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National Lemon Cream Pie Day

Food · November 29

Lemon cream pie pairs a tart, creamy lemon filling with a crisp crust and soft whipped topping. Here is what it is and how to enjoy a slice.

National Lemon Cream Pie Day falls on Sunday, November 29, 2026. That is 33 days away.

Lemon cream pie is a chilled pie with a smooth lemon filling, a crisp crust and, usually, a layer of whipped cream on top. It sits somewhere between a custard and a pudding, rich but bright.

The filling is often a cooked custard of eggs, sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest, thickened on the stove and then cooled in the shell. Some versions fold in cream cheese or sweetened condensed milk for extra body. The crust can be classic pastry or crushed graham crackers pressed into the pan with butter.

What sets it apart from its meringue-topped cousin is the topping. Instead of toasted egg whites, it wears whipped cream, which makes each bite softer and a little less sweet. The lemon still leads. A good slice should taste sharp first, then mellow.

If you bake one at home, cook any egg-based filling fully on the stove until it thickens and bubbles, so the eggs are safely set. Then give the pie a long rest in the refrigerator. Cutting too early is the most common way a lemon cream pie turns into lemon cream soup, and it keeps best chilled until serving.

Zest the lemons before you juice them. It is much easier to grate a whole lemon than a squeezed half, and the zest carries most of the fragrance.

Ways to celebrate

• Bake a lemon cream pie with a graham cracker crust.
• Share a chilled slice with a neighbor or coworker.
• Try adding a little extra lemon zest to the whipped cream.
• Look for lemon cream pie at a local bakery or diner.

Dates

All national days on November 29

Also on November 29

• National Chocolates Day
• National Square Dance Day
• Electronic Greetings Day
• Throw Out Your Leftovers Day

Categories: Food days