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    Home » Food

    The Easiest Lemon Pie Filling Recipe

    By Debi 35 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This site also accepts sponsored content

    Jump to Recipe

    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. 

    pinterest image

    Lemon Pie Filling

    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. 

    What is in Lemon Pie Filling

    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.

    How Long Does Lemon Pie Filling Last

    I have made lemon pie filling and stored it in the refrigerator for about a week. I am sure it will last much longer than that, but I usually make the filling when I am going to use it. 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. 

    How to Store Pie Filling

    There are many delicious ways to enjoy pie filling, but sometimes you may have too much for one pie. If you find yourself with leftover pie filling, there are several ways to store it so that you can enjoy it later.

    One option is to freeze the filling. This will help to preserve its flavor and texture, and it will also prevent it from going bad. Simply place the filling in a freezer-safe container and store it in the freezer for up to six months.

    Another option is to refrigerate the filling. This is a good choice if you plan on using the filling within the next week or so. Simply place the filling in a covered container once it has reached room temperature and store it in the fridge. However, be sure to consume the filling within two weeks of refrigerating it. Lastly, you can also can the pie filling. This is a great option if you want to keep the filling for an extended period of time. 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

    lemon merinque pie on a white and blue plate

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    What to Serve with Lemon Pie Filling

    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
    • Lemon Cake
    • Lemon Dump Cake

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

    Will lemon pie filling thicken as it cools?

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

    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. 

    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. 

    Ingredients in Lemon Pie Filling

    • Sugar
    • Cornstarch
    • Cold water
    • Egg
    • Concentrated lemon juice. Fresh lemon juice can be used but you need more and it take longer to cook.

    How to Make Lemon Pie Filling

    In a small or medium saucepan, mix together water and cornstarch.

    When the cornstarch dissolves, stir in sugar, lemon juice, and a slightly beaten egg.

    lemon pie filling ingredients in a pot

    Whisk over medium heat stirring constantly until the sugar mixture thickens and comes to a boil.

    If adding food coloring, add it in this step. (as I said, I do not do this)

    spoonful of filling

    Remove the thicken lemon mixture from the heat.

    Let the filling cool before using. 

    lemon pie filling in a jar

    More Pie Recipes

    • Pumpkin Pie Recipe
    • Healthy Apple Pie
    • Crunch Top Apple Pie Recipe

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    .
    spoonful of lemon pie filling

    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. 

    3.68 from 184 votes
    Print the Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 0 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 1 pie

    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.
    Keyword lemon pie filling
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Mita

      February 07, 2021 at 12:25 pm

      Can you make without eggs

      Reply
      • Debi

        April 25, 2021 at 11:03 pm

        I have never tried it without eggs

        Reply
      • Liz

        October 27, 2021 at 3:45 pm

        1/3 c applesauce substitutes for one egg and it comes out delicious!

        Reply
    2. Jeanne McIntyre

      March 11, 2021 at 9:45 am

      Is it possible to prepare this recipe for canning?

      Reply
      • Debi

        April 01, 2021 at 5:41 pm

        I am not sure. I am still new to canning.

        Reply
    3. Rita

      April 04, 2021 at 12:09 am

      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 …

      Reply
    4. Frances

      May 02, 2021 at 5:42 am

      Can I use lemon juice instead of the concentrate, and if so how, how much?

      Reply
      • Debi

        June 17, 2021 at 3:26 pm

        You can but I am not sure the amounts. I haven’t tried it with real lemon juice

        Reply
      • Susanne

        December 31, 2021 at 2:54 pm

        Fresh lemon juice can be substituted for concentrate in any recipe, in the same amount.

        Reply
        • Carolyn

          March 11, 2022 at 5:33 pm

          Thank you, I was wondering the same as I have a friend that has 2 lemon trees!

          Reply
    5. Josephine B

      August 08, 2021 at 9:25 pm

      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.

      Reply
      • Debi

        August 25, 2021 at 7:51 am

        You can. You just need more of it

        Reply
    6. Annette

      September 26, 2021 at 5:30 pm

      How many days can you store 5his for?

      Reply
      • Debi

        October 15, 2021 at 2:00 pm

        I use it within 5 days

        Reply
    7. Jeanne Denis

      December 03, 2021 at 1:46 pm

      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.

      Reply
      • Kathy

        December 11, 2022 at 12:25 pm

        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.

        Reply
    8. Michael

      December 25, 2021 at 8:05 pm

      This is so good and easy thank you!

      Reply
    9. Brenda Griffith

      January 03, 2022 at 4:07 pm

      Can this filling be frozen for a later date?

      Reply
    10. Paula

      February 27, 2022 at 4:37 pm

      This pie is sooooo easy and Delish with a capital D! Thanks!

      Reply
    11. Carolyn

      March 29, 2022 at 5:23 pm

      Can this be frozen?

      Reply
      • Debi

        August 08, 2022 at 9:55 am

        Yes, it can be frozen.

        Reply
    12. Lizlittle

      April 08, 2022 at 5:23 pm

      Great recipe!! I had to use limes, no lemons at the store..I added a tablespoon more of juice plus some zest. Delicious!

      Reply
    13. Rosemary Ruiz

      April 10, 2022 at 8:53 pm

      Finished lemon pie recipe equates to how many cups/ounces
      Can this recipe be doubled?
      Thanks

      Reply
    14. Melody

      April 16, 2022 at 9:08 pm

      Easy and yummy

      Reply
    15. Debbie Sanderson

      May 14, 2022 at 4:09 pm

      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 .

      Reply
      • Debi

        July 25, 2022 at 11:09 am

        If it didn’t thicken enough, I would cook it longer

        Reply
    16. Olga

      June 21, 2022 at 12:25 pm

      Can I use this recipe with juice other than lemon?

      Reply
      • Debi

        July 25, 2022 at 11:06 am

        I haven’t tried other juices. But I would think that you can

        Reply
    17. jak

      July 21, 2022 at 4:05 pm

      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.

      Reply
    18. Patricia

      July 26, 2022 at 7:37 pm

      I love this recipe but i cut back on the sugar as i find it was to sweet. Thanks for sharing

      Reply
    19. Kristine

      September 30, 2022 at 6:54 pm

      Is the sugar granulated or powdered?

      Reply
      • Debi

        December 12, 2022 at 10:09 am

        Granulated sugar

        Reply
    20. marjorie

      December 06, 2022 at 5:47 pm

      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.

      Reply
    21. Mel

      December 18, 2022 at 11:19 am

      Can you just use egg yolks instead of whole egg

      Reply
      • Our Wabi Sabi Staff

        December 19, 2022 at 7:27 am

        Yes, you can use 2 egg yolks to replace 1 whole egg.

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Debi!

    Welcome to my world. I am a 40 something year old mom to a lot of kids and a lot of pets. When I am not busy with the kids, grandkids, or animals, I love to do crafts and read.

    I love to knit and can often be found working on a project.

    More about me →

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