How to Make Lemon Pie

If you love the flavor of lemon meringue pie but want a dessert that's more mellow, make a lemon pie. Make a crunchy graham cracker crust and mix together a quick lemon filling using lemon juice, egg yolks, and sweetened condensed milk. Then bake the lemon pie and cool it completely. Top your dreamy dessert with lots of freshly whipped cream and enjoy!

EditIngredients

• 1 1/2 cups (180 g) of graham cracker crumbs
• 1/3 cup (65 grams) of granulated sugar
• 5 tablespoons (70 g) of butter, melted and slightly cooled
• of fresh lemon juice from 5 to 6 lemons
• 2 14-ounce (396 g) cans of sweetened condensed milk
• 5 large egg yolks
• of heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon (8 g) of powdered sugar
• of vanilla extract

Makes a pie

EditSteps

EditMaking the Graham Cracker Crust

1. Preheat the oven to and put the crumbs in a bowl. Get out a mixing bowl and pour 1 1/2 cups (180 g) of graham cracker crumbs into it. If you're crushing your own graham cracker crumbs, you'll need to pulse 11 to 12 full graham cracker sheets in a food processor.^[1]
   
2. Stir granulated sugar and melted butter into the crumbs. Melt 5 tablespoons (70 g) of butter and pour it into the bowl with the graham cracker crumbs. Add 1/3 cup (65 grams) of granulated sugar and stir until the mixture is combined.^[2]
   
   
   • The crust mixture should be sandy and moist.
3. Press the crust into a pie plate. Set a pie plate on your work surface and scoop the crust mixture into it. Use your fingers or the bottom of a measuring cup to push the crumbs evenly across the bottom and sides of the plate.^[3]
   
   
   • Press the crumb mixture firmly to form an even crust.
   • The crust should be thick.
4. Bake the graham cracker crust for 8 to 10 minutes. Put the crust into the preheated oven and bake it until it becomes lightly golden brown. It should also smell fragrant and toasted. Then remove the crust and set it on a rack to cool.^[4]
   
   
   • Prepare the filling while the crust cools.
   • Keep the oven heated to .

EditMixing the Lemon Filling

1. Squeeze 5 to 6 lemons. Cut each lemon in half and use a juicer or citrus press to squeeze the juice into a bowl or measuring jug. Keep juicing lemons until you have of fresh juice.^[5]
   
   
   • While you can use bottled juice, it won't be as flavorful or tart as fresh juice.
2. Separate 5 eggs and put the yolks in a bowl. Crack 5 eggs and separate the yolks from the whites. Discard the whites or save them for another recipe. Then put the 5 yolks into a mixing bowl.^[6]
   
   
3. Whisk the juice, yolks, and sweetened condensed milk. Pour the lemon juice into the bowl with the egg yolks. Then open 2 14-ounce (396 g) cans of sweetened condensed milk and scoop them into the bowl. Whisk the ingredients until the mixture is smooth and combined.^[7]
   
   
   • The sweetened condensed milk will sweeten the pie and help the filling set.
4. Spread the filling in the pie crust. Once the crust has cooled a little, pour the lemon filling into it. Use the back of a spoon or a spatula to spread the filling so it's level in the crust.^[8]
   
   

EditBaking and Assembling the Pie

1. Bake the pie for 18 to 22 minutes. Put the pie into the oven that's still heated to and bake the pie until the edges of the filling puff up a little. They should look set, although the center of the pie will still jiggle a little.^[9]
   
   
   • The pie will finish setting up as it cools.
2. Remove the pie and chill it for at least 5 hours. Turn off the oven and take the pie out. Set it on a wire rack and leave it until it's at room temperature. Then cover the pie and put it in the refrigerator to cool completely.^[10]
   
   
3. Whip the cream with powdered sugar and vanilla. Put 1 tablespoon (8 g) of powdered sugar and of vanilla extract into a large mixing bowl. Pour in of heavy whipping cream and use a stand or hand mixer to beat it on high. Keep beating until stiff peaks form.^[11]
   
   
   • The cream will whip up faster if the beaters and mixing bowl are chilled first.
4. Spread or pipe the whipped cream over the pie before serving. Remove the chilled lemon pie from the refrigerator and spoon the whipped cream over the top. If you'd like a decorative look, put the whipped cream into a piping bag fitted with a star attachment. Then pipe swirls and stars over the pie. Slice and serve the pie while it's cold.^[12]
   
   • Cover and refrigerate leftover lemon pie for up to 3 or 4 days. Keep in mind that the longer you store the pie, the more the whipped cream may weep.

EditTips

• If you'd like to save time, use a purchased graham cracker crust.
• You can swap out a classic pastry crust for the graham cracker crust.

EditThings You'll Need

• Measuring cups and spoons
• Mixing bowls
• Whisk
• Can opener
• Spoon
• pie plate
• Spatula
• Stand or hand mixer with beater attachments
• Piping bag, optional

EditRelated wikiHows

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• Make Banana Raspberry Pie
• Make a Lemon Cream Pie
• Bake an Apple Pie from Scratch
• Make an Apple Pie
• Bake Lavender and Lemon Cookies
• Make Chocolate Pie
• Make Vanilla and Lemon Butter Cake
• Remove Gluten from Your Diet
• Bake an Easy Lemon Meringue Pie

EditReferences

EditQuick Summary

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