Sour Cream Lemon Pie is a creamy, zesty, dessert perfect for holidays, summertime, anytime! It is fresh and tangy and super easy to make.
Sour Cream Lemon Pie
Sour cream lemon pie is an all-around winner. Freshly squeezed lemons and rich sour cream give the pie the perfect amount of tartness and creaminess. This recipe comes from our sister, Elise, who adapted this recipe from Tastes Better From Scratch. It has since become a must-have at many family gatherings including Thanksgiving, Father’s Day Dinner, Easter and so many more. It’s so easy to make, you could even surprise your family with a mid-week treat! This recipe is a tried and true favorite.
Suggestions for Sublime Sour Cream Lemon Pie
- Using fresh lemons makes all the difference! Make sure the lemon is ripe, but not too ripe. The skin should have some give to it when pressed. Don’t choose a lemon that is rock hard or too soft. Lemons with a thinner skin will give more juice. The lemon should feel heavy for its size and have a nice fragrance. Look for lemons with bright yellow skin, not wrinkled or turning white.
- Save some of the lemon zest for garnish. It tastes good and looks pretty, too!
- When it comes to crust, there are several options. You can do either a traditional pie crust (click here for our favorite pie crust recipe) or a graham cracker crust (click here). You can also take the easy route (which we do often) and just get a store-bought crust.
More Delicious Pie Recipes
- Coconut Cream Pie – Coconut Cream Pie is a dreamy island dessert with a flaky crust, coconut filling that is made from scratch, and toasted coconut sprinkles.
- Creamy Lemon Pie – This Creamy Lemon Pie is packed full of tart, lemon flavor and creamy goodness. This recipe is super easy to make and is always a crowd pleaser!
- Butterscotch Pie – This creamy butterscotch filling is spread into a flaky pie crust and drizzled with butterscotch topping then sprinkled with butterscotch chips. It’s basically a butterscotch lovers dream.
- German Chocolate Pie – This pie recipe comes straight from Amish country. The rich, gooey, chocolate filling is to die for!
- Key Lime Pie – Straight from Savannah, Georgia, this pie is smooth and creamy with the perfect blend of tart and sweet.
How to Make Sour Cream Lemon Pie
Sour Cream Lemon Pie
- 1 pie prepared or store bought
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 1/2 tablespoons corn starch
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice approximately 3 lemons
- 3 egg yolks lightly beaten in separate, small bowl
- 1/4 cup butter softened
- Zest of 2 lemons about 1 tablespoon
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 4 tablespoons sugar
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In a large saucepan combine sugar and cornstarch. Whisk in milk and lemon juice until well combined. Over medium heat, cook, stirring constantly, until mixture becomes thick and bubbly.
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Reduce heat and cook for approximately 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
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Add a spoonful of the hot lemon mixture to the eggs and stir well.
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Repeat several times until the egg mixture becomes thick and creamy like the lemon mixture (you don't want the eggs to get cooked when added to the hot mixture). Pour egg mixture into the saucepan, stirring well to combine.
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Bring mixture back to a simmer and cook a couple more minutes. Stir well and remove from heat.
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Add butter and lemon zest and stir until butter is melted. Allow mixture to cool and gently stir in sour cream. Add sour cream/lemon mixture to the pie shell and cool in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours before serving.
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In a mixing bowl combine whipping cream and 4 Tbsp. sugar. Beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form (or desired consistency). Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve-- top individual pie slices with whipped cream before serving.
Liz says
Thank you for the nice recipe. Have a great day and week.
Karen @ On the Banks of Salt Creek says
I absolutely LOVE lemon desserts. I’m making this soon. Thanx!
MILISA JOHNSON says
TRY IT
Rebekah says
Can I use yogurt instead
Of sour cream?
Erica says
We haven’t tried it with yogurt.. let us know if you try it and how it turns out!
Rachel says
Oh my lemony goodness! I’ve just put this is in the fridge and then licked the spoon (still a child at heart) and I am in dessert heaven. This is just the right balance of sweet and tart and I can just imagine how good it will be in a few hours with a crunchy biscuit base (Australian, so no Graham crackers for us) and a big dollop of double cream.
Echo says
Haha! I love that you still lick the spoon. Never trust a cook that doesn’t. I hope the pie was a hit!
sylvie says
No sour cream by me but I’ll probably use a meringue instead of it. It should also go well with this pie…
Deborah Cote says
Made this pie last night it is delicious I licked the spoon too haha next time I will try Greek yogurt I think it would work fine and maybe cut it in half to give it a more lemony taste this one tastes exactly like key lime pie to me I made it with Meyer lemons…. Used a store bought vanilla wafer crust huge hit in my house thank you!
Favorite Family Recipes says
So glad you liked it! Great idea using a vanilla wafer crust. That sounds delicious!