Creamy Lemon Pie

close up view of old fashioned lemon pie.

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

An easy pie with plenty of tart and creamy lemon filling on top of a graham cracker crust.

Prep Time30

Cook Time10

Chilling time8

Total Time8 40

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, Southern

Keyword: creamy lemon pie, lemon custard pie

Servings: slices

Calories: 459kcal

Author: Katie

Equipment

1 9-inch pie dish
Mixing bowl
food processor
Whisk
Measuring cups and spoons

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 your oven to 375°F with the rack positioned in the center. Then, crush the graham crackers into fine crumbs using a food processor. Pulse until smooth. Next, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. Stir until the mixture resembles wet sand. After that, firmly press the crumb mixture evenly into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate to form the crust. Bake the crust for 7 minutes, making sure not to overbake as this can make the crust too hard to slice. Allow the crust to cool completely at room temperature before adding the filling.
Make the filling. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, sour cream, and egg yolks until smooth and well combined. Lower the oven temperature to 350°F.
Assemble and bake. Pour the lemon filling into the cooled pie crust, using a spatula to spread it evenly. Bake the pie for 10 minutes to set the filling. When done, it will remain pale and jiggle slightly in the center. Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool at room temperature for about 1 hour. Once cooled, transfer the pie to the refrigerator and chill for at least 8 hours or overnight for the best texture.
Garnish and serve. Before serving, top the chilled pie with freshly whipped cream and garnish with thin slices of lemon for a bright, decorative touch. Slice and enjoy your creamy, tart lemon pie cold.

Notes

Make sure your eggs, sour cream, and lemon juice aren’t cold before you mix them for the filling. If they’re cold, they won’t mix well, and your pie might not come out right.

Squeezing fresh lemon juice into the sweetened condensed milk mix is important to make the pie taste just right—not too sweet or sour. You can also use bottled lemon juice, but fresh is best.

To have the best whipped cream on top, whip the cream right before you’re going to eat the pie. If you have to make it earlier, keep it in the fridge and whip it again before you put it on the pie so it’s nice and fluffy.

When you’re getting the lemon zest, only get the yellow part of the skin. The white part underneath is bitter and could make your pie taste funny. A microplane zester is perfect for this job.

Use a glass or ceramic dish to bake your pie. These materials help cook the crust evenly. Metal pans might cook it unevenly and change the way it tastes.

Let the pie cool in the fridge for at least 8 hours, or even better, all night. This makes sure the filling sets properly so it holds its shape when you cut the pie. If you don’t wait long enough, the pie might be too runny and messy when you try to slice it.

Nutrition