This Whole Lemon Pie recipe came to me from my grandma. I asked her where she got it from but she couldn’t remember. I did a little searching around, and found that Smitten Kitchen has a Whole Lemon Tart recipe, so I’m thinking it may have evolved from there.
I always love to see how a good recipe is passed around, little adaptations made here and there. Kind of like that game of telephone we used to play as kids.
This might be the world’s easiest pie to make. The filling involves putting FIVE ingredients into a blender and pushing the button. That’s it! And the lemon filling is custardy, creamy, sweet, and tart. It almost tastes like a pie version of lemon bars. It’s such a refreshing summertime dessert!
You could make it even more simple by using a frozen unbaked pie crust (my favorite is Marie Callender’s). I’m really challenging myself to get good at making pie crusts, so I made my own this time. It’s definitely getting easier each time, and I think I’ve found a good all-butter pie crust recipe. The food processor really helps!
On a side note, I did also try making a Whole “Lime” Pie. Same recipe, just swapped out a lime for the lemon. TERRIBLE! Very bitter. Just in case you had any thought of trying it yourself! Let’s stick with the lemon version.
Did you make this recipe?
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Whole Lemon Pie
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 mins
- Yield: 6 pieces
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
An easy and refreshing summertime dessert idea! The filling is made in the blender and uses one whole lemon!
Ingredients
For the Pie Crust
- 1/2 cup salted butter, chilled and cubed
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons (more or less as needed) very cold water
For the Filling
- 1 whole lemon*
- 1/2 cup salted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For Serving
- Powdered sugar for dusting
- Lemon slices for garnish
Instructions
For the Crust
- Place butter, sugar, and flour into a food processor or blender, and pulse until you have coarse (pea sized) crumbs. Scrape down sides as needed. Slowly add chilled water and pulse, until the dough begins to come together. It should still be slightly crumbly. Pour the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and knead a few times to bring together. If the dough is too crumbly, sprinkle a little water over it and knead again. Wrap the dough up in the plastic wrap and chill for at least 3 hours.
- To roll out the crust, allow the dough to sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes. Then unwrap and place the dough on a well-floured surface. Roll the dough out so you have a large circle that is a few inches wider than your pie tin. Be patient as you roll, turning the dough to check for sticking and adding more flour as needed. Roll the dough around the rolling pin to transfer it to the pie dish.
- Without stretching the dough, place it into the pie dish, and trim excess dough around the edges, leaving about a 1-inch overhang. Roll the edge under, and then crimp.
For the Filling
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Trim both ends off the lemon, and cut into quarters. Add lemon, butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract to a blender, and blend until smooth and creamy. Pour into unbaked pie shell, and bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Cover edges of pie with tin foil if they brown before the pie is done.
- Allow to cool completely before slicing. Can be refrigerated and served chilled or at room temperature. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.
Notes
* Choose a small to medium sized lemon. Larger lemons generally have the same amount of “lemon” inside, but with a thicker “pith” (the white part) surrounding it. Too much lemon pith and your pie will be too bitter.
Cindy Marlow says
I made this recipe today (twice) and I just LOVE it! I used large Meyer lemons that I brought home from California. They were so large that I only used 3/4ths of a lemon (for each time I made the recipe). I made it in my Vitamix. After I filled my shells, I had about a half pint leftover each time. I kept it in my Vitamix, turned it on high, and in about 5-6 minutes I had the fluffiest lemon curd I have ever made. Best part? No cooking and constantly stirring on the stove!!! My photos are on Instagram (ephemerista_botanika). This one was definitely a winner.
Julie says
So glad, Cindy, thank you!
Aimee Lynn Byars says
Anyone ever use a Graham Cracker crust for this? We’ve made this pie twice, delish, but now trying with a different crust. Hope it works! Graham cracker crusts are so fast and easy to put together! 🙂
Jackie says
Yes and it’s great. Brush graham crust with a beaten egg and bake for about 8 minutes. The graham crust won’t get mushy
MK says
Went the easy route, used a deep dish Pillsbury crust — definitely a family-pleaser (including 13 year old who just got braces).
Thanks for this super-easy and effective recipe! I am NOT a baker or cook of anything, but these directions worked for me.
I love the idea of using the whole lemon, and the taste from that inclusion is spectacular.
Bob says
I love this pie. I wonder how it would be if you used a lime instead of a lemon? I haven’t tried it but I do like key lime pie.
Julie says
I did try that once and it was bitter tasting. I think I’d stick with lemon! Glad you enjoyed.
Alli says
I made this for the Fourth of July yesterday. It was SO easy! I made it in my NutriBullet. I used a pre-made crust. Everyone loved it! I’ll be sure to make it again. Thanks for the great recipe!
Julie says
Yay! So glad it was a hit!
Joan Birkins says
I have been making pies all my life and do not understand how people are raving about this pie. It is awful. There isn’t enough lemon flavor and what there is is ruined by the taste of the pith, the butter is overdone and the pie is very skimpy. I used a small lemon and the zest from another and it still lacked that lemon kick.
Lucinda Hammerberg says
My cousin gave me this recipe and of course I’ve mixed it into one of my many cookbooks and can’t find the original. Her recipe called for 2 lemons. I had a bag of lemons given to me so I took 2 and blended them, put ‘this into a small zip bag and froze this lemon. IT WORKS,! I can have whole lemon pie any time of the year. And makes a quick dessert at the last minute.
Julie says
Great tip, Lucinda!
Mary Murphy says
Thank you for this recipe. I have searched for a long time. It used to be in early american life magazine
years ago..Bless you for it.
Julie says
Hello Mary, so glad you found this recipe. Good to know where it came from! I hope you enjoy.
Jackie says
Can you substitute Splenda for the sugar? Can’t have that many carbs!
Julie says
I have not tested this recipe with Splenda.
Carolyn says
Not impressed with my outcome but I don’t think that I blended it long enough. I will give it a second try!
Diane C says
I made this pie today because I needed to use up my Immaculate brand refrigerator pie crust. I had all the ingredients on hand. It was quick and easy and delicious!
Jackie says
I’ve made this twice. The first time it turned out beautifully but was too sweet for anyone to finish. The second time I used two whole lemons and cut the sugar to 1 cup instead of 1-1/2 cups, and it was a huge hit.
Kathy says
My pie turned out runny. I re-read the recipe and I did it perfectly. It was golden brown on top but totally runny inside. We ate it anyway, but I would love to know how to have it as a pie instead of ice cream syrup! Also I agree less sugar, more lemon would be better.
Lori says
Can you freeze this pie?
Colleen says
I don’t have a blender. Can you use a food processor?