I shared a picture of this pie when my sister made it and some of you have asked me to share the recipe. So, here you go, dear friends! I've never tried lemon pie before, although it was not my sister's first time making it. Traditionally, pie has not been a culturally common dessert for me.
Ukrainians stay pretty loyal to their cakes and pastries, but cautiously love to expand their horizons. So I thought I'd give it a try. When I had my first piece of this pie, I loved it! I was feeling guilty about it but got a second one. Oh, it was so good! Cold, smooth and sweet with a lemon kick and loads of flavor.
This will make a perfect Thanksgiving pie. Or at least one of them if you love others as well. Plus it's ridiculously easy to make! You don't even need a mixer. And the good thing is that you can make it in advance. Did I mention how much I love recipes like that? I know, I did, but that is so helpful! 🙂
It fits right into my plan-ahead holiday baking schedule. This delicious pie is kind of naughty, so I wouldn't recommend having it every day, but once in a while is OK. If you've stayed away from dessert all week, it's ok to enjoy a piece of this deliciousness as a Sunday treat, right?
Pie Crust Ingredients:
2 packages (135 g) – graham crackers
1 stick (113 g) – unsalted butter (or you may use a 10” ready-made pie crust from the store, to save time)
Filling Ingredients:
2 cans (14 oz. each or 397 g) – sweetened condensed milk
5 large - egg yolks
½ cup (112 g) – granulated sugar
1 tsp. (5 ml) – pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
⅔ cup (160 ml) - fresh lemon juice (2 large or 4 small lemons)
Topping Ingredients:
8 oz. (226 g) – cool whip (thawed)
6 drops – fresh lemon juice
Lemon zest
Pie Crust Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325 F (160 C). Crush graham crackers in a food processor. Add melted butter. Incorporate the butter into the crumbs well with a spoon. Transfer graham cracker crumbs into a pie baking pan. Press down the crumbs flat and even to the pan to create a pie crust. Bake pie crust for 10 min. Remove from the oven and let the crust cool for 10 minutes.
Filling instructions:
1. While the crust is baking make the filling. Mix together condensed milk and yolks (I use room temperature yolks, they incorporate better with sugar and the filling turns out smoother). Then add sugar, salt, and vanilla and mix it with a wire whisk until all well combined. Lastly, add fresh lemon juice and mix well again.
2. The filling will start thickening. Pour filling into pie crust.
3. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the pie cool completely before topping with cool whip and lemon zest.
Topping Instructions:
Squeeze lemon juice into thawed cool whip. Mix well with a wire whisk.
Pipe out a starry design on top of the cooled pie. (Or empty the whole can of cool whip on the pie and spread it out evenly, creating a swirly design. The decorative look is your choice). Shave some lemon zest on top of the cool whip. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight prior to serving for the desired thickness.
Recipe Card
Super Easy Lemon Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- Pie Crust Ingredients:
- 2 packages 135 g – graham crackers
- 1 stick 113 g – unsalted butter (or you may use a 10” ready-made pie crust from the store, to save time)
- Filling Ingredients:
- 2 cans 14 oz. each or 397 g – sweetened condensed milk
- 5 large - egg yolks
- ½ cup 112 g – granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. 5 ml – pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- ⅔ cup 160 ml - fresh lemon juice (2 large or 4 small lemons)
- Topping Ingredients:
- 8 oz. 226 g – cool whip (thawed)
- 6 drops – fresh lemon juice
- Lemon zest
Instructions
- Pie Crust Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 325 F (160 C). Crush graham crackers in a food processor. Add melted butter. Incorporate the butter into the crumbs well with a spoon. Transfer graham cracker crumbs into a pie baking pan. Press down the crumbs flat and even to the pan to create a pie crust. Bake pie crust for 10 min. Remove from the oven and let the crust cool for 10 minutes.
- Filling instructions:
- While the crust is baking make the filling. Mix together condensed milk and yolks (I use room temperature yolks, they incorporate better with sugar and the filling turns out smoother). Then add sugar, salt, and vanilla and mix it with a wire whisk until all well combined. Lastly, add fresh lemon juice and mix well again.
- The filling will start thickening. Pour filling into pie crust.
- Bake in the oven for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the pie cool completely before topping with cool whip and lemon zest.
- Topping Instructions:
- Squeeze lemon juice into thawed cool whip. Mix well with a wire whisk.
- Pipe out a starry design on top of the cooled pie. (Or empty the whole can of cool whip on the pie and spread it out evenly, creating a swirly design. The decorative look is your choice). Shave some lemon zest on top of the cool whip. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight prior to serving for the desired thickness.
If you make this Super Easy Lemon Pie Recipe recipe please share a picture with me on Snapchat, Instagram or Pinterest. Tag with #valyastasteofhome. I'd love to see your creations! 🙂
Looking for more Thanksgiving recipe ideas? Check out this post:
20 DELICIOUS THANKSGIVING RECIPES
Kitchen items I used in making this recipe:
(If you need any of these items, simply press on the picture to order. Thank you for your support!)
Yasmine says
Is there anything else I can use instead of cool whip?
www.valyastasteofhome.com says
I actually stopped using the Cool Whip. Beat 2 cups of cold heavy cream with 2 tbsp of sugar instead of cool whip. You don't have to add lemon drops to cream, but it's up to you. Enjoy! 🙂
Morgan says
I don't see in the directions when to add the concensed milk
valya'stasteofhome.com says
Hi Morgan. You can find direction in step one, filling instructions. Thank you 🙂
Tzivia says
Omg wow Vala this looks super yummm and totally very yellow reminds me of sunshine lol so to speak love anything lemon and so does my mom looks super ad easy peezy tho am wondering if I can submit heavy cream for the cool whip when making the filling thanx so much for always keeping us up to date luv be well have a great sweet day and week ahead cheers
valya'stasteofhome.com says
You sure can. Thank you dear 🙂
Tzivia says
Ok great cool that I can use heavy cream and your welcome darlin keep them coming whoop whoop
Olya says
Valechka the pie looks really good! Does it freeze well?
valya'stasteofhome.com says
Hi dear. I never got to freeze it, but I don't see why not. If you ever freeze it, please come back and leave your feedback. Thank you very much for stopping by and commenting Olya 🙂
Nicole says
What a beautiful piece! I will be making this for Thanksgiving. Thank you!
valya'stasteofhome.com says
Thank you Nicole, it's delicious as well. Let me know how you like it.