Grandma’s Lemon Custard Pie with Lemon Curd Topping is a creamy lightly lemon custard pie with a nice tart lemon curd topping. And a pretty easy to make pie as well. This one is a keeper, just like Grandma said it would be!
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Some of my friends and I got together and thought we would share some of our Grandmas’ recipes. Make sure you scroll all the way to the bottom to see all the delicious and amazing recipes from our Grandmas!
You know, this was a lot of fun for me. I went back and did a little research before working on my recipe. Back before I wrote a blog, I use to make recipe books by hand. there was a new one every Christmas, for maybe 4 or 5 years in a row. One of those books I dedicated to my family’s recipes.
Looking through those books inspired me to share some of those recipes. Take a look back at my Skinny Potato and Onion Bake (one of my favorites!), and my mom’s Creamy Chicken Pimento Spread and Crescent Chicken Squares.
Recipe Notes:
This is a simple custard pie, with a light lemony flavor. I like to just pour the filling into the uncooked pie and bake it all together. I prefer a little bit of a pie soaked crust. But, if you prefer to pre-bake the crust, and get a crisper crust, please feel free.
The topping is a simple lemon curd, the kind Granny used to make. While you’re cooking it, it may develop little lumps, that’s ok, they will work themselves out as it cooks.
The food coloring in the lemon curd is totally optional. It makes a nice pretty yellow color. I’ve used it in all my pictures of this pie.
Check out all the delicious recipes from our Grandmas:
- Grandma’s War Time Peanut Drop Cookies from Lovefoodies
- Grandma’s Lemon Custard Pie from Life Currents
- Grandma’s Light-as-a-Feather Doughnut Recipe from Blessed Beyond Crazy
- Granny’s Ooey Gooey Oatmeal Bars from Who Needs A Cape?
- Granny Gertrude’s Blueberry Rice Pudding from Hot Eats and Cool Reads
- Grandma’s Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake from Savory Experiments
Lemon desserts you’ll love!
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Grandma’s Lemon Custard Pie with Lemon Curd Topping Recipe:
Grandma’s Lemon Custard Pie with Lemon Curd Topping
Ingredients
Lemon Custard Pie:
- 2 cups whole milk
- 3 large eggs
- 3 large egg yolks
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- 1/8 teaspoon fine grain salt
- 1 homemade or store-bought Pie Crust in a deep dish pie pan unbaked
Lemon Curd Topping:
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar divided use
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 2 to 3 drops yellow food coloring optional
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325° F.
- Pour the milk in a small saucepan, and over a medium heat, bring to a simmer.
- While the milk is heating, whisk the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, lemon extract, and salt together in a large bowl, and gradually add the hot milk to the egg mixture, stirring constantly. Pour the custard into the prepared pie crust.
- Bake, about 25-35 minutes, or until the center of the custard is set, but still jiggles a bit, like gelatin. Remove from oven and let cool completely on a cooling rack, then refrigerate. Once the pie is cold, begin the lemon curd topping.
- For lemon curd topping, combine ½ cup granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt, and water in a small saucepan, stirring until smooth. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, and add the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly, about 2 minutes. Remove sugar mixture from heat, and stir in butter, lemon zest, and food coloring, if using until butter is melted. Gently stir in lemon juice. Let lemon curd cool to room temperature, about ½ hour. Pour lemon curd topping over cooled custard pie. Refrigerate overnight.
The pie was delish and came out exactly perfect! Thank you. My first lemon custard pie!
This pie looks great. Tried the recipe though and the custard would not set at 325 degrees. Is that really the correct temperature? It did set at 350 degrees. I can’t wait to add the lemon curd. Thank you for sharing.
Terri, yes, I bake it at 325 degrees. That’s what’s always worked for me. The pie continues to set after it has been taken out of the oven as well. You are welcome for the recipe. Hope you love it.
I had trouble getting the custard to set at 325°. Ended up baking it for about 45 minutes before it finally set properly.
Also, it’s not clear to me why the instructions say to wait till the pie has cooled before starting the topping. Why not start it right away?
Bradley, I’m sorry that you had to bake yours 10 minutes longer than the recipe says. The instructions have you add the lemon curd to the cooled pie so that the cooled pie helps the lemon curd set properly.