Bake or Break
New to BAKE or BREAK? Start Here!

Lemon Cream Pie

Lemon Cream Pie is bursting with plenty of tart lemon flavor. Lemon lovers will adore this quick and easy dessert! - Bake or Break

Who likes light, fluffy, cool, creamy desserts? If you raised your hand, keep reading because I’m going to introduce you to this fantastic Lemon Cream Pie.

It’s sweet and tart and just bursting with lemon flavor. And it’s so simple to make, too. It’s sure to be a go-to dessert when you’re craving a cool, refreshing sweet treat.

The filling for this pie is made with just three things: lemon curd, cream cheese, and whipped cream. I like to make my own lemon curd because it’s so simple and so good. But you can certainly use store-bought lemon curd for a shortcut. The lemon curd recipe I use makes about 2 cups, and I use the full amount in this pie for a big, tart lemon flavor. If you like, you can use a bit less lemon curd for a more subtle lemon flavor.

Lemon Cream Pie is bursting with plenty of tart lemon flavor. Lemon lovers will adore this quick and easy dessert! - Bake or Break

If you do go the homemade curd route, I suggest making it a day or two in advance. Then when it comes time to make your pie filling, it will mix up quickly and be chilling in short order.

Chilling this pie in the refrigerator gives it a soft, creamy texture. You can instead freeze the pie for a firmer pie. I personally prefer the softer version, but the frozen option works well if you need to transport the pie. It will definitely hold up a bit better.

I’ve made other chilled lemon pies that each vary a bit. There’s Lemon Icebox Pie, which is also made with cream cheese and whipped cream, but includes fresh lemon juice and condensed milk. For a filling that starts with a little stovetop time, try Lemon Cream Tarts.

This Lemon Cream Pie is just the thing for a serious lemon craving. It has the mouth-puckering flavor of good, strong lemonade. Combine that with its wonderfully soft, creamy texture, and you’ve got one winning dessert!

Find more lemon recipes in the Recipe Index!

Lemon Cream Pie

Yield 8 to 10 servings
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes

Lemon Cream Pie is bursting with plenty of tart lemon flavor!

Lemon Cream Pie is bursting with plenty of tart lemon flavor. Lemon lovers will adore this quick and easy dessert! - Bake or Break

Ingredients

For the crust:

  • 7 ounces graham cracker crumbs (about 1 & 3/4 cups)
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:

  • 1 recipe lemon curd*
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1 & 1/4 cups heavy cream
  • fresh berries, for garnish

Instructions

To make the crust:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Combine the graham cracker crumbs and butter until thoroughly combined. Press evenly and firmly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie or tart pan.
  3. Bake 12 minutes, or until lightly browned.** Set aside to cool.

To make the filling:

  1. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the lemon curd and cream cheese until thoroughly combined and smooth.
  2. In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer with a whisk attachment to whip the cream to soft peaks. Fold about a third of the whipped cream into the lemon mixture. Gently fold in the remaining whipped cream.
  3. Spread the filling evenly in the cooled crust. Refrigerate or freeze for at least 4 hours before serving. Garnish with berries.

Notes

*Substitute store-bought lemon curd if you prefer. This linked recipe makes about 2 cups of lemon curd. **If you prefer a no-bake method, you can skip the oven time for the crust. After you press the crust mixture into the pie pan, be sure to chill it for about 20 minutes to help it hold up a bit better.

Show off your baking masterpiece!

Snap a pic, tag @bakeorbreak, and use #bakeorbreak on Instagram. Can't wait to see your creation!

Share this:

    12 Comments on “Lemon Cream Pie”

  1. Lemon is absolutely my favorite, at least this time of year (in the winter it’s peppermint😊). I love that you made it in a tart pan…that’s how I make all of my pies these days!

  2. As usual your spider-sense was active and you know I made about 6 cups of that curd this past weekend to get some lemons used.  Now…I have a pie recipe to make with some of it before the rest goes into the freezer…or other recipes.  Thanks, Jennifer!

  3. look delicious, i like this flavor

  4. I love this pie! And I love your new pie index!

  5. Hello! This looks very interesting, and I like how easy it seems! How do you think it would work with a store bought pie crust (the regular kind, not graham cracker crust)? Do you think I would need to add sugar to make up for the lost sweetness of the graham crackers?

    I already have a pie crust, lemon curd (maybe 1.5 cups), and cream cheese. I am very tempted to fit the recipe to my stock, but I also hope it can be tasty enough to bring to a birthday celebration…

  6. Hi: this is Nina Wininger I would like to know why the L Lemon Crude would break please let me know 

    • Troubles with making lemon curd are often a result of a too high temperature. If it breaks while you’re cooking it, remove it from the heat, whisk it well, and return to the stovetop over a lower heat.

  7. Can you put an Italian meringue on top of this?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *