Mini Lemon Pies

If you’re looking for the perfect light, sweet, and tangy dessert for your 4th of July party, your next family barbeque, birthday, or baby shower, you must try these mini lemon pies. They are tasty, elegant, and always a crowd-pleaser, perfect for a dessert table at a party.

The recipe is largely Joanna Gaines’ Lemon Pie recipe from her Magnolia Table cookbook, with a few minor adaptations and preferential changes. The filling is light, and you’ll get extra buttery graham cracker crust in each bite of the mini version of the lemon pies. You won’t regret giving this recipe a try!

Ingredients: (Makes 55-60sh mini lemon pies)

Lemon Pie Filling:

• 3 cups sweetened condensed milk
• 3 egg yolks
• 2⁄3 cup fresh lemon juice, plus 1-2 tbsps extra to taste (from 4 to 5 lemons)
• Pinch of sea salt

Graham Cracker Crust:

• 3 cups crushed graham crackers
• 2⁄3 cup sugar
• 1 stick of butter plus an additional 6 tbsps salted butter, melted

Whipped Cream Topping:

• 1 pint of heavy whipping cream
• 4-5 tbsps of powdered sugar to taste
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Fill a mini muffin pan with paper liners.
2. Mix the crushed graham crackers and sugar in a large bowl and stir to blend. Stir in the melted butter until combined. Press a little less than 1 tablespoon of the graham cracker mixture into each mini muffin liner. Press the mixture into the liners using the bottom of a shot glass or small cup. Bake until firm, about 7 minutes.
3. While the crusts are baking, in a large bowl, beat the condensed milk, lemon juice, egg yolks, and salt for four minutes at medium speed.
4. Once the crusts are out of the oven, pour the filling into the crusts and return to the oven to bake for another 7 minutes until the center is set.
5. Cool the mini pies on a rack and refrigerate or freeze until firm and cold.
6. In a large bowl, beat the cream, sugar, and vanilla on high speed of an electric mixer until fluffy and the cream holds a soft peak. Put the whipped cream into a piping bag with a piping tip. Pipe whipped cream onto each pie and refrigerate or freeze.
7. Garnish the pies with lemon zest or mint sprigs, or leave as is. The pies can be made a day or two ahead of time and hold up great. Enjoy!

* Link to original Lemon Pie Recipe from Magnolia Table: https://magnolia.com/blog/article/12252/lemon-pie-recipe/