Lemon Chess Pie is an old fashioned Southern dessert that's easy to make from what's in the pantry. It's sweet, tangy, and buttery, with a thin crackly top and a silky lemon custard underneath.
Chess pie has been around for generations, and I've found versions of this Lemon Chess Pie in several of my recipe books going back to 1950. It’s a simple recipe, with only eggs, butter, sugar, and fresh lemons, plus a spoonful of fine yellow cornmeal. The cornmeal is the traditional touch: it helps the filling set and gives the top its signature crackle, so don't skip it.
The bright, tart-sweet filling reminds me a bit of the lemon base in Ann Landers Lemon Meringue Pie. It has that same fresh lemon flavor, but without the meringue. Chess pie bakes into a denser, custardy slice with a golden top. It's much easier to make and travels well to potlucks and holiday gatherings. I loved it with a little homemade whipped cream on top.
You’ll just need one pie crust for this recipe. I’m partial to the classic Never Fail Pie Crust, or you can use an all-butter crust or even store-bought. The pie is lovely chilled or at room temperature and keeps covered in the refrigerator for up to three days.
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Keys to Success For Making Chess Pie
- Blind bake the crust. Pre-baking the crust keeps the bottom from turning soggy under the custard. If you don’t have pie weights, dried beans are an easy swap.
- Don't skip the cornmeal. Just a tablespoon of fine yellow cornmeal helps the filling set and creates the classic crackly top.
- Watch for the jiggle. Start checking for doneness at 35 minutes. The pie is done when the top is golden and the center barely jiggles. Over baking the pie can make the filling grainy.
- Shield the edges. If the crust browns too fast, cover the edges with a pie shield or strips of foil.
- Be patient. Let the pie cool for at least 2 hours before slicing. The filling finishes setting as it cools.
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Ingredients
You’ll need ⅓ cup lemon juice and 1 tablespoon lemon zest, which was the exact amount in the two large lemons that I had. If you have smaller lemons, you’ll need 3-4 of them.
The cornmeal can be fine or medium ground. Avoid coarse ground cornmeal, which will make the filling gritty.
Store-bought pie crust works fine, but I do love the flakiness of this flaky Crisco pie crust and lately, I’ve been using Never Fail Pie crust exclusively, with a mixture of half butter and half shortening or lard. It’s flaky, flavorful, and makes enough to create a generous edge.
How to Make Lemon Chess Pie
- Place an unbaked pie crust in a pie dish. Dock the crust with a fork on the bottom and the sides.
- Line with a square of parchment paper (I crumple it first so it sits in the crust better), and fill with pie weights. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove the parchment and pie weights, and bake for 5 minutes more.
- Whisk together the filling ingredients. Pour into the partially baked crust.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes at 350°F, or until the center just jiggles slightly. Remove from the oven and let cool before slicing.
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s delicious on its own, but a light dusting of powdered sugar on top is really pretty. I love a dollop of whipped cream for the top, too.
Yes, chess pie is best stored in the refrigerator. Make sure to cool the pie completely first, before covering loosely and storing in the fridge for up to 5 days. Refrigerating it while still warm can create a soggy crust.
Lemon chess pie can be made up to one day in advance. It’ll actually last longer, but for the best texture of the crust, serve it within 24 hours of making it. You can make the pie crust several days in advance and keep it in the fridge, or in the freezer for several months. I used a frozen disc of Never Fail pie crust for this recipe, made a few months prior and defrosted for a day in the fridge. It worked great!
More Old Fashioned Pie Recipes
I absolutely adore pie, and this collection of 20+ old fashioned pie recipes is proof! Here are a handful of reader favorites:
- Old Fashioned Pecan Pie
- Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Pie (a must-try for peanut butter fans)
- Strawberry Pie with Jello
- Peach Cream Pie (it’s hard to pick a favorite, but this is mine)
- No Bake Chocolate Pie
📖 Recipe
Lemon Chess Pie
Equipment
- 1 pie dish
- 1 microplane (for zesting the lemons)
Ingredients
- 1 unbaked pie crust (I use a half recipe of Never Fail Pie Crust)
- 4 eggs
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
- ¼ cup milk
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 large lemons)
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (yellow part only)
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 tablespoon fine yellow cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Place 1 unbaked pie crust into a 9-inch or 9½-inch pie plate and crimp the edges. Dock the crust in the bottom and the sides with a fork (prick it every few inches all over).
- Line the crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Bake for 10 minutes.
- Carefully lift out the parchment and weights, then bake for 5 more minutes, until the bottom looks dry but not browned.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
- While the crust bakes, whisk 4 eggs well. Add ¼ cup unsalted butter, ¼ cup milk, ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon lemon zest, and whisk well to combine.
- Whisk in the 2 cups sugar, 1 tablespoon fine yellow cornmeal, 1 tablespoon flour, and ¼ teaspoon salt until smooth.
- Pour the filling into the warm crust. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, first checking at 35 minutes. The top should be a delicate golden brown, and the center should be just barely set, with a slight jiggle. If the crust edges brown too quickly, cover them with a pie shield or strips of foil.
- Cool the pie on a wire rack for at least 2 hours before slicing. The filling will finish setting as it cools.
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