There is so much to love about my Creamy Lemon Pie. Every bite offers the refreshing, bright flavour of lemon, softened and smoothed by the luscious, creamy filling. A simple, easily made, crisp cookie crust perfectly offsets the silky-smooth texture of the filling. This is the perfect dessert for those who love the flavour of lemons!
Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- This is a special dessert, worthy of a place at any celebration but also easy enough to make for a weeknight family dessert. Along with some of my other lemon desserts, such as Lemon Curd Cake or No-Churn Lemon Ice Cream, it is a guaranteed crowd pleaser.
- It is made from simple ingredients which are readily available.
- This is an easily made recipe which is suitable for novice or more experienced cooks alike.
- Do not be daunted by the thought of making a pie crust. A simple, easily made, crisp cookie crust perfectly offsets the creamy texture of the tangy lemon filling.
- The pie can be made gluten-free by using the appropriate biscuits/cookies in the crust.
Recipe Inspiration: I have adapted this recipe from my Creamy Lime Pie.
Ingredients and Substitutions:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
- Sweet, plain biscuits/cookies – I have tested this recipe using digestive and granita biscuits. I have also made with gluten-free rice flour cookies. Gluten-free cookies tend to require a little more butter, but this will vary depending on the brand. You can also use Graham crackers, but again, you may need a little more butter.
- Butter – melted butter combines with crushed biscuits/cookies to make the crust. We use unsalted butter.
- Sweetened condensed milk - adds richness and sweetness. We use full-fat in this recipe.
- Egg yolks - the fat in the egg yolks adds a pleasant smoothness to the filling. They also add richness and creaminess and help set the pie.
- Lemon zest – when removing the zest, avoid the white pith as it is bitter. And be sure to remove the zest before juicing the lemons.
- Lemon juice - I use freshly squeezed lemon juice to add to this delicious pie.
- Heavy/whipping cream - we have used heavy/whipping cream, which contains a minimum of 35% milk fat. The topping of whipped cream adds a lovely finishing touch and complements the citrus flavour.
- Icing/powdered sugar – a small amount is added to sweeten the cream.
- Blueberries and fresh mint leaves – we have used these to garnish the pie, but this is optional.
Variations:
Lime – if you’d prefer a lime base instead of lemon, I recommend trying my Creamy Lime Pie.
Toppings/decorations – top with fresh fruit of your choice.
How To Make This Creamy Lemon Pie:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
1 – Prepare the pie crust:
Add the biscuits to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until fine crumbs.
Add the melted butter and process until well combined.
Tip the biscuit mixture into the pie plate and press over the base and up the side of the dish.
Bake until golden, then remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
2 – Prepare the lemon filling:
In a large bowl, whisk the condensed milk and the egg yolks together. Add the lemon juice and zest and continue to whisk until they are well combined.
3 – Add the filling to the cooled crust:
Pour the filling into the pie crust.
4 – Bake until set:
Bake the Creamy Lemon Pie until the centre is just set. Set aside to cool completely. Cover with cling wrap and place in the refrigerator until cold.
Whisk the cream and icing/powdered sugar until it forms soft peaks. Top the pie with the whipped cream or place the cream in a piping bag and pipe some rosettes around the edge. Decorate with fresh blueberries and mint leaves if you wish.
Hint: don’t over bake the pie filling – you want it to be just set for the ideal texture. We often get asked “Do I need to bake the crust first?” Some recipes don’t require the crust to be baked, but I feel that 10 minutes in the oven, before adding the filling, adds flavour and makes the crust crispy.
Tips for Success, Storage and FAQs:
Digestive biscuits or Graham crackers are popular for crusts, but you can use almost any crunchy cookie. You may need to adjust the quantity of butter, as the absorption of all cookies will vary.
You certainly can do that. Just choose gluten-free cookies/biscuits that are plain and crispy.
Yes, you can. You can bake the pie a day ahead. However, it is best to add the whipped cream shortly before serving. If you make it more than 1 day ahead, the crust may lose some of its crispness. If making in advance, don’t add the whipped cream or blueberries until you are ready to serve the pie.
Store the Creamy Lemon Pie, covered with cling wrap, in the fridge for up to three days. Try to keep the cling wrap off the top of the pie in case it sticks.
Yes, it can be frozen for up to a month. It needs to be well covered to prevent freezer burn, so wrap first in cling wrap and then cover with aluminium foil.
Top Tip:
I have some great tips for how to extract the maximum juice from lemons. Don’t take them straight from the fridge, they release more juice when they’re warm. To warm, place the whole lemon in the microwave for 10 – 20 seconds. Alternatively, place them in a bowl of warm water for approximately 10 minutes. Also, you can roll the lemon beneath your hand on a hard surface. That will break up the membranes and enable more juice to be released.
Serving Suggestions:
You will find there are so many occasions to enjoy this Creamy Lemon Pie. Some serving suggestions are:
- Serve at family gatherings or parties with friends; it is always a hit.
- It is a perfect way to finish a luncheon or dinner party.
- As a spectacular dessert on festive occasions such as Easter, Thanksgiving or Christmas.
- It’s a great addition to a dessert buffet, where you can balance flavours and texture with a variety of desserts such as Easy Coffee Truffles, or Flourless Chocolate Cake.
This Creamy Lemon Pie has the perfect blend of golden, crispy crust, smooth and creamy lemon filling, along with sweet and tangy flavours, and is certain to become one of your favourites. This is a crowd pleaser – enjoy!
Alex xx
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Creamy Lemon Pie
Please note:
For accuracy, when weights are provided, we recommend weighing your ingredients. This will produce the best results. All oven temperatures listed are for fan forced.
Ingredients
Pie Crust:
- 250 g (8.8 oz) plain sweet biscuits/cookies – I use Digestives See Note 1
- 100 g (3.5 oz) unsalted butter – melted
Pie Filling:
- 395 g (14 oz) can of sweetened condensed milk – full fat
- 4 large egg yolks See Note 2
- 125 ml (½ cup) lemon juice - strained See Note 3
- 3 teaspoon lemon zest - loosely packed
Topping:
- 125 ml (½ cup) thickened/heavy whipping cream See Note 4
- 1 teaspoon icing/powdered sugar
- blueberries and mint leaves - to garnish
Instructions
Pie Crust:
- Preheat the oven to 180 Degrees C (355 F).Place the biscuits/cookies in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until they resemble fine breadcrumbs.Add the melted butter to the biscuit crumbs and process until well combined.
- You will need a 23 cm (9 inch) pie plate. Our pie dish has a depth of about 5 cm (2 inches) and we take the biscuit crumb up to the 4 cm (1.5 inches) mark approximately.Tip the biscuit and butter mixture into the pie plate. Using the back of a dessert spoon, or the base of a flat-bottomed glass, press the mixture over the base and up the side of the pie plate.
- Place your prepared pie crust into the pre-heated oven and bake until golden, about 8-10 minutes.Remove the crust from the oven and set aside to cool completely. This will take about 15 minutes.
Pie Filling:
- In a large bowl, whisk the condensed milk and the egg yolks together.
Add the lemon juice and zest and continue to whisk until they are well combined. - Carefully pour the filling into the pie crust and bake for about 15 minutes or until the centre of the pie is just set.
- Set the pie aside and allow it to cool completely. This will take about 1 hour.Cover the pie with cling wrap and place it in the refrigerator until cold; for at least one more hour.Once chilled, add cream or decorations and serve. Like a lot of pies, the first slice is the hardest to remove. We recommend using a sharp knife for clean cuts, and a spatula to help remove the slices.
For the Topping:
- Whisk the cream and icing/powdered sugar until it forms soft peaks.Top the pie with the whipped cream or place it into a piping bag and pipe some rosettes around the edge of the pie. Decorate with fresh blueberries and mint leaves.
Notes
- Cookies/biscuits: most plain, sweet cookies are fine to use, but you may have to adjust the quantity of butter. Once the cookies and butter have been combined, you are looking for a consistency of wet sand.
- Egg whites: don’t throw these out! Try making my Almond Cookies, Meringues or Coconut Macaroons.
- Lemon juice: I only use freshly squeezed lemon juice as I find the flavour is brighter and fresher.
- Cream: you’ll want to use thickened/heavy cream that has 35% milk fat.
- Storage: cover with cling wrap and place in the fridge for up to three days. Try to keep the cling wrap off the top of the pie in case it sticks.
- Freezing: you can freeze the Creamy Lemon Pie for up to a month. It needs to be well covered to prevent freezer burn, so wrap first in cling wrap and then cover with aluminium foil. Defrost in the fridge.
Nutrition Estimate:
Nutritional Disclaimer:
The nutritional information is an estimate only, and is derived from online calculators. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
This post was originally published in October 2020. It has been updated with more information and new photos. The recipe remains the same.
Linda says
Can this be made with condensed coconut milk? I am gluten and dairy free and looking for a way to use the egg yolks left over from the almond cookies. Thank you!
Alexandra Cook says
Hi Linda,
I haven't ever tried baking with coconut condensed milk before.
If this is something you've used in similar recipes with success, then it may very well work!
I'd be keen to hear how you get on if you give it a try 🙂 Alex xo
Julie Jones says
beautiful lemon or lime tart..not too sweet and the crust is perfect in taste and texture. and sooooo simple to make x
Alexandra Cook says
Thank you so much, Julie 🙂
I am so happy you enjoyed this recipe! Alex xo
Marie says
Truly delicious! It was such a crowd pleaser. Tangy, sweet and so yum!
Alexandra Cook says
Thank you so much, Marie! xo
Laura says
Big lemon fan over here. I tried this last night and it was DIVINE, especially with cream and fresh raspberries! 10/10 will be making this again. 😋👌🏼
Alexandra Cook says
Hey Laura,
I am so happy to hear this. Thanks so much for your lovely comment!
Alex xo
Tina says
Absolutely loved it
Alexandra says
Thank you, Tina!
Leighton says
I’ve made this twice now....so easy, but so delicious as well as looking good. I may try variations with other citrus fruits and berries
Alexandra says
Thanks, Leighton! So happy to hear that.
We also love the Classic Key Lime Pie 🙂