If you're a lemon lover, this no-bake Lemon Curd Pie is the perfect dessert for you! The crust is made with sweet golden sandwich cookies and melted butter which is then filled with a deliciously creamy and tart eggless lemon curd! It's super simple to make and only requires a handful of ingredients. Best yet, this lemon pie is no-bake, gluten free, nut free, eggless and can easily be dairy free (vegan)!
This Lemon Curd Pie is absolutely stunning and is sure to wow all of your guests. They don't need to know that it was so simple to whip up and took you less than an hour! Although it takes no time to make, the curd does need to set overnight (at least 8 hours). Make sure to make this lemon pie the day before you need it! It's the perfect lemon dessert recipe for Easter, Mother's Day and anytime at all!
For more lemon dessert recipes, try my Lemon Curd Cookies, my Lemon Drizzle Cupcakes, my Gluten Free Lemon Cake and my Raspberry Lemonade Cookies!
Reasons to Love This Lemon Curd Pie
- Allergy Friendly- This lemon pie is gluten free, nut free, egg free and can easily be dairy free (vegan)!
- No Bake- This recipe is perfect when days when you don't want to turn on the oven!
- Easy Crust- The crust is only made with 2 ingredients: cookies and butter and is no-bake!
- Loaded with Lemon- This lemon pie has lemon juice and lemon zest in the curd!
- Stunning All-Natural Color- The stunning color comes from the turmeric! For a less vibrant color, use less or you can leave it out if you decide!
Ingredient Notes
- Golden "Oreos"- I used gluten free/nut free/vegan vanilla sandwich cookies. You can also use graham crackers. We need 28 cookies in total for this recipe! You can of course use gluten free golden oreos, but keep in mind they do contain gluten free oats. I know some people with celiac cannot process oats even if they're certified. I use these gluten free/vegan vanilla sandwich cookies instead.
- Unsalted Butter or Vegan Baking Sticks- We are using 6 tablespoons melted to make our crust and then we use another 6 tablespoons mixed into the curd.
- Granulated Sugar- This is what makes the lemon curd nice and sweet.
- Cornstarch- This is what we use to thicken the pie since traditional lemon curd has 4 eggs or more.
- Kosher Salt- Draws out all the flavors.
- Milk- If there are no dairy allergies or if you’re not vegan, you can use regular whole milk. For non-dairy, use a dairy-free milk of your choosing.
- Lemons- Please only use fresh squeezed lemon juice. Prepackaged lemon juice can result in the lemon curd having a chemical taste. We need a total of 7 medium lemons for the juice and zest combined.
- Turmeric- We use this to make the lemon curd have that stunning yellow color but you can feel free to leave it out or you can use less to create a paler, less vibrant yellow. Keep in mind that your curd will be a very pale yellow without it.
See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
How to Make this into a Vegan Lemon Pie
- Only use gluten free/nut free/vegan golden sandwich cookies.
- Use vegan baking sticks instead of butter.
- Use vegan sugar.
- Make sure to use a non-dairy milk of choice.
This recipe has not been tested with some of these substitutions and/or variations due to celiac disease and food allergies. If you change any of the ingredients, please let us know how the recipe turned out in the comments below!
How To Make Lemon Curd Pie
Here are the step by step instructions to make this gluten free lemon pie!
Step 1: Crush the Cookies
Place 28 sandwich cookies in a zip top bag and seal it shut.
Then crush the cookies with the flat side of a meat mallet or a rolling pin until they have a sand-like consistency.
Step 2: Melt The Butter
In a microwave safe medium bowl, melt the butter in 20 seconds increments until completely melted.
Step 3: Combine Crust Ingredients and Shape the Crust
Pour the melted butter into the cookie crumbs and use a spatula to combine.
Then pour the mixture into the lightly greased 9 inch pie dish and press into the bottom and up the sides. Pop in the freezer while making the lemon curd.
Using the flat bottom of a measuring cup really works well to help shape the crust.
Step 4: Zest the Lemons
Wash and dry all 7 lemons. Take a zester and zest 4 lemons. Put the zest in a little bowl and cover with plastic wrap so it doesn't get crunchy. Set aside.
Step 5: Juice the Lemons
Take 7 lemons, cut them in half and juice all 7 of them. Make sure to remove any seeds if they get in the juice. Set aside.
You should have 1 ⅓ cups of lemon juice.
Step 6: Combine the Lemon Curd Ingredients
Add the granulated sugar, cornstarch and kosher salt to a medium pan and whisk to combine.
Whisk in the lemon zest, lemon juice and milk.
Whisking the entire time, bring the curd to a boil. Add the turmeric if desired.
Step 7: Boil Lemon Curd and Stir in Butter
Once boiling, continue to whisk and boil for two minutes. Then immediately remove from the heat and stir in the butter.
Step 8: Strain the Lemon Curd
Pour the curd through a mesh colander into a heat safe bowl.
This will get all the lemon zest chunks out so the curd will be silky smooth.
Step 9: Pour into Pie Crust
Using a spatula, pour the lemon curd into the pie crust. Then spread it around so it is an even layer.
Let it sit at room temperature until it is no longer super hot. Once it has cooled a bit, pop in the fridge overnight or for at least 8 hours.
The filling needs at least 8 hours to solidify prior to serving.
Expert Baking Tips
- Make the Day Before- This pie must chill overnight otherwise when you cut it, the curd will ooze out all over the place.
- Crushing the Cookies- The easiest way to crush them neatly is by putting them all in a zip top bag. Then crush into a sand-like consistency using the flat side of a meat mallet or a rolling pin. No need to remove the cream. Pop the entire whole cookies into the zip top bag to crush.
- Use Real Lemons- This is to prevent the curd from having a chemical taste.
- Keep the Lemon Zest Airtight- If you leave it uncovered and not in a bowl covered in plastic wrap while you prep ingredients, it will dry out and become crunchy.
- Use Turmeric in the Curd- If you want the lemon curd to be yellow, use 6 pinches of turmeric. If you want to omit it, that's fine! Just keep in mind the curd will be a very very pale yellow.
- Strain the Lemon Curd- Make sure to pour the curd through a mesh colander so that there are no chunks of zest.
- Do Not Add Toppings Until Serving- If you want to add lemon slices, raspberries, or whipped cream, do not add the toppings until ready to serve and after chilling.
Recipe FAQs
No. You must put the hot curd into the pie crust. If you make the curd ahead of time it will solidify in the container. Then when you stir it, it will become creamy and will not solidify again once in the pie.
Yes. The eggless lemon curd takes quite a while to set. If you don't wait at least 8 hours, the curd will ooze out when you try to cut the pie.
Yes! Just make sure you bake the crust ahead of time as we do not bake the lemon curd.
Keep any extra no-bake lemon pie slices in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days. Or keep the slices in the pie dish and cover it with aluminum foil in the fridge.
I do not recommend freezing this pie.
More No-Bake Recipes You'll Love
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📖 Recipe
Lemon Curd Pie
Ingredients
For the Pie Crust
- 28 vanilla sandwich cookies
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter or vegan baking stick
For the Eggless Lemon Curd
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 rounded tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons lemon zest (from about 4 medium lemons)
- 1 ⅓ cups fresh squeezed lemon juice (from about 7 medium lemons)
- 2 ½ cups milk
- 6 pinches turmeric (optional for color)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter or vegan baking stick
Instructions
For the Pie Crust
- Lightly grease a 9 inch pie dish with butter or a vegan baking stick. Set aside.
- Place 28 vanilla sandwich cookies (345 grams) in a zip top bag and seal it shut. Crush the cookies with the flat side of a meat mallet or a rolling pin until they have a sand-like consistency.
- In a microwave safe medium bowl, melt 6 tablespoons unsalted butter or vegan baking stick in 20 seconds increments until completely melted.
- Pour the melted butter into the crushed cookies and stir with a spatula to combine.
- Pour the mixture into the lightly greased 9 inch pie dish and press into the bottom and up the sides.I find using the flat bottom of a measuring cup really works well to shape the crust.Pop in the freezer while making the lemon curd.
For the Eggless Lemon Curd
- Wash and dry all 7 lemons. Take a zester and zest 4 lemons.There should be 4 unpacked tablespoons of zest. If there is not, zest another lemon.Put the zest in a little bowl and cover with plastic wrap so it doesn't get crunchy. Set aside.
- Take the 7 lemons, cut them in half and juice them. Make sure to remove any seeds if they get in the juice. Set aside.There should be 1 ⅓ cups of lemon jucie.
- Add the 1 cup granulated sugar, 4 rounded tablespoons cornstarch (52 grams), ¼ teaspoon kosher salt to a medium pan and whisk to combine.
- Whisk in the 4 tablespoons lemon zest, 1 ⅓ cups lemon juice and 2.5 cups milk.
- Set pan over medium heat. Whisking the entire time, add the 6 pinches of turmeric if desired and bring the curd to a boil.
- Once boiling, continue to whisk and boil for two minutes. Then immediately remove from the heat and stir in the 6 tablespoons butter.
- Pour the lemon curd through a mesh colander into a heat safe bowl.This will get all the lemon zest chunks out so the curd will be silky smooth.
- Take the pie crust out of the freezer.Using a spatula, pour the lemon curd into the pie crust. Then spread it around so it is an even layer.
- Let it sit at room temperature until it is no longer super hot. Once it has cooled a bit, pop in the fridge overnight or for at least 8 hours.The filling needs at least 8 hours to solidify prior to serving.
Nancy DiPaola says
The recipe was easy to follow everyone should try this it was delicious
John says
This was so simple to make and came out great!