This easy lemon pie needs only 3 ingredients. It has a no-bake creamy lemon custard filling and is a cool and refreshing dessert. It can be made ahead of time and is a great dessert to serve at gatherings.
If you’re looking for an easy dessert to make for an upcoming BBQ, potluck or any other occasion, this is it. This pie is sweet, smooth, creamy and full of lemon flavor. The pie is best enjoyed cold so it is especially tasty in the summer.
Ingredients
- Frozen Pie Crust
- Lemon Juice
- Condensed Milk
Frozen pie crust: I used a frozen pie crust to make this pie. I like using the ones that are already shaped in the pie tin so that I don’t need to worry about crimping or shaping my own crust.
Lemon juice: The filling is made with lemon juice. You can either use fresh squeezed lemon juice or you can use 100% lemon juice sold at grocery stores. Lemon juice can be substituted with lime juice.
Condensed milk: You will need sweetened condensed milk for the filling. When the condensed milk is mixed with the lemon juice, the lemon juice will cause the condensed milk to thicken up to a custard-like consistency. Unfortunately this recipe does not work with dairy free condensed milk substitutes. I’ve tried it with coconut condensed milk and condensed oat milk and neither worked.
How to Make Lemon Pie
- The crust is first baked in the oven until golden and done. It then needs to cool.
- While the crust cools, you can make the filling. Simply whisk together the condensed milk and lemon juice until evenly combined. It will be thick, like a pudding. Once the crust is cooled, pour the filling in. Then place into the fridge to set for a few hours or overnight. Keep the pie in the fridge until ready to serve.
Variations
- I have also made a no bake version using a graham cracker crust.
- You can also make a lemon cheesecake filling by reducing the filling ingredients by half and adding a block of cream cheese.
- I have also made mini individual pies.
More Easy Pies
- 3 Ingredient No Bake Key Lime Pie
- 4 Ingredient No Bake Blueberry Pie
- 3 Ingredient No Bake Chocolate Pie
3 Ingredient Lemon Pie
Ingredients
- 1 frozen pie crust
- 1 cup (8 fl oz/237 ml) lemon juice see note section
- 2 (14 oz) cans full fat sweetened condensed milk a total of 28 oz or 794 g
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (191°C). Let pie crust soften to room temperature, about 10-15 minutes.
- Use a fork to prick the bottom of the pie crust several times (I did about a dozen times). You want there to be holes fairly evenly spread across the bottom. This will prevent the pie crust from puffing up during baking.
- Bake pie crust for about 15 minutes or until golden brown and cooked. Let pie crust cool fully.
- While crust is cooling, prepare the filling. Add lemon juice and condensed milk to a large mixing bowl. Whisk until lemon juice is fully incorporated. Your mixture should be thick, like a pudding.
- Once crust is fully cooled, pour the filling into the crust. Place pie in the fridge for several hours (at least 2-3 hours) to set. I like to refrigerate overnight. Keep pies in the fridge until ready to serve. You can also decorate the pies with fresh whipped cream before serving.
Video
Notes
- You can use fresh squeezed lemon juice or store bought lemon juice. If using store bought, make sure that the only ingredient is lemon juice. Just because it is labeled "100% lemon juice" does not necessarily mean there aren't other ingredients in the bottle so make sure to check the nutrition label. I used Santa Cruz Organic 100% lemon juice* and Whole Foods 365 Organic Lemon Juice*. The RealLemon brand (sometimes in those little lemon shaped containers) will not work.
- I used Marie Callender's frozen pie crust* which comes already preshaped in a pie baking pan. You can use the pie crust that is rolled up but you will have to shape it yourself in a pie pan. My instructions also bake at a slightly lower temperature than what the brand recommends. I find that the lower baking temperature helps prevent the pie crust from shrinking too much.
- *This product link is an affiliate link. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
- If you want to make the cheesecake filling version, you will need
- 8 oz block full fat cream cheese, brought to room temperature
- 1 (14 oz) can full fat sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- Add cream cheese to a mixing bowl. Beat until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of your mixing bowl a few times as needed to make sure all the cream cheese gets beaten. Pour in the condensed milk. Beat until mixture is smooth. Add in the lemon juice. Mix at low speed until completely and evenly incorporated.
- Unfortunately I do not have a dairy substitute for the condensed milk at this time. I have tried with both coconut condensed milk and sweetened condensed oat milk and they do not work.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
It was not bad, but oddly sour and tart and weird sweet at the sane time. Super easy though. I only let it stand in the fridge for two hours and it was still pretty loose, but not liquid. I’ve put it back to let it stand for a full 24, hopefully that will firm it up.
Hello! We’re glad you found this recipe easy and hope it firmed up for you!
This lemon pie is simply delicious ?… My mother has made it this way over 40 yrs.
It’s a favorite in our house!
Wouldn’t this be overly sweet, using so much sweetened condensed milk? I love condensed milk but have never used 2 whole cans in any recipe! I think a little condensed milk goes a long way, but using so much in just one pie could be way too much for my taste and, of course. sweetened condensed milk isn’t going to be particularly healthy in large quantities!
The filling is sweet, but it is on par with most pie fillings. If you find pie filling in general to be too sweet, then this may be too sweet for you. It does use a lot of condensed milk but it also uses a lot of lemon juice which helps to balance out the sweetness. if you prefer a less sweet filling, I recommend you make the cream cheese version.
THANK YOU FOR ALL THESES RECIPES
You are welcome!
I love it …Thank you for the wonderful recipes
You’re welcome!
Have you or anyone else tried making this using Splenda (no sugar added) Condensed Milk? Eagle brand makes it.
I have not tried
Yummy! Must try!
Hi Joani! Thank you! I’m glad you are loving the recipe!
I made this back in the 80s. Also you can use Fresh or frozen lime instead of lemon. Overnite is Best. Down here in Texas it makes a perfect cool dessert for hot 4th of July or Memorial Day treat.
I’ve made the lime version as well, which is basically key lime pie
I want to make this immediately! Did you top the pie with whipped cream or some other incredible confection?
Hi Kelly! The pie is topped with fresh whipped cream!
Gave 5 stars, without making it, I just enjoy lemon, condensed pies so much….Anna
Thank you Anna!!
I like your recipes ,and will try the dessert during the summer, I have tried the three ingredients ice cream instead of strawberries I used pine apple that’s what I had at the time and it came out super good. Thanks.
Thanks for sharing!