Lemon Cream Cheese Pie

Summer is the time for simple and flavorful treats, and lemon cream cheese pie hits all the right notes. It’s one of the easiest no-bake desserts, requiring only five ingredients—most of which you probably already have in your pantry or fridge. It can be served in as little as 15 minutes after assembling!

The pie has a crunchy graham cracker crust and a cool, creamy lemon pie filling made with sweetened cream cheese. We include tips below to add homemade, from-scratch touches to amp up the flavors even more. Lemon and cream cheese pie is a refreshing finish for cookouts and light summer dinners, or whenever you need a fast, reliable sweet treat on a hot day.

Lemon Cream Cheese Pie Ingredients

• Cream cheese: Cream cheese adds a tangy, cheesecake-like flavor to this easy pie. Soften cream cheese first for easier mixing.
• Lemon pie filling: Thick, sweet canned lemon pie filling brings intense lemon flavor to both layers of the pie.
• Graham cracker crust: When you’re in a hurry, pick up a store-bought crust. Have more time? Try an easy homemade graham cracker crust made with butter.
• Frozen whipped topping: Folded into the cream cheese, the whipped topping adds sweetness and a lightened texture. Cool-Whip recipes like this are worth keeping some tubs stashed in the freezer.
• Sugar: A little granulated sugar gives the pie filling the perfect level of sweetness to balance the tangy lemon flavor.

Directions

Step 1: Make the cream cheese filling

In a bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Fold in half the lemon pie filling, then fold in all the thawed whipped topping.

Step 2: Fill the pie and chill

Spread the cream cheese mixture into a graham cracker pie crust. Then, spread the remaining lemon pie filling into an even layer over the top. Chill the pie for 15 minutes or longer before slicing and serving.

Editor’s Tip: For the most stable, easy-to-slice filling, give the pie lots of time to chill—overnight if possible.

Lemon Cream Cheese Pie Variations

• Use a cookie crust: Use a different crumb crust, like one made with vanilla wafer cookies or gingersnaps.
• Add real lemon: To make the canned pie filling taste more like homemade, stir zest and juice from one or two fresh lemons into the pie filling before combining it with the cream cheese.
• Make the pie with fresh whipped cream: The pie is even more delicious with real, sweetened whipped cream. For extra stability, whip a little gelatin into the cream.

How to Store Lemon Cream Cheese Pie

Lemon and cream cheese pie should be refrigerated to keep the filling stable and the whole pie fresh-tasting. Cover the pie with storage wrap or place it inside a sealed dessert carrier and then store it in the fridge. It will last up to five days.

Can you freeze lemon cream cheese pie?

Yes, you can freeze lemon cream cheese pie. The filling texture may change, but it will still be delicious. Cover the pie tightly with freezer-safe food wrap or slide it into a resealable freezer bag, pressing out the air. Keep the pie frozen for up to three months. To defrost the pie, move it to the refrigerator and let it thaw overnight before slicing and serving.

Lemon Cream Cheese Pie Tips

Can you make the lemon topping from scratch?

A homemade lemon topping makes this pie shine with lots of fresh lemon flavor. When you pair tangy lemon curd with freshly whipped cream and a homemade graham cracker crust, you’ll have the most delicious from-scratch version of lemon cream cheese pie! The recipe calls for a 15-3/4-ounce can of lemon pie filling, which is about 1-3/4 cups of lemon curd.

Can I make this pie with other pie filling flavors?

Although the lemon flavor in this no-bake pie is out of this world, it’s a simple enough recipe to experiment with other canned pie filling flavors. Try fruit pie fillings like cherry, blueberry, strawberry or raspberry. Follow the recipe directions to fold half the pie filling into the cream cheese mixture and spread the rest of the filling over the top of the pie.