This bright and beautiful Lemon Supreme Pie is the perfect way to welcome warmer weather. A creamy base, tart lemon filling, and buttery crust make it a delicious choice for spring or summer celebrations.
If you love lemon desserts, check out our lemon bars and our lemon loaf.
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Lemon Supreme Pie Recipe
If sunshine had a flavor, I think it would taste like this lemon supreme pie. Each bite is bright, creamy, and filled with citrusy goodness!
I still remember my first slice of this pie at Baker’s Square in Indiana when my husband and I were dating. At the time, I wasn’t a big fan of lemon desserts, but one bite of that dreamy pie hooked me for life.
Years later, I decided to recreate that sweet-tart magic at home. I used my favorite homemade lemon pie filling, which took it to a whole new level. It's now a family favorite that we enjoy all year round.
Why I Love This Lemon Pie
- The creamy and sweet cream cheese blends just right with the tangy lemon flavor.
- A buttery, flaky pie crust gives a crisp contrast to the creamy, dreamy layers.
- The lemon filling has that perfect mix of tart and sweet flavors. It's bright and citrusy, making you want to go back for another bite every time!
- This dessert is so light and refreshing. It's the perfect treat for spring gatherings, Mother's Day brunches, or summer picnics.
Main Ingredients
One of the best things about this lemon supreme pie is that it’s made with simple, easy-to-find ingredients. Most of them you probably already have in your kitchen.
- Pie Crust: While using a store-bought crust will save you time in the kitchen, feel free to use your favorite homemade crust.
- Sugar: Sweetens and balances the creamy and tart layers.
- Cornstarch: This helps to thicken the pie filling, so it holds when you cut slices.
- Lemon Juice and Zest: Fresh lemon juice gives a bright citrus flavor, and lemon zest adds an extra burst of citrus flavor.
- Butter: Gives the filling a rich, smooth texture.
- Cream Cheese: One block of full-fat cream cheese adds a creamy, smooth base for the cheesecake layer. Make sure to set it out ahead of time to soften.
- Cool Whip: You will use it to make the cream filling layer fluffier and to decorate the top of the pie.
How To Make Lemon Supreme Pie
When life hands you lemons, squeeze them and make this lemon pie recipe. Follow our simple steps in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Bake the crust. Unroll the refrigerated pie crust and place it in a 9-inch pie plate. Flute the edges, then place parchment and pie weights or a tin foil shape in the bottom of the crust. Bake and cool it according to the package directions.
Make the pie filling. Stir the sugar, cornstarch, water, lemon juice, and zest in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat until it thickens and comes to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for one minute.
Remove it from the heat and pour it into another container. After 10 minutes, press the plastic wrap directly on the pudding to keep a skin from forming. Let it sit at room temperature for one hour.
BruCrew Tip: Watch out for splattering hot liquid as the mixture simmers. I like to keep a lid covering it so I don't get burned.
Mix the cream cheese layer. Beat the softened cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. Gently fold in some whipped topping.
Assemble the layers. Evenly spread the mixture in the bottom of the cooled pie shell. Pour the cooled lemon pie filling over the top and press another layer of plastic wrap directly on top of the pie. Refrigerate for a few hours.
Decorate and serve. Place a large star tip on a pastry bag and fill with Cool Whip. Add swirls around the edge of the pie. Before serving, place lemon wedges and lemon peel on each one.
Pie Variations
- Try a different citrus flavor. Try lime or orange juice for a new bright flavor.
- Make a no bake pie crust. Substitute the refrigerated dough with a graham cracker crust or a Golden Oreo cookie crust.
- Add coconut. Stir 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut into the cream cheese filling before putting it in the crust.
- Decorate with berries. Top the filling with a mix of blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries.
Storage Recommendations
Store the cream pie in a covered container in the refrigerator. It is best when served within 2-3 days after making it. For best results, add the whipped topping just before serving.
BruCrew Tips
- For the best results, use freshly squeezed lemon juice. Bottled juice doesn’t have the same bright, fresh flavor.
- Bake the pie crust beforehand so it doesn’t get soggy under the creamy layers. Use uncooked rice or dried beans to hold the parchment paper in place.
- Soften the cream cheese before mixing to avoid lumps in the bottom layer.
- Chill the pie for several hours (or overnight!) so the layers set up perfectly before slicing.
- For a pretty presentation, garnish before serving with whipped cream, lemon zest, or thin lemon slices.
- Stir in Wilton lemon yellow gel coloring to brighten the pudding. Do not use golden yellow because the filling will turn orange!
FAQs
Even though you can usually swap them out in recipes, they have some key differences. Lemon curd is richer and is thickened with eggs, while pie filling is thickened with cornstarch.
Yes! This pie is better when made a day in advance because the flavors have time to meld and the layers can set beautifully.
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Recipe
Lemon Supreme Pie
This bright and beautiful Lemon Supreme Pie is the perfect way to welcome warmer weather. A creamy base, tart lemon filling, and buttery crust make it a delicious choice for spring or summer celebrations.
Ingredients
For the Lemon Pudding
- 1 ½ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- ⅛ teaspoon table salt
- 1 cup water
- zest from 3 medium lemons
- ⅔ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Wilton Lemon Yellow gel food coloring
For the Pie
- 1 refrigerated pie crust
- 1 - 8 ounce cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 - 16 ounce container Cool Whip, thawed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Unroll the pie crust and place it into a 9-inch pie plate. Crimp the edges and poke the bottom and sides with a fork. Use a sheet of tin foil or parchment paper with pie weights. Bake for 8 minutes, remove the foil or parchment, and bake for 2 minutes. Remove and cool.
- Remove the zest from the lemons, then juice them. In a large saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Stir in the water, zest, and lemon juice.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once it thickens (about 8 minutes), reduce the heat and stir for one minute. Be careful because the hot mixture will splatter and burn you.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter. Once it is melted, use a toothpick to add yellow food coloring until it is the shade of yellow you want.
- Pour the hot pudding into a heat-safe container and cool it on the counter for 30 minutes. Press a piece of saran wrap directly on top of the filling and let it cool for another 30-45 minutes.
- While the pudding is cooling, place the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in a mixing bowl and beat until creamy. Gently fold in 1 cup of Cool Whip.
- Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly in the bottom of the cooled pie crust. Slowly pour the cooled pudding on top, covering the cream cheese. Place another sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the filling. Make sure the edges of the pie crust are covered, too, then place the pie in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight.
- Before serving, remove the plastic from the top of the pie. Spoon Cool Whip into a piping bag fitted with a 1M decorating tip. Pipe swirls around the outside edge of the pie. Garnish the swirls with lemon slices/wedges and lemon zest.
Notes
Tips
- For the best results, use freshly squeezed lemon juice. Bottled juice doesn’t have the same bright, fresh flavor.
- Bake the pie crust beforehand so it doesn’t get soggy under the creamy layers. Use uncooked rice or dried beans to hold the parchment paper in place.
- Soften the cream cheese before mixing to avoid lumps in the bottom layer.
- Chill the pie for several hours (or overnight!) so the layers set up perfectly before slicing.
- For a pretty presentation, garnish before serving with whipped cream, lemon zest, or thin lemon slices.
- Stir in Wilton lemon yellow gel coloring to brighten the pudding. Do not use golden yellow, as the filling will turn orange!
Variations
- Try a different citrus flavor. Try lime or orange juice for a new bright flavor.
- Make a no bake pie crust. Substitute the refrigerated dough with a graham cracker crust or a Golden Oreo cookie crust.
- Add coconut. Stir 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut into the cream cheese filling before putting it in the crust.
- Decorate with berries. Top the filling with a mix of blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 488Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 187mgCarbohydrates: 63gFiber: 2gSugar: 48gProtein: 3g
Nutrition facts are an estimate and are not guaranteed to be accurate. If you need special diet advice, please see a registered dietician.
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