This easy Lemon Pie is bursting with fresh lemon taste and paired with a perfect graham cracker crust. I have tested many Lemon Pie recipes in my day and this is my favorite! You may also enjoy my Piggy Pie Dessert and 50 Best Cookie Recipes!
How to Make a Lemon Pie
When I am making a pie I want to make sure every part of it is perfection. For a lemon pie specifically, it’s got to have a pure lemon flavor and it’s got to be silky smooth. I love that this recipe definitely covers both! Make sure to blend the lemon pie filling ingredients in a stand mixer for the time specified so that they will be creamy and be textured like velvet.
Graham Cracker Crust for Lemon Pie
A perfect graham cracker crust only needs a few simple ingredients. Graham crackers, butter, and sugar. I don’t recommend using low-fat or fat-free graham crackers in this recipe, but they certainly work in a pinch! I have also purchased the store bought graham cracker crumbs but don’t find them to be as flavorful as when you crush your own crackers.
Using a food processor is a great way to make sure all of your ingredients are fully incorporated. Joanna does not specify a food processor in her recipe so I did not use one when I photographed this recipe. But after having made this several times I do find that I prefer the results from using a food processor. Either way, the crust will be delicious!
After it is mixed the texture should be similar to damp sand. Once poured into the pie dish I use my hand to work it into the corners and up the sides. I then use a kitchen glass to press the crumbs firmly down and also ensure it’s an even layer.
Does Lemon Pie need to be refrigerated?
Because of the eggs in the filling and the homemade whipped cream topping, I do recommend refrigeration.
Joanna recommends making this pie and gifting it to neighbors, which I love! If you are doing so I would make sure it is properly chilled before taking it over. Just let them know that if they want to eat it at room temperature it can be taken out a couple of hours before serving, but should then be placed back in the refrigerator.
More Fabulous Pie Recipes:
The Best Lemon Pie
Ingredients
Crust
- 1½ cups (127g) crushed graham crackers
- 6 tablespoons (88g) butter, melted
- ⅓ cup (75g) granulated sugar
Pie Filling
- 3 cups sweetened condensed milk, (can also use two 14-ounce cans which is about 2⅔ cups)
- 3 large (54g)egg yolks
- ⅔ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, about 2 lemons
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
Whipped Cream
- 2 cups (476g) heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
- 1 teaspoon McCormick vanilla extract
- Lemon zest, for garnish
Instructions
Crust
- Combine crushed graham cracker, melted butter, and sugar in a medium bowl. Mix well and press into greased pie dish. (I prefer a 9-inch pie dish with this recipe)
- Bake for 8 minutes at 350°F.
- Carefully remove from oven.
Pie Filling
- While pie crust is baking mix sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, lemon juice and salt in a stand mixer. Turn mixer to medium and mix well for about 3-4 minutes.
- Pour into baked pie crust and bake at 350°F for 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let rest on the counter for about 10 minutes. Place pie in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours to set.
Whipped Cream
- When you are ready to serve pie, mix whipped cream, confectioners sugar, and vanilla in a clean and cooled bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip until fluffy, about 3 minutes. (Can also use a hand-held mixer)
- Scoop onto cooled lemon pie and serve immediately. (If using lemon zest as a garnish, add before serving.)
Video
Did you make this recipe?
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Recipe adapted from Magnolia.com.
Prefer a pastry crust. Not Graham cracker crust. Filling is a great recipe.
So this was a huge hit at a recent BBQ. I made a mistake though on which turned out amazing. I used 3 egg whites instead of egg yolks. It was light and fluffy and sooo good. I also did use juice from 3 lemons instead of 2.
This was absolutely amazing! Loved it!
Followed directions to the letter and put in refrigerator to set and chill overnight but it did not set up firm. It was runny in the middle. Edges were somewhat set but center was runny. Upset my husband’s stomach. I do not think 10 minutes in a 350° oven was quite enough to cook egg yolk.?
This happened to mine when I tried to use only 2 (14 oz.) cans of sweetened condensed milk. It’s perfect when you use 3 cups (about 2 3/4 cans).
I am Going to be traveling with the pie. Can I put the topping on prior to serving and travel with pie?
Family loved it. I added a bit more lemon because I like it tart.
It’s requested by family and friends often.
This is the best lemon pie we have had! Wonderful flavor!
This pie is a semi-regular request. Out of curiosity I did try to use only 2 (14 oz.) cans of sweetened condensed milk to see if there’d be a stronger citrus flavor/less sweetened condensed milk flavor, but unfortunately the filling remained liquid and never set up. I even tried an extra 5 minutes in the oven but all that did was overbake the exposed crust and make the top of the pie have a weird crystallized sugar kind of thing going on (underneath which the rest was liquid sloshing around). I ended up having to toss it.
Using the full 3 cups (about 2 3/4 cans) is the perfect consistency every time. I don’t know why the recipe says 2 cans is fine, but it’s not. Please don’t make this mistake and waste time, money, and ingredients.
I am saving the recipe so I can try to make it.