JUMP TO RECIPE
Today is my 30th birthday. Wow, I’m no longer able to say in my twenties, and, so far, it’s been a good day! So, in honor of my birthday, I thought I’d share one of my family’s favorite easy pie recipes. This is the dessert my brother and I would beg my mom to make all the time. If only we had known how easy it was, we could have made it ourselves whenever we wanted. I try to make it as often as I can, but since it has some higher-fat ingredients like heavy cream and cream cheese, I end up only making it a couple of times a year. But when I do finally make it, the day feels like a special occasion.
My mom’s original recipe was an “icebox” pie, which means that it requires no baking, only a short stay in the icebox (fridge). Here, I’ve updated my mom’s original recipe, which I think she got off the back of a lemon pudding box (nothing wrong with that!). Since I’m not using a store-bought graham cracker crust, the crust needs to be baked before filling and chilling, thus no longer categorizing it as an “icebox” pie, but I’ve also given her original recipe at the bottom if you’re looking to utilize some store-bought shortcuts. Either way, you definitely need this pie in your life.
Kelly’s Updated Lemon Cheesecake Pie
Servings: 8
Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours, 30 minutes
1 cup vanilla cookie crumbs (use something like a Nilla Wafer)
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 bars cream cheese (8 ounces each), room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups heavy whipping cream
Thinly sliced lemon zest for decoration, optional
For the Crust: Preheat the oven to 350F. Mix the cookie crumbs, melted butter, and brown sugar together in a medium bowl until the mixture resembles wet sand. Press into the bottom and up the sides of your tart or pie pan.
If you’re using a silver/non-stick tart pan (like this one) or a glass pie dish, bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until stiff and lightly golden. If you’re using a dark pie dish (like this one), bake for 5 to 8 minutes or until stiff. Watch this type of pan carefully because they tend to burn things very quickly.
Turn the oven off, that’s all the baking you’ll need to do for the recipe.
For the Filling: Beat the room-temperature cream cheese in a stand mixer, with a hand mixer, or by hand with a wooden spoon until smooth. Add in the sugar and mix until smooth. Add in the lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla and salt, and fully combine until smooth.
In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiffened, about 5 minutes in a mixer, or 15 minutes if you’re whisking by hand and you have no upper body strength, like me.
Add one spoonful, about 1/8 of the whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture and combine. You don’t need to be gentle at this stage because we are only trying to lighten the cream cheese.
Then, add 1/2 of the whipped cream to the lightened cream cheese mixture and gently fold in. Repeat with the remaining whipped cream.
To Assemble: Spoon the filling into the pie crust, smooth the top, and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Before you’re ready to serve, decorate the top of the pie with the sliced lemon zest if desired.
Cooking Note
You could make this recipe even easier by using some shortcut ingredients from the grocery store. Below is my mom’s original recipe.
Mom’s Original Lemon Cheesecake Pie
Servings: 8
Active Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours, 10 minutes
1 store-bought graham cracker crust
1 box no-cook lemon pudding (my mom uses Jell-O brand)
1 cup milk, room temperature
1 block cream cheese, room temperature
1 container Cool Whip, thawed
Add the pudding mix into the room temperature milk and whisk until fully combined. Set aside.
Beat the room temperature cream cheese in a stand mixer, with a hand mixer, or by hand with a wooden spoon until smooth. Add in the pudding mixture and fully combine.
Add in the container of Cool Whip and beat until fully combined (unlike real whipped cream, you don’t have to be extra gentle with the Cool Whip).
Spoon the filling into the pie crust, and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
If you make and enjoy any of my recipes, please leave a comment below, and don’t forget to tag me in your pictures on Instagram (@bookishkitchen #thebookishkitchen)! I love seeing my followers recreating my recipes.
