Thanks to Aldi for sponsoring this post and helping me save money on ingredients.
The 4th of July was a huge celebration in my family when I was a child. We celebrated two family reunions that day, one on my mom’s side of the family and one on my dads. Since both of their families were large, with 12 children on one side and eight on the other, this meant my extended family would bring tons of my favorite desserts. The table would be piled high with goodies; classic tea cakes, our secret family peanut butter cake recipe, and chocolate pies piled high with meringue. We set out freezers of homemade ice cream, the kids taking turns with the churning.
My mom, the quintessential Southern cook, would make her signature Lemon Cream Pie recipe. This was a treat in itself, because my mom did not believe in having sweets except on special occasions. Thankfully, no other family members shared this belief, and they sneaked treats to me on a regular basis or simply told her, “Aw. Let her alone to enjoy her desserts. It’s not going to hurt her.” Still, I loved this pie with its tart lemon flavor.
This pie has everything; a cool, creamy center topped with a light, fluffy meringue. Plus, it’s easy to make and tastes great, with a smooth lemon flavor. I stopped by Aldi to pick up all the ingredients I needed to make it.
I used premade pie crust I found in the refrigerated section for my crust, but I’ve included my recipe for the perfect pie crust if you have more time. My suggestion? The crust will shrink when cooking, so use one and 1/2 pie crusts and allow the crust to overlap the top of the pie plate before baking. While the crust baked, I mixed the filling using a can of sweetened condensed milk, a package of cream cheese and 3/4 cup lemon juice. To be sure the pie tastes “farm fresh,” use freshly squeezed lemon juice.
After the crust has cooled, add the filling. Next, top the pie with the meringue mixture. Meringue can be tricky to make so be sure to beat it until it’s stiff.
Pop the pie into the oven and broil on low for approximately three minutes to brown. Serve hot or cold, but be sure to keep the leftovers in the fridge.
- For Crust:
- 2 pie crusts (use purchased pie crusts or make your own using this recipe)
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup UNSALTED butter or shortening
- 5 tablespoons ice water
- For Filling:
- 1 (12 <g class=”gr_ gr_76 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar multiReplace” id=”76″ data-gr-id=”76″>ounce</g>) can <g class=”gr_ gr_75 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar multiReplace” id=”75″ data-gr-id=”75″>sweetened</g> condensed milk
- 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese
- 3/4 cup lemon juice
- For topping:
- 3 egg whites
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- To make pie crust: Stir flour and salt together in large bowl. Add butter or shortening. Use two forks (or your hand) to mix ingredients together until it forms crumbs. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until mixture forms a dough. Place in fridge for 30 minutes. Spread dough onto a piece of floured waxed paper. Using a rolling pin, roll out the crust.
- Spread pie crust in 8 inch round pie pan, making sure pie crust expands over the top. You may have to use 1 1/2 pie crusts to do this. Bake at 350 degrees until done, approximately ten minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Mix sweetened condensed milk, cream cheese <g class=”gr_ gr_60 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Punctuation only-ins replaceWithoutSep” id=”60″ data-gr-id=”60″>and</g> lemon juice together in <g class=”gr_ gr_59 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar only-ins doubleReplace replaceWithoutSep” id=”59″ data-gr-id=”59″>bowl</g> until blended. Pour into cooled pie crust.
- Beat egg whites, sugar, vanilla and cream of tartar together until mixture is stiff, white and fluffy. Spread over top of <g class=”gr_ gr_63 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar only-ins doubleReplace replaceWithoutSep” id=”63″ data-gr-id=”63″>pie</g>. Broil on low approximately three minutes until top is light brown.
- Store leftovers in <g class=”gr_ gr_58 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar only-ins replaceWithoutSep” id=”58″ data-gr-id=”58″>fridge</g>.
Do you have a favorite summer dessert?
That looks so good. We love lemons and thats a tasty idea there.
This looks so good! I love lemons! Perfect summer dessert!
This recipe looks and sounds amazing! I would love to eat one of these!
Yum! Lemon cream pie is always my go-to treat for friends when they have babies! I don’t know why, but I love taking these. LOL! It just seems like a fun light dessert to pair with a meal I guess, but I love doing it, and yours sounds absolutely delicious. The topping, perfect!
Oh my goodness, lemon pie is one of my favorites! I can’t wait to try this out!
Lemon pie is my husband’s favorite dessert but I have never tried making it totally from scratch. Thanks for this recipe.
My kids and husband would love this lemon cream pie I would enjoy making this pie for them the recipe looks simple enough I might even give it a try.
My gosh, this is just way too yummy. I’d love this!
Yum! I love desserts with lemon in them!
I really want to make this for my husband. He love lemon cream pie!
I love a tart lemon cream pie – your pie looks delicious. I like my Lemon Pie served cold.
That looks so good! I can’t do the sugar, but a slice wouldn’t hurt
I have never tried one such before at home. This looks very much delicious & looks like a wonderful dessert for this summer. Will definitely try this and I am sure my husband is going to love it. Thanks for the yummy treat.
This is one of my favorite desserts. Something about the lemon is just so refreshingly sweet.
Lemon Creme Pie is almost always my go-to dessert, but I rarely make it. This looks so easy.
I like having Lemon pie. Look so good.
This looks so delicious and easy to make. I will have to try making one this weekend. I am sure it will be a big hit.
My dad has an amazing lemon tree that produces incredible amounts of fruit. I think I’ll be able to make a dozen of these!
This is perfect for summer or any time of the year, especially if you have lemon lovers like I do in my family. This seems easiest enough to make also.
It has been ages since I have made a lemon cream pie, or even had one to eat. My mother used to make one that had so much meringue I thought it would reach the kitchen ceiling. She would whip for an hour to get it rise.
Oh my goodness! I need this in my life. Can you please bring this over?
I LOVE lemon pie. What time do you want me over for desert? LoL Looks amazing!
Lemon is one of my favorite pie flavors. Just something about the tanginess and then the gooey texture of the meringue….yummy! The pictures are making me crave it so I think I know what I am bringing to my pot luck this week, thanks for sharing 🙂
It looks so tasty! I think it would be a great addition to any 4th of July gathering too!
Lemon cream sounds delicious right now for summer! I love lighter crisper dessert ideas, looks amazing!
This lemon cream pie looks so fresh and delicious. I love the flavor of lemon in desserts and would love to try this one.
This sounds fantastic. I love anything with lemon!
Oh my word this looks heavenly. I miss the lemon pie my husband’s grandmother used to make and look forward to this one rekindling some of those memories.
Oh wow. This looks like an amazing treat. I love how creamy the pie looks.
This pie looks delicious. It would be perfect for Summer.
Lemon cream pies are so summery and delicious. I’d love to whip one up. That picture looks so good!
I have to try this. It looks so delicious!
I have always loved meringue pies but have never attempted them. It looks pretty easy. I may need to try it.
That looks really good. I’ve never had a lemon pie before.
Yum! I love lemon everything. I will for sure be making this. I love lemon pies. So good!
I love lemon pie. I can’t wait to make this for my family.
Your lemon cream pie looks delicious! It is making me hungry just looking at it, and I know my kids would definitely love to try some!
I have never made Lemon Cream Pie, thanks for sharing the Recipe! Looks like a perfect summer treat! 🙂
My husband would be all over this! He loves lemon cream pie!
My husband does,. too! It’s perfect for summer!
Yes! Lemon pie is one of my absolute favorites, and this recipe sounds spectacular. Thank you so much!
Yummy! Lemon pie is one of my favorites!
That’s a 10 on the yummo-meter! I can’t wait to give this a try.
What an awesome summer dessert this is. It would be devoured if I made this for my family!