Unbelievably creamy lemon pie is just like key lime pie with a lemon twist and toasty almond graham cracker crust. Made with 7 simple ingredients, you’ll appreciate the ease and simplicity of this refreshing dessert recipe.
I wasn’t going to share my sunshine-sweet lemon pie recipe because it’s extremely similar to my key lime pie. It’s the same recipe but with lemon flavor, though I did alter it slightly to make up for the different juice. And the crust is made with toasty almonds instead of macadamia nuts. It’s pretty! And creamy! This chilled dessert will surely keep you cool. One slice certainly doesn’t compare to cooling off in actual pool—but is this a summertime sweet or what?
This is my favorite lemon pie recipe, no questions asked. It packs as much lemon flavor as lemon crinkle cookies, and you’ll love the delicious contrast between a salty sweet crunchy crust and smooth and tangy filling. Let’s dive in!
This is EASY Creamy Lemon Pie
- 7 ingredients total
- Filling is only 3 simple ingredients
- You don’t need a mixer
- From mixing bowl to oven in 20 minutes
3 Parts to Creamy Lemon Pie
- 4 ingredient toasty almond graham cracker crust
- 3 ingredient creamy lemon filling
- Fun toppings like whipped cream, meringue, almonds, and lemon slices
Graham Cracker Crust with an Upgrade
We’re not using our typical classic graham cracker crust—instead, we add almonds, which take this dessert from good to out-of-this-world delicious! We combine whole salty almonds, graham crackers, sugar, and a little melted butter to create the perfect sweet-salty base for our creamy lemon filling.
I recommend using salted almonds to pair with the sweet/tangy lemon filling. You can even toast them in the oven before incorporating for another level of flavor. The crust won’t taste overly salty because there’s sugar in there as well, but it’ll have a super faint salted flavor. I guarantee you’ll only want to make graham cracker crust this way from now on. And I love how buttery and thick it is.
Use a food processor to process the nuts and graham crackers together, then add the sugar and butter to combine. You’ll pre-bake the crust for about 8 minutes, then pour the filling right in. No need to let it cool down. It’s quick and easy!
Or you could use a Biscoff pie crust instead if you’d like.
Creamy Lemon Pie Filling
The flavor of today’s lemon filling reminds me of lemon curd and the filling for my lemon meringue pie and lemon bars, but it’s much creamier. We have the sweetened condensed milk to thank for that. It’s actually adapted from my oatmeal lemon crumble bars filling, but we also add egg yolks here for structure and fresh lemon juice for flavor. That’s it—only 3 basic ingredients that have big jobs to do. You won’t believe how silky smooth this filling is!
You’ll notice this recipe calls for 3/4 cup of fresh lemon juice (as opposed to 1 cup of fresh lime juice used in key lime pie). This boggles my mind as you would think it’d be an easy swap from lime to lemon. The pie wouldn’t set up with 1 whole cup.
Made with only 7 ingredients, this pie is super quick—only 20 minutes of hands on time! The real waiting game (torture) comes afterwards when it has to cool down and then chill in the refrigerator. I like to serve this pie when it’s super cold, so I make it a day ahead of time and chill it overnight. If short on time, you can get away with only 1 hour in the refrigerator after it has completely cooled at room temperature.
Optional Garnishes
While delicious on it’s own, try garnishing your lemon pie! I used a star tip to pipe homemade whipped cream on top. Or try adding marshmallow meringue topping from my s’mores tartlets, a sprinkle of almonds, lemon zest, or slices of fresh lemons.
Other Favorite Pie Recipes
- Blueberry Pie
- Cherry Pie & Peach Pie
- Coconut Cream Pie
- Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie & Cheesecake Pie
- Peanut Butter Pie
Creamy Lemon Pie
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours, 40 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 servings
- Category: Pie
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Deliciously cool and creamy lemon pie is the perfect summer dessert made with only 7 simple ingredients.
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Almond Crust
- 11 (about 160g) full-sheet graham crackers
- 1/2 cup (62g) salted almonds (I used roasted)
- 2 Tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar
- 5 Tablespoons (71g) unsalted butter, melted
Filling + Topping
- 2 (14-ounce) cans full-fat sweetened condensed milk
- 3/4 cup (180ml) fresh lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
- 4 large egg yolks*
- garnish: lemon zest, lemon slices, almonds, whipped cream, or meringue topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Make the crust: Using a food processor, pulse the graham crackers and almonds together into crumbs. A few larger pieces of nuts is OK. Pour into a medium bowl and stir in the sugar. Add the melted butter and stir until combined. The mixture will be thick, coarse, and sandy. Try to smash/break up any large chunks. Pour the mixture into an ungreased 9-inch pie dish. With medium pressure using your hand, pat the crumbs down into the bottom and up the sides to make a compact crust. Do not pack down with heavy force because that makes the crust too hard. Simply pat down until the mixture is no longer crumby/crumbly. Tips: You can use a small flat-bottomed measuring cup to help press down the bottom crust and smooth out the surface, but do not pack down too hard. And run a spoon around the bottom “corner” where the edge and bottom meet to help make a rounded crust—this helps prevent the crust from falling apart. For more shaping technique tips, see the graham cracker crust recipe page.
- Pre-bake crust for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave the oven on.
- Make the filling: Whisk the sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, and egg yolks together. Pour into warm crust.
- Bake the pie for 19–21 minutes or until only *slightly* jiggly in the center. You want it mostly set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Once cool, cover and chill for at least 1 hour (and up to 3 days) before serving.
- Garnish as desired. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: You can prepare and pre-bake the crust up to 2–3 days in advance. Cover and store at room temperature. Likewise, you can mix up the filling up to 2–3 days in advance. Cover and refrigerate, then assemble and bake. Freezes well up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Food Processor | Glass Mixing Bowls | 9-inch Pie Dish | Whisk | Cooling Rack
- Graham Cracker Crust: If you purchase graham cracker crumbs, you need 1 and 1/3 cups (160g) for this recipe. Even though they are already crumbs, you can still pulse with the almonds. If you want to skip the almonds, use this graham cracker crust recipe instead and pre-bake for 8 minutes.
- Leftover Egg Whites: Here are my recipes with egg whites, or you can make a meringue topping for the pie.
- Non-US Readers: Don’t have graham crackers where you live? Use 180g ground digestive biscuits instead (about 12 biscuits), with the same amount of almonds and butter, and add an extra Tablespoon (12g) of sugar. Pre-bake for 10 minutes.
Here’s the recipe for key lime pie!
Hi Sally, could you use the filling in a Shortcrust Pastry Case? Thanks
Hi Courtney, that should work just fine, still following the bake times here. Enjoy!
Hi! I have a question, would this recipe be good in a 10 inch pan? (26 cm) Should I add more filling?
Hi Dana, a 10-inch pan should work in a pinch. The filling layer will be a bit thinner, or you can try scaling it up a bit. Let us know how it turns out for you!
I was wondering if I can make this into bars?
Thanks!
Hi Carin, Though we haven’t tested it, this recipe could work as squares. We recommend 9-inch square (22cm) or 11×7 inch rectangle, but we’re uncertain of the bake time. Make sure you still pre-bake the crust for 8 minutes. You could also try our lemon bars!
Very simple recipe, leaves some room for tweaking. Guests raved at my dinner party!
I loved this recipe. Very easy to prepare and got great reviews from my dinner guests!
Is it possible to cook the filling on the stovetop and just use a ready made graham cracker crust?
Hi Kelli, You can use a store bought crust and you will still follow the same directions for pre-baking and baking the pie.
My husband wanted Lemon pie and I made this one for him. He did not like it. He said it’s not bright yellow, too thick and too sweet. Help?
Hi Ingrid, maybe your husband would prefer this lemon meringue pie instead.
The brand of condensed milk can cause it too be too sweet. I use Eagle brand and it was way sweet. I find Longevity brand to be just right. You can find it in asian markets. Also, for color I added a 1/4 teaspoon of tumeric and it was a nice yellow and you cannot tast the tumeric. I hope this helps.
Hi, would it work to use purchased almond meal instead of whole almonds? I don’t have a food processor.
Hi Janice, we do not recommend almond flour or almond meal in the crust– it will absorb all the moisture and the crust will taste soggy. Instead, you can use a regular graham cracker crust.
Sorry, this was disappointing – the lemon flavor didn’t show up . I even added lemon zest to the filling because I tasted the filling before baking and the lemon flavor was lacking. Too bad because Sally is a wonderful baker. Possibly my lemons weren’t ripe ♀️.
Perfection! So luciously lemon. Thank-you. ( I did not have sweetened condensed milk, so I googled the recipe and made my own)
I made this pie for guests last weekend following a main course of roux-based shrimp creole and BLT salad. Spicy Cajun/Creole dishes and tart lemon desserts are a winning combination.
This pie was outstanding! I used three of the egg whites to make a No-Fail Italian Meringue that was scrumptious! I toasted the top using a torch and sprinkled grated lemon zest over all. My guests raved over it! Absolutely DeeeLish!!
This is my go-to lemon pie recipe. sometimes I put a little lemon zest in the filling and sometimes not. It is really good with a shortbread cookie crust. I top it with fresh sweetened whipped cream and sometimes I mix cream cheese in with the cream… All this is done in my magic bullet.
I thought this was okay. Not a strong flavour so perhaps a little too mild for my taste. Easy to make though.
Hi, I have a question, is it possible to cook the filling in a dome silicone form and the freeze it to transfer the shape to a separate base? Or will it lose texture?
Hi Anthony, we haven’t tried it, but we fear the filling will start to lose its shape as the dome thaws.
I’d like to make this in ramekins minus the crust. Would that work?
Hi Dorothy, we haven’t tested it, but that should work. We’re unsure of the exact bake time. Or, you might like these lemon pudding cakes instead!
I was given an 11oz jar of lemon curd – could that work in place of the homemade filling?
Hi Annette, unfortunately lemon curd won’t work quite the same here, as it won’t set properly for slicing. You could always drizzle the lemon curd on top of the finished pie for even more lemon flavor.
Will be making this pie for guests this weekend. If I’m using a meringue topping, do I cover the uncooked pie with the meringue and bake it at 350° for 19-21 minutes as directed in the recipe? Just wondering if the baking time and/or temp changes if adding meringue.
Hi Sara, For the meringue topping linked above you can spread or pipe it onto your baked and cooled pie and then if you wish you can toast it lightly with a kitchen torch. Hope it’s a hit!
Thanks, Sally. I don’t have a torch and Pyrex prohibits using its pie plates under a broiler. Can I not bake this meringue-topped pie in the oven? If I want a baked meringue pie, would you advise making your Lemon Meringue Pie in place of this Creamy Lemon Pie recipe?
Sorry for so many questions, but are you indicating that this meringue doesn’t need to be cooked? I don’t have a torch so am not sure how to proceed. Thank you!
Hi Sara, toasting the meringue is optional, since it is cooked on the stove prior to using on top of the pie. If you want to have a baked meringue, we’d recommend our lemon meringue pie recipe instead. Hope this helps!
Sounds divine!! Would it work to use toasted pecans in the crust instead of almonds? I’m a Southerner so prefer pecans whenever feasible.
Sounds great, go for it!
Is the lemon cream filling too sweet to use a shortbread crust??
Hi JT, you could certainly try a shortbread crust here if you prefer. The crust from this lemon blueberry tart should work well. Let us know if you try it!
Made this for Father’s Day. Everyone loved it! So rich and creamy!
Excited to try this! I have a super small processor.. can I used sliced almonds instead of whole and if so would it be the same measurement? If I use them unsalted can I add a pinch of salt to it to make up for that?
Hi Marina, that’s fine!
Sorry, another question about ingredient supply, is there an alternative to Graham crackers please, as I cannot find these in Portugal.
Hi Zoe, some bakers outside the US use digestive biscuits, or you could make a Biscoff cookie crust instead.
Hi Sally could I substitute the lemon zest for orange to make an orange pie?
Hi Shelly, we can’t see why not! You may want to add a small pinch of salt since you’ll lose the tartness from lemon. Let us know if you try it!