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.
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Whole Lemon Pie
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 mins
- Yield: 6 pieces 1x
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.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 piece
- Calories: 646
- Sugar: 57g
- Sodium: 292mg
- Fat: 34g
- Saturated Fat: 21g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11.1g
- Trans Fat: 1.3g
- Carbohydrates: 80g
- Fiber: 1.1g
- Protein: 7.5g
- Cholesterol: 205mg
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
love how easy this pie comes together, and the lemon flavour is fantastic too. pie is one of my favourite summer things, so this is perfect!
Barry moneymaker says
Can you use two small lemons I really like a tart lemon pie
Julie says
Try using one whole lemon, plus the juice and zest of the second lemon. Enjoy!
Trish Burton says
Easy, fast, pretty and delicious. I used a Marie Callendar pie crust. Thank you!
Julie says
Trish, that’s great! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out!
Dawn Duffy says
There is nothing–nothing!–like a good lemon pie. This looks luxurious. You could easily serve this at even the most posh and exclusive get together. At the same time, it’s a classic dessert that wouldn’t feel out of place on even a casual table. Love love love.
Julie says
Aw thank Dawn! I agree wholeheartedly!
Brandy b says
So u do blend the lemon with peel on?
Julie says
Yes, sounds strange but it works!
Frances says
Hi, I live in New Zealand and would like to know the weight of ‘one stick of butter’ please?
Julie says
Hi Frances, thanks for your question. One stick is 4 ounces, or 113 grams.
Frances says
Thanks. US weights must be different to ours as 4oz = 125g here.
Kristy says
It says a stick of butter? how many grams is that? We don’t work in “sticks” 🙂
Julie says
So sorry Kristy, I’ll fix it soon! One stick = 1/2 cup = 4 oz = 113 grams.
Leo Vincent says
I made this pie twice now in two weeks with slight change. I reduced the butter by a tablespoon and only used 1/2 cup of sugar. It received rave reviews from everybody especially from my eleven year old grandson. The next time I make it I plan to double the recipe because I want a thicker pie.
Julie says
Glad to hear that, thanks Leo. Let me know how the next one turns out.
angie says
does the filling need to be strained after it’s blended?
Julie says
No it does not. 🙂
Brette says
I have lemon juice and not real lemons. Do you think I could substitute?
Julie says
No, I think for this recipe, the fresh lemon juice and zest are pretty important. It’s worth a trip to the store for real lemons. Enjoy!
Angela says
Hi am Angela
I want to try this recipe does it not require cornflour.
Julie says
Hi Angela, this recipe does not use corn flour, just all purpose flour. Hope you love it!
Rosemary says
Do you take seed out?
Julie says
Hi Rosemary, I would cut the lemon and take out any obvious seeds, but it will be okay if small ones slip in. Enjoy!
Rosemary says
Can you use a food processor
Patti says
Yes of course!
Patti says
I have a Meyer Lemon Tree, and had just one ripe Lemon, so I made this recipe.
I though tit was odd that removing the seeds isn’t part of the directions, but I followed the instructions anyway.
The pie is absolutely delicious! The filling is like a velvety Lemon Curd! Not bitter at all.
The mistake I made was to make it in a deep dish pie plate. It doesn’t puff up very high at all. Unless you plan on putting a meringue or some other topping on this pie (which would be great!) , use a more shallow pie plate.
Julie says
Glad you enjoyed Patti!
Carole king says
I tried making this recipe, but it all curdled! Where did I go wrong?
Julie says
I’m so sorry, I’ve never had that happen. Wish I could be more helpful, but I’m really not sure why it would do that.
JS says
I have made this pie twice in the last two weeks and it is a huge hit with my family and neighbors! I doubled the filling because I prefer a thicker pie. I also bake it on a baking stone.
Both the crust and filling are easy and bake up perfectly. I am going to try this crust with some other pies I make, as well!
★★★★★
Julie says
Thank you so much!
Nancy Olson says
I don’t know what I did wrong but this was awful.
Julie says
Sorry to hear that.
Susan says
Tried to make this pie three times and twice it was horrible. Lemons are just too inconsistent and lemon rinds can be really terribly bitter. This recipe just doesn’t calwsys work.
★★
Eleanor says
Can I do this in a food processor?
Sankofa Lovechild says
Yes
Sankofa Lovechild says
The pie turned out great. I could hardly wait for it to cool off so I could try a slice. I really had my doubts. It seemed too simple to be good, but it was delicious. I made it all from scratch, including the pie crust. I used a whole, small organic lemon. I cut off the ends and I removed the seeds, then cut it into quarters and tossed it in the blender with the other ingredients. I just kept on blending until it looked good and smooth. Even the crust was tasty, although a bit time consuming, since you have to chill the dough 3 hours. Anyway, it was worth it, to me. I will have to practice on making a “pretty” crust, then I will take a picture…lol. Thank you for a wonderful, simple, and tasty recipe.
★★★★★
Jennifer says
Hi! Just wondering what size pie dish you used?? 9 inch? Thanks!!
Julie says
Hi Jennifer, yes 9 inch is correct.
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! 🙂
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.