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.

creamy lemon pie with whipped cream and graham cracker crust.

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I originally shared this recipe in 2017, and I’ve 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 flavor—like lemon bars in pie form! It easily made the list of our favorite lemon dessert recipes that we return to again and again.

Let’s 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… ★★★★★“

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! ★★★★★“

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

ingredients measured out on marble counter.

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 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.)

graham crackers and almonds in food processor and shown again pressed into dish.

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 it—only 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

Creamy Lemon Pie

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.7 from 102 reviews

Author: Sally McKenney
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours, 40 minutes
Yield: 8-10 servings
Category: Pie
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

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Description

You only need 7 simple ingredients to make this deliciously cool and creamy lemon pie.

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Almond 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 lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
4 large egg yolks*
for garnish: lemon zest, lemon slices, almonds, whipped cream, or meringue topping

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Instructions

Preheat the 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 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 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 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 2–3 days in advance. Cover and store at room temperature. Likewise, you can mix together the filling up to 2–3 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 Juicer | Egg Separator | Cooling Rack
Graham Cracker Crust: If you purchase graham cracker crumbs, you need 1 and 1/3 cups (about 160–165g) 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.
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.

Sally McKenney

Sally McKenney is a baker, food photographer, and New York Times best-selling author. Her kitchen-tested recipes and step-by-step tutorials have given millions of readers the knowledge and confidence to bake from scratch. Sally’s work has been featured on TODAY, Good Morning America, Taste of Home, People, and more.