Our Lemon Cream Pie recipe has been everyones #1 favorite pie for over a decade. It’s made with fresh lemon and sour cream custard and a homemade pie crust.
If you love lemon treats as much as I do, don’t miss our Lemon Bars, Lemon Cake, Homemade Lemonade, Lemon Poppy Seed Bread, and Lemon Mousse!
For me, Lemon Sour Cream Pie reigns supreme over all lemon desserts
For me, Lemon Sour Cream Pie reigns supreme over all lemon dessertsI fell in love with this Lemon Cream Pie 15 years ago, when my sister-in-law from Pretty Providence made it, trying to copy a version we love from Croshaw’s pie shop. This pie is an absolute dream, with the perfect balance of sweet and tart and wonderful creaminess in every bite. We do not celebrate Thanksgiving without this one.
If you want the crowd to go wild, you have to make this lemon sour cream pie in our homemade pie crust.
How to make Lemon Cream Pie:
Lemon Filling: Beat eggs slightly with a fork in a small bowl and set aside. Add sugar and cornstarch to a large saucepan and whisk in milk and fresh lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thick and bubbling. Reduce heat to medium-low.
Temper Eggs: Add a spoonful of the hot pudding mixture into the beaten egg yolks and stir well. Repeat, adding a few more spoonfuls of hot pudding into the egg mixture to temper the eggs (gradually bring them to a warmer temperature, without scrambling the). Pour egg mixture into the saucepan and stir well. Bring mixture to a gentle boil then cook for two more minutes and remove from heat.
Finish Filling: Stir in softened butter and lemon zest until butter melts completely. Allow mixture to cool for a few minutes, then stir in sour cream. Pour filling to a baked pie shell. Place a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper gently over the filling and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
Whipped Cream Topping: Beat heavy whipping cream with an electric mixer, adding powdered sugar a little at a time. Continue beating until stiff peaks form. Spread whipped cream over pie.
More Pie Recipes:
- Banana Cream Pie
- Chocolate Cream Pie
- Peanut Butter Pie
- Lemon Meringue Pie
- Key Lime Pie
- German Chocolate Pie
- Grasshopper Pie
- No-Bake Cheesecake
- Rhubarb Pie
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Recipe
Lemon Sour Cream Pie
Equipment
- Stand Mixer optional
Ingredients
- 1 9-inch pre-baked pie crust*
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 Tablespoon + 1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2-3 lemons)
- 3 large egg yolks , lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup butter , softened
- Zest of one lemon , about ½ tablespoon
- 1 cup sour cream
Whipped Cream Topping:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2-3 Tablespoons powdered sugar
Instructions
- Lemon Filling: Crack eggs in a small bowl, beat slightly with a fork and set aside. In a large saucepan combine sugar and cornstarch. Whisk in milk and fresh lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick and bubbling.
- Temper Eggs: Reduce heat to medium-low. Add a spoonful of the hot filling into the bowl with beaten egg yolks and stir well. Repeat this process with two or three more spoonfuls of the hot mixture added to the egg yolks, to temper the eggs (warm them up so they don't scramble when added to the pot). Add egg mixture into the saucepan and stir well. Bring mixture to a gentle boil then cook for two more minutes. Remove from heat.
- Finish Filling: Add softened butter and lemon zest and stir until butter melts completely. Allow mixture to cool for a few minutes, then stir in sour cream. Add filling to baked pie shell. place a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper over the pie and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.
- Whipped Cream Topping: In a mixing bowl, beat heavy whipping cream with an electric mixer. While beating, gradually add sugar. Continue beating until stiff peaks form. Spread whipped cream over cooled pie filling.
Notes
Nutrition
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I originally shared this recipe February 2017. Updated March 2018 and August 2024.
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I made this for our Easter dinner desert and it was AMAZING. and surprisingly easy. I will absolutely be making it again.
Would Meyer lemon juice work in this pie?
Great lemon pie! I used Myer Lemons and instant tapioca (instead of cornstarch). Everyone loves it!
So good. Made one for wife and kids… making a 2nd one tonight. Must try if you like lemon cream pie. The sour cream takes it up a notch. 5 out of 5
this recipe is AMAZING. i followed it as written (with the exception of using bottled lemon juice—that’s all i had) and it was delicious. couldn’t recommend enough!
I think this recipe is a Spring/Summer regular now for me. I thought I had plenty of sour cream but it ended up being unusable so i used yogurt instead. It turned out tangier, but just as delicious!
Absolutely love this recipe! I have made it too many times to count. Just wanted to mention that I have always added the egg yolks at the beginning with the rest of the mixture and brought it to a boil all together. I have never had an issue with the eggs hardening. Thought I’d share because it makes it that much easier!
I didn’t have milk on hand so I replaced it with buttermilk. Still came out amazingly delicious. I’ll probably just keep using buttermilk for when I make it again.
What a delightful recipe. Thank you 🙏
Tried this today . Easy and quite refreshingly tasty . I will make it again .
I have made this twice now and it has been a hit!! So delicious and seriously noticeably better than a standard lemon pie!!
Thanks for the share
Simply amazing pie. Best lemon pie I’ve ever made or had !
best lemon desert I’ve ever tasted, and I’ve had a few. my personal preference is a graham cracker crust and no whip cream topping. pretty easy to make
My hubby said it perfectly.
“Quite possibly the best pie you’ve ever made!”
This pie is absolutely delicious! I plan on making it again for Easter coming up. I normally make it on the day it is to be eaten…but will be making it the day before to save some time since I will be very busy cooking on Easter Sunday. Hoping it is just as delicious in spite of. Thanks!
Made individual pies in ramekins (4). Lots of compliments. It was a bit heavy for my taste… Used the “leftover” filling to make ice cream. 20 minutes in the ice cream maker. Delicious ice cream!!
I so very much wanted this recipe to be a phenomenal success but it fell flat. Literally. 🤭 As a commercial baker myself, I understand and appreciate that following a recipe exactly as it states is imperative to achieve success, so trust me when I say I did just that. I’m not sure what happened but I think if I give this another go, I will increase the cornstarch quite a bit! Thank you for your recipe! It was otherwise delicious, but almost inedible due to the runny filling. My apologies for only being able to give this 1 star.
I’m so sorry that happened, but something had to have gone wrong in the preparation. 3 egg yolks and 3+ tablespoons of cornstarch should be plenty to thicken it properly. Hope you get to try it again soon and make sure the mixture is thickened in step 3 before removing it from heat.
If possible, can you revise this to add how long one should cool the mixture before adding sour cream? I had to look at other recipes to find out. This way other newbies will know too. Thank you. 😊
Looks like a great recipe, does it work to freeze this pie?
Because of the sour cream in it, I don’t recommend freezing this one.
Absolutely THE BEST lemon pie I have ever made! Thank you for this fabulous recipe!
Hello Lauren,
This pie looks amazing. I was wondering if a graham cracker crust would work with this pie, or if you’ve ever tried a different crust than traditional pie crust?
Thank you 😊
I have been making this for years for Thanksgiving and it turns out perfectly every time! The flavor is incredible and it’s just the perfect lemon pie!
Absolutely the BEST!
Could this be made a day in advance? Do you foresee any issues making this in a ceramic tart pan as opposed to a glass pie dish?
Yes, you ca make it ahead and I think a tart pan will work fine! Enjoy!
I made this recipe at least 5 times in the last month! It’s so good! For some reason, the last one I made tasted incredibly metallic, like uneatable! I can’t figure out what was different about the preparation.
Hello Laura,
In answer to your question about the metallic taste, the eggs and lemon juice can react with metal pans and cooking utensils. Maybe you used a different pan or your lemons were extra acidic when you cooked the metallic tasting batch. If possible use a double boiler that has a glass or porcelain insert and a silicone whisk to avoid the metal taste. I don’t have an actual double boiler but make one by using a heat proof glass bowl that sits over my pan of simmering water. Just make sure the water in the pan below your bowl doesn’t actually touch the bottom of the bowl to avoid burning. Hope this helps! I am excited to try this recipe for Thanksgiving!! 🙂
I love this pie but gave this version 4 stars because it’s a little too sweet for me. I cut the sugar by a 1/4 cup and it made a difference. I think I could even cut it by 1/3 and make it better still. I also use homemade blueberry topping to get it as close to Shari’s Cafe as possible.
Definitely a favorite!
I made this with key lime juice and I think it is even better than lemon!
This pie tasted exactly like this bakery in my town! My grandma would get this pie for me every year for my birthday, and it was in danger of being eaten wholly in the parking lot because it’s THAT GOOD!
I was wondering why you have the cornstarch separated? Do I add it all at once to the sugar/lemon juice mixture or do I separate it?
Thank you for bringing my childhood memories back!!!
I was given a bunch of sour cream and lemons for free and came across this recipe as I was searching for a recipe that used those two ingredients together.
This pie is AMAZING!! I will never make lemon pie a different way again. I have already made two of them – one to give away…and I am making two more today!
Thank you so much for this amazing recipe!
I would give it 10 stars if I could.
I think this is my favourite pie!
Hi Lauren.
I was wondering if I could make this same pie using limes instead of lemons.
We have a lime tree just bursting with fruit.
If it is doable, do I still use the same amount of juice and rind.
Thank you.
I haven’t tested it but that sounds delicious and should work the same, swapping the juice 1:1.
I made one (though I accidentally swapped juices): its really good, though pretty potent. AKA really strongly lime. i would suggest a littl eless if you use lime juice
Just delicious!
This looks amazing. Could I substitute plain greek yogurt for the sour cream? What % is the sour cream you use?
Yes, you can substitute plain greek yogurt! Enjoy
One of my favorite pies!! EVERYONE loves it in my family!
Quick question…. ingredients call for egg yolks but in the direction you say crack eggs in a bowl and beat and set aside. Are you using just the yolks and tossing the whites?
Thanks!
Yes, just the yolks.
Might be good to change step one in the directions to say yolks.
And this is because I forgot to rate it. But it’s five stars I tell ya!
This pie is my go to in the winter months because it brightens up the cold with the fresh citrus flavor of e lemon. It’s my number one most requested dessert to bring to my family functions.
Made this recipe for Thanksgiving this year, complete with the crust recipe. It was so yummy. I’m not really a pie lover, but this one I would make every thanksgiving it was that good!
Made this for our Thanksgiving Dinner. After sneaking a taste of the filling I don’t think it will wait til dinner time. Love love love this recipe. Super simple.
This is the best recipe. I’ve made it several times and it’s always a hit!
It looks delicious. I wonder if it might be good with a graham cracker crust, like a key lime pie.
Yes, that will be delicious.
Can I make this pie the day before?
Thank you!
Yes, definitely! Enjoy!
This sounds delicious! Would it work with Greek Yogurt if one strained it first?
Yes you can substitute Greek yogurt! Enjoy!
i love your lemon cream pies
Loved it! Made it with graham cracker crust.
I made this twice in one week and it was enjoyed both times. I’m keeping this recipe!
Delicious lemon pie. I do not care for regular lemon pie, but this one is amazing! We can’t get enough of it. This is the 2nd time in 3 days I’ve “had” to make it. The only thing I added was a little lemon extract for an extra kick of tartness.
Never heard of Lemon Sour Cream pie prior to this recipe. Super easy to make and BEYOND DELICIOUS!!! New pie added into my rotation.
YUM! This is a great recipe as-is tho I made a couple minor changes based on my personal preference — I made a Nilla wafer crust instead of plain – it was perfect! I added a little extra lemon zest, and because I love lots of lemon flavor perhaps I’ll use a bit less sour cream next time as well (it tasted great before any sour cream was added!) A wonderful change from regular lemon meringue :-))
Can you use graham cracker crust?
Sure, that would be delicious!
Made it for thanksgiving and it was so yummy and creamy! We will make it again for sure!
This pie is heavenly! Lemon is my favorite flavor and I crave it year round. This pie was the perfect blend of lemon flavor with creaminess that held it’s shape and have wonderful texture. This is one pie I will be making over and over again!
Amazing pie and your crust recipe is the best ever!
This recipe is requested at every BBQ I attend and my mom requests it every birthday! We all love it…thank you!
Wonderful! Thank you for sharing!!
I have made this pie several times and love it! It has now become a holiday favorite. I have also used key lime instead of lemon. It was great as well, although a very different flavor yet that was to be expected.
Can you freeze this?
Hi Ariane, I haven’t tried it, so I can’t say for sure. But, I’m not sure that I personally would, just because I think freezing it would really change the texture and dull the taste.
I’ve made this pie and have had leftovers for a few days, still tastes fantastic. So I thought can I prep it 4-5 days ahead and top it with the whipped cream the day of?
Thanks Mary, I’m so happy to hear that! Yes you could definitely make it in advance and top it with whipped cream before serving.
Amazingly easy, and delicious!!! The only change I made was the crust, I used graham crackers/butter/sugar combo. What a big hit. This will my go to. Thank you!!
I bet it was delicious with a graham cracker crust! Thanks for sharing Mary–I’m really happy you enjoyed it.
I love the combination of lemon and sour cream! This pie looks so good and refreshing ♥
Better than a lemon cheesecake! Used plain greek yogurt and it is heavenly! Thank you!
Margaret, thanks so much for sharing! I love your Greek yogurt substitution.
This has become my favorite pie ever! I made it first in the summer, now it’s Thanksgiving and I’m making it for about the 10th time. Thank you for the recipe.
Thanks so much Debbie! I’m so happy to hear you liked it 🙂 Thanks for coming back to comment, and thanks for following TBFS!
We really love this pie. It is quite tart though! I found the pie crust gets soggy so I’ve started using a cookie crust which works nicely. Do you think I could make the filling a couple days ahead and just put it in the pie shell the day I’m going to serve it?
Thanks for a yummy recipe!
Hi Emily, thank you so much! Love the idea of a cookie crust 🙂 I do think you can make the filling ahead–just make sure to give it a few hours inside the pie shell before you slice it.
I made this pie several times and everyone loves the lemony taste. Plan on making this for Thanksgiving Dinner. ☺️
In Instruction 3 toward the bottom of the instruction the word “poor” should actually be “pour”.
BTW thought pie needed a little more lemon taste so changed 1/4 lemon juice 1/2 cup and that satisfied my lemon tastes very nicely.
I love this pie!!!
I’m wondering if I can get away with making it the night before serving? That would make my Easter dinner prep easier. Thanks!
Absolutely! I think it till tastes great made a day in advance 🙂
HI There! SO excited to taste this delicious treat! However I am in the process of making it and as the filling is cooling (eggs already added) is still seems a bit runny… will that just continue to set as it cools, has the sour cream added and then chills for the 3 hours or is there something I should do now ? The flavor is delicious so I’m pretty sure we will eat it if it’s anyways! lol But I’d love your feedback/help !
Hi Nichole, the filling should set up nicely and hold together after being refrigerated for a few hours! I’d love to hear how it turns out!
I took this pie to a neighborhood BBQ last evening. I cut it into 12 smaller pieces so that more people could enjoy it. OMG people were hoarding and hiding pieces and eating it first before their BBQ dinner, it was pretty funny but definitely a HUGE hit. This was probably the fourth time I’ve made this pie since you posted and it has been a winner every time! I just had to tell you thanks for another great recipe.
I really appreciate the recipe, but it was not a good pie. I went strictly by the recipe and directions. It has such a strong sour cream taste. Maybe I did something wrong….
So sad I wasn’t a fan. I thought it smelled and tasted like baby spit up 🙁 my husband asked if I was holding the baby when I made it. Darn.
Can this pie be made with ready made lemon curd
Although I haven’t tried it to say for sure, I think it should work well (mixing in the sour cream still, of course 🙂 )
Oh my goodness! This pie is amazing and oh so simplistic!
Def on my list of faves.
I love that it is not terribly sweet.
Thank you for sharing!
Thanks Cyndi! I’m happy you liked it! Thanks for commenting!
A very lovely pie. I made this for Memorial Day, a delicious way to kick off summer. Thanks for a great recipe.
I’m so glad you liked it! Thanks for coming back to comment 🙂
This looks delicious! Do you think subbing plain Greek yogurt for the sour cream would work well in this recipe?
I’m sorry I just saw your comment! I haven’t tried it, but I imagine substituting Greek yogurt would work just fine!
This is delicious & easy to make. I used the egg white to make meringue only because I didn’t want to waste them. Really good. Thanks
May I use low fat sour cream or do I have to use full fat? Thanks
Low fat should turn out fine!
I just have to tell you what happened when I made the Lemon Sour Cream pie today with your Perfect Pie Crust recipe. My hubby is “funny” about sour cream–if he knows something has sour cream in it, he won’t eat it. But he loves lemon pie so he agreed to try it. (I wasn’t gonna tell him about the sour cream, but he saw the picture with the recipe name, so the cat was out of the bag!)
Well…he tried it and can’t stop raving about it!! He said, “How much can I eat without getting sick or gaining weight?” Ha!
It is truly the best lemon pie we have ever had. And your pie crust recipe is indeed “Perfect”!
Hahaha your comment made made me smile! Thanks so much–I’m glad your husband approved!! 🙂 Thanks for commenting!
This used to be our favorite pie at Marie Callendars and then we moved far, far away. This will make my husband SO happy. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
It must have been at LEAST a year since I last made pie! This looks amazing!
Thanks! It’s one of my favorites–I hope you get a chance to make it!
I love tart desserts. this sounds great!
This is my favorite pie from Marie Callendar’s, and I’ve yet to find a recipe just like theirs. Thanks for the recipe. I found your link through the Time to Sparkle link party.
If you like Marie Callendar’s you shoulde definitely try this! It’s amazing!! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
That looks delicious! Lemon and sour cream are so good together.
I know right? I was skeptical about the sour cream part at first but it makes it soo deliciously creamy! Thanks Jill 🙂
This does look fantastic. I’ll have to give it a try. Lemon is so my thing this month.
Thanks Becky! I love your blog as well and always find inspiration there! Thanks for your comment!
Mmm this looks so pretty and so delicious too. I love how refreshing lemon is!
I love lemon anything, can’t wait to try this!
Thanks Amber! I’m a huge lemon lover too!
Yummy!!! Pinning this for sure!
Looks amazing! I can’t wait to try this recipe – I love Lemon Sour Cream Pie!!
Thanks Pam 🙂 I hope you love it!
OMG, I made this last night and it is soooooo good. I did use 1 cup of lemon juice tho. It was a mistake but will always add that much. Great great recipe