This lemon pie has a no bake creamy tangy lemon filling. The pie needs only 4 ingredients and is very easy to make. It is a cool and refreshing dessert that can be made ahead of time for brunch or other events.
These flower shaped pies are such a cute dessert to make for any upcoming brunches or events. I previously shared a version for Mother’s Day and this is my Father’s Day version. This version has a tangy lemon filling that tastes similar to cheesecake. I also made the pies smaller so that you can see the flower petals of the pie crust better.
Ingredients
- Lemon juice
- Cream cheese
- Condensed milk
- Pie crust dough
Lemon juice: You can either use fresh squeezed lemon juice from lemons or if you want to save some time you can also use bottled lemon juice. If you do use bottled lemon juice you just need to make sure the only ingredient in it is lemon juice. There are some versions that include water or other ingredients and that won’t work.
Cream cheese: Cream cheese gives this filling a tangy flavor and helps balance out the sweet filling.
Condensed milk: This recipe uses sweetened condensed milk. When the condensed milk is mixed with the lemon juice, the acid reacts with the milk protein and thickens the mixture to a pudding-like consistency. Please note that dairy-free condensed milk substitutes will not work because you do need the milk protein for the reaction to occur.
Pie crust dough: I used store bought refrigerated pie crust dough. This is the shortcrust kind and not the puff pastry kind.
How to Make Lemon Flower Pies
- The pie crust is first rolled out and cut with a flower cookie cutter. I used a 3.75 inch flower cookie cutter which works well for both a mini muffin pan and a standard muffin pan. I made mine in a mini muffin pan but if you don’t have a mini muffin pan it also works with a standard muffin pan. Your flower petals will just be less open in a standard pan and your pies will be bigger and need more filling.
- You will need to prick the bottom of the pie crust a few times with a fork to keep the crust from puffing up too much during baking. The crust is then baked in the oven for about 12 minutes or until golden brown.
- To make the filling, beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy. Then mix in the condensed milk. Finally, mix in the lemon juice.
- Once the pie crust is baked and cooled, fill with the lemon filling. Then place into the fridge to set.
Pie Texture
These pies have a buttery firm crust and a very creamy filling. The filling is thick enough to hold up on its own so you can also make this as one full sized pie instead of smaller pies. The filling is less sweet than my 3 Ingredient Lemon Pies because of the addition of the cream cheese which makes the filling more tangy and taste a little like cheesecake.
More Pie Recipes
4 Ingredient Lemon Pies
Ingredients
- 2 (9-inch) refrigerated premade pie crusts see note
- 4 oz (113 g) full fat cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 2/3 cup (198 g) full fat sweetened condensed milk see note
- 1/4 cup (59 ml) lemon juice see note
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease the interior of a mini muffin pan.
- Let pie crusts soften to room temperature. Roll out both pie crusts on a pastry board or large cutting board. Use a 3.75 inch flower cookie cutter to cut 12 flower shapes out of the dough (6 from each pie crust).
- Place one cut dough into one of the cavities of the muffin pan, pressing down so that the center of the dough presses against all the sides and bottom of the cavity and the petals are flattened on top of the pan. Repeat with remaining dough, but stagger the dough so that you only use every other muffin cavity, otherwise the flower petals won't have enough room on top. Use a fork to pierce the bottom of the crusts 3 times. See photo in post for reference.
- Bake pie crusts in the preheated oven for about 12 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and fully cooked. Set aside to cool.
- As the crust is cooling, make your filling. 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.
- Add in the condensed milk. Mix until mixture is smooth. Add in the lemon juice. Mix at low speed until completely and evenly incorporated.
- When pie crusts are cooled, use a 1.5 tbsp cookie scoop to scoop the filling and release it directly into each of the cooled crusts. Use a spatula or spoon to smooth and even out the surface if needed. If desired, dust the surface with powdered sugar.
- Place pies in the fridge for several hours to set. Keep pies in the fridge until ready to serve.
Notes
- Cookie cutter: I used this 3 3/4 inch flower cutter.*
- *This product link is an affiliate link. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
- You only need to refrigerate the filling for about 1-2 hours but the pies can be made the day before.
- If you don't have a mini muffin pan this also works with a standard muffin pan but your flower petals will be inside the muffin tin molds and the petals won't be as open.
- You can also make a full sized pie if you don't have a flower cookie cutter. You will need to double the filling for one 9-inch pie.
- Pie crust: You can find premade pie crusts (the kind that is a premade dough that you unroll and bake) at most grocery stores. I tested this with Pillsbury and Amazon Fresh brands. Make sure to use the shortcrust type, not the puff pastry kind.
- Condensed milk: You will need half of a 14-oz can condensed milk which is about 2/3 cup if you don't have a scale to measure out 7 oz (weight not fluid ounces). This recipe only works with sweetened condensed milk. Dairy-free alternatives don't work because the acid reacts to the milk protein to thicken the mixture.
- Lemon juice: You can use fresh squeezed lemon juice or bottled 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 like Santa Cruz Organic 100% lemon juice and Whole Foods 365 Organic Lemon Juice. The RealLemon brand (green bottle and sometimes sold in little lemon shaped containers) will not work.
- Make sure to really press the dough around the sides and bottom of the muffin cavity because the pie crust will puff up as it bakes so you will have less room for the filling if you don't fully press it down. In addition, the pie bottoms will be less stable if you don't fully press the crust against the interior of each muffin cavity.
- You can re-roll the crust scraps but I found that it was difficult to get the right thickness when re-rolling and the my re-rolled scraps didn't bake up the same size as the other pies that were cut from the original crust.
- The filling is enough for 14 pies but I made the recipe for 12 since you would need another mini muffin pan if making 14.
- The nutrition estimate is calculated with 1.5 (9-inch) pie doughs instead of 2 since there are many leftover dough scraps.
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.
