diff --git a/esphome/core/automation.h b/esphome/core/automation.h
index 268aa4af49..e448faad48 100644
--- a/esphome/core/automation.h
+++ b/esphome/core/automation.h
@@ -54,8 +54,12 @@ template<typename T, typename... X> class TemplatableFn {
       std::invocable<F, X...> &&std::convertible_to<std::invoke_result_t<F, X...>, T> &&std::is_empty_v<F>
           &&std::default_initializable<F> : f_([](X... x) -> T { return static_cast<T>(F{}(x...)); }) {}
 
-  // Reject stateful lambdas (non-empty, i.e. capturing) with a clear error
-  template<typename F> TemplatableFn(F) requires std::invocable<F, X...> &&(!std::is_empty_v<F>) = delete;
+  // Reject any callable that didn't match the above (stateful lambdas or inconvertible return types)
+  template<typename F>
+  TemplatableFn(F) requires std::invocable<F, X...> &&
+      (!std::convertible_to<F, T (*)(X...)>) &&(!std::is_empty_v<F> ||
+                                                !std::convertible_to<std::invoke_result_t<F, X...>, T> ||
+                                                !std::default_initializable<F>) = delete;
 
   bool has_value() const { return this->f_ != nullptr; }
 
diff --git a/tests/unit_tests/test_cpp_generator.py b/tests/unit_tests/test_cpp_generator.py
index 3c87e311c3..81ae586e23 100644
--- a/tests/unit_tests/test_cpp_generator.py
+++ b/tests/unit_tests/test_cpp_generator.py
@@ -684,6 +684,15 @@ async def test_templatable__with_to_exp_callable() -> None:
     assert result == 84
 
 
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_templatable__with_to_exp_callable_and_output_type() -> None:
+    """When to_exp is provided with non-string output_type, result is lambda-wrapped."""
+    result = await cg.templatable(42, [], ct.int_, to_exp=lambda x: x * 2)
+
+    assert isinstance(result, cg.LambdaExpression)
+    assert result.capture == ""
+
+
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_templatable__with_to_exp_dict() -> None:
     """When to_exp is a dict, value is looked up."""