Hey guys! Today I’m sharing my favorite lemon pie recipe ever! If you don’t like meringue (that fluffy white stuff), this pie is for YOU!
WHY I LOVE THIS PIE SO MUCH
So here’s the thing – I really don’t like meringue. At all. I know lemon meringue pie is super popular, but that fluffy egg white topping? Nope, not for me!
That’s why I’m obsessed with this Lemon Supreme Pie instead. It’s got ALL the lemony goodness without any of that meringue business!
What makes this pie amazing is that it has TWO yummy layers. First, there’s a creamy cream cheese layer on the bottom that’s smooth and rich. Then on top, there’s this bright yellow lemon layer that gives you that perfect sweet-tart lemon flavor. Together? OMG so good!
I made this for my mom’s birthday last year and everyone kept coming back for seconds. Even my aunt who LOVES traditional lemon meringue pie said this one was better! Score!
WHAT MAKES THIS PIE SPECIAL
Instead of topping the pie with meringue, this recipe uses a cream cheese mixture that’s WAY better in my opinion! It’s creamy and smooth, not weird and fluffy like meringue.
The yellow lemon layer on top is my favorite part though. It’s bright and sunny looking (I add a few drops of yellow food coloring to make it really pop), and the taste is that perfect sweet-tart lemon flavor that makes your taste buds happy.
One thing I love about this pie is you make it the day before you need it. It needs to chill overnight in the fridge, which means no last-minute rushing around when you’re having people over! I always make it for spring and summer parties – it’s perfect for Easter, Mother’s Day, or just because it’s Tuesday and you want some pie!
MY BEST TIPS FOR MAKING THIS PIE
For the crust: I’m not gonna lie – I just buy a frozen pie crust from the store! Who has time to make crust from scratch? Not me! But if you’re feeling fancy, go ahead and make your own!
For the lemon layer: Make sure you keep stirring when you’re cooking it on the stove. If you stop, you might get lumps, and nobody wants a lumpy pie! It should get pretty thick – like pudding thick.
For the cream cheese part: SUPER IMPORTANT – make sure your cream cheese is really soft before you start mixing! I take mine out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before I start making the pie. If it’s still cold, you’ll get little lumps of cream cheese in your mixture, and that’s not what we want!
Chilling time: Don’t rush this step! I know it’s hard to wait, but this pie really needs to spend the night in the fridge. If you try to cut it too soon, it’ll be a big mess. Trust me, I learned this the hard way!
Make it pretty: I save a little bit of the cream cheese mixture and put it in a ziplock bag in the fridge. When I’m ready to serve, I snip off the corner of the bag and squeeze a little swirl on top of each slice. People always think it looks fancy, but it literally takes 2 seconds!
Lemon Supreme Pie
Ingredients
For the Bottom:
- 1 frozen deep-dish pie crust or make your own if you’re feeling fancy!
For the Yellow Lemon Layer:
- 1¼ cups sugar divided
- 6 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1¼ cups water
- ½ cup lemon juice fresh is best!
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest the yellow part of the lemon skin
- 4-5 drops yellow food coloring totally optional
For the Cream Cheese Layer:
- 11 ounces light cream cheese softened (one 8 oz package plus 3 oz)
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1½ cups Cool Whip thawed
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Make the yellow lemon layer first: In a pot, mix ¾ of the sugar with the cornstarch and salt. Slowly pour in the water while stirring until it’s smooth.
- Turn on the heat to medium and bring it to a boil, stirring the whole time. Once it’s boiling, turn down the heat a bit and add the rest of the sugar and the lemon juice. Keep cooking and stirring for about 2 minutes until it gets thick like pudding.
- Take it off the heat and mix in the butter, lemon zest, and food coloring if you’re using it. Let this cool down to room temperature (about 1 hour).
- Now make the cream cheese layer: In a bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and powdered sugar together until it’s smooth and creamy.
- Gently fold in the Cool Whip and 1 tablespoon lemon juice until it’s all mixed together.
- Save some for later: Take out about ½ cup of this cream cheese mixture and put it in the fridge for later (we’ll use it to decorate!).
- Put it all together: Spread the cream cheese mixture into the bottom of your pie crust.
- Pour the cooled lemon filling on top and spread it out evenly.
- Cover it loosely with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge overnight.
- When you’re ready to eat it: Cut the pie into slices and put a little swirl of the saved cream cheese mixture on top of each slice.
Notes
- If your cream cheese has lumps, your pie will have lumps! Make sure it’s really soft before you start.
- Fresh lemon juice tastes WAY better than the bottled stuff in this recipe.
- This pie stays good in the fridge for about 3 days if you can make it last that long!
- Want to make it extra fancy? Put a thin slice of lemon on top of each piece when you serve it!
