Easy Lemon Cream Pie
This easy Lemon Cream Pie recipe combines a fresh lemon sour cream filling with a whipped cream topping and a homemade buttery pie crust. Each bite is bursting with lip-smackingly good lemon flavor and has a creamy texture that every citrus lover will go crazy for!
Servings: 12 servings
Equipment
- Ankarsrum Premium Beater Set (use premium cookie beaters)
- Ankarsrum Citrus Press (for lemons, optional)
- 9-inch Aluminum Pie Pan
Ingredients
Homemade Pie Crust (makes 2, 9-inch pie crusts)
- 2 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 tbsp Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter cold and cut into small cubes
- 4-5 tbsp Ice Cold water
Lemon Cream Pie Filling
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 tbsp Lemon Zest
- 1/3 cup Lemon Juice
- 3 tbsp Cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 cup Milk whole milk recommended
- 3 large Egg Yolks
- 1/4 cup Unsalted Butter
- 1 cup Sour Cream full-fat recommended
Whipped Cream Topping (optional)
- 1 cup Heavy Cream
- 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract optional
Instructions
Homemade Pie Crust
- Using an Ankarsrum stainless steel beater bowl and premium cookie beaters, mix together the all-purpose flour, sugar, and salt on low speed until combined. If you're not using an Ankarsrum mixer for the pie dough, you can use either a food processor or mix by hand.2 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour, 1 tbsp Granulated Sugar, 1/2 tsp Salt
- Add in the cold cubed butter, then place the Ankarsrum lid on the bowl (this keeps the flour from flying all over). Begin mixing on low speed for 1 minute, then increase to medium speed and mix for 2 minutes more or until the mixture resembles the texture of sand with some small pea-size pieces. Remove the lid.1 cup Unsalted Butter
- At low speed, add 1 tablespoon of ice-cold water at a time until the dough forms and is no longer crumbly. For reference, I used 4 tablespoons of water.4-5 tbsp Ice Cold water
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface (I like to use a silicone pastry mat) and shape into a large ball. Divide evenly in half using a pastry cutter, then, with each half, shape into a 1″-1 1/2″-thick disc. Double-wrap each disc tightly in plastic wrap and place them in the coldest part of your refrigerator (usually the back) for at least 1 hour.
- When ready, roll one chilled pie dough disc to a 10" diameter circle. Carefully transfer to a 9-inch pie plate (aluminum recommended). For reference, I like using my rolling pin to transfer the pie dough.
- Trim any excess dough, leaving about 1/2 inch to fold under. Crimp the edge with a fork or your preferred crimping style, then dock the sides and bottom of the pie crust dough a few times. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Once chilled, adjust your oven rack to the middle or center position, then preheat the oven to 425ºF. Place your chilled pie crust on a baking sheet, then line the center with 2 overlapping (criss-cross style) sheets of crumpled parchment paper. Fill about 3/4 of the parchment-covered shell with pie weights or dry beans. Bake for 17 minutes, or until the edges turn a light golden brown.
- Remove the pie crust from the oven (keep the oven on), then carefully remove the parchment paper and pie weights/dry beans. Brush the sides and bottom of the pie crust with an egg wash (1 egg + 1 tbsp of water whisked together). Place the pie crust back into the oven without the parchment paper and pie weights, and bake for an additional 5 more minutes.
- Cool the pie crust completely before adding the lemon cream pie filling (takes about 30 minutes).
Lemon Cream Pie Filling
- Before starting, I recommend rubbing the lemon zest into the granulated sugar. It helps bring out even more lemon flavor in the pie filling.1 cup Granulated Sugar, 1 tbsp Lemon Zest
- In a small bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks together. Set aside. You'll temper these with the mixture in a few steps.3 large Egg Yolks
- In a medium saucepan, add the lemon zest-sugar mixture, cornstarch, salt, lemon juice, and milk. Whisk over medium-high heat until the mixture thickens (2-3 minutes). The mixture should be cream-colored and have the consistency of pudding. Remove from heat.1/3 cup Lemon Juice, 3 tbsp Cornstarch, 1/2 tsp Salt, 1 cup Milk
- Temper the egg yolks by spooning some of the mixture into them, then whisk until combined. Transfer the tempered egg yolk mixture back to the saucepan and stir over medium heat for 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat, then stir in the butter until fully melted. Let the mixture cool for 15 minutes, then fold in the sour cream.1/4 cup Unsalted Butter, 1 cup Sour Cream
- Transfer the lemon cream pie filling to the cooled pie crust. Smooth and level out the filling with an offset spatula. Chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight with a sheet of tented aluminum foil placed over the top. Tenting it keeps it from touching the pie filling (otherwise it would stick to it).
- If desired, top with whipped cream and lemon zest before serving. Enjoy! Keep any leftover pie stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days (if topped with whipped cream) or up to 5 days (sans whipped cream).
Whipped Cream Topping
- I recommend chilling your Ankarsrum stainless steel beater bowl and premium balloon whisks (if using) in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before starting the whipped cream.
- Add in the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract to your chilled stand mixer bowl. Beat the mixture on low speed until all of the ingredients are blended. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for 1-2 minutes or until stiff peaks form with the whipped cream. For reference, if you can scoop it out with a spoon and it holds its shape, it's ready!1 cup Heavy Cream, 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar, 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Notes
- Use the toggle switch above the ingredients list to switch between US customary and metric measurements.
- Prep time, cook time, and chill time only reference the pie filling, assembling the pie, and chilling the pie. It does not include the prep and cook times for making and blind baking the pie crust.
- This recipe makes two 9-inch pie crusts, but you only need one. You can store the pie dough disc or rolled-out pie dough in a pie plate in the freezer. Double wrap in plastic wrap and keep in a well-sealed freezer bag.
- When dividing the pie dough, you can weigh each half to ensure they're the same weight. For reference, my pie dough weighed 576 grams. Divided by 2, each half weighed 288 grams.
Nutrition
Calories: 493kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 133mg | Sodium: 219mg | Potassium: 120mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 1097IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 1mg