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’ve made this three times now (twice substituting limes instead of lemon) and it has come out great every time. Easy recipe with nice results.
Hii Can i use premade graham crust?
Hi Joy, Yes that should work.
This pie was a big success with my family, especially my mother, who adores lemony desserts. I made one addition, throwing in the zest of one of the lemons I juiced, and I think it was a good one. I think next time (this is definitely worth a repeat) I need to press down the bottom of the crumb crust more firmly – it didn’t hold together well on slicing, and another pie I made last week using the same recipe (your basic graham cracker one, with digestive biscuits – there are nut allergies in the family so I didn’t use the almond version) had much better structural integrity! Lesson learned, don’t mash it down too hard but don’t be afraid to be firm. The lemon filling held its shape very well despite the crumbs letting it down, and that was the main attraction. Thanks for another good recipe!
I made this for Thanksgiving and it was a huge hit. Just about the right amount of sweetness. Very easy too.
Made this for Thanksgiving as a fun alternative and I cannot emphasize enough how easy this was. Loved the flavor and texture. Stores beautifully on the fridge. Don’t let the plastic wrap touch the pie filling (it doesn’t end well).
Loved this recipe just wish it was more tart than sweet. I love lemon pies but they are often times way too sweet, this one was a bit too sweet for my liking. I would love to see this recipe tweaked to be more tart and cut back on the sweetness overload.
I am in Canada and our Eagle Rand sweetened condensed milk only comes in 10 ounce cans, not 14 that the recipe calls for. I only had 2 cans, so I decided to add a half of an 8 ounce package of cream cheese. Wow! It turned out fabulous! I didn’t change anything else.
Sally- My daughter is allergic to nuts, especially almonds, obviously I will omit them from the crust. Do I need to add more graham crackers to compensate for the missing nuts? Can’t wait to try this! Everything I have made from your site has been awesome, so thank you
Hi Roxane, Use our regular graham cracker crust recipe instead of this crust recipe with the almonds.
This was so delicious! Creamy and sweet and flavorful. I made it in a pinch when I had been planning to make key lime pie but the grocery store didn’t have key limes. Compared to key lime pie the lemon pie has a milder flavor but it’s still very pleasant. I made this at a relatives house so I used a store bought graham cracker crust, but I definitely want to try it with the crust suggested here!
I have made this pie creamy lemon pie many times.. Love, love, love it! I have always served it plain or with whipped cream.. I would like to try meringue., My question is, if I use meringue, do I put it on immediately after pie is baked?? Would there meringue bleed and hurt the lemon cream filling?
Hi Jean, 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!
I certainly wouldn’t recommend anyone just pile raw egg whites on top of a pie that’s already been cooked and chilled. Food safety aside, raw merengue would be texturally gross. Merengue needs to be cooked so it gets that marshmallowey fluff to it. Haven’t tried this, but I would assume you’d put the merengue on while the pie was still warm and then return to the oven to set the whites properly. Kind of like the lemon merengue pie recipe on this site.
Hi Ryan, we link to our meringue frosting above, which is cooked.
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!