This easy lemon pie features a no bake creamy lemon custard filling that is cool and refreshing. It is an easy dessert that can be made ahead of time to serve at gatherings.
1cup (8 fl oz/237 ml)lemon juice, see note section
2(14 oz) cansfull 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.
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.
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.