This lemon sour cream pie is full of tangy flavor and lots of sweetness from the lemons and sour cream. It's so smooth and creamy, and the perfect dessert to enjoy anytime.
I grew up eating this lemon sour cream pie and still crave it every summer. Tucked inside a buttery crust and topped with whipped cream, every bite melts in your mouth. It’s easy to make and always a crowd favorite, whether you’re serving it for a holiday or just because.
For more pie recipes, try my: mixed berry crumble pie, peanut butter chocolate pie, or my coconut cream pie.
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Why You Will Love This Pie
- Creamy, smooth texture – thanks to the sour cream, it’s extra silky and rich without being heavy.
- Bright and tangy flavor – the lemon filling is refreshingly tart with just the right amount of sweetness.
- Perfectly balanced – the crisp crust, zesty filling, and cool whipped topping come together in every bite.
Ingredient Notes
Full ingredient measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
- Lemon: You will need both the zest and juice from 1-2 lemons depending on the size.
- Sugar: You will only need granulated sugar for this pie.
- Cornstarch: This will help to thicken the filling.
- Egg Yolks: Make sure these are room temperature before starting to cook.
- Milk: Preferably use a milk that's higher in fat.
- Butter: I use salted butter, but unsalted will work great too.
Step by Step Instructions
- Step 1: Prepare and bake or buy a pie crust.
- Step 2: Combine sugar, cornstarch, salt and lemon zest in a medium-size saucepan. Rub the lemon zest into it to help release the oils and become more fragrant.
- Step 3: Add butter, egg yolks, lemon juice and milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring until it gets thick. This should take between 8-12 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Step 4: Fold in sour cream once cooled.
- Step 5: Pour into prepared pie crust. Cover with plastic wrap and let it chill for at least 2 hours, but a day in advance is great too.
- Step 6: Mix together whipping cream, sugar and vanilla and beat on high until stiff peaks are formed. Top the pie with fresh whipped cream before serving.
Expert Baking Tips
- This pie also works well with a graham cracker crust.
- You can use meyer or regular lemons for this pie.
- If you want to save time feel free to buy your pie crust and whipped topping.
FAQ
Yes, any citrus would work great, and you could even do a combination of more than one.
Yes, you will want to blind bake your pie crust before adding the lemon filling to it. I walk you through how to do that here.
Yes, that would work great.
Storing & Freezing
Lemon sour cream pie can store perfectly for 3-4 days if needed. Make sure to cover it tightly with plastic wrap or store in a sealed container.
I don’t recommend freezing cream pies as there will be changes to it’s texture.
Other Popular Recipes to Try
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Lemon Sour Cream Pie
Ingredients
- 1 pie crust 9"
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest about 1 large lemon
- ¼ cup (56.75 g) butter
- ¼ cup (59.15 ml) lemon juice about 1 large lemon squeezed
- 3 egg yolks room temperature
- 1 cup (236.59 ml) milk
- 1 cup (230 g) sour cream
- 1 cup (236.59 ml) heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup (30 g) granulated or powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Make or buy a 9-inch pie crust in advance. Bake and cool.
- Combine sugar, cornstarch, salt and lemon zest in a medium-size saucepan. Rub the lemon zest into it to help release the oils and become more fragrant.
- Add butter, egg yolks, lemon juice and milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring until it gets thick. This should take between 8-12 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Fold in sour cream once cooled.
- Pour into prepared pie crust. Cover with plastic wrap and let it chill for at least 2 hours, but a day in advance is great too.
- Mix together whipping cream, sugar and vanilla and beat on high until stiff peaks are formed. Top the pie with fresh whipped cream before serving.
Becca
Loved this but had sooo much trouble getting it to thicken. Not sure if maybe it was because I didn’t get it hot enough, or if I needed to use whole milk? I ended up scratching my first batch and combined all the ingredients except for the egg yolks and milk. Once that was bubbling and thick, I tempered the eggs, the gradually added the milk with a tbsp of whipping cream since I only had 2%. Worked out great!
brooke
Sorry you had some trouble Becca. I've used 2% before and haven't had a problem. It might have just not cooked long enough. But glad you got it to work in the long run.
Amy
This was wonderful and so easy to make. I think it even tasted better the second day! I loved how you showed pictures of what the filling should look like and gave an approximate time on how long to cook it or I probably would not have cooked it long enough.
brooke
I'm so glad you loved it! And yay. Thanks for reading it all so you knew what to look for!
swaggykay
I made this for Thanksgiving instead of my normal lemon meringue pie. Such a refreshing change without swaying from tradition. Everyone loved it! It was simple and tasty. I will definitely be using this recipe every year. I used a cornflake crust, gave it an added crunch.
Katie
We made this for Thanksgiving and it was an absolute hit. The flavor was SO good. I love the cream cheese pie from Marie Calendars and this pie reminded me of that. The amount of lemon was perfect.
Erin
This was super easy to make and delicious. Used 2% milk and it thickened right up. Definitely recommend. For the holidays I just added a gingerbread shaped cookie on the cool whip we placed on top.
brooke
Thank you so much Erin!! Love the idea with the gingerbread cookie on top too! Perfect for the holidays!
Ashley
This was so delicious and so easy! I highly recommend this! Thank you for the great recipe! It wasn't too tart but had just the right amount of lemon and with some homemade whip cream it was perfection. This will be my go-to pie in the future!
brooke
Yay! I'm so glad. Thank you so much for making it and taking the time to leave a review!
Laura Steppel
First time making this pie and it turned out great! We did the graham cracker crust and it was delicious.
We made for Thanksgiving, definitely going to make it a tradition.
Sarah
Do you think you can do greek yogurt in lieu of sour cream?
Brooke Homec
Yes, I think that would work fine. I would just suggest using one that isn't fat free.
Mary Carol
Yummm! Directions were super easy to follow and it was a great addition to our Cinco de Mayo celebration! 🎉