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.
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!
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🥘Ingredients
- Sugar
- Cornstarch
- Cold water
- Egg
- Concentrated lemon juice.
You will find a complete list of the ingredients, with measurements listed below.
🔪Instructions
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
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.
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.
Lemon Pie Filling
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1 1/2 cups cold water
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup concentrated lemon juice
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.
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Mita
Can you make without eggs
Debi
I have never tried it without eggs
Liz
1/3 c applesauce substitutes for one egg and it comes out delicious!
Jeanne McIntyre
Is it possible to prepare this recipe for canning?
Debi
I am not sure. I am still new to canning.
Rita
I was making cream cheese pastry dough so had 4 oz of very soft cream cheese which I added with immersion blender! Almost ate the whole batch …
Frances
Can I use lemon juice instead of the concentrate, and if so how, how much?
Debi
You can but I am not sure the amounts. I haven’t tried it with real lemon juice
Susanne
Fresh lemon juice can be substituted for concentrate in any recipe, in the same amount.
Carolyn
Thank you, I was wondering the same as I have a friend that has 2 lemon trees!
Josephine B
Hello, I just came across your site while looking for “Lemon Filling”, but now find you use lemon concentrate. I live in Australia and we don’t have the concentrate, so what can I use i place of the concentrate? Can lemon juice be used?
Thank you.
Debi
You can. You just need more of it
Annette
How many days can you store 5his for?
Debi
I use it within 5 days
Jeanne Denis
Hi, I made this today. It is very tasty…but I had bits of cooked egg white in mine, which I had to pick out, which
was very time consuming. I cooked over medium heat as suggested…do you think I should try low heat next time?
Is there a trick to the egg not cooking? I constantly stirred and thought I was doing a good job…until I was done cooking it and it had the white egg globules. I’d welcome suggestions as to what I did wrong and what I can do the next time to prevent this from happening again. Thank you.
Kathy
Whisk as you pour in the eggs then when it’s all cooked strain through a very fine strainer and it removes the egg white a leaves a very smooth spread.
Michael
This is so good and easy thank you!
Brenda Griffith
Can this filling be frozen for a later date?
Paula
This pie is sooooo easy and Delish with a capital D! Thanks!
Carolyn
Can this be frozen?
Debi
Yes, it can be frozen.
Lizlittle
Great recipe!! I had to use limes, no lemons at the store..I added a tablespoon more of juice plus some zest. Delicious!
Rosemary Ruiz
Finished lemon pie recipe equates to how many cups/ounces
Can this recipe be doubled?
Thanks
Melody
Easy and yummy
Debbie Sanderson
I made this for first time I always bought Sheriff box lemon couldn’t find it so figured it try this I found adding the eggs there were lots of egg whites in lemon and and it didnt thicken as much I want it for lemon tarts but tastes delicious. In box lemon it asks for just yokes maybe I made mistake reading your receipe wrong .
Debi
If it didn’t thicken enough, I would cook it longer
Olga
Can I use this recipe with juice other than lemon?
Debi
I haven’t tried other juices. But I would think that you can
jak
Quick, easy and delicious! Thank you! I have used this recipe several times just as written and it is very very good .
The only thing I did a little bit differently this time (no lemon concentrate available) was add a 1/4 cup and 1 TB extra of Juiced lemon and a little of the zest for pucker.
Patricia
I love this recipe but i cut back on the sugar as i find it was to sweet. Thanks for sharing
Kristine
Is the sugar granulated or powdered?
Debi
Granulated sugar
marjorie
I can’t imagine using concentrated lemon juice. I always use fresh squeesed lemon juice. the rest of the recipe is great. The info about keeping or frezing is new to me & much appreciated. Love your recipies.. Thank you.
Mel
Can you just use egg yolks instead of whole egg
Our Wabi Sabi Staff
Yes, you can use 2 egg yolks to replace 1 whole egg.
Cathy
I made I used this recipe as a guideline, it came out great. I made two batches. First batch I used half lemon juice concentrate. Second batch used fresh lemon juice. I grated zest for a tart taste and so you could tell it was homeade filling. I made one gluten free crust and two regular crust. Thanks for the recipe. One helpful hint…be sure to stir and pay attention to thickness because this will scorch very easily.
Our Wabi Sabi Life Staff
Glad you liked the recipe and thanks for the tip!
Cindy Riojas
is this recipe enough for 1 whole pie?
Debi
Yes, I use it to make 1 pie.
Rosemary Scalera
I used Swerve in place of sugar. Really good.
Brenda
Great recipe. I liked using the whole egg. I did whisk it to insure there was no white to be seen. Followed it using lemon juice and it turned out super. Graham cracker crust. Will not hesitate to make again.
Judy
Thanks for letting me join
Elena Bowe
I make a lemon and pineapple crumble add lemon mix to crushed pineapple then put a ginger crumble mix on top, flour, butter sugar ginger rub in put in top sprinkle with a little Demerara sugar and bake in a medium oven 25 mins. No need to make custard with it as your lemon filling is your sauce. Enjoy.