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This No Bake Lemon Pudding Pie is proof that an easy dessert can still be absolutely delicious! With its creamy lemon pudding filling, light and fluffy homemade whipped cream, and a store-bought buttery graham crackers crust – it’s a refreshing dessert that comes together with minimal effort.
No Bake Lemon Pudding Pie Recipe
If you love easy desserts with bright lemon flavor, this no bake lemon pudding pie is going to become a new favorite – for family gatherings, special occasions, summertime, or even the holidays!
The best part about this easy lemon pudding pie recipe is that it requires no oven and only a handful of simple ingredients. The filling comes together in minutes, the graham cracker is store-bought (my favorite shortcut) and the refrigerator does the rest of the work.
It’s smooth, creamy, sweet and tangy, with just the right amount of lemon flavor in every bite. Whether you need an easy make-ahead dessert, or you’re making dessert for a family dinner or gathering, potluck, barbecue, and even the holidays – this no bake lemon pie is sure to impress 🍋
Why You’ll Love This No Bake Lemon Pudding Pie
- 🍋 No Baking Required : This easy dessert is entirely no bake! Just a few minutes of prep work needed and the fridge will do the rest.
- 🍋 Simple Ingredients : You only need a few easy, convenient, and everyday ingredients from the store to make this no bake creamy lemon pie.
- 🍋 Quick To Prepare : The filling takes just minutes to mix together before chilling. And no need to make a homemade graham cracker crust either! The store-bought ones are my favorite easy short-cut for no bake pies.
- 🍋 Creamy & Refreshing : The sweet lemon flavor pairs perfectly with the buttery graham cracker crust.
- 🍋 Perfect Make-Ahead Dessert : Prepare it up to 24 hours in advance and let it chill until you’re ready to serve.
Only 6 Simple Ingredients Needed
- Ready-Crust Graham Cracker Crust : This is one graham cracker curst (store-bought) that is 6 ounces. Keebler makes them and generic store brands also usually make them.
- Instant Lemon Pudding Mix : Two smaller 3.4 ounce boxes of instant lemon pudding mix.
- Half and Half
- Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice : You will need about half of a large lemon squeezed.
- Heavy Whipping Cream
- Powdered Sugar
How To Make No Bake Lemon Pudding Pie with Graham Cracker Crust (Printable Recipe Card)
Lemon Pudding Filling : In a mixing bowl, add the instant lemon pudding mix, half and half, and fresh lemon juice. Whisk together until the pudding starts to thicken; about 1 to 2 minutes. After mixing, let it sit while you prepare the whipped cream.
Homemade Whipped Cream : In a separate mixing bowl, add the heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar. Use the whisk attachment on a stand mixer, or an electric hand mixer, to beat until stiff peaks form; about 5 minutes. Start at low speed to avoid splashing and increase the speed as it thickens.
Assemble The Pie : Spread 1½ cups of the lemon pudding mixture into the bottom of the graham cracker crust. This is the first layer. Add half of the whipped cream into the remaining lemon pudding mixture and stir until well combined. Evenly spread this over top the first layer inside the graham cracker crust. This is the second layer. Top the pie with the remaining whipped cream and spread it out into an even layer. This is the third layer.
Refrigerate & Serve : Cover the pie with the enclosed plastic lid (that was inside the graham cracker crust when you opened it). Refrigerate the pie for at least 8 hours, or up to 24 hours.
When ready to serve, cut the pie into 8-10 slices and serve chilled from the fridge. Enjoy!
How To Store No Bake Lemon Pudding Pie
Refrigerator : Cover the pie with the enclosed plastic lid from the graham cracker crust, or remove individual slices to an airtight container, and keep refrigerated for up to 3 to 4 days.
Make-Ahead : This pie is an excellent make-ahead dessert. Prepare it up to 24 hours ahead of time and refrigerate, so the filling has plenty of time to set and thicken. I make the pie the night before, refrigerate it overnight and into the next day, and then serve it around dinnertime (or whenever you need it).
Freezer : I do not recommend freezing this pie because the whipped cream, and different layers of dairy, will separate and become runny once it has been frozen and then thawed.
Variations & Ingredient Notes
- Crust : Use a shortbread ready-crust instead of the graham cracker crust. The shortbread crust is slightly sweeter which pairs nicely with the bright lemon flavors. You could also make a homemade graham cracker crust instead of using store-bought. You could also make a lemon Oreo pie and make a homemade Oreo crust if wanted.
- Instant Pudding Mix : Make sure you are using the instant pudding and not the cook n serve pudding. They look similar but one is no bake (instant pudding) and the other involves using the stove top to cook and prepare the pudding (cook n serve pudding). They are not the same and are not interchangeable.
- Half and Half : This is the only milk I recommend using because of its high fat content. It helps the layers set and thicken in the fridge.
Pro Tips From The Test Kitchen
- Do not rush the refrigeration time! This pie needs at least 8 hours in the fridge, but I do recommend refrigerating the pie overnight for the best results. The fridge time helps the flavors develop, the pie will set and thicken, and the chill time also creates this really creamy and light consistency.
- Use freshly squeezed lemon juice and not bottled lemon juice.
- If you want a thinner pie use the graham cracker crust that is labeled as ‘2 extra servings’. This will create a thinner pie versus a thicker and taller pie that the 6 ounce crust creates.
Try These Other Lemon Desserts
- Lemon Lush
- Lemon Poke Cake
- Lemon Crumb Bars
- Lemon Cake Mix Cookies
- Easy Lemon Cake with Lemon Pudding Frosting
- Lemon Coffee Cake with Lemon Streusel Topping
- Lemon Cheesecake Bars Recipe
- No Bake Lemon Cheesecake
- No Bake Lemon Cheesecake Pie
No Bake Triple Layer Lemon Pudding Pie
Equipment
Ingredients
- (6 oz) store-bought graham cracker crust
- 2 boxes (3.4 oz each) instant lemon pudding mix
- 2 cups half and half
- 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1½ cups heavy whipping cream
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar (for sweeter whipped cream use ½ cup)
Instructions
Lemon Pudding Filling
- In a mixing bowl, add the instant lemon pudding mix, half and half, and fresh lemon juice. Whisk together until the pudding starts to thicken; about 1 to 2 minutes. After mixing, let it sit while you prepare the whipped cream.2 boxes (3.4 oz each) instant lemon pudding mix, 2 cups half and half, 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
Homemade Whipped Cream
- In a separate mixing bowl, add the heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar. Use the whisk attachment on a stand mixer, or an electric hand mixer, to beat until stiff peaks form; about 5 minutes.*Start at low speed to avoid splashing and increase the speed as it thickens.1½ cups heavy whipping cream, ⅓ cup powdered sugar
Assemble The Pie
- – Spread 1½ cups of the lemon pudding mixture into the bottom of the graham cracker crust. This is the first layer.– Add half of the whipped cream into the remaining lemon pudding mixture and stir until well combined. Evenly spread this over top the first layer inside the graham cracker crust. This is the second layer.– Top the pie with the remaining whipped cream and spread it out into an even layer. This is the third layer.(6 oz) store-bought graham cracker crust
Refrigerate & Serve
- Cover the pie with the enclosed plastic lid (that was inside the graham cracker crust when you opened it). Refrigerate the pie for at least 8 hours, or up to 24 hours.*I always recommend refrigerating it, at minimum, overnight for the best taste and thick, creamy texture.
- When ready to serve, cut the pie into 8-10 slices and serve chilled from the fridge. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
I’d love to see it! You can share it with me on @togetherasfamilyblog and follow on Pinterest @together-as-family-blog-recipes or Facebook @togetherasfamilyblog for more!
Making this for my daughters (who are mom’s), sons in law and grand boys to enjoy after our Mother’s Day dinner next weekend.
Yum! I know you all will love this one. So easy with lots of refreshing lemon flavor. Enjoy 🙂
I was disappointed. Not lemony enough. Would consider doubling or tripling the lemon juice.
So sorry you thought that! You could also add lemon zest which would give lots more lemon flavor. Thank you for coming back to leave your feedback 🙂
I just finished putting this in the fridge so I haven’t tasted it put together, but I added extra lemon juice to my pudding mix plus zest of one lemon and tasted it and it was perfect! (We LOVE lemon/tangy in our household).
This looks divine!
Thank you so much Jenn! 🙂
Hi, i live in israel and we dont have lemon instant pudding, we have vanil instant pudding, can i use vanil and more lemon juice for that pie ?
Hi Linda! Thank you so much for being here. You could use vanilla pudding it just would not have the same lemony flavor. Add the lemon juice called for in recipe and some lemon zest, and some lemon extract if you can find it there. That will help a bit with the lemon flavor. Enjoy!
Thank you ? i will try and let you know how it came out ?
Hi, its me again linda from israel lol, im going to make the pie crust my self with butter and biscits beacuse we dont have ready pie crust, can you tell me pleas the size of the ready pie crust
Hey Linda. The size of the crust is a standard 9″ pie plate. Hope that helps ☺️.
thank you for your help 🙂
Pie Crust for two pies
3 cups flour
1 1/2 cups crisco
Dash salt
Mix top three with fork until crumbly
Then in a small cereal bowl mix
1 egg, 1 tablespoon vinegar and 3 tablespoons of cold water mix all three and then add to dry ingredient. Don’t over mix. Good luck! My grandmother recipt
too many ads on your blog…. very frustrating.
I apologize you feel this way. Running a blog like this one with free recipes costs several hundred dollars a month + not to mention the hours and hours of work I put into it each day to maintain it and keep up with everything. If there is a specific ad please let me know, I work closely with my ad management company and can see about fixing it. Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend 🙂
Would I be able to use cool whip instead of making my own whip cream?
Sure. Just use an 8 oz tub of thawed cool whip.
This pie looks delicious and sounds simple to prepare – I have no doubt that I’ll be ever so happy I came across your recipe on Pinterest! Thank you for your hard work and dedication!
Thank you so much! It is really so simple and delicious too 🙂 Thanks for being here.
I don’t enjoy cooking. So this recipe was just the kind I like….simple and delicious. I’ve actually made it 3 times in the past month, and everyone who had a piece raves about it. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Oh Carol, that makes me so happy to hear. That’s exactly what I want with this blog is to share easy, approachable recipes that anyone can make. It means the world to me that you cam back to leave your sweet comment. So excited you love this pie!
I can’t wait to try it. I’ll take lemon any day over chocolate! I couldn’t find the other crust recipe and thought I’d try it. Can you please add it.
Thank you so much for your time. I love these recipes.
Do you mean a homemade graham cracker crust instead of buying a prepared one? If so, this is the one that I use when I want homemade (I don’t have a recipe for it on my blog yet) https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/homemade-graham-cracker-crust Enjoy! 🙂
I have been sick and needed to take a 9×13 pan dessert. I made 2 of these instead the day before…so simple. Thank you(I’ll Be making this a lot, my adult son loves lemon!?
Oh yummy! I love the idea of this recipe in a 9×13 cake pan. I think I may have to try that out. Perfect for a picnic, potluck, and to take somewhere. Thank you for sharing your idea! 🙂
Do you use the same amount of all the ingredients for 9×13 pan?
I have never made this into a 9×13 dish. The pie is 9″ so yes it seems like you would need to double the ingredients for the larger pan. I’ve never done it so I am hoping it works at well for you if you try it.
Hi, I searched for a recipe on Pinterest called Triple Layer Lemon Pudding Pie and yours is the first one I hit! And it’s the one I was looking for! How’s that for getting the first hit!? Anyho, my Question is…each box of instant lemon pudding asks for 2 cups of milk to make but your recipe asks for two boxes and to only use 2 cups milk for both boxes, am I reading your recipe right? Only using two cups milk would make the pudding really thick, is that right?
Disregard the box directions. It is 2 boxes with only 2 cups of milk. You want it thick so it holds up when sliced and what not. Enjoy and I’m so happy you found me!! ?
Mine didn’t set ?. I left it in the fridge for 6 hours. What did I do wrong?
Weird. I have never had this pie not set before. I can only think of two reasons why it would not set. 1) did you prepare the pudding mix before or just add the dry powder to other ingredients as called for in the recipe? Because if you prepared the pudding according to the box and then added the other ingredients then that would definitely make it too much liquid to even set at all. 2) When you stir the pudding mix, lemon juice, milk you need to let it sit for at least 3-5 minutes so that it can get thick. It takes a couple minutes to thicken up and then you add to the pie in the layer as the recipe calls for.
Thanks for your reply. Maybe I didn’t give it long enough, but it seemed thick. We all loved it anyway. I’m going to try the recipe again. Fingers crossed.
Easter Dinner Dessert Hun, Thanks for Sharing..I Love Lemon, Can I Use Heavy Cream Instead of Milk?
Yes, of course! It would make it so thick and creamy. Yum!
If I want to double this could I use a 13 x 9 x 2 dish? Instead Of 2pie crusts.
You could always try it. I’ve never done that so I can’t say for sure. I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t work. Enjoy!
Think this could this be done with sugar free pudding?
Not sure, I have never tried using the sugar free pudding. The boxes are a much smaller size so either the layers will be thin or you will need several boxes. Not really sure as I have never done it.
I do everything sugar free have diabetes in our house. In fact before. Diabetes my family like the sugar free stuff better has more if the favor you are going for. More chocolatey. Lemony butter scotch. So we have just stuck with it. I have a question for you all. I have a daughter we have to change her diet to Vegan Gluten free in addition no soy, oats, coconut, limited sugar, nuts, dairy, basically only Gain she can have is Rice. Vegetables and Fruits. Do you think I could use water instead of milk Rice cake for crust we just can’t give up our butter. I have not read labels on whipped topping. Georgia
Can also do a chocolate triple layer pie, which I have been doing for 20 years.
Yummy! Sounds amazing 🙂
Hello Kelly,
Can you post your recipe for triple chocolate layer pie? Thank you 😊
Can I use lemon pie filling that you have to cook can’t find instant
No. You need the instant lemon pudding. It’s very common so maybe the store is out of it. Possibly try a different store to see if they have it.
would this recipe be firm enough to hold its own in a spring form pan?
I don’t think so. It does well in the pie crust and is firm enough to cut. It’s a softer pie but not a fall apart soft pie. But again, I don’t think it would do well in a spring form pan but I’ve never tried it so I could be wrong!
I love lemon recipes and this one is great for my family which has several diabetics. I just replace the pudding with sugar free lemon pudding and use either the heavy cream with a sugar replacement or just a little sugar. I also use Cool Whip which comes in a sugar free variety or actually has less carbs in the regular variety. I always have both the pudding and Cool Whip on hand. Thanks I also make an almond flour crust on many of my recipes – more protein and less carbs.
I am loving your changes and that you were able to adapt it for your needs. Thanks for your comment 🙂
Hi, I’m going to try this recipe, which looks delicious and “summery.” I want to use sugar-free pudding also, but I can’t find the sugar-free lemon. So I got sugar-free vanilla and thought I would try adding a package of sugar-free lemon jell-o to boost the lemon flavor and get some extra thickening going. Any thoughts or suggestions would be welcome! Thanks!
How far in advanced could I make this recipe? Day before or just hours before?
You can easily make this 1-2 days ahead of time. I always make it the day before. Definitely not hours because the pie needs time to set up in the fridge.
I have my family members over for meals on special occasions. One Member is glucose intolerant so instead of making the pie, I skip the crust, layer it in pudding dishes and just call it Lemon Pudding. It is a hit with everyone!
I love your adaption for gluten free. Great idea.
I only did 2 layers. Did not read enough and put it all in. The mixture with wip cream. Hope it turns out!
Oh, I am sure it will still turn out fine. Enjoy!
Do you think this would work as individual desserts in a cupcake tin?
I think so…. never tried it but I see not reason why it would not work. You would have to do a homemade graham cracker crust first and then layer the ingredients. It just seems like it would be easier in the pie tin 🙂
What do you think of the idea of scattering fresh raspberries over the top? Have you ever tried that? Or has anyone else?
I’ve never tried it but it sounds delicious. The fresh berries will stain the white cool whip mixture on top so maybe garnish each slice with raspberries or the whole pie if you know it will all be served the first time (rather than having leftovers).
my husband is a lemon fanatic so I am so anxious to make this. I have a great crust recipe that I like that is so easy and is a shortbread like. What I was wondering was if I could do this in a 9×13 pan with the existing recipe or if I would have to double it for the bigger pan.
Good Question! I actually don’t *think* you would need to double the recipe for a 9×13 baking pan. I have not made it in the 9×13 baking pan so I can’t say for sure, but the pie as is, is pretty thick and tall, so I think it would be fine in the larger dish. If you want it as thick and tall as the pie, then maybe double it but it would probably need a lot more refrigeration time. Hopefully that helps a little….. 🙂
I made this last year and loved it. I would like to make it again, but preferably dairy-free so everyone can enjoy it 🙂 Is there anything that can be substituted for the milk?
I don’t have any experience with dairy free baking or cooking. Maybe try like an almond milk but that would change the taste of the pie so I am not really sure.
You might want to try Almond Milk it works for me. If I’m going to make chocolate or banana flavor then I use Almond Breeze chocolate milk or the banana milk both are delicious.
Hi, this is Aarti from India. My family love lemon. My challange is that we do not have any lemon pudding mix available in the country. Instant or otherwise. Is there a way to make this with unflavoured gelatin powder and lemon juice mixed with light cream and whipped cream for the two layers? The base will be homemade with butter and crackers.
I am not sure. I wish I could help. I just have never made this any other way but with the instant lemon pudding mix.
Oops. Forgot to ask. If possible, what would you suggest be the quantity of gelatin powder, lemon juice and sugar.
this was delicious. My guests loved it as well as my hubby and me….and I don’t eat many desserts. YUM! ?
This recipe has been in my family for many generations, my grandmother made this for us all through our childhood. We loved it so much that we requested it be made in place of our birthday cakes and still is over my 33 years and longer for my siblings, its also a traditional dish in my family to make for Thanksgiving and Christmas, You just can’t get enough of this dessert! We call it “Lemon Lush” Very small differences, we make our own crust with smashed graham crackers and melted butter, but I prefer it to have a more crumbly type of crust so its not so pressed down with the butter but still comes out with ease, made in a 13 × 9 cake pan. First layer after the crust is a mixture of cream cheese, powder sugar and whipped cream blended together, then separately using 2 boxes of lemon pudding mixed with 3 cups of milk and half a lemon (or to taste) squeezed, poured on for the next layer. Then chilled in the fridge for an hr or until right before serving. Spread some whipped topping over the top and enjoy! I like to drizzle a small amount of more crushed graham cracker on top for decor and for that extra powdered goodness! You should definitely give this a try!
– small town Tennessee gal.
Oh yum! This sounds delicious. Thanks for letting me know!
I make mine basically the same. You’ll also find it under lemon lasagna or lemon heaven. I don’t use the graham cracker crust I use what ever flavor Oreo matches the flavor I’m working with. The cream from inside the Oreo gives the flavor you want a boost so it’s even more lemony. I also made one for Christmas using peanut butter and nutter butter cookies. The kids went wild.
I made this and will do it again but with changes. It was not lemony enough so I will put in lemon zest and figure out how to get more natural lemon flavor in the pudding bit still having it set.
At 14 points per slice, using whole milk, regular pudding instead of sugar free, I don’t know a single person true to WW who would eat this. Can’t imagine why you’re calling it Weight Watchers. Horrible.
No where in this post do I claim it is a weight watchers recipe. And if you’re referring to a site who stole my photos to get traffic to their site, they are the ones who labeled it as WW to gain traction on Pinterest. I have been dealing with that site for some time now, they steal content, and then label it with popular attention words (like WW) to get views to their site. It’s not WW at all, I don’t even know anything about WW, so I would never label it as such.
Made this today for tomorrow’s Easter dinner with family.. It seems to have turned out very well. Can’t wait to try it !! I did find the pudding mixture was not lemony enough so I added the zest of 2 lemons and 3 tblspsn. of fresh lemon juice, instead of just one. That definitely bumped up the lemon flavor nicely. Thank you for sharing this easy no-bake lemon pie recipe.. I know it will be a hit at family dinner.
So glad you were able to get the lemon flavor you like! I hope you and your family loved it!
How does this qualify as Weight Watchers??? Whole milk and heavy cream????
Nowhere in this post do I claim it is a weight watchers recipe. And if you’re referring to a site who stole my photos to get traffic to their site, they are the ones who labeled it as WW to gain traction on Pinterest. I have been dealing with that site for some time now, they steal content, and then label it with popular attention words (like WW) to get views to their site. It’s not WW at all, I don’t even know anything about WW, so I would never label it as such.
Please check if a post or website actually claims a recipe is WW before leaving a negative review on a website.
Could I put this in the freezer to make it a freezer pie?
I think that would work. I’ve never done it but I see no reason why it wouldn’t work. Let me know how it turns out!
This recipe was a total hit! Loved it.
I’m so glad! Thanks for your comment!
Weight watcher points if you use sugar free pudding
Sorry, but I’m not familiar with weight watchers. This link gets taken and shared by skimmers and advertised as a weight watchers recipe even though this blog has nothing to do with weight watchers.
I finally had all the ingredients. This is so easy to make. I also had lemon curd. So I added half to the pudding mixture . And the other half as a thin layer. I was in the mood for dessert. And this is it. Delicious!
This was so good and easy! I used lactose free half and half, cool whip, and made a crust with gf lemon nilla wafers. Love recipes like this that I can easily substitute lactose free and gluten free ingredients!
I made this recipe for Mother’s Day with some subtle changes to accommodate the dietary restrictions of some of the mothers I had as guests. First, I m gluten intolerant so I used a gluten free crust; one of the mothers is lactose intolerant so I used lactose free milk and cool whip instead of cream ; and another mother is on a sugar restricted diet so I used sugar free pudding. In spite of those changes it turned out absolutely delicious. All of them were very happy and grateful! Thank you for the recipe!
Made it by directions. It was easy to make & Very Yummy!!