Cooking with Mamma C

  • Recipes
  • Cod
  • Cookbook
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Cod Recipes
  • Cookbook
  • About
  • Contact
  • Newsletter
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Cod Recipes
    • Cookbook
    • About
    • Contact
    • Newsletter
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Dessert » Pies

    Pecan Lemon Pie without Meringue

    Published: Oct 13, 2022 · Modified: Oct 14, 2024 by Mamma C · This post may contain affiliate links.

    • Facebook
    • Email
    • Flipboard
    Jump to Recipe

    You've got to try this Pecan Lemon Pie without Meringue! It tastes like a lemon bar pie with a crunchy pecan top! It's so easy, you just mix the filling with a fork and press the olive oil crust into place.

    slice of lemon pie with pecans and whipped cream

    Add this simple Lemon Pie without Meringue to your baking repertoire, pronto. Consider serving it for Thanksgiving, Easter or any gathering.

    Because everybody loves lemon, am I right?!! If lemon desserts were a person, they'd be simpatico.

    I don't have unanimous support for chocolate, coconut or banana anything in my family (do you?), but lemon's a rock star. This Lemon Lush Dessert from Scratch is legendary!

    And while Lemon Meringue Pie might be my all-time favorite, sometimes, you just need an easy lemon pie recipe. One that doesn't require cooking lemon curd on the stove or torching meringue.

    One that simply involves a fork — to stir the ingredients for the filling, to mix the dough for the olive oil pie crust — and of course, to stuff your face with the luscious lemon pie.

    This one tastes like a gooey lemon bar topped with crunchy pecans. You could call it "lemon crunch pie!"

    Pecan lemon pie filling ingredients

    eggs, butter, pecans, lemon, salt, sugar, extract

    Pecans: Pecans add a sweet, buttery flavor and crunch. You can try making a walnut lemon pie if you prefer. Or, you can omit the nuts altogether.

    Lemon Juice: Use fresh lemon juice (from half of a lemon) instead of bottled juice for the best taste.

    Lemon extract: This really makes the lemon flavor pop! I use it in my Lemon Ricotta Pancakes, Lemon-Blueberry Pancakes, Lemon Pizzelle and Lemon Zucchini Bread with Walnuts.

    How to make it

    See the card at the end of this post for the full recipe, but here's an overview.

    For the crust

    flour, sugar, oil, milk, whisk
    • Whisk the crust ingredients in the pie dish, add the liquid and toss with a fork.
    • Gather the dough into a ball.
    • Press the dough into the pie pan. Crimp the edges with two fingers.
    ball of dough, pie crust dough pressed into pie dish

    For the pecan lemon filling

    This easy pie filling tastes like a lemon drop!

    butter in pot, bowl of ingredients, mixed pie filling, unbaked pecan lemon pie
    1. Melt the butter.
    2. Add the melted butter to a bowl with the rest of the pie filling ingredients.
    3. Stir to combine.
    4. Pour the lemon pie filling into the unbaked pie crust.
    5. Bake!
    whole pecan pie with lemon wedge

    Recipe tips

    • Use coarsely chopped pecans instead of intact pecan halves for a nicer-looking pie that's easier to slice.
    • For the best taste, let the lemon pie chill fully before serving it. Make it a day ahead of time, if possible.
    • Slice the pie while it's still cold out of the refrigerator. You'll get cleaner slices.
    • The pie will be firm right out of the fridge, but you can let it sit out for 30 minutes to soften before serving it, if you wish.

    Frequently asked questions

    Does lemon pie without meringue need to be refrigerated?

    Yes — and it's even better the next day! You can store your homemade pie leftovers in the refrigerator for up to five days.

    Can you freeze homemade lemon pie?

    Yes! You can freeze this lemon pie for up to three months.

    First, place the cooled pie in the freezer (uncovered) for two hours. Then double wrap it with plastic wrap. Place the wrapped pie in a large freezer bag to freeze.

    Thaw the Lemon Pie without Meringue overnight in the refrigerator.

    More pecan recipes

    • Chocolate-Pecan Meringue Cookies
    • No-Churn Butter Pecan Ice Cream
    • Sweet and Savory Cheese Log

    More holiday desserts

    If you need some other ideas for holiday desserts, check out this Fluffy Crustless Cheesecake, Homemade Brownie Bottom Chocolate Pudding Pie, Cranberry Pie with Sugar Cookie Crust, or Single Layer Carrot Cake without Nuts.

    Enjoy!

    If you try this Pecan Lemon Pie Without Meringue, be sure to leave a comment and a rating!

    slice of lemon pie with pecans and whipped cream

    Pecan Lemon Pie without Meringue

    This easy pie tastes like a lemon bar with a crunchy pecan top! Serve it chilled.
    4.86 from 14 votes
    Print Pin Rate Save Go to Collections
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 526kcal
    Author: Mamma C

    Ingredients

    Crust for 9-inch pie

    • 2 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 tablespoon sugar
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ⅜ teaspoon baking powder (fill your ⅛ teaspoon three times)
    • ½ cup olive oil (not extra virgin)
    • ¼ cup milk (low-fat is fine)

    Lemon Pecan Filling

    • ⅓ cup salted butter
    • 3 extra-large eggs
    • 1 ¼ cups sugar
    • ¾ cup pecan halves, coarsely chopped (or use pecan pieces)
    • 2 tablespoons lemon juice (from half of a lemon)
    • 1 teaspoon lemon extract
    • pinch of salt
    US Customary - Metric
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
    • For the crust, whisk the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a 9-inch pie dish.
    • Whisk the milk and olive oil in a measuring cup and add the liquid to the pie dish. Toss with a fork to blend. When the dough is mixed, form it into a ball and pat it into a disk.
    • Press down the dough evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the pie dish to form a crust. Crimp the edges with two fingers.
    • For the filling, coarsely chop the pecans.
    • Melt the butter in a small pan on the stove over medium-high heat. While it's melting, crack the eggs into a small mixing bowl. Add the sugar and pecans to the bowl.
    • Add the melted butter to the filling mixture. Squeeze in the juice from half a lemon. Add the lemon extract and salt.
    • Use a fork to stir the filling ingredients until combined. Pour the filling into the unbaked pie crust.
    • Bake the pie for 45-52 minutes, until the top is set and starting to brown. Let the pie cool on a wire rack. When it's no longer hot, chill it in the refrigerator to let it set.
    • Serve the pie chilled. It's even better the next day. Garnish with whipped cream, if desired. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to five days.

    Notes

    Freezing Instructions
    You can freeze this lemon pie for up to three months.
    First, place the cooled pie in the freezer (uncovered) for two hours. Then double wrap it with plastic wrap. Place the wrapped pie in a large freezer bag to freeze.
    Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 526kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 234mg | Potassium: 134mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 339IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this Recipe? Mention @cookingwithmammac or tag #CookingWithMammaC!

    (Recipe Source: Pie filling adapted from Ruby Jones' recipe in American Pie: Slices of Life (and Pie) from America's Back Roads, (affiliate link) Perennial Books, 2003. Crust adapted from King Arthur Flour. Originally published on March 28, 2017 and updated now with new photos and additional information.)

    Don't miss my Pasta & Sauces E-Cookbook! Please SUBSCRIBE and follow me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM!

    More Pie Recipes

    • slice of lemon meringue pie on a plate
      Foolproof Lemon Meringue Pie
    • closeup of inside of pear crisp in glass pie dish
      Gluten-Free Pear Crisp with Oats
    • baked pie crust
      Olive Oil Pie Crust (No Rolling!)
    • closeup of slice of lemon lush with blackberries
      Lemon Lush Dessert Recipe from Scratch
    • Facebook
    • Email
    • Flipboard

    Comments

    1. Alicia says

      October 13, 2024 at 6:15 pm

      5 stars
      I made those w/Walnuts b/c we've got a pumpkin patch here in no Cali that makes a great 1, so I googled & found yours. YUM!
      i took this pie to our Choir Gala for our dessert auction. at the time I made this I did a doubled batch so we could have 1 here @ home. if you're making this in a deep dish crust, make a double batch. My next 1 will be, & I'll try w/pecans! Oh & it sold for $50 to our Choir president! 😀

      Reply
      • Mamma C says

        October 14, 2024 at 6:31 am

        Hi Alicia - That's great! Thanks for letting me know! I'm glad it was good with the walnuts.

        Reply
    2. Diana G. says

      August 07, 2023 at 3:22 pm

      5 stars
      Love this lemon pie recipe! Although my mother used to make beautiful lemon meringue pies, I never liked the meringue. Most interesting and easy pie crust I have ever made. I did substitute canola oil in place of expensive olive oil. I added lemon zest since I did not have any lemon extract available. Delicious! Tastes good on day 2 & 3 also, Hubby and I ate the whole thing over 3 days, we usually end up throwing left over pie away! Not this one!

      Reply
      • Mamma C says

        August 08, 2023 at 9:37 am

        Hi Diana - I'm so glad! Thank you for your detailed feedback.

        Reply
    « Older Comments
    4.86 from 14 votes (9 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Hi, I'm Andrea, also known as Mamma C. I've been sharing family-tested recipes from my Italian-American kitchen for a decade! I hope you'll visit often!

    More about me →

    Popular

    • slice of cheesecake on plate
      Fluffy Crustless Cheesecake (NY Style)

    • OVEN-FRIED COD RECIPE (CRISPY & DELICIOUS!)
      Oven-Fried Cod Recipe (Crispy & Delicious!)

    • portion of zucchini casserole on plate
      Italian Zucchini Bake

    • plate of sausage, peppers and onions
      Baked Sausage, Peppers and Onions

    Cookie Recipes

    • plate of amaretti cookies topped with almonds
      Amaretti Cookies (Soft & Chewy)

    • platter of almond biscotti sprinkled with powdered sugar
      Almond Biscotti Recipe

    • chocolate pizzelle held up over a platter of more pizzelles
      Chocolate Pizzelle Recipe

    • plate of italian lemon pizzelle cookies with powdered sugar
      Lemon Pizzelle Recipe

    • plate of Italian cookies with sprinkles
      Italian Cookies (Vanilla or Anisette)

    • plate of pignoli cookies dusted with powdered sugar
      Italian Pignoli Cookies (Pine Nut Cookies)

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    RECIPES

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    About

    • About Me
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • ACCESSIBILITY
    • Cookbook
    • Web Stories
     

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2014-2025 Cooking with Mamma C®

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.