The Best Lemon Pie Filling Recipe - Our Wabi Sabi Life (2024)

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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.

The Best Lemon Pie Filling Recipe - Our Wabi Sabi Life (1)

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!

Jump to:
  • 🥘Ingredients
  • 🔪Instructions
  • 🧾Substitutions
  • 📖Variations
  • 🍽Equipment
  • 🥫Storage
  • 👩🏻‍🍳Top Tips
  • ❔FAQ
  • Lemon Pie Filling

🥘Ingredients

  • Sugar
  • Cornstarch
  • Cold water
  • Egg
  • Concentrated lemon juice.

You will find a complete list of the ingredients, with measurements listed below.

🔪Instructions

The Best Lemon Pie Filling Recipe - Our Wabi Sabi Life (2)
The Best Lemon Pie Filling Recipe - Our Wabi Sabi Life (3)

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.

The Best Lemon Pie Filling Recipe - Our Wabi Sabi Life (5)

The Best Lemon Pie Filling Recipe - Our Wabi Sabi Life (6)

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.

3.89 from 227 votes

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Prep Time 0 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 1 pie

Ingredients

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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The Best Lemon Pie Filling Recipe - Our Wabi Sabi Life (2024)

FAQs

Can you buy canned lemon pie filling in Canada? ›

Lucky Leaf Premium Lemon Pie Filling Or Topping (Pack of 2) 22 oz Cans : Amazon.ca: Grocery & Gourmet Food.

What is lemon pie filling made of? ›

A lemon pie filling is the base for a lemon meringue pie. You make it with egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, and zest, and fortify it with cornstarch so the filling holds its shape when you cut the pie.

What is the liquid at the bottom of the lemon meringue pie? ›

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".

Why is my lemon pie filling not thickening? ›

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.

What is the best thickener for pie filling? ›

All-purpose flour is an easy solution, as you're sure to have it in your pantry. Since it's lower in starch, you'll use more of it than you would higher-starch thickeners. Quick-cooking tapioca makes filling bright and clear, but also gives it a stippled and somewhat sticky texture.

Does canned pie filling need to be baked? ›

If using already prepared cherry pie filling (canned) it doesn't need to be cooked. If making a pudding or cream (cheesecake-as long as there are no raw eggs in it) filling with cherry topping it doesn't need to be baked.

Why does my lemon pie filling weep? ›

The watery layer between the meringue and the filling (weeping) is usually caused by undercooking. This is where it is important to put your meringue onto hot filling so it can begin cooking right away.

What is funeral pie made of? ›

Vintage Funeral Pie Recipe is an old-fashioned dessert that is made from raisins, spices, and walnuts. It was traditionally made by the Amish, but this sugary pie fits right into a Southern cook's recipe box.

Why put butter in pie filling? ›

A: Dotting the top of a fruit pie filling with butter is an old habit but one that is called for in only about half of the pie recipes out there. Some maintain that the butter is for taste; others claim that it helps the filling set up, particularly when using flour as a thickener.

Why doesn t my lemon meringue pie set? ›

The key to thickening Lemon Meringue Pie so it sets properly is to cook the filling until bubbles start to pop on the surface of the lemon/egg yolk mixture. It should be the consistency of thick pudding before you remove it from the heat. If it's not thick before you add it to the pie, it will never set properly.

How do you keep the crust from getting soggy in a lemon meringue pie? ›

Originally Answered: How do I prevent a lemon meringue pie crust from being soggy? Brush the bottom and sides of the crust with egg white, then blind-bake it completely. Once it's cool, add your lemon curd, top with meringue, then broil that for a few min for color.

Why does my lemon meringue pie taste like metal? ›

The metallic taste is from the cream of tartar, probably transferred to your lemon curd overnight. Try to make meringue with egg white and sugar, it's enough.

How do you make pie filling firmer? ›

  1. Cornstarch: Mix with cold water, add to filling, and cook until thick.
  2. Flour: Stir a few tablespoons into the filling.
  3. Tapioca: Use instant tapioca as a thickener.
  4. Reduce Liquid: Cook the filling on the stovetop to evaporate excess liquid.
Sep 25, 2022

How do you keep pie filling from being runny? ›

Partially pre-cook the filling to evaporate its excess juice. Experiment with different thickeners beyond flour — we love Instant ClearJel. Vent the pie's top crust so steam from the juice can escape. For even better evaporation, try a lattice crust or crumb crust.

How do you make pie filling less runny? ›

You just use the same amount of tapioca starch as you would cornstarch. Cook your filling before putting in the pie shell, then bake. I chop about 5-6 cups, add 1 cup sugar (or more if you want sweeter), plus 3 tbsp cornstarch (add before hearing), and cook til thickened slightly, it will finish in the oven.

What is a substitute for clear jel in pie filling? ›

If you cannot find Clear Jel, another option is to can the pie filling without any thickener and then thicken it with tapioca or cornstarch before putting it into the pie shell.

Does Costco sell apple pie filling? ›

Berthelet Apple Pie Filling, 5 kg | Costco.

Does Costco have lemon meringue pie? ›

The Bottom Line

Classic lemon meringue pie is taken up a notch by pairing it with iconic cheesecake for a fun and festive summer dessert, served with a side of convenience thanks to Costco.

Is canned pie filling precooked? ›

Making a pie with your home-canned filling

The pie filling is already cooked, so your focus should be on the crust. For a single-crust pie, place dough in pie plate. Blind-bake a homemade or premade crust (filling first with pie weights) at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.

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