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Home » Pies & Tarts » Lemon Cream Pie with Graham Cracker Crust

Lemon Cream Pie with Graham Cracker Crust

Published: Mar 15, 2018 · Modified: Jan 22, 2020 by Allison · 94 Comments

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A smooth and creamy pie with fresh lemon filling and whipped cream in a buttery graham cracker crust.

Slice of Lemon Cream Pie

Lemon desserts. Yay? Nay? Meh?
I would never choose a lemon dessert as a first choice (I mean, hello, chocolate obsessed). But, I’m pretty sure this Lemon Cream Pie is trying to move me over to “Team Lemon.” There’s so much to love about this pie.

MORE LEMON RECIPES: CREAMY LEMON  BARS – LEMON BLUEBERRY MUFFINS – LEMON BLUEBERRY CAKE – LEMON COCONUT CAKE
Lemon Cream Pie

Lemon Cream Pie

  • Graham cracker crust
  • Sweet and tart lemon filling
  • Freshly whipped cream

I went the homemade route with each of the components of this pie. If you have to take a shortcut with a store bought crust or prepared whipped cream, you can. I highly suggest you try the whole recipe from scratch at least once. This pie is straight up heavenly.

Lemon filling being poured into a graham cracker crust.
I have made this Lemon Cream Pie with regular lemons and Meyer lemons. Both versions are great. The Meyer lemon pie has a less tart, subtle lemon flavor. I would guess that you could also swap the lemon for limes for a lime pie.
With spring on the horizon I am craving light and refreshing flavors, this pie totally hit the spot. This would be absolutely perfect for Easter or Mother’s Day. It’s beautiful, delicious, and loved by many. Enjoy!Whipped Cream on top of Lemon Cream Pie
Try my other PIE RECIPES:

  • Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie
  • Greek Yogurt Cheesecake
  • Coconut Cream Pie
  • Butter Pecan Ice Cream Pie
  • Blueberry Pie with Whipped Cream

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Slice of Lemon Cream Pie on a White Plate

Slice of Lemon Cream Pie

Lemon Cream Pie with Graham Cracker Crust

A smooth and creamy pie with fresh lemon filling and whipped cream in a buttery graham cracker crust.
4.83 from 34 votes
Print Pin SaveSaved!
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 595kcal
Author: Allison - Celebrating Sweets

Ingredients

Crust:

  • 9 whole rectangular graham crackers
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Lemon filling:

  • 1 ⅓ cups granulated sugar
  • scant ⅓ cup cornstarch
  • 1 ½ cups whole or 2% milk
  • ⅔ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 4 large eggs yolks, lightly beaten
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, cubed
  • 1 ½ tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
  • 1 ¼ cups sour cream, use a thicker sour cream, not runny

Whipped cream:

  • 1 ½ cups cold heavy cream
  • 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Crust:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Break up the graham crackers and place them in a food processor. Pulse until the graham crackers are processed into fine crumbs. 
  • Pour the crumbs into a bowl and stir in the melted butter and sugar. Once all the graham cracker crumbs are moistened, press the crumb mixture into the bottom and  halfway up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake the crust for about 13-15 minutes, until fragrant and light golden brown. Set aside to cool.

Lemon filling:

  • In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Whisk in milk and lemon juice. Place over medium-high heat and cook, stirring frequently, until thickened and bubbling. Reduce heat to low and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat.
  • Place the egg yolks in a bowl. Slowly add a cup of the hot mixture into the egg yolks, whisking as you pour (this will slowly bring up the temperature of the eggs). Add the egg mixture back to the pan and bring to a gentle boil for 2 minutes, whisking constantly. Remove from the heat. Stir in butter and lemon zest, mixing until completely combined. Transfer to a bowl and cool to room temperature.
  • Once cooled, whisk in sour cream. Whisk vigorously to maintain the creamy texture. Pour the lemon filling into the crust. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.

Assembly:

  • Before serving, whip heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form. Top the pie with whipped cream (I used a star tip and piped it on, but you can also spread it using a butter knife or offset spatula). If desired, garnish with a sprinkling of finely grated lemon zest. 

Nutrition

Calories: 595kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Cholesterol: 206mg | Sodium: 216mg | Potassium: 142mg | Sugar: 44g | Vitamin A: 1400IU | Vitamin C: 8.5mg | Calcium: 152mg | Iron: 0.9mg

Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.

Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!

Recipe updated March 2018 – I increased the lemon filling to make it a little bit thicker. The rest of the recipe remains the same.

Lemon filling adapted from Taste of Home

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Comments

  1. Sheli Dishion

    April 17, 2022 at 1:39 pm

    5 stars
    This is an excellent lemon pie! I don’t care for meringue so I was looking for something similar but without the meringue & found this. I have made it about 3 times. The only thing different is I use a store bought crust. Today I guided my boyfriend through the recipe & it came out just as great as the other times! I would highly recommend.

    Reply
    • Allison

      April 22, 2022 at 1:57 pm

      Perfect! Glad you enjoyed it. 🙂

      Reply
  2. Pete

    June 27, 2022 at 12:55 pm

    Can I substitute the sour cream with cream cheese in the filling?

    Reply
    • Allison

      June 29, 2022 at 1:42 pm

      I haven’t tried it, but I would assume so. You’ll need to have the cream cheese at room temp and beat it in well so there are no lumps.

      Reply
  3. Michelle

    June 27, 2022 at 8:14 pm

    5 stars
    i haven’t made this yet but plan on it! i noticed you wrote the calories in “kcal”, how many normal calories is that?

    Reply
    • Allison

      June 29, 2022 at 1:34 pm

      It’s the same as “calorie”.

      Reply
  4. Kim

    January 29, 2023 at 11:19 am

    5 stars
    This lemon cream pie was absolutely divine! Delicious!

    Reply
    • Allison

      February 01, 2023 at 10:24 am

      I’m glad you enjoyed it! 🙂

      Reply
  5. David

    March 04, 2023 at 3:58 pm

    5 stars
    Was very delicious and light!

    Reply
    • Allison

      March 06, 2023 at 9:15 am

      I’m glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  6. Laurie

    March 12, 2023 at 7:36 pm

    5 stars
    Made this for my adult daughter’s birthday as she loves lemon. Really, really good.

    Reply
    • Allison

      March 15, 2023 at 9:36 am

      I’m glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
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aboutHi, I'm Allison! I'm a busy wife and mom with a passion for cooking and baking. This is where you'll find my favorite homemade recipes, designed to help you make every day delicious! Read more....

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