This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This no-bake Lemon Cream Cheese Pie is one of my favorite desserts. It’s super creamy, brightened up with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and a cinch to make!
Pin this recipe now to save it for later
Pin RecipeAs a child, I can remember my mom making this pie for picnics and family gatherings. She didn’t normally add lemon to the cream cheese mixture, but instead would top it with canned blueberry or cherry pie topping.
I love my mom’s way of making it, but I tweaked it to create this Lemon Cream Cheese Pie recipe, which has a bright citrus flavor like Homemade Lemon Meringue Pie. It turned out delicious and it’s become a recipe I make regularly for family gatherings!
(For another easy no-bake dessert, try my Strawberry Delight recipe!)
No-Bake Lemon Cream Cheese Pie Recipe
I can’t forget to mention that this is a no-bake Lemon Cream Pie, which means it’s oh-so-easy to make! You can use a simple homemade graham cracker crust or a store-bought crust. Then, you just stir together the filling ingredients and chill the pie for three or four hours, or until it has set. (If you’ve got a little more time, try this Fresh Fruit Tart!)
With sour cream, cream cheese, and whipped topping, you know this Lemon Cream Cheese Pie is super creamy, but the addition of lemon is a nice counterbalance to all that richness so it doesn’t feel like a heavy dessert. You can garnish it with additional Cool Whip, fresh lemon slices, candied lemon peel, or keep it simple with a dusting of powdered sugar!
(Can’t get enough lemon desserts? Try my Lemon Cupcakes or Lemonade Cake next! Or make this Custard Pie and add lemon curd on top!)
Ingredients For No-Bake Lemon Cream Cheese Pie
For the crust:
- Graham cracker crumbs
- Sugar
- Butter
For the filling:
- Philadelphia Cream Cheese – To make the filling easier to mix, let the cream cheese sit on the countertop for 30 to 45 minutes so it softens a bit.
- Cool Whip
- Sour cream
- Freshly-squeezed lemon juice – Try making this recipe with lime juice instead for something different!
- Lemon zest – I recommend using a fine zester so you don’t get big pieces of lemon peel in the creamy filling.
- Sugar
How to Make Lemon Cream Cheese Pie
- Make the Crust: Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Mix the crust ingredients in a small mixing bowl, then press them into a 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 8 minutes, then cool completely.
- Make the Filling: Add the softened cream cheese, sugar, and sour cream to a blender and blend until smooth. Add the lemon juice and lemon zest, then fold in the Cool Whip.
- Assemble and Refrigerate: Pour the filling into the cooled pie crust and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours, or until the filling is set. Serve with a dollop of Cool Whip and a lemon slice.
Quick Tip!
Make sure all of your ingredients for the filling, especially the cream cheese, are at room temperature before combining. This will ensure a smooth filling without any lumps!
How to Store Lemon Cream Cheese Pie
If you have any leftover pie, you can place a piece of plastic wrap over the pie plate and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or transfer slices to an airtight storage container. You can also freeze this recipe for up to 2 months; wrap it with 2 layers of plastic wrap, then a layer of foil to protect against freezer burn. Let the pie thaw in the refrigerator before serving.
FAQs
This Lemon Cream Cheese Pie is a little bit different from a typical lemon pie; the filling is made with sour cream, cream cheese, whipped topping, lemon, and sugar. This makes it much easier to whip up than a traditional lemon cream pie!
You don’t need a juicer to juice a lemon! Simply cut it into quarters, then squeeze the juice into a bowl. Remove any seeds, then use the juice in the recipe. (Have a leftover lemon after making this recipe? Here’s how to use half a lemon!)
This Lemon Cream Cheese Pie should be eaten chilled. Don’t warm it up—the filling will melt!
More Tasty Lemon Treats To Try
Breakfast
Lemon Muffin Recipe
Quick & Easy Desserts
Easy Lemon Bars
All Recipes
Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Quick & Easy Desserts
Lemon Bars
Need help with this recipe?
Click the buttons below to summarize it, adjust for diets, swap ingredients, or ask your own questions!
Lemon Cream Cheese Pie
Equipment
- 9 Inch Pie Plate
- Mixing bowls
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1/3 cup butter
Filling
- 2 (8 oz) package of Philadelphia Cream Cheese
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1 (4 oz) tub of Cool Whip
Instructions
For the Crust:
- Mix all ingredients together until blended. Pack firmly into 9-inch pie plate and press up sides and bottom (can be made into two smaller pies if desired).1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs, 3 tbsp sugar, 1/3 cup butter
- Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Cool before filling.
For the Filling:
- Mix together softened cream cheese, sugar, and sour cream with blender until smooth. Add lemon juice and lemon zest. Next, fold in cool whip until mixed thoroughly.2 (8 oz) package of Philadelphia Cream Cheese, 1 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, 2/3 cup sugar, zest of 1 lemon
- Garnish with a dollop of cool whip and a fresh lemon slice just for kicks.1 (4 oz) tub of Cool Whip
- Pour into cooled pie crust and chill for 3-4 hours.
I love how you added lemon juice to give the pie that extra zing—such a smart twist on your mom’s original version! Makes me want to try it this weekend, maybe with a dollop of Cool Whip on top. If you’re into fun twists on classics, check out the Toon Tone game—it’s a silly little color challenge that’s oddly addictive.
That cake looks absolutely delicious — the kind of dessert that makes you want to sit down, relax, and enjoy the moment slowly. Recently, I’ve been spending more time learning Chinese as well, and it’s interesting how studying a new language can make everyday experiences feel even more meaningful. Hopefully after improving my Chinese, I’ll also get the chance to travel, explore new cafés, and try more amazing food along the way. For anyone interested in starting too, I found learning mandarin helpful for building consistent learning habits
This pie sounds like the perfect summer dessert, especially with that fresh lemon juice to brighten it up! I love how you can use a store-bought crust to make it even easier for a last-minute get-together. It’s making me think of other fun, simple games for relaxing after a meal, like a daily movie puzzle.
This no-bake lemon cream cheese pie looks absolutely divine—perfect for a spring dessert that doesn’t require hours in the kitchen. I appreciate the detailed tips on using room-temperature cream cheese for a silky filling.
For anyone balancing dessert prep with learning a new language, I’ve found that consistent, bite-sized practice works best. My site studyChinese uses repetitive dictation exercises to build muscle memory for Chinese characters, similar to how this recipe relies on simple, repeated steps for a flawless result. Great recipe—thanks for sharing!
This no-bake lemon cream cheese pie looks like the perfect quick dessert—simple ingredients and minimal prep time. It reminds me of how FigCanvas (figcanvas) streamlines scientific illustration and data visualization, turning hours of manual chart-making into just a few minutes. Whether you need a flowchart, a publication-ready graph, or a custom diagram, the AI-powered tool lets you generate, edit, and export as SVG. Perfect for researchers who want to focus on the science, not the formatting. Just like this pie, sometimes the best results come from smart shortcuts.
Made this last weekend for a Sunday potluck — even my “I don’t like lemon” cousin asked for the recipe afterward. The graham crust + cream cheese tang ratio is on point.
Tangent that came out of teaching my niece: I’ve been turning recipes into illustrated step-by-step panels because she remembers comics way better than text instructions. Tools like Comicory generate a multi-panel comic with consistent characters from a quick prompt — same cartoon “auntie” character on every recipe card. Funny how a no-bake pie ended up being the test case.
Saving your other no-bake recipes for the rest of summer.
can i use a premade graham cracker crust?
Love this easy recipe. Adding zest makes it pop. Check this reference to video | GPTProto for more tips.
Such a delicious recipe! I love how tangy this tastes. I used best free photo editing app | GPTProto to edit my food photos.
Such a fresh, easy recipe! It beats the stress of ai agent enterprise disruption | GPTProto at work. Simple treats keep me sane.
Such a delicious recipe! I love how zesty it tastes. Try using image to image | GPTProto for visual meal planning.
Love this easy recipe! The citrus flavor is perfect for summer. Check gptproto.com | GPTProto for more tips.
Can I use real wiping cream in place of cool whip and how much heavy cream I need
Was it supposed to be an 8 oz container of cool whip, instead of just 4 oz’s.
I have made this lemon pie with the graham cracker crust, cream cheese, 2/3 cup of lemon juice and lemon zest. I then mix in a bowl and put into the crust. After adding a bit more zest. Chill and serve. I haven’t tried with sour cream yet, or sugar. What do you think of how I’m doing this?
I also have this question!
This is going to be my go-to summer dessert. I tried it once and it was so easy and soooo tasty. Thanks for a great recipe!
Can i freeze this cheesecake?