Ingredients

Scale

(Serves 8)

Crust:

Classic version:
- 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- 6 tbsp melted butter
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
Blood sugar friendly / keto version:
- 1½ cups almond flour
- 3 tbsp melted butter
- 2 tbsp granulated monk fruit blend
- Pinch of salt

Lemon cream filling:

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk (or sugar-free condensed milk for blood sugar friendly)
¾ cup fresh lemon juice (about 3–4 lemons—you love citrus!)
Zest of 2 lemons
1 (8 oz) block full-fat cream cheese, softened (you love cream cheese!)
1 cup heavy cream, whipped to stiff peaks (or coconut cream for dairy-free)

Topping:

Whipped cream or coconut whip
Extra lemon zest
Thin lemon slices

Instructions

1. Make crust:

Mix crust ingredients until crumbly.
Press firmly into bottom and up sides of a 9″ pie dish.
Classic: Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 8–10 minutes; cool.
Keto: Freeze 10 minutes (no bake needed).

2. Make filling:

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, and zest; beat until thick (~2 min).
Fold in whipped cream until no streaks remain.

3. Assemble & chill:

Pour filling into crust. Smooth top. Refrigerate at least 4 hours (overnight best for firm set).

4. Serve:

Top with whipped cream, lemon zest, and slices.

💡 Pro Tips for Perfection:
✅ Use fresh lemon juice—bottled lacks brightness (roll lemons first for max juice!).
✅ Blood sugar friendly (you love this!):
→ Use homemade sugar-free condensed milk: Simmer 1 can full-fat coconut milk + ½ cup powdered erythritol + 1 tsp vanilla 30–40 min until reduced by half
→ Net carbs: 5g per slice
✅ Keto version:
→ Already compliant with almond crust + sugar-free condensed milk
→ Add 1 scoop unflavored collagen peptides to filling (+20g protein total)
✅ Make ahead: Keeps 5 days refrigerated or freezes 2 months (thaw overnight in fridge).

Prep Time & Nutrition (per slice, blood sugar friendly version):