Lemony, creamy, and cool – my favorite things about this recipe. I eat this anytime of day or night (even for breakfast).
There are two parts to this recipe: the pie crust and the creamy, lemon filling. It seems like it might take a while to whip this up, but the time-consuming part is waiting for it to freeze in the freezer for a few hours. So it’s good to make this ahead of time – at least 2 hours before you want to eat or serve it.
Tip I use the lemon freeze filling to make lemon freeze pops also. In addition, to make a filling which is lighter and easier to slice when frozen, a bit sweeter, and offers more filling for the crust, I adjusted the measurements with a 1/2 cup of honey and 1 cup of yogurt.
Lemon Freeze Pie
Yield 8 slices
You'll get two crusts from this recipe, so wrap it up well and freeze it for later.
Ingredients
Pie crust
- 3 cups of almond flour
- 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
- 2 tablespoons of honey
- 1 egg
Filling
- 3 egg yolks
- 3 egg whites
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup crème fraîche or yogurt
- 1/2 cup of honey
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. For the crust, combine all the ingredients in a food processor, or combine them well by hand. The butter will still show in the dough.
- On a nonstick surface, such as parchment paper, on the top and bottom of the ball of dough, roll out the dough with a hand roller so that it can fit into a pie dish (8 or 9 inches in diameter). Lift the crust up using the paper edges and place it in the pie dish. Alternatively, you can place the pie plate over the crust and flip the paper, crust and pie dish over, and then smooth out the crust in the pie dish.
- Bake the crust for about 15 minutes, or until browned.
- Next, for the lemon filling, add the egg yolks, lemon juice, and honey to a double boiler or other bowl that can sit on top of boiling water. Simmer the lemon mixture for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it turns thick and creamy, and yellow. It will resemble lemon curd.
- Cool the lemon mixture to room temperature. Meanwhile, beat the egg whites until they have stiff peaks.
- Fold in the creme fraiche and the egg whites into the cooled lemon mixture.
- Pour the filling into the cooled crust, cover the pie dish and place it in the freezer for a few hours. It can be served frozen or thawed for 15 minutes. It also tastes light and creamy when stored in the refrigerator. I eat it at any temperature!
Can I use splenda instead of honey? Low carber here.
Hi sgmom2, I’m not sure about Spenda, but if you try it, let us know how it turned out.
Hi Erica. Can you replace the honey with sugar? If so, how much? Thanks!
Tracey, yes. It’s a 1:1 relationship, although I haven’t done it yet (I bet it will be even better with sugar). So, two tablespoons of sugar for the crust and then 1/2 cup of sugar in the filling.
My pie is freezing as we speak. I’m bringing it to party tomorrow and can’t wait to try it. 🙂
Hi Erica. I made this pie recently for my boyfriend’s birthday and we both loved it! When I was making the filling though, it didn’t seem to work when I put the bowl over boiling water, but did work when I simmered the water and whisked the lemon yolk mixture. I have never made that sort of filling or lemon curd before, but noticed that your recipe for lemon curd under your macaroons recipe says to whisk the mixture over simmering water. Was your recipe supposed to say “simmering water” or did I do something wrong? It turned out great and looked just like your picture. I plan to make it again and have also tried your espresso brownies, which I also loved. Thank you for the great recipe and I can’t wait to try the many others I’ve bookmarked. Also, congrats on writing your cookbook!
Veronica (another Seattleite)
Thanks Veronica! I changed it so it’s a bit more clear, hopefully. Best wishes, Erica
Hi!
Can I perhaps use applesauce, a few packets of stevia, or simply go without the honey? Honey isn’t a large staple in my diet and I try to find my way around it.
Thank you!
Olivia
Wow! So yummy! So glad to have found something my son and I both love. This is the second time I’ve made it and I’ve already eaten 1/4 of it before it’s even frozen. I threw a handful of partially mashed frozen raspberries in, just to mix things up. So good! Thanks!
Thank you for this delicious lemon dessert! I’ve made it twice now, and I can’t seem to get the lemon yolk over he double boiler to resemble lemon curd, it’s just fluffy from whisking with liquid under that. Still worked out well, but always looking to improve! What am I not doing correctly? Thanks 🙂
I haven’t made this recipe in a while, but the lemon curd recipe that works for me every time is here: https://comfybelly.wpengine.com/2009/03/assorted-macaroons-lemon-vanilla-and-chocolate/#.Vg4W_ekcPE4