Creamy, tangy, and delicious, this keto lemon pie will have your tastebuds singing. With a simple low carb press in pie crust and a rich sour cream filling, it’s sugar-free pie happiness.
This keto lemon sour cream pie is one of those desserts you dream about. It features a creamy sugar-free lemon filling in an easy keto pie crust. 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 making you too full or uncomfortable, or sticking to your hips or thighs or love handles. I mean it in the sense that it was so delicious, you can’t stop thinking about it.
You carry it around on your brain rather than your body, wishing you still had some and wondering when you can get around to making it again.
For me, that’s usually a rich chocolate dessert of some sort, but this time that honour goes to lemon. Specifically this keto lemon sour cream pie. So so good. Did I say it was good? I mean it was so SO good!
I have a lot of great keto pie recipes. Like my Keto Pecan Pie and my Strawberry Cream Pie. But this lemon pie recipe definitely ranks up there near the top. And since it’s such a fan favorite, I decided it needed a new instructional video too!
Keto Lemon Pie Inspiration
Being such a dessert fanatic, I am always on the lookout for recipes that I think will convert well to a healthier version. I spied this pie from Ashlee Marie quite some time ago and saved it in my Pinterest folder for makeover recipes. It looked creamy and refreshing and perfect for a spring dessert.
Plus I have a bit of a thing for sour cream in sweet recipes these days, including my Keto Chocolate Chip Muffins. It gives baked goods such tenderness, and that slight tanginess complements fruit desserts perfectly.
How to make keto lemon sour cream pie
For the crust, I used my easy almond flour pie crust. It’s a delightfully simple press-in crust that takes only a few moments to make.
However, the filling was a little trickier to figure out. In conventional pie recipes, sugar helps to thicken and set the filling, and it goes without saying that I am not about to use sugar.
For this keto pie recipe, I used an extra egg yolk and some xanthan gum, as well as replacing the milk with heavy cream.
As with any custard-like filling, you need to watch it carefully. Don’t walk away while it’s cooking. Just hang out there right by your stove, whisking and watching. It will take less than 10 minutes.
Let it set properly!
This is where you need a little patience. While it can be tempting to dig in early, a custard based pie like lemon sour cream pie needs time to set properly. At least 4 hours, if not more. So be forewarned. If you are planning on making this for an event, make it at least a day ahead!
The end result? Oh friends, if you like creamy lemon desserts, you are going to go nuts for this keto lemon pie. It was so smooth, so tangy, so lemony and delicious. It’s one that will stick with you. But being a low carb recipe, at least it won’t stick to your hips!
Frequently Asked Questions
I simply can’t guarantee the results with any other sweetener. I have found that Allulose and BochaSweet make custards so soft that they take longer to set properly (up to 24 hours!).
You could try other erythritol based sweeteners but Swerve also contains pre-biotic fibers, which help fillings like this.
It’s hard to pinpoint what went wrong, but it’s possible that you didn’t cook the filling sufficiently. Egg yolks need heat to help set custards like this. Also, if you used a different sweetener, that may be the problem.
A quick rescue for custards that don’t set? Stick them in the freezer and serve them frozen! It’s a deliciously creamy frozen dessert.
Try using sunflower seed flour for the crust. It is a 1:1 ratio with almond flour, but do know that your crust will be more grey in appearance.
I don’t recommend making custard-based desserts more than a day or two in advance of when you plan to serve it.
Store the pie in the fridge, tightly wrapped, 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.
Want more Keto Lemon Desserts?
- Lemon Poppyseed Cake
- Keto Lemon Curd
- Lemon Blueberry Layer Cake
- Low Carb Lemon Meringue Pie
- Keto Lemon Bars
- Keto Lemon Cupcakes
Keto Lemon Sour Cream Pie
Ingredients
- 1 recipe press-in pie crust full baked
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 large egg yolks
- ⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- ¼ cup butter chilled and cut into pieces
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum or glucomannan
- ½ to ¾ cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 1 cup full fat sour cream
Instructions
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the cream, egg yolks, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Cook, whisking frequently, until the mixture thickens, about 5 to 8 minutes (but watch carefully, you do not want it to curdle).
- Remove from heat and add the butter and lemon extract. Sprinkle with xanthan gum and whisk quickly to combine. Stir in the sweetener to taste (I like mine rather tart).
- Whisk in the sour cream until no lumps remain. Pour 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. (It's also awesome if you pop it in the freezer for an hour after being refrigerated).
- Top with lightly sweetened whipped cream.
Maria says
I am on my second go round of making this recipe and it is AMAZING! The first time I brought it to a family dinner so I could have dessert…but everyone skipped the full sugar dessert and dove into this. There were no leftovers and it was requested that I bring it for dinner again tonight. 5 stars!!
Carolyn says
I love hearing that!
Amy in WV says
AMAZING!!!! I love lemons and this pie did not disappoint, it was delicious! I will admit I used 1/2 cup of lemon juice and 1/4 tsp more lemon extract, so I did add just a pinch more of the xanthan since I increased the lemon juice. Added a pinch of salt as well. I also used at least 3/4 cup of the powdered swerve…maybe even one cup, I tasted it for sweetness and added a little more until I thought it was the correct amount. My husband loved this pie too! Winner!!!!
Jeannette says
My cousin made this for my birthday. It is delicious. I think it will be added to our Thanksgiving meal. So creamy.
Diane says
Made this and it is sooo good. We’re in the rv and I had everything except zanthan gum so I subbed with chia seed and it was perfect! Thank you! ??
Betsy Stokes says
Carolyn, do you happen to know an instant-read temperature that would correspond to the custard being thick enough in this recipe (like with ice cream recipes)? Thanks!
Cindy says
Could slices of this be frozen? I’m the only one eating it at my house and won’t be able to finish it before it will go bad.
Betsy Stokes says
I’ve frozen it, and it keeps well. But we do still finish it off in just a few days. So I’m not sure about longer.
Cindy says
Have you tried using the confectioners sugar from Swerve?
The first and only fat bombs I’ve made were made with the granulated Swerve. Needless to say the candy is gritty even though I melted the coconut oil and tried to dissolve the granules. I bought confectioners Swerve to use for my next attempt.
Carolyn says
I use confectioner’s all the time. I use them both. They work a little differently but you could use confectioner’s in this recipe.
Tyler says
I’ve just come across this recipe and I’m excited to make for my keto family. I do, however have a few questions regarding the ingredients.
I’m assuming that by saying egg yolks, you mean for the whites to be removed?
Also, I have had trouble locating xanthan at my local stores–could you suggest an alternative? Would corn starch work?
Thank you!
Carolyn says
Yes, just the yolks. I am sure you can do cornstarch but you will need to mix it with water first.
Angela Clowes says
This is seriously the BEST pie I have ever eaten. Seriously! Thank you for such a tasty and easy recipe.
Linda Pettit says
I wanted to tell you that I made this over the weekend. We love it so much! I got an offer from my daughter’s boyfriend, who said he would pay me to make this for him! Thank you, for your wonderful recipes. It makes the low carb lifestyle so much fun!
Carolyn says
Hah! That is delightful to hear!
angela says
I have a lot of lemons and need to make a couple different recipes. Can this pie be frozen after it is made?
Carolyn says
Yes, in fact it’s quite good that way!
Emily says
Thanks! I’ll check out agar agar and I already have xanthan in my pantry.
Emily says
I made this pie and I was obsessed with it. So delightful, creamy, lemony wonderment. I finished by myself in 3 days(no kids yet!) I used Steviva sweetener. I feel like I can enjoy it more without all the sugar because I’m focusing more on the flavors and I don’t feel yucky while/after eating. Thanks! I’m going to be getting your cookbook when it comes out! Also is there an equivalent to gelatin, as I do not eat pork or pork products but eat other meats?
Carolyn says
I don’t know how to use it but agar agar is supposed to be a good alternative to gelatin. Xanthan gum can work too.
Rachel says
Hi, Carolyn . . .
I love your recipes, and don’t remember. Do you *ever* use Splenda? I am going to try this recipe, it sounds fabulous and wonder if Splenda will work.
I don’t expect you will necessarily know, but cannot resist asking.
Thanks.
Carolyn says
I don’t like Splenda, it leaves a funny taste in my mouth. But if you like it, I can’t see why it won’t work in this recipe.
Nancy says
Do you have any suggestions on how much Xanthan gum should be added when making things? Do you go by the amount of eggs you have or by the amount of flour you have, or if it is too liquidy? So does adding just a small amount of Xanthan Gum work or do you need a full tablespoon for a batch recipe? Thank you!
Carolyn says
Whoa! NEVER EVER use a full tablespoon of xanthan gum. Typically no more than 1/2 teaspoon. I am not really sure what you are asking here, though. Do you mean for any recipe, as in a formula? It really varies recipe to recipe.
Ann says
Thank you so much for asking this important question.
LISA C HESS says
So Good!
Made this twice my Honey requests it!
Thank you for all the great recipes!
Anita says
Hi, this looks amazing! Can’t wait to try! One question: can I leave out xanthan gum? If not, any suggested replacement? Thank you!
Carolyn says
I don’t know if it would set without a thickener like xanthan.
Allison says
I don’t have Swerve, but have Xyla which is a xylatol sugar replacement. I also have pure liquid stevia but don’t love the taste. Would the Xyla be a good supplement and also keep the carbs low?
When I looked at the Swerve carb content it says 3G per tsp vs Xyla which says 4g per tsp. It seems like a lot of carbs to end up with less than 4g net carbs per slice. I’m new to Keto and baked Keto goods so maybe I don’t understand how these replacement sweeteners work.
Any insight or recommendations would be greatly appreciated! I was hoping to make this today for Easter weekend!
Ps. I’ve made it before with stevia and it was glorious! I just don’t LOVE the stevia flavor and that is why I was wondering about using Xyla.
Thank you!
Carolyn says
Hi Allison,
Erythritol and xylitol both technically have carbs. In the case of erythritol, those carbs never enter the blood stream (excreted directly through the urine) so they don’t have any affect on blood glucose and no glycemic affect. Some of the xylitol carbs do enter the blood stream so most people only subtract HALF the carbs in xylitol.
As someone who tests her blood sugar, I can say that erythritol has no affect on my blood sugar but xylitol does a bit.
Hope that helps!
Kat says
Has anyone added/do you think the filling would stand up to adding in fresh blueberries? My husband’s fav pie is a lemon blueberry pie made with sweetened condensed milk and I think this will be a great THM sub for it so I can have some too. But I want it to be amazing because he’s been not super impressed with the things I’ve been making 🙁
Carolyn says
I definitely think you could!
Tom says
This is pretty much the best dessert ever! I think we could eat it every week. The crust is so easy and terrific, I’m eager to try a savory version and make a quiche. This is so tangy, rich and delightful, no one would ever guess it’s sugar free.