My lemon chess pie recipe is one of the best old fashioned southern pies that you will ever eat. A favorite of former President Bill Clinton, this pie tastes like a lemon bar but with a bit of crunch, the texture coming from a bit of cornmeal or flour added to the custard filling. This pie has just a few ingredients and takes just a few minutes to put together, so if you are craving a lemon dessert, this pie is for you.

Lemon Chess Pie Origin

Before discussing the recipe, let’s talk a little bit about the origin of lemon chess pie

What Is Lemon Chess Pie?

Lemon chess pie is a version of chess pie, a sugar and egg custard pie common in the southern United States. If you have never had the original or lemon version before, the best way to describe chess pie is that it is like pecan pie but without the pecans, but with a bit of cornmeal or flour added to the filling.

Although this old fashioned southern pie is not common nowadays, it is still a favorite of many. According to an LA Times article, lemon chess pie is Bill Clinton’s favorite pie. In fact, the article states that he loved it so much, he wanted it served during the Governors Luncheon when he was inaugurated President.

Why Is It Called Lemon Chess Pie?

This pie is called “lemon chess pie” because it is the lemon version of chess pie. Although it is difficult to determine exactly how chess pie got its name, the most plausible theories are that:

“Chess” is a corruption of the “cheese,” and that chess pie is a British recipe for making cheese pies when there was no cheese available.

Before the early 20th century, many cooks used chestnut flour to thicken the filling. Although people switched over to cornmeal or plain flour after a disease killed most of the American chestnut trees, “chess” became a corruption of “chest,” a reference to a former main ingredient.

Honestly, there are a lot of theories as to how chess pie got its name, and I will have to discuss them in more detail in the original chess pie article.

Southern Lemon Chess Pie with Ice Cream — Southern lemon chess pie has a delicious lemon flavor but without the tartness. It goes very well with vanilla ice cream.

What Does Lemon Chess Pie Taste Like?

As previously stated, the best way to describe either the original or lemon version of chess pie is like a pecan pie but without the pies, along with a bit of flour or cornmeal. The filling is sweet and goey on the bottom, slightly crispy and crunchy on the top.

Honestly, lemon chess pie tastes a lot like a lemon bar with a bit of crunch. Although lemon chess pie doesn’t have a ton of lemon juice, it does have a lot of lemon zest, so the pie has a strong lemon flavor but without a lot of acidity, making it perfect for lemon-lovers with sensitive stomachs.

Lemon Chess Pie vs Lemon Meringue Pie?

Although you might think that lemon chess pie is the same as lemon meringue pie, they are actually very different:

Chess pie filling – After mixing the filling, it is poured into an unbaked pie shell.

Lemon meringue pie filling – Cooked on the stove like a pudding, the filling is then poured into a prebaked crust.
Baking – Lemon chess pie is baked for about 45 minutes; lemon meringue pie only baked long enough to brown the meringue
Texture – Lemon chess pie has a small amount of crunch and texture in the filling, while lemon meringue pie filling is silky smooth, as is the meringue on top.
Taste – Lemon chess pie is lemony but with minimal acidity. Lemon meringue pie is lemony as well, but has more juice, so it is more tart.

As you can see, these two pies are very different from each other.

Best Lemon Chess Pie Recipe

Although there are many versions on the Internet, I have the best lemon chess pie recipe. All of the flavors are perfectly balanced, and the texture is very pleasant. My recipe is great as is, but first I wanted to talk about some aspects of the recipe so that you have a better understanding of how to make it.

Lemon Zest vs. Extract

My lemon chess pie recipe has a lot of freshly-grated zest–1 full tablespoon! Grating a tablespoon of zest will take a few lemons and a few minutes, so you may want to know if you can substitute lemon extract.

If you want to use extract, I recommend using 1 teaspoon of zest and 1 teaspoon of extract. Although a full tablespoon of zest is not required, I think that a little bit is needed to give the pie an old fashioned look. Nothing looks more classic homemade than seeing bits of fresh lemon zest in the pie filling.

Lemon Chess Pie Without Cornmeal?

Most lemon chess pie recipes, including mine, call for adding cornmeal to the filling. A tablespoon or two of cornmeal is a characteristic ingredient in chess pie: it thickens the filling and gives it a bit of crunch. Although it’s traditional, I have to admit that it may sound weird to some people. So, you might be wondering if you can make lemon chess pie without cornmeal.

Yes, you can! I recommend substituting all purpose flour for cornmeal in equal parts. Like cornmeal, flour will rise to the top of the filling during the baking process and help form a bit of a crust. However, since it is not as course, the pie filling won’t have as much crunch.

So, if you want to make a traditional lemon chess pie without cornmeal, I recommend adding flour. It’s a good way to get some of the benefit of adding a thickener without the courseness.

Could You Leave Out the Flour, too?

If you wanted to leave out the flour as well, you definitely could. The filling would be smoother and softer, and honestly, you may prefer the filling that way. However, some southern cooks would not call the pie a chess pie without adding either cornmeal or flour, so you may get into a “discussion” with passionate foodies.

Old Fashioned Lemon Chess Pie — Old fashioned lemon chess pie can be made without cornmeal: just substitute all purpose flour.

Best Lemon Chess Pie — The best lemon chess pie has a lot of lemon flavor and a crispy top.

Possible Changes to the Recipe:

I really liked how this pie turned out, and honestly, I wouldn’t change a thing. However, there are some variations I would like to try:

Lemon chess pie with a shortbread crust
Sweetened condensed milk in the filling
Buttermilk lemon chess
Lemon chess pie with blueberries
Coconut lemon chess pie

It looks like I have a lot of baking to do…