This luscious lemon cream pie is a lemon lover’s dream come true, with a homemade graham cracker crust, fresh lemon juice and zest, and a creamy texture from sour cream. My husband and I love this beautiful and flavorful pie.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients on the recipe card below.
- Butter: Unsalted or salted butter. If using unsalted butter, omit the added salt.
- Lemon juice: Use fresh lemon juice. You will need about 3-4 medium lemons for ½ cup.
- Milk: Preferably whole milk
- Sour cream: For the creamiest texture and flavor, use full-fat sour cream.
- Whipping cream: I love homemade whipped cream, but you can use ReddiWip.
How To Make Lemon Cream Pie
This is a summary version; for the complete list of ingredients and instructions, please refer to the recipe card below.
- Stir the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Then press it into the bottom and up the sides of a pie pan. Bake for about 8 minutes.
- Whisk the granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt together. Whisk in the lemon juice, lemon zest, and milk.
- Cook over medium-low heat until thickened. Temper the eggs. Then, slowly whisk the egg yolk mixture into the pudding mixture on the stove, cooking for 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from the heat, cool for 10-15 minutes, whisking frequently. Fold in the butter and sour cream.
- Pour the pudding into the cooled pie crust. Refrigerate at least 4 hours.
- Beat the whipped cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Decorate the pie with whipped cream, lemon and lime slices, and mint leaves.
Preparation Tips For Lemon Cream Pie
- Bring the milk, eggs, and sour cream to room temperature. Remember that 2 hours is the maximum time to leave these ingredients out of the refrigerator.
- Cool the lemon pudding for 10-15 minutes before folding in the whipped cream.
- Refrigerate the pie for at least 4 hours, but overnight is even better.
- For super clean slices, clean the knife after each cut.
More Lemon Desserts
- Lemon pound cake
- Lemon blossoms
- Lemon poppyseed cake
- Lemon ricotta cookies
- Iced lemon cookies
- Easy lemon bars
Lemon Cream Pie
This luscious lemon cream pie is a lemon lover's dream come true, with a homemade graham cracker crust, fresh lemon juice and zest, and a creamy texture from sour cream.
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Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 510kcal
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Lemon Filling
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 cup whole milk
- 4 egg yolks
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¾ cup sour cream
Garnish
- 1¼ cup whipping cream
- 2 tablespoon powdered sugar
- lemon slices optional
- lime slices optional
- mint leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Stir the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter in a medium bowl. Press it into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Bake for 8 minutes.
- Whisk the granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt together in a medium-sized saucepan. Whisk in the lemon juice, lemon zest, and milk.
- Cook over medium-low heat until slightly thickened.
- Beat the egg yolks in a small bowl. Whisk in several tablespoons of the hot pudding mixture, a couple of tablespoons at a time, to warm the eggs. You may need to do this several times until the bowl feels warm. Slowly whisk the egg yolk mixture into the pudding mixture on the stove top over medium-low heat, cooking for 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from the heat, cool for 10-15 minutes, whisking frequently. Fold in the butter and sour cream.
- Pour the pudding into the cooled pie crust. Refrigerate at least 4 hours but overnight is even better.
- Beat the whipped cream and powdered sugar on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Decorate the pie with the whipped cream, lemon and lime slices, and mint leaves.
Notes
Store the pie covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 510kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 280mg | Potassium: 161mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 1134IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 1mg
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Catalina
I made this pie for dessert and it was so light and refreshing. The creamy lemon filling had the perfect amount of tang!
Emily
Oh my goodness, I love me a good pie! I have so many lemons that I picked up on a recent trip from Amalfi that I need to put to good use ASAP.
Brianna
A truly delightful pie! I made it this past weekend for a brunch. It is just so easy to put together and was loved by everyone!!
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Brianna!
Amber Myers
Yum! I love lemon desserts. I cannot wait to make this over the summer.
Ebony
This recipe was soooo good!! Lemon desserts always have the perfect balance of bright flavor and creamy sweetness, and this pie was incredibly refreshing. Definitely saving this recipe to make again!
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Ebony! We love it too!
Carol Cassara
Oh my goodness. I have 4 lemons trees and am always looking for great recipes to use them. I even have some in the freezer. I’ll give this pie a try, it sure sounds delish!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Carol! Enjoy!
Ben
This is just like the lemon cream pie my Granny used to make. LOVE it.
Renata
That sounds great, never tried it. I have made lemon cake once, a very long time ago, and I loved it.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Renata! Enjoy!
Amy
This pie is the ultimate summer dessert! It’s got the perfect balance of tart lemon and sweet, fluffy cream, all sitting in a classic graham cracker crust. It’s incredibly refreshing and a total crowd-pleaser for a warm afternoon.
Terri
This is the perfect summer treat! I’ll be making it for all my parties. Yummy!