This no bake lemon pie has a creamy lemon filling that is made with just 3 ingredients. This pie doesn’t require any baking or cooking. This easy pie can be made ahead of time and is great for serving at summer gatherings and events.
I love making no bake pies in the summer. I can avoid turning on my oven and the pies are best served cold, which makes them a refreshing dessert. This no bake lemon pie is a classic recipe and one my family really enjoys.
Ingredients
- Lemons
- Cream cheese
- Condensed milk
- Graham cracker pie crust
Lemons: This recipe uses fresh lemon juice. Not only does the lemon juice add lemon flavor but it also helps the pie filling set without needing to cook it.
Cream Cheese: Make sure to use full fat cream cheese. Cream cheese makes this filling extra creamy and tangy. The filling tastes almost like cheesecake.
Condensed Milk: This recipe uses full fat sweetened condensed milk. Condensed milk helps make the filling creamy and provides sweetness.
Graham Cracker Pie Crust: The pie filling is added to a premade 9-inch graham cracker pie crust.
No Bake Lemon Pie/Lemon Icebox Pie
The pie filling is made with 3 ingredients which is why this pie is often referred to as a 3 Ingredient Lemon Pie.
This is an old-fashioned recipe with many names and a few variations. I’ve also seen it referred to as No Bake Lemon Icebox Pie. There exist 2 main variations. One version has a filling that is only 2 ingredients. The filling is like a lemon custard. It is very nice but also very sweet. My family prefers this 3 ingredient filling version because the cream cheese makes the filling a little less sweet and more like a lemon cheesecake filling.
How to Make Lemon Pie
The cream cheese is beaten until light and fluffy. It is then mixed with the condensed milk and lemon juice. The filling is then ready to be poured into the premade pie crust. Place it into the fridge for a few hours or overnight until set. Keep the pie chilled until it is ready to be served.
More No Bake Pie Recipes
- 3 Ingredient No Bake Key Lime Pie
- 3 Ingredient No Bake Chocolate Pie
- 2 Ingredient No Bake Cheesecake Pie
3 Ingredient No Bake Lemon pie
Ingredients
- 8 oz (227 g) full fat cream cheese brought to room temperature
- 14 oz (397 g) full fat sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 cup (118 ml) lemon juice
- 1 9-inch premade graham cracker pie crust
Instructions
- Add cream cheese to a large 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.
- Pour lemon pie filling into the graham cracker pie crust. Use a spatula to smooth and even out the surface. Place pie into fridge for several hours to set. I like to refrigerate overnight. Keep pie in the fridge until ready to serve. If you want to decorate the pie, wait for the filling to set and then decorate. Then place pie back into fridge until ready to serve.
Notes
- This pie is best made the night before so that it has enough time to set. It can also be made 2-3 days ahead of time.
- 14 oz of condensed milk refers to weight, not volume. Condensed milk is usually sold in 14 oz cans so you will need one (14 oz) can for this recipe.
- 8 oz cream cheese refers to weight. One block of cream cheese is usually 8 oz so you will need one (8 oz) block.
- The pie filling may feel very soft when you cut into it but it should hold its form. It's a very creamy filling.
- If desired, you can also add some lemon zest to the filling.
- I added whipped cream on top for decoration.
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.
Can u use regular pie crust?
Yes, but you would need to bake the pie crust first.
I am going to use sweet short crust bought pastry,(blind baking first and cooling before filling) after setting in fridge, can I put in freezer,?
That should work, but make sure the crust is completely cooled before you add the filling and freeze it.
This is delicious and very easy to make. I let my pie set in the fridge for more than 24 hours. Very refreshing and light.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it!
Wondering if I can make this the same way (and with the same amount of ingredients) as the no bake key lime version? Why is cream cheese an ingredient in the lemon version, but not the key lime version? Thanks for letting me know!
We have two different key lime pie recipes: one with cream cheese and one without, so it’s really just your preference. We recommend using one of those recipes, if you prefer lime instead of adjusting this lemon one. So, check out our 4 ingredient key lime pie (with cream cheese) or our 3 ingredient key lime pie (without cream cheese).
Love this recipe! I’ve made it several times and it’s always a hit. It’s only 3 ingredients and so very simple to make. To all those who complain about a “4th” ingredient, the premade pie crust is not an ingredient to pie filling. It should be a given you’ll need a pie crust if you’re making a pie for Pete’s sake. Lemon juice, cream cheese, and sweetened condensed milk….so good and so easy to make. Thank you for sharing!
We’re so glad you’re loving the recipe!
Why is everyone griping over the fact of the description saying 3 ingredients and not 4? I understood right off the bat that that description meant the filling for the pie itself, crust not included as you are not making the crust, therefore it’s not actually an ingredient.
This is a great recipe! I’m having a family get together this weekend, and it’s going to be sweltering hot out, and this is going to be dessert! I cannot wait! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I love going back to the classics!
We hope you loved it!
Hi toooooo yum , i make when ever i need to go out , anyway do you have more tooooo simple desserts or just this
We have a lot of Recipes with 4 Ingredients or Less!
Can the 3-ingredient no-bake lemon pie be frozen?
It should be fine!
This has become THE pie of summer 2023!! I make it using half lemon and half lime juice. Quick, refreshing, easy to make! I like to serve it with optional local berries. Love it! Thank you!!!
Love that you mix lemon and lime! We’re so glad you are enjoying the recipe.
Wanted an easy dessert recipe for the Fourth of July. Found this recipe and was so easy to make. Great for the summer as very creamy and light not too sweet with a nice lemon taste. Would definitely recommend making this lemon pie and will make again. Received many compliments.
We’re glad it was a hit! Thanks for letting us know.
Love to try new recipes.
Can you put this pie filling in dessert cups and serve it with whipped cool whip
We haven’t tried it but it might work that way! Let us know how it turns out.
Yes, serving in dessert cups (without the crust) works really well for us. We eat with a spoon. We can put toppings such as whipped cream, fresh berries, Oreo crumb, Graham crackers crumbs. Delicious!
Love this! Thank you for sharing your tips.
Introducing my 11 year old daughter to “cooking”. She made her first pie! Such an easy recipe and we think delicious! I should have taken a photo of the finished pie, but we ate the whole thing already. Darn. We will have to make another one. Yummy. thanks for sharing
Thank you for sharing this story! It makes me so happy that your daughter used this recipe to make her first pie.
I made this Pie, it’s AWESOME, its delicious and so easy to make. I also added some fresh grated lemon peel. I am keeping as my favorite go to pie. I want to also make it with lime juice!
Thank you! So glad you liked it!
I will make this
We hope you enjoy it!
This looks so delicious! Making tonight for our picnic tomorrow. Love all your recipes!
Thanks so much!
I can’t wait to try this recipe. It sounds delicious!!
We hope you enjoy it!
Myself n grandkids loved this pie recipe. I’m making it again for the memorial day weekend but, this time I’ll be hiding two slices for myself ????????
Haha, good idea!
Looks great! I will have to try this out! Would you say the pie is super lemony or is the lemon flavor kind of mild?
It’s sweet with lemon flavor – not overly tart. If you want a stronger lemon flavor we suggest adding lemon zest.
Headline calls it 3 Ingredient lemon pie, then goes on to list 4 ingredients lus cream to decorate !
It’s discussed in multiple places in the post that the recipe name comes from the fact that the filling is just 3 ingredients. I didn’t name the pie.
So easy and my husband said it is the best cheesecake he has had in a long time.
Thank you so much for sharing!
I’m so happy your husband enjoyed it!
Adding whipped cream from half of 300ml bottle fresh cream, by folding into above recipe at the end, would increase creaminess.
We haven’t tested that – if you do, please let us know how it works!
This recipe was used by my grandmother who died 41 years ago. She passed it on to me. It is a very goid recipe to have. Very tasty.
I agree, it’s a great old recipe!
In the title and first paragraph it says “3 ingredient no bake lemon pie.” Then as soon as you scroll down, ingredients list – there are 4 ingredients. I don’t understand why people do this. I guess 3 ingredient recipes are more desirable, so you list it as 3 ingredients, even though it’s not?
Did you read the post? It’s explained why this pie is called a 3 Ingredient Pie.
That pie looks delicious
I am going to make this for sure.
We hope you love it!
You posted and headlined 3 ingredient no bake lemon pie, correct? So why in the ingredient section and tab, there are 4? Do you not know how to count? False information provided and no wonder you get bad reviews.
Please read the post and you’ll see why it is called 3 Ingredient Pie.
Where on earth did you find this.
It’s the unofficial desert of Norfolk Island with the exception that the base is a hollowed out sponge cake.
Really? There are also many versions of this in the US – the sponge cake crust sounds like a great variation!
Haven’t opened my email yet.
Thanks ?
Luv ur recipes for me, also easy to make
We’re so glad!
Can this be made with dairy free cream cheese and condensed milk?
Sorry, but we haven’t tried that.
Call me crazy but 1 +1 +1 + 1 = 4
We talk about that in the post – the filling is 3 ingredients which is why it’s usually referred to as a 3 ingredient pie.
Obrigada pela receita, é simples e saborosa.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you, I love lemon pies.
We do, too!
I have saved a lot of your receipes, they are so simple easy. But I’ve never made any yet.Lots of stuff you use I don’t have on hand. And when I go too store I never think about it. But I hope too try something one of these times. They all ßound and look good. Thanks! Denise.
We hope you try some recipes soon!
Hi is this a cheesecake or entirely different
It’s similar to a no bake cheesecake – hope that helps!