One bite of this Keto Lemon Cream Pie and you will be hooked! It has a mouthwateringly tangy, creamy filling in a crisp keto pie crust. Honestly, it’s like sunshine on your tongue! It really doesn’t get any better than this.
There are some desserts that just stick with you. And I don’t mean this in a bad way, as in something making you too full or uncomfortable. I mean it in the sense that it was so delicious, you can’t stop thinking about it. This lemon sour cream pie is one of them.
I have a lot of great keto pie recipes, like Keto Pecan Pie and Keto Peanut Butter Pie. But if you love lemon, then this keto dessert is an absolute must. It’s been a fan favorite since I first published it in 2016.
And now I’ve tweaked the recipe just a smidge to make it better than ever!
Why we love this recipe
- Gluten-free crust: My famous almond flour pie crust is super easy and completely gluten-free and low carb.
- Smooth custard filling: The pie filling involves making a lemon custard and then folding in some sour cream. It is so velvety smooth and rich!
- Tangy lemon flavor: Pucker up, buttercup! This wonderful lemon cream pie is full of that bright, fresh citrus flavor.
- Low carb dessert: With only 5.7 grams of carbs per serving, it’s a perfect dessert for low carb and keto diets.
Reader’s Thoughts
“Made this yesterday for the first time. It was truly delicious! Served it to my non-keto friends and family and they all love it. Carolyn, you are a keto baking genius!! Thank you for working out this recipe and for sharing this and all your other great recipes.” — MjeanF
Ingredient Notes
- Sweetener: I used a combination of Swerve confectioners and some allulose to get an extra smooth, creamy filling. I also like this pie quite tangy so I only used half a cup sweetener total.
- Glucomannan: Conventional sour cream pie uses cornstarch to thicken the filling, but glucomannan helps the keto filling set properly. You can also use xanthan gum.
- Heavy cream: Heavy cream gives the pie a silky consistency.
- Egg yolks: You also need plenty of egg yolks for a custard filling like this one.
- Lemon: You can’t have lemon pie without the lemon!
- Butter: Chilled butter helps cool the custard more quickly and helps it set faster.
- Lemon extract: For more lemon flavor, I also use a little lemon extract.
- Sour cream: Use full fat sour cream as it may not set properly with anything less. I don’t recommend substituting greek yogurt for this recipe.
- Easy keto pie crust: You will want to make the fully baked version of this crust. For a nut free option you can use sunflower seed flour for the crust. It is a 1:1 ratio with almond flour, but do know that your crust will be more gray in appearance.
Step by step directions
- Whisk the sweeteners: In a large, heavy-duty saucepan, whisk together the sweeteners and glucomannan.
- Simmer the cream: Add the cream, egg yolks, lemon zest, and lemon juice and whisk to combined. Set over medium heat, whisking frequently, until the mixture begins to thicken. This takes 7 to 10 minutes. Keep a close eye on it, you do not want it to curdle.
- Add the butter: Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter and lemon extract. Let cool to room temperature.
- Add the sour cream: Whisk in the sour cream until no lumps remain. Pour the mixture into pie shell and refrigerate for at least 4 hours to set – the longer, the better, so overnight is best if you can wait that long.
- Serve: Top with lightly sweetened whipped cream and serve.
Tips for Success
For this recipe, you need a fully-baked pie crust. So bake it 15 to 20 minutes, until it’s a nice light golden brown. Let it cool completely.
As with any custard-like filling, you need to watch this one carefully. Don’t walk away while it’s cooking. Just hang out there right by your stove, whisking and watching, as it will likely take less than 10 minutes.
The best way I can describe knowing when it’s done is watching your whisk carefully as you move it through the custard. When it’s first cooking, it is very liquid and sloshes around the pan. When it starts to thicken, you will see the mixture move more lazily. Your whisk will almost leave tracks for a quick second. Once it hits that point, remove it from heat immediately.
Troubleshooting:
– Oh no, you over-cooked the custard and you see curdles! Quick, get it into a blender (or use an immersion blender) and blend on low until smooth.
– Oh no, you undercooked the custard and the pie didn’t set properly! Simply stick it in the freezer and serve it frozen. It will be delicious!
Sweetener options
The pie crust requires an erythritol based sweetener to crisp up properly. Any amount of allulose will make it quite soft.
For the filling, I recommend a mix of erythritol and allulose (or xylitol). This helps provide enough structure but also keeps the filling from re-crystallizing as it cools. I don’t recommend using only allulose, as it may never firm up properly. If you use only erythritol, I recommend using a powdered version and only whisking it at the end of cooking the custard.
If that sounds confusing, please leave a comment and I will explain further what I mean.
Frequently Asked Questions
I recommend making this pie one day in advance of serving, as it firms up better overnight. I don’t suggest making it ahead much more than that, unless you plan to freeze it. Creamy custard desserts like this should be served and consumed within 4 to 5 days.
Store the pie in the fridge at all times. It will last for up to 4 days. You can also freeze this pie for up to a month. Wrap it up tightly to avoid freezer burn and only add the whipped cream when ready to serve.
This keto lemon pie recipe has 5.7g of carbs and 1.8g of fiber per serving. That comes to 3.9g net carbs per serving.
More Keto Lemon Desserts
Keto Lemon Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 tbsp (91 g) powdered sweetener
- 2 to 4 tbsp allulose, or xylitol
- 1/2 tsp (0.25 tsp) glucomannan, (can sub xanthan gum, see notes)
- 3/4 cup (177.44 ml) heavy cream
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 1/2 cup (118.29 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 4 large (4) egg yolks
- 3 tbsp (42.61 g) butter, chilled and cut into pieces
- 3/4 tsp (1 tsp) lemon extract
- 1 cup (230 g) full fat sour cream
- 1 keto pie crust, fully baked
Instructions
- In a large, heavy-duty saucepan, whisk together the sweeteners and glucomannan.
- Add the cream, egg yolks, lemon zest, and lemon juice and whisk to combined. Set over medium heat, whisking frequently, until the mixture begins to thicken. This takes 7 to 10 minutes. Keep a close eye on it, you do not want it to curdle.
- Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter and lemon extract. Let cool to room temperature.
- Whisk in the sour cream until no lumps remain. Pour the mixture into pie shell and refrigerate for at least 4 hours to set – the longer, the better, so overnight is best if you can wait that long.
- Top with lightly sweetened whipped cream.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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I just discovered this recipe and made it yesrerday. I made one pie for work and one for my boyfriemd’s mom. Everyone loved it. Great lemon flavor. I used 1/2 cup of swerve in the filling and it was kust rhe right amount of sweetness to tartness. I will definitely make this again. Wonderful summer pie without all the sugar.
Could you recommend replacements to make this dairy free? I have dairy free sour cream. I’m wondering what to use for the heavy cream….it’s so hard to sub those items!!! Maybe I’ll just take lactaid instead lol
The only suggestion that comes to mind is coconut cream.
Have you ever made this with lime juice vs lemon? I’m wondering if it would be similar to key lime, if the sour cream was sweetened enough. I’ve struggled with making the keto condensed milk 😉
It would be fab!
WOW! I made this today and I can honestly say this is the best cream pie I’ve ever made! Could not even tell it was sugar free. And the crust…..better than any graham cracker crust! We topped it with raspberries and whipped cream. Thank you so much for making my KETO life sustainable.
Elizabeth
Another wonderful recipe! Thank you for sharing! Will definitely make again soon.
Love the crust. Best I’ve had. I would leave out the lemon extract next time as it left a strange aftertaste I didn’t care for. Delicious recipe. Will make again.
So I am pretty sure you need a different brand of lemon extract, with that comment! It shouldn’t leave any strange taste. What were you using?
I take this pie filling and crust and make a trifle, which my brother-in-law, who doesn’t have to eat low carb, absolutely loves. He has requested it for Easter. I will make it and leave it in their carport Sunday morning. Thanks, Carolyn!
Found this recipe Bc I wanted to use my leftover sour cream and lemons….absolutely delicious!!!!
Glad to hear it!
Carolyn I made this yesterday it is wonderful I will make it again it’s very good we loved it. I bought your last book and love all your recipes
Thank you!
After your description & the video I had high expectations for this recipe & you did not disappoint. I trusted this so much I made it for thanksgiving the first time I made it. No one knew it was keto & loved it! Delicious!!
Glad to hear it!
Made this one more times than I can count. Turns out amazing every single time!
Another fantastic recipe idea. Thank you so much! I have a little tip. I saved the egg whites and made meringue with it it!
Just whip the egg whites over double boiler with a bit of cream of tartar and sugar sub much like a 7 minute frosting ! (This way no waste with the egg whites either)
Of course if you make the meringue, you’ll want to do a quick and careful browning over the top of the pie 🙂
This recipe is soooo good! I made it with no substitutions and it was fabulous. My sister hates all my “healthy” recipes and she LOVED this! Do you think I could make it with limes instead? I live in Honduras and lemons are much more difficult to come by. Thanks!
Made this tonight and it is so so good! Followed the directions exactly and it came out perfectly. THANK YOU!!!
I made this to bring to a party and everyone loved it! No one knew it was no sugar and low carb either. My only issue was that the filling did not set up very well, even though I chilled it overnight. I didn’t try adding the xanthan gum this time but will give it a try on my next attempt.
Has anyone tried it with collagen or gelatin? If so, how did it come out?
With gelatin, it will come out like Jelly so I don’t recommend that. A bit of collagen might help but better yet, another egg yolk or a bit more xanthan. I think some of it can depend on the thickness of your sour cream.
A fantastic recipe. Thanks Carolyn.
We unfortunately don’t get Swerve here in South Africa, so I used Xylitol and increased the Xanthan Gum to 1/2 teaspoon and it worked perfectly. Also used 3/4 cup Xylitol……I have a sweet tooth which got me into diabetic trouble in the first place 10yrs ago, lol.
So glad you liked it!