The little sister to the Key Lime Pie, this Lemon Cream Pie is a tart summer-y treat with a delicate, homemade, vanilla whipped topping
Pies are simple things.
A crust, a filling, a topping. Sometimes we complicate the construction process, trimming crusts into ornate leaves or carefully manipulating a meringue and coaxing it to brown just right in the oven, and while I definitely appreciate a good skills-required recipe now and then, it’s the simplest of pies that really hold a place in my heart.
Pies just like this one here.
This pie is simplicity incarnate.
An easy and classic crust, a 4 ingredient filling, and a simple whipped cream topping.
You may squeeze the lemons for the filling yourself, or just use bottled (of course, hand-squeezed is always preferred, just be sure to strain out any stray seeds).
Lemon Cream Pie is a subtle riff off of classic Key Lime Pie, but the nuances are enough that I felt it was worth sharing on its own, anyway. The crust is traditional; an easy, graham cracker crust, a buttery crunch between your teeth. The filling is just tart enough to be distinctly lemon without making your mouth pucker, its texture smooth and creamy, and the topping is a light, hand-whipped sweet complement that helps take away some of the tanginess.
In addition to lemon, the filling for this pie is made up of a dash of vanilla, a half-dozen egg yolks, and condensed milk. I really love baking with condensed milk, but since it’s so sweet on its own it can often be overpowering in a dessert. Lemon (or key lime) manages to strike a perfect balance with condensed milk, making it neither too-sweet nor too-tart.
A simple combination of feel-good flavors and textures, this Lemon Cream Pie is a great way to add some sunshine to a dreary Monday.
Enjoy!
Lemon Cream Pie
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 7 Tbsp butter melted
Filling
- 2 cans sweetened condensed milk
- 6 large egg yolks
- 1 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Homemade Whipped Cream Topping
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon zest to grate over whipped topping Optional
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat oven to 350F
- In medium-sized bowl, mix together graham cracker crumbs and sugar.
- Stir in melted butter with fork, stirring until well-combined.
- Press crumb mixture into bottom and up the sides of a 9.5" pie pan.
- Bake empty pie shell 10 minutes then remove from oven and allow to cool. Do not turn off oven.
Filling
- In large bowl whisk together condensed milk, egg yolks, and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Stir in lemon juice and whisk until slightly thickened (about 2 minutes).
- Pour into pie crust and bake on 350 F for 18-20 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before transferring to refrigerator.
- Chill overnight or at least 8 hours.
Homemade Whipped Cream Topping
- Prepare whipped topping shortly before you are ready to serve.
- Using an electric mixer, beat heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla on high speed until fluffy, stiff texture is reached (stiff peaks).
- Layer over pie and garnish with lemon zest, if using.
- Slice and serve.
Nutrition
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Joana says
How much (or many? 😳) graham crackers do I need for this recipe?
Sam says
Hi Joana! You will need about 10 graham cracker sheets to make the crust. 🙂
tara says
Hi!! Can you meringue the top of this pie? or is it better with just the whipped cream? THank you!!!
Sam says
Hi Tara! My only concern with putting a meringue on top is the meringue will need to be baked in the oven and I have not tested how this pie works if it is baked. If you do try it I would love to hear how it turns out for you, though!
Ronald C Marshall says
Easy, a real crowd pleaser, taste like you’ve been in the kitchen all day. I have been making this pie for about 30 years from my mothers recipe.
Sam says
I am so glad everyone enjoys the pie, Ronald! 🙂
Mrs N. says
No time to make a graham cracker crust, or whip up a pie in three stages, but do have a spouse with diabetes who adheres strictly to his physician’s directives, I try to avoid sugar, and delicious ‘richness’ of high-fat ingredients, I came up with a zingy lemony fluff based on this lovely recipe.
From youth, quite frequently not having the proper quantities or even called-for ingredients of published recipes, I’ve come to use my chemistry background in replicating flavor, consistency, and substituting high-calorie additives. (Hello, Meta Givens Family Cooking Cookbook with dedicated chapter to substitutions!)
So, I resort to the internet for ideas to start out, and improvise as I go along. Some cooks don’t like this approach and either have everything on hand and in the brand name product before attempting a recipe, or don’t go beyond their safety zone, and are upset with those who offer ‘alternatives’ in a comment box seemingly viewing my suggestion as a way to usurp tried-and-true recipes, and even suggesting that I start my own blog.
I placed a layer of graham cracker squares in the bottom of a 8×8 Pyrex baking dish, (and had enough for a small smackerel left over to go with some peanut butter and a few slices of apple for myself). In a small bowl I blended 6 oz lemon low-carb cultured dairy blend yogurt (I would’ve used another kind of lemon yogurt if I had it in my frig today, but that was it), with a teaspoon of lemon juice concentrate, and 8 oz mascarpone, (instead of fat-free cream cheese because a. I had been going to make a tiramisu-type dessert weeks ago which called for mascarpone, but found six containers in the grocery dairy case with short dating so bought five containers at that time for the price of two packages of cream cheese–yes, I used the cheese beyond its freshness date, but since I’d not opened it, I assumed it was still bacteria-free), and b. because it is softer than cream cheese, blends more easily with the acidity of lemon juice).
I dissolved 4 packets of unflavored gelatin in 3/4 cup of scalding hot water, then added a teaspoon of lemon Crystal Light powder (I would’ve used sugar-free lemon gelatin, but of the flavored gelatins had only had cherry and raspberry), and used a hand-mixer to blend the ingredients with 3/4 cup of ‘lite’ softened whipped dairy topping.
I wish I could say that I poured the mixture into the square baking dish, and then topped it with fresh lemon peel curls, but alas, I had no fresh lemons, nor zest. It only took the time to serve make-your-own tacos with prepared ingredients (maybe an hour) to coalesce in the frig. I cut the firm dessert into squares (there’s less tendency to consume the whole dish if it’s sectioned into individual portions), and served it with sliced fresh fruit.
Sugar Spun Run was a great inspiration in this 75% humidity and 88 deg F summer evening!
Sam says
Glad everything worked out! 🙂
Anaelle says
Hi!!
I live in a country that is hard to find
sweetened condensed milk, therefore how many cups is 2 cans of sweetened condensed milk ??
Btw the pie looks promo
Anaelle says
Promising
Sam says
Hi Anaelle! 2 cans is about 2 1/2 cups sweetened condensed milk. I hope you love the pie! 🙂
Jess @ Flying on Jess Fuel says
Yummy!! This pie sounds so good! It’s kinda funny that you don’t see lemon cream pie more often since the key lime version is so popular. I love any kind of tart citrus dessert, so this is right up my alley! <3
Amanda says
I usually go for everything chocolate when it comes to pie. But lemon pies are so refreshing! I always make an exception for them. This looks so homey and delicious. A really beautiful pie!
Puja Darshan says
Mmmmm, it’s yummy Sam.
Loved that yellow color topping on it….
Medha @ Whisk & Shout says
This pie is stunning! I always (wrongly!) only associate pie with fall and winter- spring pies are clearly important 🙂