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This Creamy Lemon Pie is packed full of tart, lemon flavor and creamy goodness. It takes 10 minutes to put together and is always a crowd pleaser!
I am very particular about the lemon flavor in my food, especially in my desserts! It has to be the perfect balance of sweet and tart and the lemon flavor has to be fresh and not chemical-y. So, I can confidently say that this Creamy Lemon Pie recipe checks all the boxes! Not only does the lemon filling have the perfect lemon taste, but it is a no-bake recipe that takes 10 minutes to put together. I love making this cold, creamy pie in the summer and not having to turn on the oven.
Ingredients in Creamy Lemon Pie
This no-bake dessert is so simple to prepare, with creamy lemon pie filling and a simple crust. Here’s all you need:
- Graham cracker crust – To make this recipe ultra convenient, grab a pre-made crust at the grocery store. The graham cracker crusts also come with disposable pie dishes for less clean up. If you want to get fancy, then our homemade graham cracker crust is so easy to make. All you need are some graham cracker crumbs, some melted butter and a food processor or blender to grind it into fine crumbs. You can also use a rolling pin to crush graham crackers in a plastic bag.
- Milk – use either whole milk or 2%. Make sure the milk is COLD.
- Vanilla instant pudding – an 8-ounce package if you can find it. You can also use a 3.5 ounce packet and a 5 ounce packet. You might be wondering why I don’t use lemon pudding – read on to find out why!
- Frozen lemonade concentrate – you’ll need about half a can (or six ounces) of the thawed concentrate for ultra lemon flavor.
- Cool Whip – an 8-ounce tub, thawed.
- Fresh Lemon slices for garnish
- Optional Toppings – fresh raspberries, lemon zest, whipped cream
How to Make Creamy Lemon Pie
- Combine pudding mix and milk in a large bowl. Whisk for 30 seconds.
- Add the frozen lemonade concentrate and whisk for another 30 seconds.
- Then, fold in the Cool Whip with a spatula. Make sure to scrape the bottom and the sides so everything is fully combined.
- Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust. Then, chill in the fridge for 4 hours.
- Finally, garnish with fresh lemon slices and whipped cream.
- Bonus Recipe Tip: If you want the best whipped cream, then make your own by mixing 1 cup of heavy whipping cream and 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar in an electric mixer.
Lemon Pudding vs. Vanilla Pudding
Some readers asked why we didn’t use lemon pudding mix in this Creamy Lemon Pie recipe. To me, lemon pudding mix just doesn’t have that bright taste that I look for in a lemon recipe. Sometimes the boxed lemon pudding mix can even have a chemical-y taste that I don’t like. When I make a recipe with lemons I love to have the fresh, tart lemon taste that makes my lips pucker! So, I decided to use vanilla pudding as a base so that the lemon flavor I love would really shine through. For extra lemon flavor you can add a teaspoon or so of fresh lemon juice to the filling.
Frequently Asked Questions
A lot of creamy lemon pies are made with sweetened condensed milk and egg yolks and has the texture of key lime pie. A lemon meringue pie is made with egg yolks, cornstarch, and butter. However, this simple pie recipe takes a couple of short cuts, avoiding eggs completely.
Cover the pie plate or deep-dish pie pan with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to three days.
I use a 3.5 ounce box and a 5 ounce box mixed together. You can also use an 8 ounce box if you can find one.
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Other Lemon Recipes You Will Love
If you love the taste of lemons like we do, make sure to check out our other lemon recipes! From lemonade to pizza – you can put lemons on anything if you believe in yourself!
Creamy Lemon Pie
Ingredients
- 9 inch prepared graham cracker crust
- 1 3/4 cup milk cold, 2% or whole
- 8 ounces vanilla instant pudding
- 1/2 can frozen lemonade concentrate thawed
- 8 ounces Cool Whip thawed
- lemon slices for garnish
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add milk and then pudding mix. Whisk for 30 seconds.
- Add frozen lemonade concentrate and whisk for 30 seconds.
- Fold in Cool Whip.
- Pour into prepared pie crust. Refrigerate for 4 hours, or until set.
- Garnish with lemon slices and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Use whole or 2% milk so it sets up correctly.
- Use half of a 15 ounce can of lemonade concentrate (or about six ounces).
- If you can’t find an 8-ounce package of vanilla pudding, use a combination of a 3.5 ounce and 5 ounce packet.
Could I use 6 ounces of Nellie and Joe’s famous key west lime juice instead of frozen lemonade?
I love Nellie and Joe’s Key Lime Juice, however, having never tried this substitution, I’m not sure how it would turn out. If you prefer key lime flavor, I highly recommend you try our Key Lime Pie recipe. When I can’t find key limes, I use Nellie and Joe’s and it works just as well. It is the best key lime pie!
What size pie crust?
9-inch pie crust – thanks for asking! I’ll make sure it’s more clear on the recipe.
I am so excited about this recipe! Most homemade lemon recipes have that metallic taste and this tastes just like the frozen version my family loves!
I am wondering if I find a limeade will I get the key lime version I love as well!
This is a keeper! I also just froze the other half of lemonade and saved the rest of the dry pudding for the next one!
IU love the tangy sweet-tart flavor of this pie. It is totally dreamy!
So delicious! The creamy and tart together are a perfect blend!
Yummy! Such an amazing lemon pie. I love how incredibly easy it is to make too. So awesome!
This was a bite of spring on my fork! Love the creamy, dreamy, lemony goodness. The whole family gave it two thumbs up!
This recipe is so easy and came out perfect! Thanks for making it so easy!
I have made the key lime pie and it is heavenly. I share my goodies with my friends, and they all love them and they ask for the recipe every time.
Thank you so much for sharing how much you enjoyed this key lime pie! And for the 5-stars!
How large a can of lemonade? How many Oz?
They usually come in 12 oz cans, and the recipe calls for half a can – so 6oz. Hope this helps!
The pudding mixes I’ve found are 3.5 oz or 5ish oz. Do you just use a combo of those? I just don’t want to use too much pudding!
Yes! I use (1) 5 oz and (1) 3.5 oz!
Why not use lemon pudding mix? No such thing as being too lemony is there?
Oooh that sounds delish! You’re totally right – the more lemon, the better! Let us know if you try it!