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This Quick and Easy No-Bake Lemon Cream Pie is light, sweet, and so refreshing. It’s made with a buttery Nilla wafer crust filled with a creamy lemon filling and topped with homemade whip.
No-Bake Lemon Pie with Homemade Whipped Cream
I’ve discovered something about myself. And it’s that I absolutely love lemon desserts. It was not always a flavor I’ve loved but I’ve come to really appreciate the depth of flavor it offers.
This lemon pie is as simple as could be, so decadent, sweet, creamy, light and bursting with tangy lemon flavor. Perhaps the best part of all is that it doesn’t require any baking, and you know I am also a huge fan of no-bake desserts.
Whether you’re serving this for Easter brunch or don’t feel like turning on the oven on a hot summer day, you’ll love the simplicity of this lemon cream pie.
If you love lemon desserts, try this easy Lemon Curd Cake, my favorite Lemon Cupcakes or these easy Lemon Sugar Cookies.
What is Lemon Cream Pie Made Of?
This lemon cream pie is so decadent, but requires very few ingredients! Here’s a breakdown of what you’ll need:
- Crust: Our simple no-bake crust is made with a combination of Nilla wafers and unsalted butter.
- Heavy Whipping Cream and Powdered Sugar: I opted for homemade whipped cream, although you could certainly substitute with Cool Whip for a quicker option. The whipped cream is folded into the lemon filling to create a lighter and creamier texture.
- Lemon Pie Filling: I like to keep it simple with store-bought pie filling.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk: Sweetened condensed milk creates the perfect soft and custardy texture and offsets the tartness of the lemon.
- Lemon Zest: Adds a little extra zing to the pie filling and fresh lemon flavor. A good zester is cheap and a great kitchen tool to have, but if you don’t have one, here are a couple of other options for zesting lemons.
How to Make No-Bake Lemon Pie
- Prep the crust: Grind Nilla wafers into crumbs. This can easily be done in a food processor or blender then combine with melted butter. Press the mixture into the springform pan and then chill it while you prepare the filling. Check out my tutorial on making a no-bake crust for helpful tips!
- Prepare the whipped cream: Chill the mixing bowl for a few minutes then beat the heavy whipping cream on high speed until it reaches soft peaks. Add the powdered sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
- Prepare the filling: In a separate bowl, mix the lemon pie filling with sweetened condensed milk until well combined, then fold in whipped cream and lemon zest.
- Assemble and chill: Pour the filling into the crust, then chill in the fridge until set. This will take a couple of hours.
- Add the toppings: Prepare another batch of whipped cream to decorate to top this pie with and add a touch of lemon zest.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t have a springform pan? That’s okay! You can use a deep dish pie plate. However, with a pie plate, I might recommend baking the crust so it holds together a little easier when sliced. Bake at 325 degrees for 8-10 minutes and cool completely before adding the filling.
- Crust alternatives. If you don’t like Nilla Wafers, you can try making a graham cracker crust, or a simple Lemon Oreo crust, plain or lemon shortbread cookies would also work.
- Prepare in advance. No-Bake desserts are perfect to prepare ahead of time. This can be made up to 48 hours in advance prior to serving. See storage information below.
How to Store Finished Lemon Cream Pie
You can prepare this up to 48 hours in advance of serving. Keep it in the springform pan and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Add the toppings the day you plan to serve. The assembled dessert must be stored in the refrigerator. This will keep fresh for about 4 days.
If you’d like to freeze it, chill the pie until it’s completely set. Tightly wrap the pan twice in plastic wrap and freeze for up to one month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
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No-Bake Lemon Cream Pie
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Chill Time: 4 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 slices
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Pin RecipeDescription
This Quick and Easy No-Bake Lemon Cream Pie is light, sweet, and so refreshing. It’s made with a buttery Nilla wafer crust filled with a creamy lemon filling and topped with homemade whip.
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1 box (11oz) Nilla Wafers
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, melted
For the filling:
- 1 cup (236ml) heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup (65g) powdered sugar
- 1 can (21oz) lemon pie filling
- 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 large lemon, zested
For the topping:
- 3/4 cup (177ml) heavy whipping cream
- 3 tablespoons (24g) powdered sugar
- Lemon slices for garnish (optional)
Instructions
For the crust:
- Prepare a 9-inch springform pan by lightly greasing the edges of the pan with cooking spray, and then wiping gently with a paper towel. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
- Grind the Nilla Wafers into a fine crumb using a food processor blender. Pour the melted butter over the cookie crumbs and stir until the crumbs are well coated.
- Pour the crumbs into the springform pan and press firmly into the bottom and up on the sides to create a thick crust. Refrigerate the crust while you are preparing the filling.
For the filling:
- Prepare the whipped cream. Place the mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes to chill. Pour the heavy whipping cream into the chilled bowl and use an electric mixer to beat the heavy cream on medium-high speed until soft peaks start to form. Slowly add the powdered sugar and continue beating on high speed until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the lemon pie filling and the sweetened condensed milk and stir until they are well combined.
- Next, add the prepared whipped cream and lemon zest and continue to fold together until all of the ingredients are well combined. Pour the filling into the prepared crust and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours until the filling is set.
For the topping:
- Prior to serving, make a second batch of whipped cream as instructed above. Pipe the borders of the pie using a large open star tip. Garnish with lemon slices or additional lemon zest.
Notes
- Feel free to substitute an 8oz container of Cool Whip instead of making homemade whipped cream for the filling.
- Storing: You can prepare this up to 48 hours in advance of serving. Keep it in the springform pan and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Keep stored in the refrigerator.
- Freeze: First chill the pie until it sets completely. Tightly wrap the pan twice with plastic wrap then freeze for up to one month.
- Category: No-Bake
- Method: Refrigerator
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Lemon dessert, Lemon pie, no-bake dessert
More No-Bake Desserts You’ll Love
Looking for more mouthwatering no-bake desserts? Here are a few favorites:
