4 Ingredient No Bake Lemon Pie
This no bake lemon pie has a creamy, silky lemon filling. The pie only needs 4 ingredients and doesn’t require any cooking or baking. It also contains a healthy ingredient that lightens up the filling.
This no bake lemon pie tastes like a cross between lemon pie and lemon cheesecake. It is a little lighter than typical lemon pie filling because the cheese used is cottage cheese instead of cream cheese.
Ingredients
- Lemon juice
- Cottage cheese
- Condensed milk
- Graham cracker pie crust
Lemon juice: Lemon juice is used to make this filling lemon flavored. Lemon juice is also key to the pie filling thickening without needing any thickeners and without needing to bake or cook the filling.
Cottage cheese: This pie works best with a high protein cottage cheese with about 14 grams of protein per 1/2 cup serving. The higher percentage of protein will help the filling to set.
Condensed milk: Sweetened full fat condensed milk is used to sweeten the filling and also help thicken it. When the acid from the lemon juice interacts with the milk protein in the condensed milk, it thickens it without the need for added thickeners. You do need to make sure to use dairy condensed milk and not a dairy-free condensed milk substitute.
Graham cracker pie crust: I used store bought graham cracker pie crust but you can also make your own. You can also use other types of pie crust.
How to Make No Bake Lemon Pie
- Add cottage cheese and condensed milk to a high powered blender and blend until completely smooth.
- Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl. Stir in the lemon juice. You should see the mixture thicken almost instantly to a pudding-like consistency. It will continue to thicken after it is chilled in the fridge.
- Pour the filling into the prepared crust and use an offset spatula to spread it evenly across.
- Place into the fridge overnight to allow the pie to set.
- Cut the pie with a large sharp knife. You can also garnish the pie with whipped cream, fruit and more.
Expert Tips
- The pie filling naturally thickens when the acid in the lemon interacts with the milk protein in the condensed milk and the cottage cheese.
- It’s important to use a high protein cottage cheese to help the filling set.
- I like to freeze the pie for about 20 minutes before cutting. You don’t want to freeze the pie filling because that will make it icy, but chilling a graham cracker pie crust in the freezer will make it firmer and sturdier, making it easier to cut clean slices of pie without the crust falling apart.
More No Bake Pie Recipes
- 4 Ingredient No Bake Lemon Cloud Pie
- 4 Ingredient No Bake Blueberry Pie
- 3 Ingredient No Bake Key Lime Pie
4 Ingredient No Bake Lemon Pie
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226g) high protein cottage cheese, see note before starting
- 1 (14 oz/397 g) can full fat sweetened condensed milk
- 6 tbsp (3 fl oz/89ml) lemon juice
- 1 (9-inch) premade graham cracker pie crust
Instructions
- Add cottage cheese and condensed milk to a blender and blend until the cottage cheese is completely smooth, stopping to scrape the sides of the blender as needed.
- Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl. Add in the lemon juice and use a whisk to stir it in until the lemon juice is fully and evenly incorporated. You should see the mixture thicken almost immediately.
- Transfer the filling to your pie crust. Use an offset spatula to spread the filling evenly across. Lightly cover the pie and place into the fridge overnight to set.
- Keep the pie chilled in the fridge until ready to serve. Optional: About 20 minutes before serving you can place the pie into the freezer. You don't want the filling to freeze, but placing the pie in the freezer for a short amount of time will make the crust more sturdy, making it easier to cut clean slices without the crust falling apart. If desired, you can also decorate the pie before serving. Slice the pie with a large sharp knife. Store any uneaten pie in an airtight container in the fridge.
Notes
- Cottage cheese note: Make sure to use a cottage cheese that contains 14 grams of protein per 1/2 cup serving. If you use a cottage cheese with less protein, the filling will not be as set. I used Nancy's cottage cheese.*
- Lemon juice note: You can use fresh squeezed lemon juice or store bought lemon juice. I used store bought. 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 (like water) in the bottle so make sure to check the nutrition label. I used Santa Cruz Organic 100% lemon juice*. The RealLemon brand will not work because water has been added to it.
- I used Eagle Brand condensed milk.*
- I used Amazon Grocery graham cracker crust.*
- *These product links are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
- The pie in the photos is cut into very generous servings, but we recommend smaller servings (about 12 slices) because the pie is rich. Estimated nutrition is for 1 slice if the pie is cut into 12 slices.
How much lemon juice?
How much cottage cheese?
How much condensed milk?
Looking forward to receiving
the quantity of the ingredients.
Thank you.
Hello! All of the ingredients and amounts will be listed at the bottom of the post in the recipe card. You can also click the “Jump to Recipe” button at the top and it will take you right there.
Amazing and so easy. Took longer to find cottage cheese with the needed protein!
Thank you! We’re so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
There are a number of sugar free/keto recipes for sweetened condensed milk. Would these be a suitable substitute for Eaglebrand (which I do love BTW) or is the sugar a integral part of this recipe?
We haven’t tested this recipe with a substitute for the full fat sweetened condensed milk so we’re not sure if a different one would affect the recipe!