wish I could just pass you a slice right now! I love to feed people. It kind of feels rude sometimes when I post things and then can’t offer them to you all to taste!
Deanna I am SO GLAD you said that because you know, I worry sometimes that my recipes might not be as southern as I think because – I’ve never lived outside of the south so I don’t know what else is out there!!!! I need y’all to let me know I’m on the right track!!!
If I do post a non-southern recipe though, I can still claim it is southern because I AM a southern cook and my kitchen IS in the south so therefore whatever I cook in it IS southern food, right?
Lets hear it for the GRITS!!! Hehe
Su I can see how you’d think that if you’d never seen one before, I imagine I’d think the same thing! What a cute cake in your pic!!!
Thank y’all so much for reading yet another one of my posts!!!!!!
Gratefully,
Christy
It looks totally different to what I imagined! When I read the recipe for the chess pie in your book, I imagined it to look like a chess board, I don’t know, perhaps squares of white and yellow. Now I know! hehe