Lemon Chess Pie Filling

Sep 11, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Pies tarts Origin: Tahitian Vanilla: Extract Easy

A creamy, sliceable lemon chess pie filling for one 9-inch pie. Best with Tahitian vanilla (floral, cherry, anise); any pure vanilla works. Makes one 9-inch pie (8 servings).

Prep 15 min

Cook 50 min

Cool 2 hr

Total 3 hr 5 min

Servings 8

Diet —

Ingredients

Adjust yield

servings

1.0unbaked 9-inch pie crust, homemade or store-bought, chilled in the pie plate
1 ½ cups (300.0 g)granulated sugar
1.0 tbsp (8.6 g)fine yellow cornmeal
1.0 tbsp (7.5 g)all-purpose flour
½ cup (114.0 g)unsalted butter, melted and cooled
4.0 (200.0 g)large eggs
¼ tspfine sea salt
⅓ cup (80.0 ml)fresh lemon juice
1.0 tbsplemon zest, finely grated
1.0 tsp (5.0 ml)VanillaGoods pure vanilla extract

Make it at home

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Instructions

Heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the lower third.
In a large bowl, whisk the sugar, cornmeal, flour, and salt.
Whisk in the melted butter, then the eggs one at a time, then the lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla, just until smooth.
Pour into the unbaked crust and bake until the top is golden and the filling is set at the edge but still jiggles slightly in the center, 45 to 55 minutes. Tent with foil after 30 minutes if it browns quickly.
Cool on a rack for at least 2 hours before slicing.

Tips

Vanilla swap: use vanilla bean paste 1:1 in place of the extract for visible specks, or the seeds of 1 vanilla bean for each tablespoon of extract.
Best vanilla for this: Tahitian (floral, cherry, anise), or Madagascar (rich, creamy, classic). Any pure vanilla works.
Storage: Refrigerate after cooling, covered, for up to 4 days.

Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make lemon chess pie filling?

Plan on 15 minutes of prep and 50 minutes of cooking, plus 2 hours to cool. It makes one 9-inch pie (8 servings).

How should I store lemon chess pie filling?

Refrigerate after cooling, covered, for up to 4 days.

Can I use a different form of vanilla?

use vanilla bean paste 1:1 in place of the extract for visible specks, or the seeds of 1 vanilla bean for each tablespoon of extract.

A creamy, sliceable lemon chess pie filling for one 9-inch pie. Best with Tahitian vanilla (floral, cherry, anise); any pure vanilla works. Makes one 9-inch pie (8 servings).

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 8 servings this recipe makes.

449 Calories / serving

23.5g Fat

55.6g Carbs

5.3g Protein

38.8g Sugar

Whole recipe (8 servings): ~3592 cal · 188g fat · 445g carbs · 42g protein · 310g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.

Per serving · 449 calories

What it takes to burn one serving

Brisk walking 85 min·5.0 mi·~9950 steps
Walking uphill or incline treadmill 61 min·3.1 mi·~6100 steps
Moderate cycling 46 min·9.2 mi
Swimming laps 63 min
Jogging 44 min·3.7 mi·~7050 steps
Stair climbing 41 min·~3700 steps
Dancing 73 min
Bodyweight circuit training 46 min
Cleaning, errands, or playing with the dog 104 min

Rough estimates for one serving, based on standard MET values at about 155 lb. Your own burn depends on body size, effort, and fitness. Shown for context only — food is not something you have to earn.