An all butter pie crust, creamy lemon curd, and a sour cream layer that adds tartness + intrigue, this sour cream lemon pie is perfectly tantalizing in every way.
I LOVE LEMON. Like LOVE love lemon. I love the tartness, the flavor, and the sweetness of a good lemon dessert. When I was young, I had a sour cream lemon pie from Marie Calendars. I don’t recall exactly how it was made, but lately I’d been dreaming about that pie and realized it’s as time to make my own. Enter Heather’s Sour Cream Lemon Pie. It’s perfectly tart, perfectly sweet, perfectly creamy, and all around just perfect for a truly decadent lemon dessert experience this citrus season. Let’s make it.
What you'll need to make this sour cream lemon pie:
All Purpose Flour
Salt
Granulated Sugar
Salted Butter
Cold Water
Large Egg Yolks
Fresh Lemon Juice
Heavy Cream
Sour Cream
Pure Vanilla Extract
The Pie Crust
This All-Butter Pie Crust is my go-to for pies. It’s soft and flavorful, but doesn’t detract from the star which is the filling. It’s made of five simple ingredients: Flour, salt, sugar, butter, and cold water. It’s easily made gluten free + dairy free/vegan with a couple of simple substitutions that I list in my blog. Your can also use any pre-made pie crust or substitute a graham cracker crust for the traditional pie crust.
The Lemon Filling
This filling is a combination of my Fresh Lemon Curd and pure heavy cream. It’s completely dreamy with it’s creamy texture and perfectly sweet + tart lemon flavor.
Begin by beating the egg yolks, sugar, and lemon juice. Mix until combined. Pour the mixture into a medium saucepan and cook on low {If you have a numbered stove from 1 to 10, I put my burner on about four}.
After about five minutes has elapsed, gently add the butter chunks and continue to stir until melted and slightly thickened, about another 7 minutes. You will want to whisk this constantly so the eggs do not “cook.”
Remove from heat and immediately strain to remove any tiny lumps and ensure a smooth finish. Add the heavy cream, whisking until completely incorporated. Cool completely in the refrigerator, covering top of the curd to prevent a skin from forming. You can make this curd the day before for ease of putting this pie together, or simply make the curd the morning of and allow it to fully chill and thicken (I sometimes pop my curd into the freezer for 30-60 minutes, this helps speed things up if you’re in a time bind).
This curd will be the base for your filling. You will whip two cups of heavy cream, diving it in half for the filling and the topping. The filling portion remains unsweetened. Gently fold this into your lemon curd until fully incorporated. Fill you baked + cooled or store-bought pie crust with the filling, and smooth it out to evenly fill the curst.
The Sour Cream Layer
This sour cream layer is insanely simple and adds a beautifully creamy tart texture to this pie. Simply combine your sour cream and sugar until fully mixed, and then pour it over the top of the lemon filling. Gently spread it around to about an inch before the edges. Sweeten the remaining whipped cream with a bit of sugar, and add this to the top of the sour cream layer. Garnish with lemon slices and greenery if desired. Refrigerate for two hours or until firm, overnight if desired. Slice and serve. Store any leftovers the refrigerator for up to four days.
The Dietary Substitutions
I love providing gluten and dairy free substitutions so that those with alternate dietary needs can enjoy my recipes to their fullest! These are subs that I have either used and continue to stock in my own home, or that have come highly recommended from others. I want your baking experience to be the best it can be, and avoiding gluten or dairy shouldn’t hinder that process in the slightest.
As always, here is a list of tried and true dietary substitutes, so that you can enjoy this recipe without the additions of gluten or dairy.
Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Baking Flour is a wonderful all-purpose sub, and it’s cup for cup, so use the same measurements as you would all-purpose flour.
Miyokos butter is a plant based brick that closely resembles dairy butter not only in its look, but it’s taste as well. It melts, browns, and spreads just like real butter, and truly is a fantastic substitute in this recipe. Use it as a 1:1 ratio sub, same as the flour, so the recipe measurements will not change.
Kite Hill makes a dairy free sour cream for those wanting to recreate this filling without dairy.
Silk Dairy Free Heavy Cream is a great option for both the filling and the whipped topping.
If you loved this Sour Cream Lemon Pie recipe, I’d be so grateful for you to leave a 5 star rating + review.
Tag @heathershomebakery on Instagram if you upload a pic too, because I want to see your creations.
Lastly, post this recipe to any of your boards by tapping the Pinterest icon and clicking on your favorite photo. Save and enjoy!
Happy Baking, and Happy Citrus Season!
XO,
Heather
PS- if you love lemon, definitely try these favorites:
Gluten Free Lemon Blueberry Cake
Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Danishes
Sour Cream Lemon Pie
Ingredients
FOR THE CRUST:
- 2 Cups All Purpose Flour
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- 3 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar
- ⅔ Cup Salted Butter, cold and cut into cubes
- 5-6 Tablespoons Cold Water
FOR THE LEMON FILLING:
- 6 Large Egg Yolks
- ¾ Cup Granulated Sugar
- ½ Cup Fresh Lemon Juice
- Pinch Of Salt
- ½ Cup Salted Butter, cut into four cubes
- 1 Cup Heavy Cream, whipped to stiff peaks
SOUR CREAM LAYER:
- ¾ Cup Sour Cream
- ⅓ Cup Granulated Sugar
WHIPPED CREAM TOPPING:
- 1 Cup Heavy Cream, whipped to stiff peaks
- ¼ Cup Granulated Sugar
Instructions
- FOR THE CURD:Beat the egg yolks, sugar, and lemon juice. Mix until combined.Pour the mixture into a medium saucepan and cook on low {If you have a numbered stove from 1 to 10, I put my burner on about four}. After about five minutes has elapsed, gently add the butter chunks and continue to stir until melted and slightly thickened, about another 7 minutes. You will want to whisk this constantly so the eggs do not “cook.” Remove from heat and immediately strain to remove any tiny lumps and ensure a smooth finish. Cool completely in the refrigerator until thick, covering top of the curd to prevent a skin from forming. This should be about two to three hours, or you can speed the process up in the freezer. This curd will be the base for your filling.
- FOR THE CRUST:Preheat the oven to 350°. You will be using a 9” pie pan for the recipe. To make the crust: Place flour into a mixing bowl with the sugar, and add the paddle attachment to your mixer. Give the flour and sugar a quick mix. Slowly add the butter cube by cube, and mix on low until it forms a wet-sand-like consistency. Alternatively you can use a pastry cutter and cut the butter into the flour + sugar mixture. Add the salt, mix. Add the cold water one tablespoon at a time. Dough is ready when it is firm and not sticky. Press dough into the pie pan, and blind bake by lining with parchment paper and filling the crust with pie weighs, dry beans, or rice. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until crust is slightly golden and cooked through. Allowed to cool completely before filling.
- THE TOPPINGS:Whip your two cups of cream until soft peaks form. Divide the whipped cream in half. Fold half of the unsweetened whipped cream into the lemon curd gently until fully combined and creamy in color. Set this aside. Mix your sour cream and sugar in a small bowl. Set this aside. To the remaining whipped cream, add the ¼ cup of sugar. Mix gently until incorporated. You are now ready to assemble!
- ASSEMBLING THE PIE: Pour the creamy lemon pie filling into your cooled crust, and spoon it around until it’s evenly disturbed inside the crust. Pour the sour cream topping over the lemon filling, and gently smooth out close to the edges. Pipe or spread the remaining whipped cream on top of the sour cream layer, and garnish with lemon rind, dried lemons, or greenery. Serve immediately. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to three days. Enjoy!
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