No-Bake Lemon Pie

This post may contain affiliate links. Read full disclosure.

This luxurious no-bake lemon pie with condensed milk boasts a creamy, refreshing lemon filling that’s nestled in a buttery shortbread crust. Dolloped with a billowy whipped cream topping, it looks special and elegant. A delightful lemon dessert for any occasion.

📌 Pin No-Bake Lemon Pie

🛒 Ingredients

🍋 For No-Bake Lemon Pie Filling

• Sweetened Condensed Milk (can): Contributes sweetness and creaminess to the filling. It also helps bind the ingredients together and adds richness. Be sure to use sweetened condensed milk, NOT evaporated milk. Look for it in a can in the baking aisle.
• Fresh Lemon Zest: Provides intense lemon flavor and aroma, while adding bright citrus notes to the filling.
• Fresh Lemon Juice: Adds tartness and acidity to balance the sweetness of the condensed milk. It also enhances the lemon flavor of the pie, contributing to its refreshing taste.
• Lemon Extract: Intensifies the lemon flavor, providing a more pronounced citrus taste.
• Heavy Cream: (Same as heavy whipping cream.) It adds richness and creaminess to the filling.
• Yellow Gel Food Coloring (optional): To enhance the visual appeal of our no-bake lemon pie. Do not use liquid food coloring as it can affect the texture of the filling. The brands I prefer for gel food coloring are AmeriColor (I buy it online) and Wilton (which I buy at Walmart). For this pie I used AmeriColor 107 “Lemon Yellow”. For a lighter shade of yellow, you can use AmeriColor 184 “Lemonade”.

For the Crust

• Prebaked Pie Crust: I highly recommend this 👉🏻 flaky shortbread crust recipe. It’s what I used for this no-bake lemon pie. It compliments the flavor perfectly. Bake it in advance so it’s ready to go. Or use a classic (prebaked) deep dish pie crust, or a pre-made crust from the market. These are all great foundations for this easy lemon pie.

For the Whipped Topping

• Heavy Whipping Cream: Whipped to stiff peaks, it provides a light and airy texture.
• Powdered Sugar: Sweetens the whipped cream and helps to stabilize it.
• Pure Vanilla Extract: Adds flavor and aroma to the whipped topping.
• Cream of Tartar: Acts as a stabilizer, helping the whipped cream hold its shape for a longer period.

📖 Recipe Steps

Recipe Prep: Chill a large mixing bowl and metal beaters in the freezer for 15 Minutes.

1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk, lemon zest, fresh lemon juice and lemon extract. Mix until well combined and smooth. Set the bowl aside.
2. Pour the heavy whipping cream into the large (chilled) bowl. Add yellow gel food coloring, if desired, to achieve the perfect color. With an electric hand mixer (with chilled metal beaters), whip on high speed until stiff peaks form. Be careful not to over-whip.
3. With a rubber spatula, gently fold the condensed-milk/lemon mixture into the whipped cream until fully incorporated. Be careful not to deflate the whipped cream.
4. Pour or spoon the filling into the pre-baked shortbread pie crust, spreading it evenly with a spatula. Cover the lemon pie, and refrigerate it for at least 4 hours or overnight until the filling is fully set.

1. Just before serving, chill a mixing bowl and metal beaters in the freezer for 15 minutes. Assemble the vanilla whipped cream. Pour the cold cream into a chilled bowl and whip until soft peaks form. Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and cream of tartar to the whipped cream. Continue to whip until stiff peaks form and the whipped cream is stable.

1. Pipe or spoon the stabilized whipped cream over the chilled lemon filling. You can do this in small decorative dollops, or you can spread it over the entire surface of the pie. Slice your no-bake lemon pie into portions and serve cold.

📝 Expert Tips

• I highly recommend using lemon extract for this no-bake lemon pie. Don’t skip it! During the final phase of recipe testing, I made two pies – one with and one without lemon extract. My recipe testers agreed that the pie without lemon extract was delicious – but not “lemony” enough. They raved about the pie that included the lemon extract.
• Fully chill the lemon pie before adding the topping. Make sure it is fully set before piping-on the stabilized whipped cream topping. This will prevent the whipped cream from sinking into the filling.
• Pipe-on the whipped cream using a piping bag. For a professional and decorative finish, use a piping bag fitted with a star tip (or 3-4 piping bags with different style tips). This allows you to create beautiful swirls and dollops on top of the pie.
• Garnish just before serving: For a finishing tough, garnish the piped whipped cream topping with fresh lemon slices just before serving. This adds a pop of color and freshness to the pipe, enhancing its stunning visual appeal.
• Keep the pie refrigerated. Once the whipped cream topping is piped onto the pie, keep it refrigerated until ready to serve. This will help maintain the stability and texture of the whipped cream, ensuring it stays firm and holds its shape.

🍓More Refreshing Pies

These are cool, refreshing pies for hot-weather days. They’re ideal for weekend gatherings, brunch, potlucks, wedding showers and baby showers.

• No-Bake Fresh Strawberry Pie
• Best Key Lime Pie
• Strawberry Jello Pie
• Banana Pudding Pie

Rate This Recipe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Review from a recipe tester: “This no-bake lemon pie is heavenly – luscious lemon filling on a buttery shortbread crust, topped with clouds of whipped cream. Like a burst of sunshine in every bite. My husband and I couldn’t resist going back for seconds.”

If you agree this recipe’s a keeper, give it a 5-star rating in the comments. Then be a recipe hero! Share it with a friend. 📌 Pin it to Pinterest.

Print