Copycat Marie Callender's Lemon Cream Cheese Pie Recipe

Photos of Copycat Marie Callender’s Lemon Cream Cheese Pie Recipe

One of the specialty Marie Callender’s pies, Marie Callender’s lemon cream cheese pie features three layers of pure indulgence — the buttery graham cracker crust, the luscious cream cheese filling, and the sweet and tangy lemon cream topping. And boy do these three look fabulous together! Enjoy the duo flavors of zesty lemon and creamy cheesecake in this lemon cream cheese pie. This lemon pie pairs well with vodka alfredo sauce pasta if you’re aiming for a fancy dinner spread.

Preparing the Copycat Marie Callender’s Lemon Cream Cheese Pie Recipe

Tips on Making Marie Callender’s Lemon Cream Cheese Pie

If there’s no Marie Callender’s restaurant near you, then don’t worry because we’ve already developed this copycat recipe for you. Additionally, we’re giving you tips on how to make it like it came out of Marie Callender’s menu.

Make sure to incorporate the graham cracker crumbs and butter well. This is key so that the crust is firm and doesn’t come out crumbly. You can also toss in some crushed walnuts or almonds for added texture and flavor.
Let the cream cheese layer cool down first before adding the lemon filling. Otherwise, the layers will mix up. You won’t get beautiful neat layers, but it’ll still be delicious!
Temper the eggs properly. Tempering means slowly bringing the eggs to a higher temperature by introducing a small amount of hot mixture before putting it into the pan. Be sure to do this well so that you won’t have curdled eggs that look like they’re scrambled.
If you’re in a rush, you can cool the cream cheese filling and lemon curd quickly using an ice bath. Simply transfer the hot mixture into a glass or metal mixing bowl. Then, put this bowl over a bigger bowl filled with ice and water, and gently mix the mixture using a spatula until it reaches room temperature.
Top it up with as much whipped cream and powdered sugar as you like. You can also use fresh berries or sliced kiwi, for instance.

For more Marie Callender copycat pie recipes, check out this version of chocolate cream pie. It has a chocolate cookie crust, a rich chocolate custard filling, and lots of whipped cream on top. This southern pecan pie is for those who love buttery caramel flavors with crunchy pecans.

How To Make Copycat Marie Callender's Lemon Cream Cheese Pie

This homemade version of Marie Callender’s lemon cream cheese pie combines the bright tang of lemon and richness of cheesecake in each bite.

Prep: 20 mins

Cook: 30 mins

Total: 50 mins

Serves:

Ingredients

For Graham Cracker Crust:

1¼ cups graham crackers crumbs
4 tbsps unsalted butter, room temperature

For Cream Cheese Layer:

12 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
⅓ cup granulated sugar, or powdered sugar
⅓ cup sour cream
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp gelatin granules, preferably Knox
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp cold water

For Lemon Topping:

1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
7 tbsp cornstarch
¼ tsp salt
1 tbsp lemon zest, grated
4 egg yolks, beaten
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Graham Cracker Crust:

Mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
Press the mixture in a 9 inch greased cake tin or pie dish.
Keep chilled until ready for use.

Cream Cheese Filling:

Combine cream cheese, sugar, sour cream and salt in a medium-sized pan.
Cook on a very low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture starts to boil lightly.
Mix gelatin with water and dissolve.
When dissolved, add to the mixture along with vanilla and stir well.
Cook until mixture reaches a light boil and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool off.
When it's lukewarm, layer cream cheese on the crust and refrigerate until cooled.

Lemon Topping:

Place water, sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, salt and lemon zest in a saucepan. Whisk until the mixture comes to a boil at medium heat.
Cook for 2 minutes until thick.
Temper the eggs by adding ¼ of the hot mixture in beaten eggs slowly and stir constantly.
When the mixture is completely blended, pour egg mixture into the rest of the hot mixture. Stir and cook until it reaches the simmering stage.
Stir and let simmer slowly for about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla. Stir until fully incorporated and set aside until cooled down.
When the lemon mixture reaches room temperature, gently smooth it over the cream cheese mixture.
Chill for several hours before serving, preferably overnight.
Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition

Sugar: 38g
:
Calcium: 80mg
Calories: 486kcal
Carbohydrates: 53g
Cholesterol: 172mg
Fat: 29g
Fiber: 1g
Iron: 1mg
Monounsaturated Fat: 8g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g
Potassium: 119mg
Protein: 6g
Saturated Fat: 16g
Sodium: 385mg
Trans Fat: 1g
Vitamin A: 1024IU
Vitamin C: 4mg

Nutrition Disclaimer

Have you tried this Copycat Marie Callender's Lemon Cream Cheese Pie Recipe? Let us know how it turned out and share your own twists in the Baking and Desserts forum!

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my lemon cream cheese pie runny?

The lemon cream pie needs time to chill in the fridge in order to set. It might appear runny just because it hasn’t had enough time to set yet. Or, there might not be enough gelatin and/or cornstarch used in the layers. To fix it, you can scrape the layers off and cook them individually again before putting them together.

Will lemon curdle cream cheese?

In this recipe, no, because the lemon juice is not directly mixed into the cream cheese but combined with the lemon curd topping instead. Most cheesecake recipes contain lemon juice to add a bit of tang to cut down the sweetness. The small amount added is not enough to curdle the cream cheese mixture.

Should you refrigerate lemon cream cheese pie?

Yes, you need to refrigerate the pie in order to prevent spoilage because it contains eggs and cream. Also, it tastes better when cold.

Conclusion

Now you don’t have to drive to Marie Callender’s restaurant to get your lemon pie fix because you can easily make Marie Callender’s lemon cream cheese pie from your own kitchen with this easy recipe. Taste the best of both worlds in one pie, tart lemon and creamy cheesecake.