This creamy lemon pie is the perfect dessert for lemon lovers. With buttery graham cracker crust, creamy lemon filling, and homemade whipped cream, you will fall in love with this pie after just one bite!
The texture is very similar to my key lime pie, but it is packed with lemon flavor. It is so refreshing, and it is ridiculously easy to make!
I adapted this simple pie recipe from one I found in the Magnolia Table cookbook. Joanna makes some tasty treats!
You just need simple ingredient to make this easy lemon cream pie. It only takes a few minutes of prep, and is a great recipe when you need a make ahead dessert.
The hardest part about this pie is having to wait a couple hours for it to chill! It tastes so incredible that we love it all year, but it is especially refreshing on hot summer days.
HOW TO MAKE LEMON PIE WITH GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST
- PREP – Wash the lemons, then zest and juice them. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- CRUST – Finely crush graham cracker crumbs. Stir in the sugar and melted butter. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a deep dish 9″ pie pan. Bake at 350° for 8 minutes.
- FILLING – In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk and egg yolks. Add the lemon juice and zest and whisk until smooth. Pour into the cooked pie crust. (My pan was really full, I should have used my larger pie dish.)
- BAKE – Lower the heat to 325 degrees. Bake the pie for 25-35 minutes, or until the center is barely set. Let cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then cover with plastic wrap and chill for about 2 hours, or overnight.
- TOPPING – When ready to serve, beat the cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Spread over the top of the whole pie.
Cut into slices and garnish with fresh lemon slices if desired.
Store any leftover pie in the refrigerator. You can simply wrap it well with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, or transfer it to an airtight container. It will last for 3-4 days in the fridge.
PRO TIPS:
- Use a deep dish pie pan or your filling may overflow!
- You definitely need to buy fresh lemons for this recipe! Bottled lemon juice and dry zest will not yield the same delicious results.
- If lemon juice comes in contact with egg yolks, it can curdle them. That’s why I recommend first blending the sweetened condensed milk with the yolks before adding the juice.
- The cream will whip up faster and fluffier if you chill the bowl and beaters first. I pop mine in the freezer for 5-10 minutes.
LEMON PIE VARIATIONS:
- In a pinch, you can substitute Cool Whip for the homemade whipped cream.
- You can use a store-bought graham cracker pie crust, but you will need a 10″ crust. If you can’t find one, cut the filling ingredients in half and bake for about 15-20 minutes. Don’t change the topping ingredients.
- This creamy pie is also lovely garnished with fresh raspberries or blueberries.
MORE LEMON DESSERTS:
- Lemon Butter Cookies
- Pink Lemonade Pie
- Lemon Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Mini Lemon Cakes
- Lemon Cookies with Powdered Sugar
- Blueberry Lemon Ice Cream
- Lemon Cookies with Frosting
- Lemon Brownies
Easy Lemon Pie Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Homemade Graham Cracker Crust:
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs (about 10 whole crackers)
- 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 6 Tbsp melted salted butter
Creamy Lemon Filling:
- 28 ounces sweetened condensed milk (2 14 oz cans)
- 6 egg yolks
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice (from 3-4 lemons)
- 1 ½ Tbsp fresh lemon zest
Homemade Whipped Cream:
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place your graham crackers in a food processor. Pulse until very finely crushed.
- Measure 1 1/2 cups of crumbs into a mixing bowl. Add sugar and melted butter; stir till the mixture resembles wet sand.
- Pour crumbs into a deep 9″ pie dish. Press up the sides and into the bottom of the pan. I use my fingers, but you can use a clean measuring cup.
- Bake at 350° for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn the heat down to 325 degrees. While the crust is baking, prepare the filling.
- Wash the lemons and wipe dry. Zest and juice the lemons.
- Whisk the sweetened condensed milk and egg yolks in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Add the lemon juice and zest, and whisk until well combined. Pour into the hot crust.
- Turn the oven down to 325°. Bake at 325° for 25-35 minutes, or until the middle is barely set.
- Let cool on a wire rack for 25-30 minutes, then chill for 1 1/2-2 hours, or until completely set. You can chill it overnight.
- When ready to serve, place a glass or metal mixing bowl and your beaters in the freezer for 5-10 minutes.
- Pour the cream into the cold bowl, then add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer at high speed until it holds a peak when you pull the beaters out of the bowl.
- Spread the whipped cream over the pie. Slice and serve. You can garnish with fresh lemon slices if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Next time you need an easy dessert that makes a wonderful presentation, give this simple lemon pie with cream topping a try!
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