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!
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
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.
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.
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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Water seeping from meringue is practically always coming from the egg whites. There are a few standard things you can do to reduce it. First, do not overbeat. For some reason, recipes love to direct people to beat egg whites "to stiff peaks".
To make the filling: Whisk 1 cup sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt together in a medium saucepan; stir in water, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil. Stir in butter.
Lemon curd and lemon pie filling are very similar, but are different in texture. Lemon pie filling in typically thickened with cornstarch and usually doesn't contain butter. Whereas, lemon curd does have butter and a lot of lemon juice and zest, which results in a smoother feel and stronger lemon flavor.
Always prepare the meringue before preparing the pie filling so it's ready to spread while the filling is still hot. The heat from the filling will "cook" the meringue onto the filling and make it less likely to leak or shrink.
Just like the name suggests, cornstarch is derived from corn. Cornstarch is faster-acting than flour and forms a smooth, relatively clear filling. Just be aware that too much cornstarch can create a slimy texture.
Some say that scattering small bits of butter over a fruit filling keeps the juices from bubbling over in the same way that adding a bit of fat to simmering jam keeps it from foaming up in the preserving pan. The theory is that the fat disrupts the formation of bubbles on the surface of the viscous fruit mixture.
I think you didn't cook it long enough after adding the eggs. Lemon pie filling has to be almost so thick you can cut it with a knife before you pour it into the shell or it won't set up. So you cook it until it becomes that thick.
Meringue pies will ''weep'' water because of the interaction between the filling and the whipped meringue. If one or the other is overcooked, water beads will form and weep. Egg whites can also weep if they are over-beaten or are from old eggs.
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.
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.
Forgetting the eggs altogether left me with a soupy pie.
I found out that the egg is really what binds the filling together and keeps it in place. This batter held onto the consistency of the canned pumpkin for the most part and filled eight pie tins.
Cornstarch has thickening power similar to Instant ClearJel. Like flour, it lends a cloudy, semi-transparent look to filling. It can also give filling a starchy taste. For full effectiveness, make sure the pie filling is bubbling up through the crust before removing your pie from the oven.
Meringue pies will ''weep'' water because of the interaction between the filling and the whipped meringue. If one or the other is overcooked, water beads will form and weep. Egg whites can also weep if they are over-beaten or are from old eggs. Refrigeration (unfortunately) speeds up the process of weeping—oops!
As the pie finishes baking in the oven, remove it when the meringue turns light brown. Removing the meringue before it has finished cooking can cause condensation. At the same time, don't overcook it, which can also cause weeping.
The bottom line: For smooth, stiff beaten egg whites that keep their shape, don't skip the cream of tartar. If you don't have cream of tartar, substituting 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar per egg white works almost as well. To avoid meringues that weep, don't skip the cream of tartar...
Whether it be vinegar, lemon juice, cream of tartar, or a combination, an acid will greatly improve the structure of meringue. Acid not only helps meringue whip up and aerate more quickly, it also keeps it stable. Without acid, meringue is more likely to collapse either during or after mixing.
Introduction: My name is Chrissy Homenick, I am a tender, funny, determined, tender, glorious, fancy, enthusiastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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