Today, I’m sharing the Best Lemon Sour Cream Pie recipe. This lemon pie has a rich, smooth lemon flavor similar to my favorite English Lemon Curd recipe. Of course, this homemade pie has sour cream, which mellows the sweetness and creates a luscious taste.
This wonderful recipe comes from my mom, Amy. She was an avid baker and was always in the kitchen creating such lovely desserts and jams. Now that she has passed away, all her recipes mean so much more to me. I have a few of her recipes on the blog:
I remember her making this pie growing up, and I loved how creamy it was compared to the normal lemon pies. The sour cream adds such a smooth flavor. My mom spoiled us with all her yummy homemade desserts.
But before we dive into the recipe, I thought it might be nice to answer a few frequently asked questions.
Here are a Few Tips About This Lemon Sour Cream Pie
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Can I use a pre-made pie crust?
Yes, by all means, use a pre-made pie crust. Also, a graham cracker crust would work too!
Can I freeze a lemon sour cream pie?
I recently froze my pie, and it handles it fine. You might get a few cracks on the top, but you can remedy this by adding a layer of yummy whip cream!
Can I substitute yogurt for sour cream?
My husband is allergic to sour cream, so I did a little experiment and replaced it with yogurt. There is a tiny difference in flavor, but it’s not very noticeable. His pie’s texture and thickness are the same as the one with sour cream.
Can you double a lemon pie filling for a 9-inch pie?
So, my mom’s recipe was half my new version. I doubled her recipe, and it came out perfect!
I made it both ways, and I love the 9-inch pie to have a thick and tall filling. So if you make the recipe as is, your filling will be about 1 1/2 – 1 3/4 inches in thickness. I love piling up the filling in the middle of the pie. But you can totally cut the recipe in half if you wish. Her version (half my recipe) had a pretty small layer of lemon pie filling. She did add a layer of whipping cream to her pie. I used a buttercream topping for photography purposes. Whip cream melts too quickly.
Also, not all pie pans are equal in depth. I used my Emile Henry ceramic pie pan, and it is super deep, so this recipe is perfect for the deeper pie pans. If you have extra filling, place it in a bowl for a skinnier version. This serving will be minus the crust, so it will be less caloric.
My Filling Came Out Lumpy
At the end of cooking the filling on the stovetop, make sure to whisk it thoroughly to get any lumps out of it. Do this before adding the sour cream to the mixture.
The Best Lemon Sour Cream Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Pie Crust
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 8 tbsp cornstarch
- ½ cup melted butter cool to room temperature
- 2 tbsp lemon zest
- ½ cup lemon juice
- 6 egg yolks
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups sour cream can substitute with nonfat plain Greek yogurt
- whipping cream optional
Instructions
- Make a 9-inch pie crust in advance.
- Combine sugar and cornstarch in a medium-size saucepan.
- Add melted butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, and egg yolks to the sugar mixture.
- Stir in milk.
- Cook over low to medium heat, constantly stirring until thick. It takes about 10 minutes to thicken. Make sure to stir and watch, so the filling doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan and burn. The mixture will be somewhat thick and gooey.
- Take off the stovetop and whisk thoroughly to eliminate any lumps that have formed. Next, fold sour cream into the lemon mixture until well blended and smooth.
- Spoon into a pre-made pie shell.
- Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
- Top with whip cream if desired.
Nutrition
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Colette Joseph
GOR
GE
OUS.
I am totally making this tonight!
Janine Waite
Thanks girlfriend!!! You're so sweet!
KvH
Yum! Delicious recipe and beautiful photos. Love the lemon and springtime theme!
Janine Waite
Thanks, KvH! You're so nice to visit! I totally appreciate you're sweet comments! Hooray for Spring!!! I'm wishing you a wonderful weekend!
Loi Thai, Tone on Tone
Mmmmmmm, pure sunshine!!! How wonderful to enjoy lemon right from the garden! xoxox
Janine Waite
Hi Loi,
I know, having a lemon tree in our yard is just heavenly! I love how they look on the tree, and I love how I can just pick one as I need it for baking or cooking! Thanks for your wonderful visit! xoxo
Coco in the Kitchen
I just bloody licked my phone.
Better bake one quick!
Leslie Saeta
This pie is simply wonderful! Just love it.
ashley
I love lemon and this recipe is perfect!
Ruby
Can this be made in a 9×13 pan? How do I change the recipe? Double the recipe?
happyhappynester
Hi Ruby,
So, I would make it in two pie tins if you want to double the recipe. The 9×14 pan probably wouldn’t work since the middle of the pan would not have any crust.
Jen Hoy
Hello happy happy nester,
I made this pie today, changing the pastry case for a biscuit base and using only one cup of sugar as I prefer a sharper less sweet pie. Topping it with merengue, like a lemon merengue pie. It is perfect! Thank you so much for sharing❤️
happyhappynester
Hello Jen,
That sounds delicious! I’m glad to know my recipe helped 🙂
Suzanne
This looks so good! I love the garnishing ideas for this one! It’s so pretty!
happyhappynester
Hey Suzanne,
Thank you so much for your kindness! Cheers to baking!
Vanessa
Thanks for sharing! How far ahead of time can I make it?
happyhappynester
Hello Vanessa,
I would say make this a day or two ahead of time for best results 🙂
Jan Hoy
This tart was delicious! I made it with a digestive biscuit base (Graham Crackers) but they didn’t hold together too well, I think I should have baked the base instead of putting it in the fridge overnight. However my dinner guests enjoyed it very much. I served it with lemon Greek yoghurt and it was perfect.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
happyhappynester
Hey Jan!
Yay! I am so happy you ended up loving this recipe. It’s a family favorite of ours. Have a great weekend 🙂