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Old-Fashioned Creamy Lemon Pie

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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.

close up view of old fashioned lemon pie.

Creamy Lemon Pie {Condensed Milk Recipe}

4.75 from 4 votes
An easy pie with plenty of tart and creamy lemon filling on top of a graham cracker crust.
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Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Chilling time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 8 slices
Calories: 459kcal
Author: Katie Shaw
Want some free Christmas printables? Click here to grab ’em

Equipment

  • 1 9-inch pie dish
  • Mixing bowl

Ingredients

Filling

  • ¾ cup fresh lemon juice
  • 2 cans sweetened condensed milk 15-ounce cans
  • 2 tablepoons sour cream
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest
  • 2 egg yolks

Crust

  • 11 graham crackers
  • 6 tablespoons butter melted
  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon

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
    graham cracker crust ingredients in food processor. and pressed into pie plate.
  • Make the filling. Combine the sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, sour cream, and egg yolks. Mix very well. Preheat oven to 350.
    Sweetened condensed milk and lemon juice in mixing bowl.
  • 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.
    creamy pie, before and after baking.
  • Garnish and serve. Serve cold with whipped cream and fresh lemon slices on top.
    finished pie, overhead view.

Notes

If you don’t have the full 3/4 cup of fresh lemon juice, you can add some bottled.
Our favorite whipped cream recipe is: 1 cup of heavy cream beaten with 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar, but Cool Whip is perfectly fine!       

Nutrition

Calories: 459kcal | Carbohydrates: 78g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 268mg | Potassium: 426mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 67g | Vitamin A: 367IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 319mg | Iron: 1mg
Did you make this?Let me know how it was! Please see below for serving ideas, storage instructions, and substitutions.
lemon pie garnished with whipped cream and lemon, slice missing.

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 on marble counter.

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
  • 9-inch pie plate
  • Mixing bowls
  • Whisk

🍴Instructions

Step One: Make the Graham cracker crust

graham cracker crust ingredients in food processor. and pressed into pie plate.

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

Sweetened condensed milk and lemon juice in mixing bowl.

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: assemble and bake

creamy pie, before and after baking.

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, but will very slightly change in color.

Step three: chill and garnish

finished pie, overhead view.

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

Is lemon cream pie sweet or tart?

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.

Will the eggs be safe to eat?

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 for 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 extra creaminess and a beautiful contrast to the bright yellow filling.

📘 Related Recipes

slice on pie on pink plate.
Old-Fashioned Creamy Lemon PieOld-Fashioned Creamy Lemon Pie
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6 thoughts on “Old-Fashioned Creamy Lemon Pie”

  3. For this lovely sounding pie, your directions for the crust say to add sugar and cinnamon. But in your list if ingredients, cinnamon is not mentioned. May I ask how much cinnamon you suggest adding, or should I leave it out? Thanks for this recipe!

    Reply

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