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.
Taube says
What a great recipe! It was just the right amount of tart and sweet. Loved the custard cream texture. Homemade slightly sweetened whip cream balanced the flavors well.. It was easy and fun to make. I live in Japan and a friend of mine gave me a lot of homegrown Yuzu (A Japanese citrus that tastes between a lemon and an orange) so I used that. Next time I will try the lemon. It’s my new favorite dessert. Thank you!
Anu says
This was delicious, but quite runny, even after refrigerating for 24 hours and using extra xanthan gum in the filling… perhaps it needs some gelatin? I also used double cream (~50% fat) and full fat sour cream. Nonetheless, the flavours are spot on and it is incredibly easy to make, although I did need to use a hand blender to smooth out some of the xanthan gum lumps in the filling. Next time I will try adding some bloomed gelatin to the filling to see if that helps set it more (my tiny freezer never has space for a full pie, sadly). For the crust, I slightly modified the recipe to use a mix of almonds, pistachios and hazelnuts, as I find almond-only crusts a bit plain and one-toned. And finally, I decorated this with Italian meringue drops made with egg whites and allulose, and it was oh so pretty. A great way to spend the weekend, thank you Carolyn! 🙂
Austin says
Can I use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream? I always have Greek yogurt on hand, would it change the texture/taste?
Carolyn says
I have not tried it with yogurt so i can’t guarantee it.
jane says
Great idea adding the sweetener after heating the filling, no grit at all. This is a very rich and “sofisticated” filling just wonderful, thanks.
Sara says
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.
Morgan says
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
Carolyn says
The only suggestion that comes to mind is coconut cream.
Molly says
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 😉
Carolyn says
It would be fab!
Elizabeth Walker says
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
Suzanne says
Another wonderful recipe! Thank you for sharing! Will definitely make again soon.
Becky says
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.
Carolyn says
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?
Brenda says
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!
Karen says
Found this recipe Bc I wanted to use my leftover sour cream and lemons….absolutely delicious!!!!
Carolyn says
Glad to hear it!
Patricia Peterson says
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
Carolyn says
Thank you!
Tina Brenes says
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!!
Carolyn says
Glad to hear it!
Fallon says
Made this one more times than I can count. Turns out amazing every single time!
Mary says
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 🙂
Cara says
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!
Cara says
Made this tonight and it is so so good! Followed the directions exactly and it came out perfectly. THANK YOU!!!
Mary says
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?
Carolyn says
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.
Tessa Gray says
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.
Carolyn says
So glad you liked it!