Creamy Lemon Pie Recipe

Jump to:

• What is lemon pie filling made of?
• Can I substitute lemon curd for lemon pie filling?
• Ingredients for this Creamy Lemon Pie Recipe
• Equipment you'll need
• Tips for this Creamy Lemon Pie Recipe
• How to candy lemon peel
• Can you freeze lemon pie?
• How to store Creamy Lemon Pie
• How to make Creamy Lemon Pie
• Please leave me a rating and/or review!
• Creamy Lemon Pie Recipe

What is lemon pie filling made of?

Lemon pie filling is creamy and luscious. It is very easy to make and made up of only a few ingredients. The following ingredients are used to make lemon pie filling:

• Egg Yolks
• Sweetened Condensed Milk
• Lemon Juice
• Lemon Zest
• Salt

You whisk these ingredients together in a bowl then the lemon pie filling is ready to bake. It's just that simple!

Can I substitute lemon curd for lemon pie filling?

Yes! You could substitute lemon curd for lemon pie filling if you already have it on hand. There will definitely be a difference in texture but the overall taste is similar.

If you have lemon curd that you've already made or bought then you will not need to bake it. You can simply add it to the cooled crust then top with whipped cream.

I personally prefer the lemon pie filling. I love the texture and flavor however the lemon curd would make a nice dessert as well!

Ingredients for this Creamy Lemon Pie Recipe

• Egg Yolks - To make the lemon pie filling you will need just the yolks of the egg. Room temperature is best. Save your egg whites to make an omelet or meringue!
• Sweetened Condensed Milk - This acts as the sweetener in the filling and helps give you that creamy filling
• Lemon Juice - Use fresh lemons for the juice to make this creamy lemon pie recipe. You'll need more than 1 cup of fresh lemon juice, I used about 10 lemons for that but it depends how juicy they are
• Lemon Zest - The zest gives a little extra lemon flavor
• Kosher Salt - A little bit of salt enhances all of the flavors
• Butter Cookies - I use the little Salerno Butter Cookies in the blue box
• Butter - I use unsalted butter so I can add in my own salt
• Shredded Coconut - This is blended into the crust and just adds a hint of flavor. You could also leave it out if you don't like coconut
• Almond Extract - This adds a tiny bit of almond flavor to the crust
• Heavy Cream - Heavy cream is for the homemade whipped cream. You can use store bought cool whip if you prefer but I like the real thing. It also requires very minimal ingredients to make
• Powdered Sugar - Make sure you sift your powdered sugar so you don't have clumps
• Vanilla Extract - Vanilla is to flavor the homemade whipped cream

Equipment you'll need

• Food Processor - You'll need a food processor to blend the crust together
• Large + Medium Bowls - A large bowl to mix the creamy lemon pie filling and a medium bowl to whip the cream
• 9- Inch Pie Dish- I use a 9- inch pie dish for this recipe. I use one of my deep pie pans
• Electric Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer - Either one of these would work fine. I normally just use a hand mixer for the whipped cream but a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment would work well too
• Rubber Spatula - This works best to get all of the creamy lemon pie filling out of the bowl and into the pie crust

Tips for this Creamy Lemon Pie Recipe

• Use real lemons for the lemon juice. They give the best flavor
• A lot of creamy lemon pie recipes use a homemade graham cracker crust. If you don't have or can't find butter cookies then feel free to use graham crackers. You'll need 10oz of graham cracker crumbs
• When you're craving key lime pie just swap out the lemon juice and zest for key lime juice and zest
• A pie shell can be used in place of the cookie crust if you prefer
• When making the homemade whipped cream be careful not to whip it too long. You'll end up with stiff peaks (or a butter consistency) and you're looking for soft peaks so it's cloud like
• This creamy lemon pie filling makes the perfect lemon meringue pie too! Swap a pie shell for the cookie crust and top with meringue instead of the whipped cream. There is a meringue recipe in my Southern Sweet Potato Pie recipe!
• I like to top this pie with candied lemon. See below for how to candy lemon peel
• You do not need pie weights when you bake the crust
• Make sure to chill this Creamy Lemon Pie Recipe for at least 8 hours so it fully sets
• Take the pie out of the fridge an hour ahead of time if you want to soften the crust a bit. I don't mind it cold but my husband cries about it if it's not soft 🙂

How to candy lemon peel

This is not necessary for this recipe but I do like to add it for unique pops of color and texture. If you've never had candied lemon before then make double the batch because you're going to want to eat it all before you can put it on the pie!

Start by adding 1 cup sugar (granulated) to a medium sauce pan. Add 1 cup of water then turn the heat on the stove to medium.

Whisk the sugar and water together until simmering and sugar is melted. This makes what is called a simple syrup. Place thinly sliced lemon into the pot and let simmer for 15 minutes.

You can slice the lemon in any shape you want as long as the slices are thin, about 1/16 of an inch. I like to do mine in circles.

Flip the lemon slices over 2-3 times throughout the simmering process then remove them and place them on a wire rack to cool. I use parchment paper under my wire rack to catch any of the simple syrup that drips off.

Once they're cooled then they're ready to use! The slices have that fresh lemon taste but are very sweet now too. Perfect to eat just like candy!

Can you freeze lemon pie?

Yes! This Creamy Lemon Pie Recipe actually freezes well, just like No Bake Chocolate Cream Pie.

If you find yourself with leftovers or you just want to make it ahead of time then go ahead!

I would recommend wrapping the whole pie or individual slices in 3-4 layers of plastic wrap then 1 layer of aluminum foil.

You can freeze the pie for up to 2 months. Whenever you want to eat it just thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

How to store Creamy Lemon Pie

When storing this Creamy Lemon Pie in the fridge you'll want to put a layer of plastic wrap over the top. You can keep it for up to 6 days.

If you want to store it in the freezer then see the section above for directions.

Do not store this pie on the counter top. While you can leave it out on the counter for several hours, I would not recommend any longer than that.

How to make Creamy Lemon Pie

Preheat the oven to 350°F then start making the crust. Place all of the crust ingredients into the food processor then blend until you have a fine crumb.

Pour the crust mixture into the pie dish then press firmly on the bottom and up the sides of the dish. I usually use my fingers first then use the bottom of a measuring cup to press down.

Bake the crust for 10 minutes or until golden brown. That could take 2-3 additional minutes.

Allow the crust to cool on a wire rack.

Add all of the lemon pie filling ingredients to a large mixing bowl then whisk until combined. Pour the egg mixture into the baked pie crust.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. The creamy lemon filling will appear slightly jiggly still, that is fine. Do not overbake it.

Allow the lemon pie to cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes then transfer it to the fridge for 8 hours. You don't want the hot filling to crack with a quick temperature change.

Once the pie is cool you can make the whipped cream. Using either a medium mixing bowl with an electric mixer or the bowl of the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add all whipped cream ingredients to the bowl.

Beat on high speed until you have soft peaks. If you mix too long then you'll be left with stiff peaks.

Using an offset spatula or a spoon, spread the cream on top of the pie. The cream helps offset the tart lemon pie to add a great balance.

Top with candied lemon if you desire and serve!

Please leave me a rating and/or review!

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If you find yourself craving more lemon desserts, blueberry lemon cookies will do the trick. When I get on a lemon kick, I just can't stop!