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Whole Lemon Pie

July 12, 2016

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A slice of Whole Lemon Pie dusted with powdered sugar and topped with a lemon slice, on a plate with a fork with a piece of pie on it, siting next to the Whole Lemon Pie pan.

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.

A slice of Whole Lemon Pie dusted with powdered sugar and topped with a lemon slice, on a plate.

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.

A slice of Whole Lemon Pie dusted with powdered sugar and topped with a lemon slice, on a plate with a fork with a piece of pie on it.

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!  

A Whole Lemon Pie dusted with powdered sugar and garnished with lemon slices, with one slice of pie missing, sitting on a cutting board with some lemons and tree leaves.

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!

A Whole Lemon Pie dusted with powdered sugar and garnished with lemon slices, with one slice of pie missing, sitting on a cutting board with some lemons and tree leaves.

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

★★★★★ 5 from 6 reviews
  • Author: Julie
  • Prep Time: 30 mins
  • Cook Time: 40 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hour 10 mins
  • Yield: 6 pieces 1x
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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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. 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.
  3. 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
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Filed Under: Dessert

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Comments

  1. Thalia @ butter and brioche says

    July 12, 2016 at 4:33 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Barry moneymaker says

      June 29, 2019 at 12:49 pm

      Can you use two small lemons I really like a tart lemon pie

      Reply
      • Julie says

        June 29, 2019 at 1:16 pm

        Try using one whole lemon, plus the juice and zest of the second lemon. Enjoy!

        Reply
  2. Trish Burton says

    July 13, 2016 at 1:15 pm

    Easy, fast, pretty and delicious. I used a Marie Callendar pie crust. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Julie says

      July 14, 2016 at 10:24 pm

      Trish, that’s great! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out!

      Reply
  3. Dawn Duffy says

    July 18, 2016 at 8:51 am

    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.

    Reply
    • Julie says

      July 18, 2016 at 2:36 pm

      Aw thank Dawn! I agree wholeheartedly!

      Reply
  4. Brandy b says

    July 26, 2016 at 5:10 pm

    So u do blend the lemon with peel on?

    Reply
    • Julie says

      July 26, 2016 at 5:27 pm

      Yes, sounds strange but it works!

      Reply
  5. Frances says

    August 3, 2016 at 11:47 pm

    Hi, I live in New Zealand and would like to know the weight of ‘one stick of butter’ please?

    Reply
    • Julie says

      August 6, 2016 at 9:21 am

      Hi Frances, thanks for your question. One stick is 4 ounces, or 113 grams.

      Reply
  6. Frances says

    August 9, 2016 at 1:56 am

    Thanks. US weights must be different to ours as 4oz = 125g here.

    Reply
  7. Kristy says

    August 14, 2016 at 12:27 am

    It says a stick of butter? how many grams is that? We don’t work in “sticks” 🙂

    Reply
    • Julie says

      August 14, 2016 at 12:02 pm

      So sorry Kristy, I’ll fix it soon! One stick = 1/2 cup = 4 oz = 113 grams.

      Reply
  8. Leo Vincent says

    September 6, 2016 at 10:11 am

    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.

    Reply
    • Julie says

      September 6, 2016 at 6:05 pm

      Glad to hear that, thanks Leo. Let me know how the next one turns out.

      Reply
  9. angie says

    January 24, 2017 at 8:07 pm

    does the filling need to be strained after it’s blended?

    Reply
    • Julie says

      January 26, 2017 at 3:39 pm

      No it does not. 🙂

      Reply
  10. Brette says

    July 18, 2017 at 9:04 pm

    I have lemon juice and not real lemons. Do you think I could substitute?

    Reply
    • Julie says

      July 19, 2017 at 9:00 am

      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!

      Reply
  11. Angela says

    August 14, 2017 at 9:24 am

    Hi am Angela
    I want to try this recipe does it not require cornflour.

    Reply
    • Julie says

      August 15, 2017 at 1:42 pm

      Hi Angela, this recipe does not use corn flour, just all purpose flour. Hope you love it!

      Reply
  12. Rosemary says

    September 5, 2017 at 2:17 pm

    Do you take seed out?

    Reply
    • Julie says

      September 5, 2017 at 3:52 pm

      Hi Rosemary, I would cut the lemon and take out any obvious seeds, but it will be okay if small ones slip in. Enjoy!

      Reply
  13. Rosemary says

    September 26, 2017 at 4:33 pm

    Can you use a food processor

    Reply
    • Patti says

      October 23, 2017 at 6:50 pm

      Yes of course!

      Reply
  14. Patti says

    October 23, 2017 at 6:50 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Julie says

      October 24, 2017 at 12:19 pm

      Glad you enjoyed Patti!

      Reply
  15. Carole king says

    June 22, 2018 at 12:14 am

    I tried making this recipe, but it all curdled! Where did I go wrong?

    Reply
    • Julie says

      June 22, 2018 at 8:08 am

      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.

      Reply
  16. JS says

    September 10, 2018 at 3:26 pm

    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!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Julie says

      September 13, 2018 at 2:27 pm

      Thank you so much!

      Reply
  17. Nancy Olson says

    October 27, 2018 at 5:11 pm

    I don’t know what I did wrong but this was awful.

    Reply
    • Julie says

      October 27, 2018 at 8:09 pm

      Sorry to hear that.

      Reply
  18. Eleanor says

    February 27, 2019 at 6:12 pm

    Can I do this in a food processor?

    Reply
    • Sankofa Lovechild says

      March 15, 2019 at 11:35 pm

      Yes

      Reply
  19. Sankofa Lovechild says

    March 15, 2019 at 11:27 pm

    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.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  20. Jennifer says

    April 14, 2019 at 6:37 am

    Hi! Just wondering what size pie dish you used?? 9 inch? Thanks!!

    Reply
    • Julie says

      April 14, 2019 at 2:51 pm

      Hi Jennifer, yes 9 inch is correct.

      Reply
  21. Cindy Marlow says

    April 14, 2019 at 10:14 am

    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.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Julie says

      April 14, 2019 at 2:44 pm

      So glad, Cindy, thank you!

      Reply
      • Aimee Lynn Byars says

        April 26, 2019 at 6:19 pm

        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! 🙂

        Reply
  22. MK says

    April 25, 2019 at 3:25 pm

    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.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  23. Bob says

    June 14, 2019 at 1:18 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Julie says

      June 15, 2019 at 3:42 pm

      I did try that once and it was bitter tasting. I think I’d stick with lemon! Glad you enjoyed.

      Reply
  24. Alli says

    July 5, 2019 at 6:40 am

    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!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Julie says

      July 6, 2019 at 12:12 pm

      Yay! So glad it was a hit!

      Reply
  25. Joan Birkins says

    November 1, 2019 at 2:06 pm

    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.

    Reply
  26. Lucinda Hammerberg says

    May 9, 2020 at 12:04 pm

    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.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Julie says

      May 10, 2020 at 6:58 am

      Great tip, Lucinda!

      Reply
  27. Mary Murphy says

    June 21, 2020 at 9:12 am

    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.

    Reply
    • Julie says

      June 21, 2020 at 12:30 pm

      Hello Mary, so glad you found this recipe. Good to know where it came from! I hope you enjoy.

      Reply

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Hi I'm Julie, and I spend a lot of time in my lovely little kitchen. I love gathering my family around simple delicious food. This is how I do it. Learn more →

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