I finally, finally updated this recipe. It's a tried and true favorite called Lemon Supreme Pie, and it is a copycat homemade version of a beloved lemon pie from Bakers Square. Like the restaurant's pie, it has a pastry crust, a layer of fluffy cream cheese filling and a lemony topping. And the good news is that this pie is pretty easy!
The first step is to make the lemon topping so that it will have plenty of time to cool. This topping is similar to lemon curd, but is egg-free and made with pantry staples. It calls for fresh lemon juice and lemon zest, but to make it pretty you do need to add a couple of drops of yellow food coloring.
Bake a Store Bought Pastry Crust
The second step is bake a store-bought pastry crust such as Marie Callender's. Just put it on a baking sheet and bake at 400 F for about 12 minutes. Let cool. While it's cooling, you can make the Lemon Supreme Pie fluffy cream cheese mixture.
Make Easy Cream Cheese Filling
The next step is to make the cream cheese filling which is mixture of 11 oz of cream cheese, powdered sugar, fresh lemon juice and about half a tub (3 to 4 oz) of whipped topping. There's no need to substitute homemade whipped cream, but if you have to you can. Just whip the cream, sweeten it and use the equivalent weight, not volume.
So there are a few steps, but very little can go wrong if you follow the directions. Of course if you are bad at following directions (like I seem to be sometimes), you might accidentally use the wrong amount of cream cheese. The recipe does call for a weird amount -- 11 oz. That is because cream cheese used to come in 8 oz packs and 3 oz packs. I haven't seen the 3 oz packs in years, so I just slice off 3 oz and have left for other things.
Here's the older photo of a slice. I'll update it when I slice this new pie.
Recipe
Lemon Supreme Pie
Ingredients
Lemon Topping:
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar, divided use (250 grams)
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons cornstarch (48 grams)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cups water (280 grams)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (28 grams)
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest (use more if desired)
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice (114 grams)
- 4-5 drops yellow food coloring
Filling:
- 11 ounces cream cheese, softened (315 grams)
- ¾ cup powdered sugar (90 grams)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (14 grams)
- 1 tub whipped topping (like 8 oz of Cool Whip) divided use
Baked Pie Shell
- 1 9-inch store bought or homemade baked pie shell
Instructions
- Prepare topping. Combine ¾ cup (150 grams) of the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium saucepan. Add water and whisk until smooth. Place over medium heat and cook, whisking almost constantly, until mixture begins to boil. Add remaining ½ cup granulated sugar and reduce heat. Cook and whisk for 2 minutes or until mixture thickens and boils.
- Remove from heat and whisk in butter, lemon zest and lemon juice. Let cool for one hour. You will use about half of this lemon mixture for the pie.
- Prepare filling. Beat together 11 ounces softened cream cheese, powdered sugar and lemon juice. Fold in half of the whipped topping. Spread over bottom of baked pie shell. Spread as much of the lemon mixture over cream cheese mixture to cover. It should be rich and lemony so you only need to use about half the batch.
- Put remaining whipped topping in a freezer bag, snip of the corner and pipe dollops around the perimeter of the pie plate.
Anna says
It freezes well too! We'll be eating it for a while.
Darlene says
Sounds like a delicious combination! I'm excited to make it!
Pam says
Lemon flavor was wonderful. I've been baking/cooking since the age of ten. I made a couple of adjustments to the lemon layer as with a lemon meringue pie I aded egg yolks the second time around. The yolks made the filling a lot firmer. Great result.
Anna says
Ha! Glad you made it work, Dru. I need to make this pie again soon. It's been a while.
Dru says
My fav. I made this delicious, scrumptious,beautiful pie. L did make a.mistake . I put the cream on top and that push the gel out. I just put in 2 wine glasses and ate as a desert with no crust. Still good. I will make it right next time. I will make it again and again. My kids love it also.
Tia @ ButtercreamBarbie says
this is like the copycat marie callendars pie too! yum!
Laurel says
I finally got around to making this pie over the weekend and it was delicious! Definately a keeper! Yum! Thanks so much!
Anna says
Hi Marija,
Thanks so much for the comment! I am glad you liked the pie. One of these days, I am going to have metric weights for all the recipes.
Marija says
since I discovered your blog, I come here every morning. I made few of your recipes and they were all a smash-hit in my family!
this pie I made 2 days ago. it is really great! refreshing and totaly like nothing I ever tasted...
I do have problem with mesaures (since I am from Croatia and we have metric system) but I manage.
bakingblonde says
I have awarded you the Blogging with a purpose award.
http://bakingblonde.blogspot.com/2008/04/blogging-with-purpose.html
Ali says
I love anything lemon flavored...this looks and sounds heavenly.