This classic dessert combines a graham cracker crust with creamy lemon filling into a favorite summertime pie. It’s easy to make and is made ahead of time. I know that you’re going to love this pie just as much as we do.
Table of contents
❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe
- It’s a classic dessert that everyone will love
- The lemon flavor is perfect for summertime gatherings
- It’s super easy: just mix, pour, and bake
🧂 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You’ll find the full measurements and instructions in the printable recipe at the bottom of the page.
You’ll need the following for this old-fashioned lemon pie
- fresh lemon juice
- sweetened condensed milk
- sour cream
- lemon zest
- egg yolks
- graham crackers
- melted butter
- granulated sugar
🥣 Equipment
- 9-inch pie plate
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk
🍴Instructions
Step One: Make the Graham cracker crust
Preheat the oven to 375°F with the rack in the center. Using a food processor, crush the graham crackers into crumbs. Melt the butter and add it to the graham cracker crumbs along with sugar and cinnamon. Press down on the mixture firmly. Bake for 7 minutes.
Step Two: Make the filling
Make the filling. Combine sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, sour cream, and egg yolks in a mixing bowl. Mix to combine well.
Step three: Bake and Chill
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Pour the filling into the pie crust and bake for 10 minutes to set the pie. It will not brown. Allow to cool completely at room temperature, then chill in the fridge for at least 8 hours.
Serve cold with whipped cream on top.
🥫 Storage instructions
The pie will last for up to 5 days when stored properly in the fridge.
You can freeze the pie just fine, but skip the whipped topping and add that just before you serve.
🔍 FAQs
It’s in between, but more on the sweet side. Feel free to increase the lemon juice to 1 cup if you want it extra tart.
Yes! They’ll get hot in the oven.
👩🏻🍳 Expert tips
- Adding fresh lemon juice to the condensed milk mixture is key to getting the perfect tart-sweet balance in the pie. But a mix of fresh and bottled will work.
- Be sure to let the pie chill the full time. or it will not set, and you’ll end up with a soupy mess.
- Top the pie with fresh whipped cream for an extra burst of flavor and a beautiful contrast to the bright yellow filling.
📘 Related Recipes
- This very similar to my key lime meringue pie, which is another popular pick in hot weather.
- If you’re looking for even more summery desserts, try blackberry raspberry pie and triple berry cobbler.
📖 Here’s the recipe
Creamy Lemon Pie
Equipment
- 1 9-inch pie dish
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
Filling
- ¾ cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 cans sweetened condensed milk 15-ounce cans
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 2 egg yolks
Crust
- 11 graham crackers
- 6 tablespoons butter melted
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Make the crust. Preheat oven to 375 with the rack in the center. Crush the graham crackers into crumbs using a food processor. Melt the butter and add it to the graham cracker crumbs along with the sugar and cinnamon. Press crumbly mixture into a 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 7 minutes. Do not overbake, or the crust will be too hard to slice. Cool at room temperature before filling
- Make the filling. Combine the sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, sour cream, and egg yolks. Mix very well. Preheat oven to 350.
- Assemble and bake. Pour the filling into the pie crust and bake for 10 minutes to set the pie. It will not brown. Allow to cool completely at room temperature, then chill in the fridge for at least 8 hours.
- Serve cold with whipped cream and fresh lemon slices on top.
