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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
I 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:
- Millionaire Pie
- 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
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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I originally shared this recipe February 2017. Updated March 2018 and August 2024.
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