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.
Print
No-Bake Lemon Cream Pie
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Chill Time: 4 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 slices
- Category: No-Bake
- Method: Refrigerator
- Cuisine: American
Description
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.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 594
- Sugar: 40.7 g
- Sodium: 198.6 mg
- Fat: 33.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 70.2 g
- Fiber: 0.8 g
- Protein: 5.9 g
- Cholesterol: 85.3 mg
Filed Under:
More No-Bake Desserts You’ll Love
Looking for more mouthwatering no-bake desserts? Here are a few favorites:
Followed directions, the filling didn’t taste like lemon at all , the sweetened condensed milk was over powering. Added a 1/4 cup of lemon juice and brought out some lemon taste to the filling.
Hi Debroah, I am surprised to hear you didn’t get any lemon flavor at all…instead of adding 1/4 of liquid, you can try also adding additional zest or even some lemon extract.
Is there a way to make this for a crowd, say in sheet cake pans?
Yes you can make them into bars, you may want to double the recipe
We can’t get Nilla wafers here anymore. I was told they don’t make them anymore. Do you have a suggestion of what to use instead?
You can use graham crackers, golden or lemon Oreos or shortbread cookies.
So good! I just made it for a second time in two weeks to impress my in-laws 😋 Such an easy and fresh feeling dessert for spring!
That’s amazing! Thank you Tammi!
Can leftover pie be frozen?
It sure can!
I bet it work good with lime filling too. Yum Key Lime pie.
I think so!
Hi can u make this into individual portions?
Yep! I would recommend some sort of glass jar
Made the no bake lemon pie today it was delishious
That’s wonderful Rosemary, thank you so much!
Could I use a regular pie pan instead of a spring form pan since I don’t own one.
Yes, you might end up with a little extra filling
We found this to be super sweet. Even after modifying the recipe by adding the juice of one lemon at the end. If I make again, would definitely omit the powdered sugar in the whipped cream.
You could try this but just make sure the whipped cream is beaten until stiff peaks. Or you can try reducing it in half. You might also reduce the sweetened condensed milk, which is where a lot of the sugary taste is probably coming from.
If I am having company over on Friday, can I make this pie on Wednesday and keep it in the fridge till than?
You sure can! But wait to add the whipped cream topping until the day you’re serving or ready to serve.
This was so yummy! I did sub lemon curd for the filling and worked great. I’d like to make another one and freeze it. Will it freeze well?
Hi Dee, that’s awesome! Thank you for sharing! Yes this will freeze well and I think that it’s best to add the whipped cream on top
How sweet is this recipe with the condensed milk and powdered sugar? Could you use Stevia instead?
Hi Kathy, I’ve never baked with Stevia, so I am not sure.
Could you use instant lemon pudding instead of the pie filling?
Thank you.
Do you mean if your prepared the pudding first and then mixed it in? I have not tried it, you may need to reduce the Sweetened condensed milk. If you just did instant pudding and whipped cream it would definitely work.
WOW! Was I happy to find this recipe! The fresh ingredients and ample amount of zest and lemon juice is what caught my eye. I was intimidated at first with using the double boiler but I followed your directions and it came out perfectly. My husband and I couldn’t quit “sampling” it. We are having our family get together today and it will be front and center. Thanks for a great recipe. Have you tried making it with lime and using a graham cracker crust. We are big fans of Key Lime pie but don’t have a decent recipe.
Hi Tracy, I am SO glad you enjoyed this recipe!! I have no tried it yet with lime actually but I love the idea!
This looks delicious! Could you substitute lemon curd for the pie filling and if so, how much?
Hi Michelle, I think you could but I have not tried. I would suggest starting with 11 ounces, which is about half of the amount of pie filling, and maybe reduce the sweetened condensed milk to 3/4 of a can. See how thick the filling is before you add the whipped cream.
Yum. Looks so refreshing too!