Easy Lemon Cream Pie

This easy Lemon Cream Pie recipe combines a lip-smackingly good lemon sour cream filling with a whipped cream topping and a homemade buttery pie crust. Each bite is bursting with lemon flavor and has a creamy texture that every citrus lover will go crazy for!

Lemon cream pie topped with fresh whipped cream and lemon zest centered on a green tiled background surrounded by lemons, wood dessert plates, forks, napkin, and pie server.

This Lemon Cream Pie recipe post is sponsored by Ankarsrum®. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that help make Beyond the Butter® possible!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Pi Day (March 14) is approaching, and this easy lemon cream pie is the perfect way to celebrate!

I’m also excited because, for this recipe, I got to try out the new Ankarsrum Premium Beater Set, which works with their stainless steel beater bowl (sold separately from the assistent original mixer). The premium beater set includes the beater housing, stainless steel cookie beaters, and stainless steel balloon whisks. To make the pie dough for this recipe, I used the cookie beaters, which are 3mm thick and can handle chilled butter and mix up to two pounds of pie or cookie dough. I found it much nicer and more convenient to make the pie dough this way than to use my food processor.

The national launch of the new Premium Beater Set is on June 1st, but Ankarsrum is hosting a Pi Day Early Access event on March 14 at 10 am ET, where 175 sets will be available for early purchase!

Like my Lemon Cheesecake (also made with my Ankarsrum Assistent Original Mixer!), Lemon Sponge Pie, and Small Batch Lemon Cupcakes recipes, you’ll love this lemon sour cream pie recipe for its fresh lemon flavor with a hint of tang from the sour cream, and its smooth, creamy texture that pairs perfectly with the buttery, flaky homemade pie crust. It’s a year-round dessert that can be enjoyed at parties, picnics, and so much more!

Sliced lemon sour cream pie on a wooden pie serving board next to a creme light colored ankarsrum assistent original mixer, lemons, pie server, and dessert plates.

Ankarsrum stainless steel beater bowl with new premium beater set attachment mixing pie crust mixture and cold cubed butter together.

Ingredients Needed
How to Make the Recipe
Pie Crust Blind Baking
Lemon Cream Pie Filling
Recipe FAQs
More Lemon Desserts to Try!
Easy Lemon Cream Pie Recipe

Ingredients Needed

Homemade Pie Crust

The following ingredients are needed to make the pie crust part of this lemon sour cream pie recipe. Items noted in the bulleted list are key ingredients that need a bit more explanation.

Ingredients in various size bowls labeled as all purpose flour, salt, granulated sugar, unsalted butter, and water on a white marbled background.

Unsalted Butter. During testing, I used Kerrygold’s Irish Butter and the Kirkland brand from Costco. Both worked well, but I found the chilled Kerrygold added more buttery flavor and gave cleaner cuts when cutting the butter into small cubes. Whatever brand you choose, just make sure it’s cold!
Water. Ice-cold water is needed. No room temperature water!

Lemon Cream Pie Filling

The following ingredients are needed to make the lemon sour cream pie filling. Items noted in the bulleted list are key ingredients that need a bit more explanation.

Ingredients in various size bowls labeled as egg yolks, sour cream, unsalted butter, granulated sugar, milk, cornstarch, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt on a white marbled background.

Milk. I recommend using whole milk as it has a higher fat content, which blends more easily with the other ingredients and provides a thicker custard.
Lemons. Fresh lemons are mandatory here because you’ll need not only the lemon juice but also the zest.
Sour Cream. For a creamier custard, I recommend using a full-fat sour cream.
Eggs. You’ll need 3 egg yolks. No egg whites—you can save those for your morning omelette!
Cornstarch. A key ingredient, as it is what helps thicken the lemon custard filling.

For quantities and instructions, please see the recipe card below.

How to Make the Recipe

Below is a quick overview of how to make this easy lemon sour cream pie recipe. For the full printable recipe, with US customary or metric measurements, visit the recipe card below.

Pie Crust

Recipe Tip: If using your Ankarsrum Assistent Original Mixer, you will need the stainless steel beater bowl and new premium beater set with cookie beater to make the pie crust dough.

Flour, salt, and sugar mixed together in a creme light colored ankarsrum assistent original mixer and stainless steel beater bowl with their new premium beater set.

Step 1. Mix the flour, sugar, and salt together.

Flour, salt, sugar, and cold cubed butter mixed together in a creme light colored ankarsrum assistent original mixer and stainless steel beater bowl with their new premium beater set.

Step 2. Add the cold, cubed butter to the dry mixture. For Ankarsrum users, use the bowl cover to keep the dry mixture from flying everywhere. The mixture should look like sand with some pea-sized clumps.

Flour, salt, sugar, cold cubed butter, and ice cold butter mixed together in a creme light colored ankarsrum assistent original mixer and stainless steel beater bowl with their new premium beater set.

Step 3. Add the iced cold water. Only add one tablespoon of water at a time. For reference, I used 4 tablespoons.

Two pie dough discs double wrapped in plastic wrap placed on a wood cutting board on a white marbled background.

Step 4. Form the dough, then divide it in half. Shape each half into a disc, then double-wrap with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Rolled out pie dough on a white silicone lined pastry mat.

Step 1. Roll out the pie dough to a 10-inch diameter circle.

Rolled out pie dough placed in a metal pie tin that's been trimmed, edges crimped and bottom docked with a fork on a white marbled background.

Step 2. Trim, edge, and dock the pie crust (bottom and sides). Wrap the pie crust in plastic wrap, then chill it in the freezer for 30 minutes to one hour.

Homemade pie crust placed on a metal baking sheet topped with overlapping sheets of crumpled parchment paper and dried beans for pie weights.

Step 3. Place 2 sheets of crumpled parchment paper over the pie crust and fill with pie weights. I use dried beans. Bake for 17 minutes at 425ºF.

Blind baked pie crust in a metal pie in placed on a metal baking sheet and white marbled background.

Step 4. Remove from the oven. Carefully remove the parchment paper and pie weights, brush with an egg wash, and bake for 5 minutes more. Let cool.

Lemon Cream Pie Filling

Recipe Tip: I recommend zesting and juicing your lemons before starting, as it will help the recipe process go quicker. I also highly recommend rubbing the lemon zest into the granulated sugar before mixing it with the other ingredients. It really helps bring out more lemon flavor in the pie filling!

Juicing lemons using a creme light colored ankarsrum assistent original mixer and citrus press attachment.

Step 1. Zest and juice your lemons. I used two smaller lemons.

Milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, cornstarch, and granulated sugar in a saucepan over a medium high heat grill.

Step 2. Add lemon zest/sugar mixture, lemon juice, cornstarch, milk, and salt to a medium-sized saucepan.

Thickened lemon cream pie filling in a medium saucepan over a medium high heat grill.

Step 3. Heat the mixture over medium-high heat until it thickens. The consistency should be similar to that of pudding.

Tempering egg yolks with lemon pie filling mixture in a small glass bowl and purple whisk on a white marbled background.

Step 4. Temper the egg yolks by whisking in some of the hot mixture. I whisked in two large spoonfuls of the mixture.

Adding butter to lemon cream pie filling mixture in a medium saucepan.

Step 5. Return the tempered egg yolks to the saucepan mixture. Heat over medium heat for another two minutes. Remove from the heat and add the butter until melted. Let cool for 15 minutes.

Lemon cream pie filling in a blind baked pie crust on a white marbled background.

Step 6. Fold in the sour cream. Make sure no white streaks remain. Spoon the mixture into the cooled pie crust. Chill the pie in the refrigerator, lightly covered with a tented sheet of foil (so it doesn’t touch the pie filling), for at least 4 hours or overnight. Top with whipped cream and lemon zest, if desired.

Slices of lemon sour cream pie topped with whipped cream and lemon zest in a metal pie tin on a green tiled background.

Recipe FAQs

Do I need to blind bake my pie crust first?

Yes, because the lemon cream pie filling does not need to be baked. You can blind bake the pie crust a day or two in advance, if needed.

What size pie plate is needed for this recipe?

A 9-inch pie plate is recommended, particularly aluminum.

Can I use bottled lemon juice?

For this recipe, use only fresh lemons, as you will also need lemon zest. You’ll need 1 large or 2 small to medium-sized lemons.

Can lemon cream pie be made in advance?

Yes, you can make the pie crust in advance of your event. The lemon cream pie, fully made, can also be made in advance; just don’t add the whipped cream until just prior to serving.

Does lemon sour cream pie need to be refrigerated?

Yes, both after it has been prepared and all leftovers. Without the whipped cream topping, the pie will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. With the topping, it will last up to 3 days.