Marie Callender’s Lemon Cream Cheese Pie

Marie Callender’s Lemon Cream Cheese Pie is simply irresistible! This layered no bake lemon cheesecake pie with graham cracker crust is a show stopper.

homemade copycat Marie Callender's lemon cream cheese pie.


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What Is a Lemon Cream Cheese Pie? 

Sweet and tart, this cream cheese lemon pie is a classic dessert that was all the rage in the 60s, but it is just as good today. Think of this recipe as the lighter, brighter country cousin of the more famous New York Style Cheesecake. 

What Makes This Lemon Cream Cheese Pie So Good? 

The way that the three separate layers with their own distinctive taste and texture combine with one another is what makes this no-bake pie so gosh darn good.

The crunchy graham crust is the ideal base for the creamy, sweet, and tart filling, and the citrusy lemon topping helps to heighten the other flavors.  

Why This Is the Recipe for Marie Callender’s Lemon Cream Cheese Pie You Must Try

This isn’t the simplest Lemon Cream Cheese Pie recipe you can make, but the five or ten extra minutes it takes are all worth it once you try a bite.

This recipe creates an exceptionally airy pie filling by replacing the more common sweetened condensed milk with sour cream and gelatin. The layer of lemon gelatin on top adds just the right amount of refreshing tartness, making this the perfect summertime pie. 

Recipe Ingredients

This cream cheese lemon pie recipe has three components; the crust, the filling, and the lemon topping:

To make the graham cracker crust, you’ll need:

  • Graham crackers crumbs
  • Sugar
  • Melted butter

To make the cream cheese layer, you’ll need:

  • Cream cheese
  • Sugar
  • Sour Cream
  • Salt
  • Vanilla extract
  • Knox gelatin
  • Water

To make the lemon layer, you’ll need:

  • Sugar
  • Water
  • Fresh lemon juice
  • Cornstarch
  • Grated lemon zest
  • Salt
  • Butter
  • Knox gelatin
  • Yellow food coloring (optional)
Marie Callender's lemon cream cheese pie ingredients.

How to Make Cream Cheese Lemon Pie

Here are the recipe steps for each component of this pie:

Graham Cracker Crust

  1. Put ten graham crackers into a plastic bag, seal the bag and use a rolling pin to crush the crackers into small pieces. You don’t want powder, but there shouldn’t be any big chunks either. 
  2. Melt the butter in the microwave and stir in the sugar until it dissolves. 
  3. Pour the crushed graham crackers into a mixing bowl and stir in the butter mixture to moisten.
  4. Form a graham cracker crumb crust in a 9-inch springform pan. Make sure to bring the crust up at least three-quarters of an inch onto the sides of the pan. 
  5. Put the pan in the freezer to allow the crust to stiffen.
graham cracker crust preparation collage.

Cream Cheese Layer

  1. Dissolve the gelatin in water and add the vanilla extract. 
  2. In a medium saucepan over low heat, stir together the cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, and salt.
  3. Stir in the dissolved gelatin and vanilla extract once the cream cheese melts and tiny bubbles form on the surface. 
  4. Bring the mixture to a slow simmer and cook for two minutes while continuously stirring.
  5. Remove the pan from the heat and continue to stir while the filling cools slightly.  
  6. Pour the lukewarm filling into the frozen graham cracker crust and put it directly into the fridge.
lemon cream cheese layer preparation collage.

Lemon Topping

  1. Dissolve the gelatin in a tablespoon of water.
  2. Whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, a half-cup of water, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the mixture comes to a simmer. 
  3. Cook until the mixture is slightly thickened — about two minutes. 
  4. Whisk in the butter, lemon zest, and optional food coloring.
  5. Add the gelatin, continuing to stir until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
  6. Remove the saucepan from the heat and cool to room temperature.
  7. Use an offset spatula to cover the top of the cheese pie with the lemon topping. 
  8. Place the pie in the fridge for at least three hours before serving. 
lemon layer preparation collage.

Fresh whipped cream may be added for garnish. Enjoy!

homemade Marie Callender's lemon cream cheese pie.

Possible Substitutions 

No lemons, or just prefer limes? Feel free to make a one-to-one substitution of lime juice for the lemon juice in the topping recipe above. And if you are using food coloring, don’t forget to switch to green unless you want to confuse people. 

Do you want to save a lot of time? Use a prepared 9-inch graham cracker or cookie crumb crust and swap your favorite jam or jelly for the lemon topping. Fresh or macerated fruit are other great topping options.

What Goes Well With Lemon Cream Cheese Pie

A good cup of coffee is just about the perfect accompaniment to this pie. Non-coffee drinkers may prefer a mug of strong black tea.

How To Store Lemon Pie with Cream Cheese Layer 

Always store a Cream Cheese Lemon Pie in the refrigerator. Cover the pie with plastic wrap, or better yet, keep it inside a covered pie plate to avoid damaging the lemon topping.

No-bake cheese pies tend to separate when you freeze them, so consuming the pie within five days is best. 

How Long Does This Last? 

The pie you make with this Marie Callender’s Lemon Cream Cheese Pie copycat recipe lasts up to five days in the fridge.

lemon cream cheese pie slice on a plate in front of the pie.

More Recipes for Marie Callender Pies

Favorite Pie Recipes

Check out more of my easy pie recipes and the best desserts here on CopyKat!

homemade copycat Marie Callender's lemon cream cheese pie.

Marie Callender’s Lemon Cream Cheese Pie

Make a Marie Calender's lemon cream cheese pie at home with this copycat recipe.
5 from 9 votes
Print Pin Rate Add to Collection
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Lemon Cream Cheese Pie, Lemon Pie Recipe, Pie Recipes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Chilling: 5 hours
Total Time: 5 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 533kcal

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust

  • 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 4 tablespoons butter melted

Cream Cheese Filling

  • 12 ounces cream cheese
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon Knox gelatin
  • 1 tablespoon cold water
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Lemon Topping

  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 5 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
  • 4 egg yolks beaten
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • vanilla extract
  • whipped cream optional

Instructions

Graham Cracker Crust

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F and grease a 9” pie pan.
  • Mix all of the crust ingredients together and press in an even layer into the prepared pie pan.
  • Bake for 6 – 8 minutes.
  • Then remove from oven and let cool.

Cream Cheese Filling

  • Combine the cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, and salt in a medium saucepan and cook on very low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture starts to boil lightly.
  • Mix the gelatin with the water. When the gelatin has dissolved, add it to the saucepan along with vanilla and stir well. Return the mixture to a light boil and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool to lukewarm.
  • When the cream cheese filling is lukewarm, layer it on top of the crust and refrigerate until cooled.

Lemon Topping

  • Place the water, sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, salt, and lemon zest in a saucepan over medium heat, and whisk until mixture comes to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes until thick.
  • Slowly pour half of the hot mixture into the beaten egg yolks, stirring constantly. When the mixture is completely blended, pour the egg mixture back into the remaining hot pudding.
  • Cook and stir until the pudding reaches a slow boil. Stir and let boil slowly for about 5 minutes.
  • Remove from the heat. Add the butter and vanilla, stir, and set aside to cool.
  • When the lemon mixture reaches room temperature, gently smooth it over the cream cheese mixture and chill for several hours before serving.
  • Garnish with fresh whipped cream if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 533kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 489mg | Potassium: 121mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 51g | Vitamin A: 982IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 1mg

About Stephanie Manley

I recreate your favorite restaurant recipes, so you can prepare these dishes at home. I help you cook dinner, and serve up dishes you know your family will love. You can find most of the ingredients for all of the recipes in your local grocery store.

Stephanie is the author of CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home, and CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home 2.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ines

    5 stars
    I was thinking of using your filling in miniature prebaked tart shells for a dessert table. I know that this would be a hit.

5 from 9 votes (6 ratings without comment)

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