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 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
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.)
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
- 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 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
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.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I made the pie according to the instructions. But after cooling for about an hour, I placed plastic wrap over it to transport it. I saw immediately that the plastic wrap lifted the top of the pie, ruining how it looked. Should I have let it cool in the fridge to prevent this from happening, or just not use plastic wrap and use aluminum foil to cover it when transporting it? I’m going to whip heavy cream and cover it with that and a sprinkle of sliced almonds. Thanks…
Hi Geri! Definitely let the pie cool completely before covering with anything (plastic wrap or aluminum foil).
Followed recipe exactly, didn’t make one change, and it came out perfect! As always great recipe. Thank you Sally!
This is now my family’s favorite summer dessert. Delish and so easy. You’re the bomb, Sally!!
Can you use a ready made graham cracker crust?
Absolutely!
We tried your creamy lemon pie recipe about a year ago and loved it. We used lemon juice (all we had at the time) and thought that it would taste even better if we used real lemons. I made a 1 ½ recipe yesterday and got two pies out of it but they didn’t taste lemony at all. Tasted sort of like cream cheese. Could that be the result of using real lemons instead of lemon juice? Strange.
Hi Andy! Perhaps your lemons weren’t quite ripe or just not very flavorful? Usually fresh lemons are better, but the flavor of the pie will depend on the particular lemons you used.
Omg I just baked it with egg WHITES
Bob’s Red Mill sells almond meal which is a coarser grind of almond flour. Would I still need 1/2 cup of that or less? Will use graham cracker crumbs, also.
Hi Marge, 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.
I found the instructions confusing, the recipe says, “2 (14-ounce) cans full-fat sweetened condensed milk”.
So it sounds like you need 28 ounces of sweetened condensed milk but when I had dumped 14 ounces into my bowl I realized there is no way my pie crust is going to hold 28 ounces plus the lemon juice.
Even with only 14 ounces of sweetened condensed milk, the pie is very sweet and not as lemony as I would want it.
I’d also note for Canadians, our sweetened condensed milk comes in 300mL cans, which is 10 ounces.
I thought 2 would not fit either but it did! I think because a pie tapers out it’s an illusion!
The problem with using ounces is that ounces is a both a measurement of volume and weight. Canada sells sweetened condensed milk by volume while the US sells it by weight. 300 mL (volume) of Sweetened Condensed milk (1 tin in Canada) weighs about 390 grams. 14 ounces (weight) of Sweetened Condensed milk (1 tin in the US) weighs about 396 grams. They are equivalent in weight so interchangeable.
What can I use instead of condensed milk?
Thank you
Hi Cathy, unfortunately, there’s no great substitute for sweetened condensed milk in this creamy lemon pie. You may love our lemon meringue pie recipe or lemon bars instead!
I discovered this recipe a couple years ago and it’s been my go to dessert ever sing . So easy and so delicious! Always a big hit.
I made this recipe and it was a big hit at a party that we were at – even the professional chef kept raving about it! It was so easy to make too.
Really easy to make and so good!!
I have a lemon tree in my yard here in Greece, so I am forever searching for lemon recipes, including pies.
Yours was the best!
Dolores
Made this for Thanksgiving and everyone loved it! I am thinking of making it again but as mini pies for my husband’s company party. Any idea on how long to bake mini’s for?
Hi Christy, We are glad this pie was a hit! You can make it as mini pies but we are unsure of the bake time needed.
Writing this as I’m making mini lemon pies for anyone else that wants to try it because, i mean, how cute is that?
I used store bought mini Graham cracker crusts, warmed them up (~3 minutes @350°), then filled with the filling from this recipe, baked at 350 for 10 minutes. Perfect, cute and delicious.
.
Specifics:
1 6-pack of Keebler mini Graham Cracker crusts
1/2 this filling recipe
Pre-baked the crusts for about 3 minutes (just to warm them)
Baked with filling for 10 minutes.
Im chilling them now but they came out the same as the full size version.
*if you accidentally make the whole filling recipe instead of half, we’ve all been there: you can use another pack of mini crusts or mix it with some plain Greek yogurt for a yummy, albeit fairly unhealthy, lemony snack lol
I enjoyed this recipe, and the pie was delicious. Instructions were clear and simple, and the ingredients were minimal and easy to get. I added lemon zest, and the pie was not too sweet and had a good lemon flavour. The only thing that confused me were the measurements for the cans of condensed milk since they’re in mL where I am. For anyone else like me: A 300mL Eagle Brand can is the same size as the 14oz.
Will this recipe turn out the same if I use a store bought crust?
Hi Esther, you can use a store bought crust.
Ok , so I don’t get it.
Mine curdled and took forever to set up. If it even does, I gave up after an hour. It looks awful.
Yes I used full sweetened condensed milk.
Anybody else have this issue
I read somewhere before that curdling typically happens when you mix two things at different temperatures.
This was good but exceedingly sweet. What can be done to reduce the sweetness? Increase lemon juice? I’ve already added lemon zest and it was still too sweet.
Hi Christine, We don’t recommend leaving out the sugar in the crust as it plays a crucial role in helping it to solidify. Likewise with the condensed milk, we don’t recommend reducing it because the pie may not set up properly. You could try adding even more lemon zest directly to the filling to help cut the sweetness a bit more. Thank you for giving this recipe a try!
Hi Sally,
In other words, is there no substitute for sweetened condensed milk? Because I also don’t really like the smell and sweetness of sweetened condensed milk. Any other suggestions ? Thank you
Hi Tiur, unfortunately, there’s no great substitute for sweetened condensed milk in this creamy lemon pie. You may love our lemon meringue pie recipe or lemon bars instead!
So easy to make. Super creamy filling. Tart yet sweet. I tried it to see if will pass the MIL test at Thanksgiving. I bring pies. This is a pie she will love!
I made this for tomorrows dessert, and I wanted to let you know that instead of a 9 inch pie pan, I used a 10 inch tart pan with a. removable bottom. The filling fit perfectly, although I did have some leftover graham cracker crumbs. Just thought I put it out there that a tart pan works beautifully.
This was a hit! Everyone was Delighted and surprised by the addition of salted almonds in the crust and the lemon was the perfect tartness to balance the sweet. We made fresh Whipped Cream, unsweetened and it was fabulous with a dollop on top! This will be our family “summer pie” forever.
This is our go-to for lemon pie – love the addition of almonds in the crust.
Just curious if you could just use almond flour instead of grinding the whole almonds to add to the graham cracker crumbs?. Amount needed?
Hi Jessica! We do not recommend almond flour in the crust– it will absorb all the moisture and the crust will taste soggy. Instead, you can use a regular graham cracker crust.
I am looking forward to making this for a cookout next week. Would this pie be ok sitting outside for a bit? I plan to have it in an insulated casserole carrier with a ice pack.
Hi Amanda! This pie is best served chilled, but it would be okay outside for a bit (hard to say exactly how long). Try to keep it out of direct sunlight and keep in mind that the slices may get a bit messy the softer the pie gets.
I don’t want to give up on this recipe… but I don’t think it needs the extra sugar to set up. If it won’t do so after replacing one can of sweetened condensed milk with heavy whipping cream, I’ll try evaporated milk. If that doesn’t work there’s always cornstarch, or even flour.
This pie was tasty, but so overwhelmingly, cloyingly sweet I was barely able to finish a small piece of it. I threw the rest away (which I never do with food). I might try it again, substituting whipping cream for one of the cans of sweetened condensed milk.
Hi Troy, thank you for giving this recipe a try. The filling will not set substituting whipping cream for sweetened condensed milk.
The pie is wonderful. However I had trouble getting out. What did I do wrong? The crust was stuck on the sides of my dish.
Thanks
Hi Jan! We’re so glad you loved it. Did you serve the pie straight out of the fridge? The butter in the crust could have been solidified and “stuck” to the dish. Letting it sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving should help next time.
After reading the comments about not enough lemon, I did add the zest of one lemon. This pie is DELICIOUS! Thank you.
Can this be made with a deep dish pie pan? If so, would you multiply the recipe by 1.25, 1.5…?
Hi Holly! We haven’t tested it so it’s hard to say. Depending on the depth of your pie dish, it may be best to multiple the recipe by 1.5x to ensure you have enough. Let us know if you give it a try!
Will do! Do you think it would need to bake longer to accomodate for the increased thickness?
Can I use a store bought Graham cracker crust and just make your filling. Do I need to bake it? How long? Will the store bought crust burn?
Hi Pat, You can use a store bought crust and you will still follow the same directions for pre-baking.
I am not crazy about cracker crust what about a normal pie crust
Hi Traci, 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!
We love this recipe and I switch out chocolate, coffee, lime or strawberries to make this pie. I always top with whipped cream and my family usually finishes the whole pie after dinner!