If you’re a lemon lover like me, welcome to utopia. This Arizona Sunshine Lemon Pie recipe celebrates the whole lemon in all its glory. This pie is bright, refreshing and guaranteed to be the easiest pie you’ve ever baked.
Full disclosure – I don’t like baking pies. It’s so much stress! Will the crust come out right? Will the filling be too runny?
But this lemon pie is virtually foolproof. You won’t believe how quick and easy it is to make this homemade, sweet-tart dessert that’s bursting with fresh lemon flavor.
What is an Arizona Sunshine Lemon Pie?
This pie is said to have originated in Arizona (duh) where it’s not uncommon for people to have lemon trees growing in their backyards and where there is an abundance of sunshine.
What’s unique about this particular lemon pie is that it uses the entire lemon, not just the lemon zest or the lemon juice. That’s right, my friends. There is no zesting required in this recipe!
What is in this Arizona Sunshine Pie
Here are the simple ingredients that you’ll need to make this super easy dessert:
How to make this lemon pie recipe
You won’t even need to dirty a mixing bowl to make this pie. Start by cutting the lemon into small chunks and removing the seeds.
Then, weigh the lemon pieces using a food scale. This is important. You want 4 ounces of lemon for this pie. One large lemon should give you about that much.
Then, place all of the ingredients except the melted butter into a blender or food processor. Blend it up, and then drizzle the melted butter in while the motor is still running.
Once your lemon mixture is nice and smooth, pour it into a prepared pie crust. I recommend using a refrigerated, unbaked pie crust. They come with 2 crusts in the package, so use one for the pie and the other to cut shapes and arrange them on the top of the pie, if desired.
When you take the pie out of the oven it will be set but still a little jiggly, like a cheesecake. Let it cool at room temperature before you refrigerate it to firm it up completely.
How to Serve an Arizona Sunshine Lemon Pie
It’s a good idea to serve this delicious pie cold, just out of the fridge. A nice, chilled slice of lemon pie is so refreshing in the summer months!
Use a wet knife to make clean slices in your chilled lemon pie. Serve it as-is, or top with a generous dollop of fresh whipped cream.
What are the best lemons to use for this pie?
Unfortunately, not all of us have access to fresh Arizona lemons. But you can still make a delicious pie. If using a regular lemon, look for unblemished skin that is not waxy. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect – you’ll give it a good scrub before baking with it anyway.
Meyer lemons are hugely popular with bakers, and another good option for this pie. The thin skin of a Meyer lemon means that the lemon peel won’t be as bitter as a regular lemon. It’s also naturally sweeter than a regular lemon.
What is the best crust to use for this lemon pie?
The most traditional versions of this Arizona Sunshine Lemon Pie use a flaky butter crust. You can really reduce the total time it takes to make this pie by using a prepared, refrigerated pie crust. And while the ease of this recipe is the best part, if you prefer to make the crust from scratch, you can find my recipe here.
Another delicious option would be a graham cracker pie crust. The sweetness of the crust is a nice complement to the tart pie filling.
Although I have not tested this recipe using a frozen pie crust, I would assume that you would be okay following the same baking instructions as with a refrigerated pie crust.
How to Store this Arizona Sunshine Pie
The refrigerator is the best place for this cool and refreshing lemon pie. Cover it tightly with plastic wrap and it will last in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.
Tips for Success
Here are a few things to remember so your pie comes out perfect the very first time you make it:
- Weigh the lemon. Use a food scale to weigh out 4 ounces of lemon. Any more than that and you’ll risk the pie tasting too bitter.
- Use melted butter. Using butter that’s cold or at room temperature will not yield a smooth, cohesive pie filling.
- Do not place the pie on a cookie sheet, as other recipes suggest. It’s important for as much air to circulate all around the pie during baking as possible. Don’t worry, nothing will overflow.
- Although it’s nicknamed a “blender recipe”, I recommend using a food processor to make this pie. Unless you have a super powerful blender, a food processor will process the ingredients more smoothly.
When you make this Arizona Sunshine Lemon Pie recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Drop a rating or leave a comment below. Enjoy!
For more summer dessert recipes, try these:
For more desserts for lemon lovers, try these:
- Frozen Lemonade Pie with Mixed Berry Topping
- Lemon Shortbread Cut Out Sugar Cookies
- Lemon Ricotta Cookies
Arizona Sunshine Lemon Pie Recipe (Easy Blender Pie)
Ingredients
- 1 large lemon
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 package refrigerated pie crust (2 crusts)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Wash the outside of the lemon, being sure to scrub off any dirt. Slice the lemon and pick out the seeds. Using a food scale, weigh the lemon slices until you get 4 ounces. Place the 4 oz. of lemon slices into the bowl of a food processor. Discard any remaining lemon slices.
- Add eggs, vanilla, salt and sugar to the food processor. Blend on high speed, about 20 seconds. Lower the speed and slowly pour the melted butter through the feed tube. Process the mixture until smooth.
- Press one refrigerated pie crust into a 9" glass pie plate. Pour the lemon mixture into the pie crust. If desired, cut out shapes with the other pie crust using a cookie cutter. Arrange the shapes on top of the lemon mixture.
- Bake 35 minutes, until the pie is set but still a bit jiggly. Cool at room temperature. Then, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm.
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