Lemon Raspberry Layered Pie Delights

This is a sunshine-in-a-slice kind of dessert. Think silky lemon cheesecake mousse, a quick raspberry jammy swirl, and a salty-sweet graham crust that doesn’t crumble to dust the second you breathe. It’s light but not wimpy, tart in a good way, and absolutely the pie I pull out when I want people to gasp a little before they ask for seconds.

My husband calls this “the birthday pie that accidentally shows up on Tuesdays.” It started as a summer thing, then I made it in October, and then one Wednesday when we had cereal for dinner—boom—pie. The kiddo sneaks the raspberries off the top, I pretend not to notice, and we all have a sliver straight from the fridge at 9 p.m. and declare it “quality control.” It’s become our house tradition to cut the first slice too soon, watch it lean a bit, and then eat it anyway because life’s short and this pie is good.

How to Make It

Start by tossing raspberries in a tiny pot with sugar, a squeeze of lemon, and a spoon of cornstarch. Let it bubble for a few minutes until glossy—then shove it in the freezer to cool down fast because we are impatient people. Crush graham crackers (bag + rolling pin = therapy), stir in melted butter, a pinch of salt, and press into a 9-inch pie plate with the bottom of a measuring cup. You can bake it 8 minutes for extra snap or just chill it 20 minutes if turning on the oven feels rude today.

Whip super-cold cream to soft peaks. In another bowl, beat room-temp cream cheese with lemon curd, zest, vanilla, and a whisper of salt until smooth and dreamy. Fold the whipped cream into the lemon mix—slowly, like you care—so it stays cloudlike. Layer half the lemon filling over the crust, spoon on ribbons of raspberry, swirl with a butter knife, repeat. A little extra whipped cream on top if you’ve got it, then chill at least 4 hours (overnight is A+). Slice, admire, and act surprised when everyone wants more.

✔Ingredient Notes

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– Graham crackers: Go fine on the crumbs so the crust holds. If it’s too sandy, add another tablespoon of butter. A quick 8-minute bake = extra crisp.
– Unsalted butter: Melted is the glue. If your crust is crumbling, you didn’t use enough or you didn’t pack it tight.
– Cream cheese: Room temp or it turns lumpy and you’ll say bad words. Full-fat for best texture.
– Lemon curd: Store-bought totally flies. Tartness varies, so taste and add a little zest if it’s shy.
– Heavy cream: Chill the bowl and beaters. Stop at soft peaks—overwhip and it gets grainy fast.
– Raspberries: Fresh or frozen (thaw and drain). Don’t want seeds? Press the sauce through a strainer—annoying but worth it if seeds bug you.
– Granulated sugar: Just enough to balance tart lemon. You can dial it down if your curd is sweet already.
– Cornstarch: The raspberry thickener. Skip it and the swirl may run. Arrowroot works too.
– Lemon zest + juice: Brightness! Zest first, then juice, so you’re not wrestling a bald lemon.
– Vanilla + pinch of salt: Rounds out the citrus so it tastes like a real dessert, not a cleaning product.

✔Recipe Steps

1. Simmer 2 cups raspberries with 1/3 cup sugar, 1 tbsp lemon juice, and 1 tbsp cornstarch over medium heat 5–7 minutes until glossy; cool completely.
2. Crush 1 1/2 cups graham crumbs with 6 tbsp melted butter, 2 tbsp sugar, and a pinch of salt; press into a 9-inch pie plate; bake 8 minutes at 350°F or chill 20 minutes.
3. Chill mixing bowl and beaters 10 minutes; whip 1 cup heavy cream to soft peaks; set aside.
4. Beat 8 oz room-temp cream cheese until smooth; add 1 cup lemon curd, 1 tsp lemon zest, 1/2 tsp vanilla, and a pinch of salt; mix until silky.
5. Fold whipped cream into lemon mixture gently; spread half over crust; spoon on half the raspberry sauce and swirl; repeat with remaining layers.
6. Chill at least 4 hours (overnight best); garnish with fresh raspberries and zest; slice 8–10 pieces and serve cold.

What to Serve It With

– Iced tea with lemon wheels or a bubbly Prosecco if you’re celebrating anything (even Tuesday).
– Grilled chicken or salmon—bright dessert after a savory dinner just works.
– Brunch spread: quiche, fruit salad, and this pie stealing the show.

✔Tips & Mistakes

– Let the raspberry sauce cool fully or it’ll melt the filling into a slip ’n slide.
– Don’t overwhip the cream—soft peaks are your friend. Grainy = over the line.
– If the crust won’t hold, pack it harder or add 1–2 tbsp more butter.
– Too tart? Drizzle a little honey over slices. Too sweet? Extra zest on top fixes it.
– Give it time to set. Cutting at 2 hours is chaos; 4+ hours is clean slices.

✔Storage Tips

Fridge it, covered, for up to 3 days. The crust stays snappy on day one, mellows by day two (still great). It’s glorious cold—like lemon-raspberry icebox heaven—and yes, I fully support breakfast pie. To freeze, wrap the whole pie well and freeze up to 1 month; thaw in the fridge overnight and expect a slightly softer swirl but all the flavor.

✔Variations and Substitutions

– Shortbread crust instead of graham: richer, more buttery. Oreo crust: decadent and a little over-the-top (in a good way).
– Gluten-free: use GF cookies for the crust and you’re set.
– Dairy-free: swap vegan cream cheese and use coconut cream (chilled, whipped) instead of heavy cream. Texture changes, still delish.
– Blueberry or strawberry swirl: same method, same cornstarch. Blackberries work too—strain those seeds.
– Honey or maple syrup: use in the raspberry sauce (reduce by a tablespoon to keep it thick). Honey ↔ sugar both fine here.
– No lemon curd? Use 3/4 cup lemon juice + zest, 1/2 cup sugar, and add an extra 4 oz cream cheese; it’ll be more cheesecake, less curd, but still bright.
– Jar version: layer crumbs, lemon filling, raspberry, repeat in 8 small jars; chill 2–3 hours.

Frequently Asked Questions

Lemon Raspberry Layered Pie Delights

Bright lemon cream meets a luscious raspberry layer in this no-bake, make-ahead pie with a buttery graham cracker crust and a cloud of whipped cream.

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Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes minutes

Total Time: 33 minutes minutes

Servings: 10

Calories: 120kcal

Ingredients

 

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Main Ingredients

• ▢ 1.5 cups graham cracker crumbs about 12 sheets, finely crushed
• ▢ 0.25 cup granulated sugar for crust
• ▢ 0.33 cup unsalted butter melted
• ▢ 16 oz cream cheese softened
• ▢ 14 oz sweetened condensed milk 1 can
• ▢ 0.5 cup lemon juice freshly squeezed
• ▢ 1 tbsp lemon zest
• ▢ 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ▢ 1.5 cups heavy whipping cream well chilled
• ▢ 0.33 cup powdered sugar
• ▢ 2 cups fresh raspberries plus juices if thawed frozen are used
• ▢ 0.5 cup seedless raspberry jam
• ▢ 1 tbsp cornstarch
• ▢ 2 tbsp water for slurry
• ▢ 0.25 tsp kosher salt
• ▢ 0.5 cup fresh raspberries for garnish

Instructions

Preparation Steps

• Make the crust: In a bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, granulated sugar, and melted butter until the mixture resembles wet sand. Press firmly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch pie dish. Chill while you prepare the filling.
• Lemon cream filling: In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Mix in sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla until silky with no lumps.
• Whipped cream: Whip the heavy cream with powdered sugar to medium peaks. Gently fold half of the whipped cream into the lemon filling. Reserve the remaining whipped cream for topping.
• Raspberry layer: In a small saucepan, whisk cornstarch with water to make a slurry. Add raspberries, raspberry jam, and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until thick and glossy and berries just break down, about 3 to 5 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
• Assemble: Spread half of the lemon filling into the chilled crust. Spoon the raspberry mixture over the top in an even layer. Cover with the remaining lemon filling and smooth the surface.
• Chill and finish: Refrigerate at least 3 hours to set. Top with the reserved whipped cream and garnish with fresh raspberries. Slice and serve cold.

Notes

For clean slices, chill the pie overnight and warm a knife under hot water between cuts. Swap raspberry jam for strawberry in a pinch, and add an extra 0.25 tsp lemon zest for a brighter citrus kick.