Unbelievably creamy lemon pie is just like key lime pie with a lemon twist and toasty almond graham cracker crust. Made with just 7 simple ingredients, you’ll appreciate the ease and simplicity of this refreshing dessert recipe.
I originally shared this recipe in 2017, and Iโve since updated it with new photos and extra success tips for consistently great results.
Think of today’s recipe as the lemon version of key lime pie. The filling is nearly identical, but adjusted for lemon juice so it sets up perfectly silky and smooth. And instead of macadamia nuts, the graham cracker crust gets its salty-sweet flavor from salted almonds. This pie is ultra creamy, and delivers bold lemon flavorโlike lemon bars in pie form! It easily made the list of our favorite lemon dessert recipes that we return to again and again.
Letโs dive in.
This Is EASY Creamy Lemon Pie
- 7 ingredients total
- No mixer required
- 20 minutes of hands-on time
- Make-ahead friendly
One reader, Shannon, commented: “I made this for Easter. I’ve been wanting to try it for a while as an alternative to lemon meringue pie. Boy, am I sorry I waited so long! Easy and delicious. The filling was velvety smooth, and the nuts in the crust added a little something extra. I especially loved how few ingredients there were and how easy it was to pull together… โ โ โ โ โ “
Another reader, Ally, commented: “Sally, this was SUBLIME. Zero notes, so amazing! Super easy, too. Loved the crust and made your whipped cream from scratch, too. Thanks for another perfect recipe! โ โ โ โ โ “
3 Parts to Creamy Lemon Pie
- 4-ingredient toasty almond graham cracker crust
- 3-ingredient creamy lemon filling
- Optional toppings like whipped cream, meringue, mint, and lemon slices
Graham Cracker Crust with an Upgrade
We’re not using our typical classic graham cracker crustโinstead, 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 salted almonds to enhance the lemon flavor without overpowering it. You can even toast them first for extra depth. If desired, skip the almonds and use only graham crackers for a traditional crust.
Press the crust into a 9-inch pie dish, and pre-bake for about 8 minutes. No need to cool it before adding the filling.
(And if you want to switch it up, you could use a Biscoff crust instead.)
Creamy Lemon Pie Filling
The flavor of today’s lemon filling reminds me of lemon curd and the filling for my lemon meringue pie, but it’s much creamier. We have the sweetened condensed milk to thank for that, an ingredient we also use in these oatmeal lemon crumble bars. We’ll also add egg yolks for structure.
You’ll notice this recipe calls for 3/4 cup of fresh lemon juice (as opposed to 1 cup of lime juice used in key lime pie). You would think it’d be a 1-for-1 swap from lime to lemon… but the pie simply wouldn’t set up with 1 whole cup of lemon juice. I had some soupy pies to prove it!
That’s itโonly 3 basic ingredients: sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, and lemon juice. Each has a big job to do!
Whisk together, pour into the preheated crust, and bake.
The real waiting game (torture) comes afterwards when the lemon pie 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 its own, try garnishing your lemon pie! I spread whipped cream on top and added lemon slices, mint, and lemon zest. Or try adding the marshmallow-tasting meringue topping from this bourbon sweet potato pie.
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
You only need 7 simple ingredients to make this deliciously cool and creamy lemon pie.
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Almondย Crust
- 11 (about 165g) full-sheet graham crackers
- 1/2 cup (62g) salted almonds (I use roasted)
- 2 Tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar
- 5 Tablespoons (71g) unsalted butter, melted
Filling + Topping
- 28 ounces (794g) full-fat sweetened condensed milk (two 14-oz cans)
- 3/4 cup (180g/ml) fresh lemonย juice (about 4 lemons)
- 4 large egg yolks*
- for garnish: lemon zest, lemonย slices, almonds, whipped cream, or meringue topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ยฐF (177ยฐC).
- 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.ย Tips:ย 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 โcornerโ where the edge and bottom meet to help make a rounded crustโ โthis helps prevent the crust from falling apart. For more shaping technique tips, see theย graham cracker crustย recipe page.
- Pre-bake the 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 the warm crust.
- Bake the pie for 19โ21 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 cooling rack.
- Once cool, cover and chill for at least 1 hour, and up to 3 days before serving. After around 8 hours, lightly cover it.
- When ready to serve, garnish as desired. Slice and serve. For neat slices, it’s helpful to wipe your knife clean between each cut.
- Cover and store leftover pie in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: You can prepare and pre-bake the crust up to 2โ3 days in advance. Cover and store at room temperature. Likewise, you can mix together the filling up to 2โ3 days in advance. Cover and refrigerate, then assemble and bake. Baked and cooled pie freezes well for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Food Processor | Glass Mixing Bowls | 9-inch Pie Dish | Whisk | Citrus Juicerย | Egg Separator | Cooling Rack
- Graham Cracker Crust: If you purchase graham cracker crumbs, you need 1 and 1/3 cups (about 160โ165g) 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. You could also make a Biscoff pie crust instead.
- Leftover Egg Whites: Here are all my recipes with egg whites, or you can make a meringue topping for the pie, and I recommend the topping used on this bourbon sweet potato pie. Tip: Eggs separate easier when they’re cold.ย
- Non-US Readers: โโDon’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.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I’m 90% certain I followed the recipe exactly (apart from making a pastry crust and par-baking it)… and I was honestly disappointed. It still tasted great, but took a really long time to set up and was still quite liquidy after a night in the fridge. The texture just was not it. At least it tasted good…
Super easy and yum, yum, yum! I used half lemon/half lime juice. Everyone loved it. 5+ stars. I garnished with whipped cream and toasted almond slices. The recipe doubled with no problems.
I made this pie but I watch my sugar and this pie I think is very sweet. What can I do to make it less sweet? Is it the condensed milk that makes it that way and is it possible to use a can of evaporated milk in place of 1 can of condensed milk? Thank you
Ps. I love your recipes and have baked many of them.
Hi Arline, this is a sweeter pie, balanced by the tart lemon juice. The sweetened condensed milk is really a key ingredient here and can’t be swapped out for evaporated milk since it would not set properly. Sorry we can’t help more and thank you for making our recipes!
Can I make individaul cupcake sized pies? If I use the silicone style cupcake tins, how long to bake?
Hi Martha, we’re unsure about the best bake time for smaller individual ramekins because it depends on how deep they areโ it will just have to be a best judgement call! Once theyโre barely jiggling in the center, they should be cooked through.
Thanks for the option of digestive biscuits instead of graham wafers!
Options are always nice.
Can this recipe be halved & made as tarts instead?* If so, would the baking times/temps change?
*A pie is often too much for a small family.
Thank you!
Hi Robin, absolutely. Weโre unsure of the exact bake time for smaller tartlets, but let us know if give it a try!
Could you make this in mini jars (extra small canning jars with lids) to travel better for Easter? If so what do you think the bake time would be like?
Hi Jess, we haven’t tested anything like that with this recipe, so we’re unsure how well it would work. Let us know if you do give anything a try.
My husband does not like the graham cracker crusts and I don’t ever use Oreo crusts due to the ingredient list of questionable items in oreos. Can I use a standard pie crust for this and the key lime recipe?
Hi Caroline, you can definitely make this pie with a traditional crust. Use this recipe for pie crust and make sure you par-bake it before adding the filling. Enjoy!
While good I think itโs lacking slightly in lemon flavour. If I try this again I would add lemon zest to the filling.
Can you use a different salted nut in the crust? For example cashews?
Certainly!