The citrusy sweetness of this lovely Lemon Pie will brighten the end of any meal.
There are so many “this or that” questions in our lives…football or basketball? (Football). Dogs or cats? (Definitely dogs). Coffee or Tea? (Coffee for me, please). Making a choice doesn’t mean the one left out is bad; it just means you prefer one to the other (after all, I do like cats—I just like dogs better). But then there’s this one: Cake or pie. Argh! Why must I choose? I love them both equally. But when someone puts the Chocolate or Vanilla “this or that” to me, I answer with a resounding Lemon!! Especially if my choice can be this simple and spectacular Lemon Pie.
I adore lemon. And this Lemon Pie not only features lemon, it celebrates it. It’s also fairly close to what many consider the first-ever Lemon Pie, created by Elizabeth Goodfellow, who owned a pastry shop and America’s first cooking school in Philadelphia, PA, in the 19th century. The pie evolved from one of Mrs. Goodfellow’s signature desserts, a lemon pudding; to use the extra egg whites from the recipe, it’s said that she whipped up a meringue to top her lemon pie. Apparently, it was Mrs. Goodfellow’s student, Eliza Leslie, who first published this recipe, advising cooks that “Any very nice baked pudding will be improved by covering the surface with meringue.”—that may be true, but our recipe for Lemon Pie is topped with some whipped cream and needs no improvement at all.
With its crisp, buttery graham cracker crust and smooth, custard-like filling that is both sweet and tart, this pie is lemony perfection. And it could not be more simple to make. There are minimal ingredients (3 for the crust, 3 for the filling) and very little work to do unless you consider it work when you wait a few hours for it to chill (guilty as charged). But once you’ve baked the crust, mixed the filling, and then baked them both together, you’re done. Truly, it’s (wait for it) easy as pie!
Our recipe calls for 5 egg yolks, but don’t throw your egg whites away. You can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, so you can use them in these desserts that call for egg whites: the classic British Eton Mess, a traditional Pavlova, or these darling Raw Sugar Mini Pavlovas with Maple Soaked Berries.
Tips for the Perfect Lemon Pie
You might not think that a recipe this simple would require additional tips or advice, but let’s face it: it’s pie making. For some reason, people can be more intimidated by making pies than most other kinds of desserts. And there are some good reasons for that: fruit pies, for example, can come out with soggy crusts or fillings that are too thin; cream pies can suffer from the cream not being whipped to sturdy enough peaks or those peaks being folded too aggressively into the other ingredients. So, if you’re new to pie making, this Lemon Pie is absolutely the place where you can gain confidence and get a superbly delicious pie in the process. But here are a few tips to ensure perfection.
First, and this is obvious—I know: follow the directions precisely as they are written. Every master baker will tell you this. Why? Because the chances are very, very good that the recipe you are reading is the result of lots of trial and error: follow it to a tee, and you won’t make the mistakes its creator made while developing it. Next, adhere to the baking times. Your graham cracker crust may not look done after 8 minutes but trust the process (and remember, it will be returning to the oven after it’s filled). Your filling ingredients should be at room temperature, and you want to whisk them until everything is completely incorporated. What does that mean? If you see any bright yellow dots of egg yolk floating around in the bowl, you’re not done whisking. Remember that it’s not only ok but just right when the center of the pie jiggles after 22 minutes in the oven; let it cool and then refrigerate it for the 4 hours (or longer—overnight works well if you can wait that long). You’ll see how following all of the instructions will result in the lemon pie of your dreams.
How to Make Ahead and Store?
Lemon Pie can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. If you want to freeze leftover lemon pie, we suggest cutting it into slices and wrapping each slice individually. Bring the frozen slices to room temperature before serving, or eat them frozen as an almost ice cream-like treat!
If I use lime instead of lemon juice, will this recipe be like Key Lime Pie?
It will be pretty close. The ingredients for the filling in our Lemon Pie recipe are very similar to those for Key Lime Pie: egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk, and fresh lime juice, but lime zest is usually added, as well. For a truly authentic version, you would want to use the juice from actual key limes, which are much smaller than regular limes and not always available everywhere. Many Key Lime Recipes call for a meringue topping versus whipped cream.
Serving Suggestions
Let’s talk about topping this Lemon Pie. As we suggest, whipped topping or Homemade Whipped Cream is delicious, but if you want something really rich and decadent to top this pie, try this Diplomat Cream. Another inspired idea is to drizzle some Blueberry Sauce over each slice of Lemon Pie. And while I’m talking about how beautifully lemon goes with other fruits, this pie is really incredible with Roasted Summer Berries or Poached Peaches with Raspberries.
So…you know how I love to run a theme all the way through an entire meal? If you are as crazy as I am about lemon, you might want to do this dinner. Start with savory Lemon Lentil Soup, followed by Lemon Butter Salmon with a side of Creamy Lemon Pasta (topped with some chopped-up Sauteed Broccoli), and finish the meal with the Lemon Pie. Is there such a thing as too lemon? I think not!
Lemon Pie
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 14-ounce cans sweetened condensed milk
- 5 large egg yolks
- Whipped topping or homemade whipped cream for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a mixing bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, granulated sugar, and melted butter until the mixture is well combined and resembles wet sand.
- Press the crumb mixture into a 9-inch pie dish, forming a firm, even layer on the bottom and up the sides of the dish.
- Bake the crust for 8 minutes, then remove from the oven and let it cool slightly.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, and egg yolks until smooth.
- Pour the lemon mixture into the cooled crust.
- Bake the pie for 22 minutes, or until the filling is set but still slightly jiggly in the center.
- Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool to room temperature. Then, refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or until thoroughly chilled and set.
- Serve chilled with whipped topping or homemade whipped cream.
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