This delicious pie features a fresh lemon filling and whipped cream topping inside of a buttery graham cracker crust. This lemon pie has a bright flavor and super creamy texture that will make it an immediate favorite for citrus lovers.
I like to think of lemon cream pie as the {more delicious} cousin to a lemon meringue pie. This is the perfect cool and refreshing pie for spring and summer.
Jump to:
This lemon cream pie is:
Flavorful: Lemon zest, lemon juice, and freshly whipped cream make this pie sweet and tangy.
Super creamy: You’ll love how smooth and creamy the filling and topping are.
Perfect for spring and summer: This pie and cool and refreshing, perfect for hot days!
Fully homemade: No instant pudding or store bought whipped topping. Each layer of this pie is homemade.
Step by step overview
*Full recipe below in recipe card*
Crust: Make the graham cracker crust by combining graham cracker crumbs, butter, and sugar. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a pie plate and bake for about 10 minutes, until golden and fragrant.
Filling: Make the lemon filling on the stovetop, then set it aside to cool to room temperature. Add the filling to the crust. Refrigerate the pie for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Topping: Prepare the whipped cream and add it to the pie right before serving.
Recipe tips
- You’ll need about 4 large lemons for this recipe
- Be sure to remove the zest from the lemons before slicing and juicing them
- This pie needs 6+ hours to cool, so this is the perfect make-ahead dessert
- For the best result, use a thick sour cream. I typically use Daisy brand
- You can spread the whipped cream on top of the pie or you can pipe it on using a star tip and piping bag
Serving and storage
This pie should be stored in the refrigerator. It is best within two days of making it.
Serve chilled.
More lemon desserts
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Recipe
Lemon Cream Pie
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs (145g)
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter (70g), melted
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (25g)
Lemon filling:
- 1⅓ cups granulated sugar (266g)
- ⅓ cup cornstarch (43g)
- 1½ cups whole or 2% milk (370g)
- ⅔ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (156g)
- 4 large eggs yolks
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (56g), cubed
- 1½ tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
- 1 cup full fat sour cream (238g), use a thick sour cream, I use Daisy brand
Whipped cream:
- 1 cup chilled heavy cream (240g)
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Crust:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour the graham cracker 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 10-12 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 the pan 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 one generous cup (eyeball it) 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 the whole thing to a gentle boil for 1-2 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. This takes about one hour.
- Once cooled, whisk in sour cream. Whisk vigorously to maintain the creamy texture. Pour the lemon filling into cooled the crust. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 6 hours.
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.
Notes
- You’ll need about 4 large lemons for this recipe
- Be sure to remove the zest from the lemons before slicing and juicing them
- This pie needs 6+ hours to cool, so this is the perfect make-ahead dessert
- For the best result, use a thick sour cream. I typically use Daisy brand
- You can spread the whipped cream on top of the pie or you can pipe it on using a star tip and piping bag
Nutrition
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!Lemon filling adapted from Taste of Home
Teri tatu
Perfect spring pie!
Thao @ In Good Flavor
I love watching reruns of Friends and never get tired of them. That pie on the floor scene is hilarious! I have been into lemons lately and this pie looks irresistible!
Celebrating Sweets
Friends is the best! I’ve been into lemons too, I love them this time of year.
Carly
Yummmmm I need this in my life!
Celebrating Sweets
Thanks, Carly!
Daner
Thanks for the great recipe! It’s SO good! Will absolutely make this again 🙂
Celebrating Sweets
I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for stopping by!
Dollis Scheele
Thank You. I used your recipe to make a lime pie and it is fantastic.
Celebrating Sweets
I’m so happy to hear that. Thanks for stopping by! Happy New Year!
Shelley
Thinking of making for Easter; what did you change to make it thicker?
Celebrating Sweets
Hi! I slightly increased most of the filling ingredients so that the lemon filling would be thicker/higher. I like having the filling reach almost all the way to the top of the pie crust. I hope you enjoy it. Happy Easter!
Kathy
Just made this for Easter…which is today. Cutting it close but I am sure it will turn out great! I love lemon so much. This is a nice change from typical Lemon Meringue pie!
Celebrating Sweets
I hope you like it. Happy Easter!
Andrea
Made this for Easter and it was delicious! However, for some reason my pie didn’t set up too well and therefore would not slice neatly. Any idea what I may have done wrong? I followed the recipe exactly but I do know that custard-type pies that are not baked can be tricky.
Celebrating Sweets
Hi, Andrea. I’m sorry that the pie didn’t set up all the way. What type of milk did you use? Also, was your sour cream thick or runny? I’ve made this with two different brands of sour cream, but both types were rather thick. I’m wondering if a thinner sour cream would yield a different end-result than what I typically get? Also, the thickening agents are the cornstarch and egg yolks, I’m assuming you used both as written, since you said you followed the recipe?
Thanks for stopping by! I hope you had a Happy Easter!
kim
Can this dessert be made ahead and frozen?
Celebrating Sweets
No. The dairy (sour cream, heavy cream) would likely separate.
Lana
Can I use lime juice, to replace lemon juice?
Celebrating Sweets
Yes, you can use lime instead of lemon. I have never tried doubling it. Enjoy!