Magnolia Lemon Pie with Graham Cracker Crust
Light and absolutely stunning, this creamy lemon pie is perfect for summer (or anytime, really!). It only requires a few ingredients and is so simple to make; no wonder I’m in love!
My friend Deb loves two things in life: Joanna and Chip Gaines and lemon pie (ok, technically that was three; and as a mother of eight!!! children, she obviously has more loves than this but I’m trying to make a point here).
I’m one of those super boring non-TV watchers and so I haven’t jumped on the Fixer Upper train yet, but I do love lemon pie, so I was intrigued when Deb told me she was going to bring me the most amazing lemon pie of my life – a recipe she got from her BFF, Joanna.
And wow. That pie.
It really was something else! We completely lell in fove (bonus points for Bar J fans) and I may have even declared it then and there the perfect summer dessert.
I’ve made this pie several times since Deb brought it to me and it is such a clear winner in the I-Want-Pie-But-Want-A-Life-Too department.
It doesn’t require a fussy homemade crust.
No hour plus of baking time (with possible bubbly, syrupy overflowage).
It doesn’t require prayer and fasting before attempting to make (let’s face it – pie can intimidate the best of us sometimes).
This is the simplest of all pies and yet it is certainly one of my favorites.
Light and creamy and lemony and delicious, I LOVE THIS PIE!
So much so that I actually posted a very similar version three years ago but didn’t even realize I had fallen in love with basically the same pie until I went to post this recipe today.
I’m going forward with the updated post because a) new pictures, b) garnishing with raspberries is just pretty, and c) there are enough variations to give this new, simpler version it’s own space in time.
The base of the pie is so simple: sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, and lemon juice, and it bakes for just a few quick minutes.
That dreamy lemon filling with the buttery graham crust and the whipped cream topping is as delightful as it sounds.
Can you give me one good reason you shouldn’t make this? Hit me with it – I’m ready.
Even lemon haters are bound to love this pie, I just know it.
It’s not an in your face punch of lemon – it’s subtle and delicious and well, perfect.
One Year Ago: Super Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
Two Years Ago: Chicken Curry in a Hurry
Three Years Ago: Luscious Lemon Cream Pie
Magnolia Lemon Pie with Graham Cracker Crust
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 ½ cups (150 g) graham cracker crumbs, (1 package, 13 rectangle graham crackers)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons (85 g) salted butter, melted
Lemon Filling:
- 2 cans (14-ounces each) sweetened condensed milk, (about 2 1/2 cups)
- 3 large egg yolks
- ⅔ cup lemon fresh lemon juice, (about 4-5 lemons)
- Pinch salt
Whipped Topping:
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup (29 g) powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Fresh raspberries for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- For the crust, combine all the ingredients together in a small bowl and stir until the graham cracker crumbs are evenly moistened; the mixture will look like wet sand.
- Press the mixture evenly into the bottom and all the way up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 8 minutes until just lightly golden.
- For the filling, in a medium bowl with a handheld electric mixer (or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment), beat the sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, lemon juice and salt together for 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Lightly tap the bottom of the bowl 2-3 times on the counter to pop any little air bubbles.
- Pour the filling evenly into the baked crust.
- Bake the pie for 10 minutes.
- Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool completely. Cover the top lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
- For the whipped topping, beat the cream, powdered sugar and vanilla together with a handheld electric mixer, electric stand mixer or a blender until it is fluffy and soft peaks form.
- Spread the whipped cream evenly over the pie or serve a dollop of the whipped cream on each individual piece. Garnish with raspberries if desired.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted from Magnolia Market (after my friend Deb made it a few weeks ago for me and I fell in love); I realized later that today’s pie is very similar to this Luscious Lemon Cream Pie I posted several years back. The recipe posted here is a bit simpler and the lemon juice amount called for is a bit less as well as a few other varied ingredients and baking temperatures.
I made this last year at Easter and plan to make it again!! It is sooo good!
My graham crackers have 9 in a package (which I thought was typical?). Is it one package, or 13 graham crackers?
Use 13 graham crackers.
Thank you so much! We’re making it today.
I want to make this for a baby shower but would like for it to be individual sized. If I make it in muffin tins without cupcake papers, is it firm enough that I would be able to get them out of the tins and set them on a three tiered server without them crumbling?
I can’t say 100% yes since I haven’t tried them that way, but I think it stands a good chance of working.
This recipe has been around forever. Definitely not unique to Johanna Gaines. It’s been a family favorite for ages. Also it’s pretty much a key lime pie recipe using lemon instead.
And your point is?
blended by hand in bowl. Upped the ingreds.
– 4 egg yolks (large eggs) – FIRST in a bowl.
– 2 & 1/3 cans (300 mL) of sweet cond. milk
(Stir in very slowly)
– juice of 6 med/large lemons & zest of 1 lemon.
(stir lemon juice moderately). Add dollup butter
Put it in fridge to thicken for an hour.
Then pour contents of bowl into a 9″ graham cracker crusted pie plate (store bought).
Put in oven at spec. temp for 25-30 mins until crust firms – lightly bronzed/crack starts show.
Chill overnight. Serve cold with whip cream.
I did wonder if 10 minutes was enough with eggs in it. Your version sounds more reasonable to me.
ty. it was devoured – the
Made it yesterday to go with our Thanksgiving dessert because it looked so good. Very easy to follow the instructions. I was worried that my plastic wrap would stick to the top, but it did not. The texture was great! It was sweeter than I expected, so next time I will add more lemon (my kids tell me it was not too sweet, that I am just not used to much sugar). Thanks for a great recipe!
My son requested a lemon pie 4 thanksgiving and this is the 1 i found.. It looks good i can’t wait 2 try it
I made the pie today and it seemed to have turned out nicely! The problem I had was that after it cooled and I put the plastic wrap to cover the pie, it stuck to the top. So I took it off and it pulled the top layer off, so now it doesn’t have that nice shiny look. I guess I’ll just have cover the top with the whipped cream. Next time I’m not going to cover it. But I do look forward to tasting it!
This recipe turned out so well the first time, I tried it again but made a mistake. I accidentally put the egg whites into the filling mixture after beating everything else. That bowl of yellowish liquid was mistaken for the lemon juice. Just so others don’t freak out if they do the same thing, or add whole eggs instead of just egg yolks, it turned out just fine. It wasn’t quite as silky smooth coming out of the fridge, but it had a more custard-like texture. It was still delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
Thanks for the feedback (will help many others, I’m sure!)
This was delicious! As a native South Floridian this tasted very similar to Key Lime Pie but was equally as delicious, everyone loved it!
Outstanding. I was a doubter but woe!! Love it when frozen also. Had leftovers and put in freezer. Even better!!!!! I add some zest to the filling just for fun
This was amazing. And I never leave comments.
Glad you loved it, Pam!
Quick, easy, delish and my wife loved it! Substitute Ritz crackers for the crust. Try it.
Mmmm! This is fantastic! After ready a couple different recipes that ranges from 3-8 yolks, I used 4, and for the same reason used a little over 3/4 cup juice…. This is my kind of recipe because it doesn’t have to be specific! Also, baked pie for 20 minutes. 10 didn’t seem long enough.
We have a Meyer lemon tree, and for his birthday my husband wanted a lemon dessert. I searched for “lemon” on your site and told him to pick a recipe, since I knew any of your creations would be delicious. We had lots of company, so I made it in a 9×13 pan, and subbed in the shortbread crust from your perfected lemon bars, made with gluten free flour. I planned to double the filling, but didn’t have enough SC milk, and they were absolute perfection! Seriously one of the best things I’ve ever eaten! Even my MIL and SIL loved them, and though they normally take a pass on desserts, they asked for SECONDS! We were all blown away, seriously! You are my #1 recipe source, and have been for so long. Thank you a million times over for everything you have put into making this the best recipe blog out there!
Love your variation on this recipe, Catherine!! And I always love seeing your comments – thanks for sticking around after all this time. 🙂
Amazing lemon pie! I’ve made it twice already and my husband who was not a big lemon dessert person, now asks for this lemon pie!
Yay!
Can’t wait to try this!!! I saw someone had mentioned topping the crust with a cheesecake filling then the lemon filling. Do you bake the cheesecake filling, cool, then top with the lemon filling and bake an additional 10 minutes? I think this would be extra tasty with a layer of cheesecake (cheesecake and lemon are two of my favorite dessert flavors!) Any suggestions appreciated!
Very delicious pie! It turned out perfect. Everyone loved, it and it stayed good for the 3 days until it was gone. I made 1.5 times the recipe and put it in a deep dish 10″ pan, and it fit just right. The only reason it didn’t get eaten more quickly is we had several other pies that were equally delicious!
This pie is delicious! Lemons are in abundance right now in az and so I just had to try this tonight for company dessert! It was a huge hit! I can’t wait to try it with orange juice too! Thanks for always posting the BEST recipes!
This recipe is what I settled on after lots of googling for lemon pie recipes. Great choice!!! I made it tonight in honor of pie day, 3.14, lol! Topped it with homemade whipped cream, and it was realllllllly delicious. Thanks for posting this recipe.
How should I adjust the baking time if I use a pre-made Graham cracker crust?
I’m not sure…I haven’t tried it…I’d suggest baking it for the same amount of time.
This is a really old recipe that women in the south have made for decades and it is still just as good today and super simple to make. In the south it is called Lemon Ice Box Pie. This pie was one of the first things my grandmother taught me to make. Great recipe to make with kids.
Try adding lemon or lime zest, it takes it to a new level. I also love lemon with blueberries so I serve it with blueberries. I also made once with a layer of raspberry jam on the crust before adding the filling every one loved it.
I also make it with a cheesecake filling and top it with the lemon filling in a deep spring form pan and it is out of this world good.
I had this pie made with pineapple and they added coconut and chopped pecans to the crust it was so good.
So many yummy variations!
I would love to have the cheesecake version topped with lemon filling mentioned in the comment by “J”. I love the idea of pineapple, coconut, pecan combo too.
This really is a perfect pie. The crust held together perfectly, and the filling was just right – neither too tart nor sweet, and incredibly creamy. It was a big hit with our family!
I grew up in the south and have eaten this very pie all my life, all 77 years of it. We called it Lemon Icebox Pie. I have spent a lot of years living in the Midwest and people did’nt know it by that name. Now it is Magnolia Lemon Pie. But whatever you call it, it is delicious. Thanks for posting.
Thanks Mel, God bless you for this delicious pie !!!!!!! I love it.
wonderful recipes!!!
I made this pie and added pecans to the crust. It was delicious! This is very similar to a keylime pie recipe I make but I will for sure use this recipe from now on for sure.
Absolutely delicious!!! My husband couldn’t stop raving about it!! Thank you!
Made this for after Sunday dinner. I didn’t have any problems at all with this pie setting up. In fact, I was a little nervous about only ten minutes in the oven for the filling but it was perfect – just like you said it would be! We all loved it! I shared the extra the next day with my parents. They enjoyed it just as much. The raspberries are a perfect touch – just the right blend of flavors. Thank you!
Made as directed. however it didn’t set up. I ended up freezing it. We’ll see.
Oh Mel. Decisions, decisions. Your Lucious Lemon Pie is a favorite in our household. The crust is cooked and I’m debating. To try anew, or not. I keep flipping between the pictures. One with more lemon juice, one without. Which is your favorite? Both at different times.
We love lemon, so I want to gravitate toward the other, but the new one looks good too…maybe more whipped?
Thank you for never-ending : ))))) recipes!!
Oh, those are hard decisions! What did you decide on??
Eating this pie has been the delight of our weekend! The filling is luscious and the crust is the perfect compliment. And — you’re right — it’s so easy to make! Thank you!
Oh my dear! I’ve made her pie several times! We love it, and it is EASY! I’m so glad you posted this here! You really should watch Fixer Upper. I have the same crush on Jojo as I do on you! They are incredible humans!
My 10-yr old made this completely by herself for company yesterday. Wow, was it good. She was so proud of herself. She even hand-juiced all the lemons. It only took 2 1/2 to get 2/3 a cup so she made lemonade for our company with the rest of the lemons. Thank you for a gorgeous and simple recipe! (ps, we love Fixer Upper, too!)
Your 10-year old is amazing, Tara!
Thank you Mel! And just a little update. We had 2 pieces left from our company so I stuck one in the freezer for 3 hours to see how that would be. It was so gorgeous I may do that from now on with the whole pie! It didn’t freezer hard as I don’t think sweetened condensed milk does. But it was just cold and frosty and gorgeous!
Wow, you may be on to something…FROZEN Magnolia Lemon Pie. I am definitely trying that one out for myself. Yum!
Made this last night and it was amazing! So smooth and creamy, with a very close taste to Key Lime Pie. My friends enjoyed it so much, they took the rest home with them.
Prayer and fasting! hahaha That cracked me up. This looks delicious. I just recently got on the fixer upper bandwagon (started watching on Netflix while I IRON!) and C&J are super fun to watch. But now I want to paint my cupboards…
Thanks for sharing! Your timing is perfect. I love lemon and my birthday is this week, so this is what I will make for myself. Thanks for your blog and great recipes.
To follow-up — I made it and it was great! It is very smooth and creamy. The recipe is a keeper without any changes. Thank you! I love lemon so it was perfect for my birthday.
Hi Mel, YUM! I have heaps of Limes at the mo, so Magnolia Lime pie it is. My mum used to make one very similar (minus the egg yolks) and she never baked hers. It was creamy zesty goodness. Can’t wait to make this, I will just have to google what to use in place of graham crackers for the base. On a side note, I don’t watch much TV either, and am always perplexed if someone mentions a show, like I should know it! The only show I won’t miss is”Gardening Australia” I just love it. Have a wonderful day.
You had me at Bar J. One of my absolute favorite places. Grew up going there and can’t wait to take the kids someday. 🙂
Hi Mel
Have you tried making these in mini muffin tins? If not, do you have any idea how long to bake them? I love your food blog. My family would starve without you. I just made your spaghetti sauce and freezer beef and bean burritos in preparation for baby #3 arriving this week.
Hi Jodi – I haven’t tried making these mini-size but it should work just fine! I’d suggest cutting the baking time down to about 6 or 7 minutes. Thanks for your sweet comment and good luck with baby #3!!
This is almost exactly my key lime pie recipe! I use crushed gingersnaps for the crust instead of graham crackers. yum! Favorite summer pie!
Hi Chris, I live in Australia and I was going to google what to use instead of graham crackers, thanks for the tip, we have a biscuit called gingernuts, so I will use those. I can see that they would work. Have a great day.
My favorite crust for this and similar pies is gingersnap. I’m making it that way on Sunday for my sister’s birthday. This is a very old recipe. Classic.
I made this with the gingersnap crust, and I think it would be better with the graham crackers, as written. The lemon flavor is so delicate, it was overpowered by the gingersnap crust. We also thought it was better the next day, after the crust had softened a bit. Ridiculously easy. Thanks, Mel.
You had me at Magnolia (my mind immediately jumped to Chip and Joanna), but then I read lemon and I knew this would be a favorite! I’m making it this week. I already know I’ll love it. You never let me down. 🙂
This might be my new favorite and go to dessert for company!! Loved it so much!
So happy you tried it so fast and loved it, Leslie!
It looks good
Yum Mel! I so love quick and delicious recipes! My hubby doesn’t care for the big lemon taste, so this sounds just right! Thank you!!
One good (but oh so sad) reason: I can’t have any dairy! My life is incomplete now.
Ok, that is a valid reason! I wish there were such thing as dairy-free sweetened condensed milk!
Not sure if this is helpful, but a friend can’t have dairy either. However, she found a can of coconut sweetened condensed milk and says it tastes really good and has used it in recipes. Not sure if it can be replaced exactly in this recipe, but maybe worth a try?
That’s great info, Holly! Thank you!
I tried it with the condensed coconut milk and sadly it didn’t set up. We had to start over with the condensed milk
There is soy condensed milk available now. I’m in Texas and get it at my local HEB but try Amazon.
I make sweetened condensed coconut milk with coconut powder I buy online at Amazon. It works better than the canned version. It’s nice because you can make it as thick and as sweet as you want.
This is the basic formula for the sweetened condensed coconut milk: 1 cup powder, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup warm water. I usually add more powder and sometimes more sugar. I made my own sweetened condensed milk for years using powdered milk and this recipe.
In the past couple of weeks, I have made 3 of your lemon dessert recipes for different occasions … the lemon cream pie, the no-bake lemon cheesecake, and the lemonies (lemon brownies.) I received rave reviews for all of these. I trust your blog for recipes that I can make with confidence. Thank you for this.
Oh my goodness I’m so glad you posted this!!! I’m making mini pies for my mother’s 60th birthday party this weekend. I tried a pink lemonade pie recipe that just didn’t work out and I was dreading having to remake it. So I came to browse in an effort to avoid fixing my mistake and found this. This is the perfect solution! You just saved my sanity today!!
I love C&J. I love lemon. I love pie. And I’be too lell in fove with Bar J. Sounds like this is the dessert for me.
See? I knew I loved you.
Yum! Could that lemon filling be an easier? This whole pie looks like a cinch to throw together and so delicious! Love your suggestion to garnish with raspberries too – that sounds perfect!
I have to make this I love anything lemon. Thank you so very much
I am a huge Fixer Upper fan…but I’d make this pie even if I wasnt! Having a party next week and I think I’ll throw it in an 8 x 8 and serve it in little squares. I can’t wait to try it!