Who doesn’t love a good cream pie? This lemon cream pie takes less than 20 minutes to prepare. The only difficulty will be waiting for it to cool enough to devour. By using a refrigerated crust, this pie can be brought to life in about 20 minutes. Prep time is even less if you use a premade graham cracker crust.
This pie can be made with either a flaky crust or a graham cracker crust. The recipe calls for a flaky crust but feel free to substitute with a graham cracker crust. Keebler and Diamond Foods make some incredible crusts in flavors you never thought possible. As an added treat, consider turning this into a coconut lemon cream pie. Either stir the coconut into the filling or sprinkle a layer over the crust before you add the filling.
Even though this is a quick and easy pie recipe, it does not use powdered pie filling mix. You’ll be preparing the lemon filling from scratch with real lemon juice and sweetened condensed milk. Adding real whipped cream creates a super fluffy filling that powdered pie fillings can’t match.
What You’ll Need
Tools & Equipment
- 9″ deep dish pie plate
- Wire whisk
- Electric mixer
- Medium mixing bowl
- Large mixing bowl
- Spatula
Basic Ingredients
- Refrigerated pie crust
- Whipping cream
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Lemon juice
- Lemon zest (optional)
- Yellow food coloring (optional)
Using a premade graham cracker crust will eliminate one of the four simple steps to create this pie. This recipe recommends a refrigerated store-bought crust such as Pillsbury. If you haven’t worked with refrigerated pie crusts then be sure to read the instructions on the box. The crust should sit at room temperate for 15-20 minutes. Store‑bought crusts are normally rolled. They are firm and brittle straight from the refrigerator. If you try to unroll or shape the crust while it is still cold, the fat inside will be stiff, so the dough snaps instead of bending.
4 Easy Steps To Create This Lemon Cream Pie
- Bake the crust
- Prepare the base
- Prepare the filling
- Assemble the pie
Quick & Easy Lemon Cream Pie Recipe
Utensils & Equipment
- 1 9-inch deep dish pie plate
- 1 wire whisk
- 1 electric mixer
- 1 medium mixing bowl
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 spatula
Ingredients List
- 1 refrigerated pie crust
- 4 cups whipping cream divided
- 1 can 14-ounce sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tsp lemon zest (optional)
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 4 drops yellow food coloring (optional)
Instructions
Bake The Crust
- Preheat oven to 425℉.
- Bake for 9 – 11 minutes or as directed on the box.
- Allow crust to cool for at least 30 minutes at room temperature or a minimum of 10 minutes in refrigerator.
Prepare The Base
- In medium bowl whisk together the condensed milk, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
- Set mixture aside.
Prepare The Filling
- In large bowl beat together 2 cups of the whipping cream and the food coloring with electric mixer. Mix on high until stiff peaks form.
Combine
- Gently fold the lemon mixture into the whipped topping only until they are blended together.
- Do not overmix or the topping will lose its peaks, aka fluffiness.
Fill It Up
- Spoon the mixture into the cooled crust.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
Top it Off
- In medium bowl beat the remaining 2 cups of whipping cream on high until stiff peaks form.
- Spread the whipped cream over the pie or serve each slice with individual dollops of the cream.