Shaker Lemon Pie

This Shaker Lemon Pie is a bakery-quality dessert that’s tart, tangy, and sweet all in one bite. Easy to make in advance, it’s a treat for lemon lovers since it uses the whole fruit!

Have you ever heard of Shaker Lemon Pie? My family has been making this dessert for generations. It’s a recipe that originally comes from the Midwestern, United States. I had my first ever slice when I was 7 years old at Shaker Village in Harrodsburg, Kentucky. Fast forward 15 years, and it was the 6 ingredient pie that I got an A+ on in my college food science class at EKU!

Plugrà Premium European-Style Butter takes this pie to the next level. It has 82% butterfat content (versus 80% that most American butters have), which makes the homemade pie crust richer, flakier, and a texture that’s impossible to resist. It’s the little upgrade that makes a big difference to homemade pies, especially this one since it’s added to both the top and bottom!

Thinly sliced lemons are macerated in sugar for hours and then mixed with eggs to become jammy in texture. Baked in that perfect Plugrà homemade pie crust, it’s the perfect spring or summer pie for any celebration. Try our No-Bake Lemon Pie or Lemon Delight too!

To celebrate Pi Day with REAL Pie, to winplugrabutter.com March 1-March 21st for a chance to win! 314 instant-win prizes will get 1 POUND of free Plugrà and 5 grand prize winners will get free Plugrà butter for a year, a scratch-baked pie delivered from NYC’s Little Pie Company, exclusive swag, and 6 months of curated Pie of the Month recipes.  

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

• Easy to prep in advance. Make the crust and prep the lemons the day before. The day of your party, just bake!
• No fancy equipment is needed. You can make your pie crust in the food processor or easily by hand, keeping this dessert simple in method.
• Serve with toppings or on it’s own. It really is so delicious just as a plain slice, but you can also serve it with whipped cream or ice cream if desired.

What is Shaker Lemon Pie?

This a sweet and sour lemon pie that uses lemon juice and thinly sliced lemons, peel and all. It originated in the 19th century from the Shaker communities in the Midwest.

When cooked with lots of sugar, the filling almost becomes marmalade-like and makes for a sweet, tart, and tangy taste that’s addicting with each bite.

Ingredients

Scroll Down for Ingredient Amounts Listed in the Full Printable Recipe Card Below

• Large lemons: The key ingredient, you will use the whole lemon here, even the skin! We slice them paper thin to make them tender with each bite.
• Granulated sugar: Sweetens the filling perfectly.
• Large eggs: Binds the filling together to make a custard-like texture.

Pie Crust:

• All-purpose flour: The base of the pie crust.
• Granulated sugar: Just a little bit to sweeten the pie crust.
• Salt: A pinch helps to bring out all of the other flavors.
• Unsalted Plugrà^® European Style Butter: A good quality butter makes all the difference in both taste and texture. If you use salted butter, you can omit the salt from the recipe.
• Cold water: A little bit helps to bind the pie crust together perfectly. Make sure it’s very cold, this helps create steam in the oven for those super flaky layers.
• Garnish options: Some of our favorite things to serve with this shaker pie are vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, candied lemon slice, lemon slices, or fresh mint.

How to Make Shaker Lemon Pie

Lemon Filling

1. Wash and dry the lemons well. Using a sharp knife or mandoline, slice the lemons paper-thin. (Include peel, pith, and flesh.)

2. Place the sliced lemons in a bowl and toss with the granulated sugar. Cover and let sit at room temperature 4 hours to overnight.

Pie Crust

1. Combine granulated sugar, salt, and all-purpose flour in a large bowl and mix well.
2. Grate the frozen unsalted Plugrà^® European Style Butter into the dry mixture. You can also mix the dry ingredients with the butter in a food processor, if desired.

3. Gently toss to coat the butter with the dry mixture. Freeze 15 minutes.

4. Gradually add water, mixing gently as you go. Use your hands or a bowl scraper to lift, fold, and lightly chop the dough, bringing moisture to the drier areas. The dough is ready when it holds together when pressed in your hand.
5. Halve the dough and press into 2 rough circles. Wrap separately and refrigerate for 2 hours to overnight.

Pie Assembly

1. Take one dough round out of the refrigerator and rest 15 minutes. Lightly flour your work surface. Roll the dough into a 13-inch circle.
2. Place the dough into an 11-inch pie dish, gently pressing it into the bottom and up the sides, at or slightly overhanging the pie pan rim.

3. In a mixing bowl, beat 4 of the eggs until frothy. Using kitchen shears, cut the macerated lemons into smaller pieces. Add the eggs to the lemons, and fold until combined. Pour into the prepared pie crust.

4. Take the other dough round out of the refrigerator and rest 15 minutes. Lightly flour your work surface again and roll the dough into a 12-inch circle.
5. Press the edges of the pie shell together to seal and crimp or pinch around the edge using a fork or your fingers. Freeze 15 minutes.

6. Remove the pie from the freezer. Cut a few decorative slits on top of the crust. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining egg. Coat the entire crust using a pastry brush. 

7. Preheat oven to 450℉. Bake 10 minutes. Leaving the oven closed, lower the temperature to 350℉ and bake an additional 45-50 minutes. When 20 minutes remains, if the crust is getting too dark, loosely cover with aluminum foil for the remaining bake time. 
8. Cool at least 3 hours at room-temperature prior to slicing. Serve and garnish as desired.

Expert Tips

• Make sure your butter is very very cold for the pie crust. I like to pop mine in the freezer for 15 minutes before adding it to the flour base to ensure it doesn’t warm up too much.
• Slice the lemons paper thin. This is best to do carefully on a mandolin if you have one. Just use the guard or wear a special guard glove so you don’t cut yourself! I also like to buy organic seedless lemons for this recipe since you are eating the skin too.
• Macerate the lemons in the sugar for long enough to attain the correct texture, it’s a great task to prep ahead. You can easily let them sit overnight to soften and sweeten nicely.
• Don’t over-mix the filling. You don’t want to beat the eggs too much or the texture of the filling could become a bit dense rather than jammy.
• After crimping your pie crust, make sure you freeze it for 15 minutes before baking. This is key to getting that bakery-style crust that holds it’s shape and looks beautiful.
• Cool the pie completely before serving. This is how the lemon filling sets, make sure it fully cools for a melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Storage

Store any leftover pie in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Let it sit out at room temperature to take the chill off for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

We don’t recommend freezing lemon shaker pie. Once it’s defrosted, it can change the texture of the filling.

It’s easy to make this pie in advance. You can even make the pie crust up to 3 days ahead and store in the fridge wrapped in plastic wrap.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Easy Dessert Recipes

• Cushaw Pie
• Mini Pecan Pies
• Oatmeal Pie
• Chocolate Meringue Pie

This post was created in partnership with Plugrà. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.