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Lemon-Espresso Pie

By Maya-Camille Broussard

Published on March 3, 2025

Time

1 hour, plus 7 hours chilling

Yield

Serves 8

Lemon-Espresso Pie

Ingredients

Crust

27 Oreo cookies, broken into rough pieces1 tablespoon ground espresso bean 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling

2 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk 4 large egg yolks 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest plus ¾ cup juice (4 lemons)¼ cup lemon curd

Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy cream, chilled2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar ½ teaspoon vanilla extract ½ vanilla bean 2 cups hot fudge sauce, warmed

Before You Begin

This recipe works well with Wilkin & Sons Tiptree Lemon Curd and Hershey’s Hot Fudge Topping. We developed this recipe in a Williams Sonoma Goldtouch Pro Nonstick Pie Dish, which is 9 inches and has a volume of 5¼ cups. If you’re using a different pie plate, make sure it holds at least 5¼ cups.

Instructions

    for the crust

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Pulse cookies and ground espresso in food processor until coarsely ground, about 15 pulses, then process to fine, even crumbs, about 15 seconds. Drizzle melted butter over crumbs and pulse to incorporate, about 5 pulses.
  2. Transfer mixture to 9-inch pie plate. Using your hands, press crumbs very firmly into bottom and up sides of pie plate. Using lightly greased bottom of dry measuring cup, press and smooth crust into even, compact layer. 
  3. for the filling

  4. In large bowl, whisk condensed milk and egg yolks until well combined. Slowly whisk in lemon juice until well combined. Stir in lemon zest with silicone spatula. Set aside until thickened, about 5 minutes.
  5. Place crust on rimmed baking sheet and pour filling into crust. Bake pie on sheet until outer ring of filling appears set and dry and center jiggles slightly when shaken, about 15 minutes. Transfer pie to wire rack and let cool slightly, about 15 minutes. Refrigerate pie until chilled and set, about 6 hours.
  6. Using silicone or offset spatula, spread lemon curd evenly over surface of pie; return pie to refrigerator until chilled, about 1 hour. (Filled pie can be refrigerated, covered loosely, for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 2 months. If frozen, thaw pie at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes before slicing.)
  7. for the whipped cream

  8. Add cream, sugar, and vanilla extract to bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Cut vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Using paring knife, gently scrape out seeds; transfer seeds to bowl with cream mixture and reserve pod for another use. Whip cream mixture on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form, 1 to 3 minutes.
  9. Cut pie into 8 slices. For each serving, spoon ¼ cup hot fudge sauce onto plate. Place pie slice on sauce and top with whipped cream. Serve.
Lemon-Espresso Pie
Photography by Steve Klise. Styling by Elle Simone Scott.

Lemon-Espresso Pie

Save

Time

1 hour, plus 7 hours chilling

Yield

Serves 8

Ingredients

Crust

27 Oreo cookies, broken into rough pieces
1 tablespoon ground espresso bean
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling

2 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
4 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest plus ¾ cup juice (4 lemons)
¼ cup lemon curd

Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy cream, chilled
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ vanilla bean
2 cups hot fudge sauce, warmed

Ingredients

Crust

27 Oreo cookies, broken into rough pieces
1 tablespoon ground espresso bean
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling

2 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
4 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest plus ¾ cup juice (4 lemons)
¼ cup lemon curd

Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy cream, chilled
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ vanilla bean
2 cups hot fudge sauce, warmed

Ingredients

Crust

27 Oreo cookies, broken into rough pieces
1 tablespoon ground espresso bean
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling

2 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
4 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest plus ¾ cup juice (4 lemons)
¼ cup lemon curd

Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy cream, chilled
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ vanilla bean
2 cups hot fudge sauce, warmed

Why This Recipe Works

This recipe was developed by Maya-Camille Broussard, owner of Justice of the Pies bakery in Chicago. With a rich, creamy filling and a crisp chocolate cookie crust, this Lemon-Espresso Pie boasts a unique and lovely combination of bright citrus and earthy mocha. Making it is also as easy as pie. For a simple icebox-style lemon filling, we combined luscious sweetened condensed milk and rich egg yolks with vibrant lemon juice. A mere 15 minutes in the oven set the filling. A tablespoon of ground espresso beans infused the classic Oreo crust with a jolt of pleasant black coffee bitterness, balancing the tartness and sweetness of the creamy lemon filling. A layer of lemon curd spread over the surface of the pie reinforced the fresh flavor of juicy lemons and gave it a glossy sheen. Plating slices atop a molten pool of hot fudge and with a dollop of vanilla whipped cream took this unforgettable pie over the top.

Before You Begin

This recipe works well with Wilkin & Sons Tiptree Lemon Curd and Hershey’s Hot Fudge Topping. We developed this recipe in a Williams Sonoma Goldtouch Pro Nonstick Pie Dish, which is 9 inches and has a volume of 5¼ cups. If you’re using a different pie plate, make sure it holds at least 5¼ cups.

Instructions

    for the crust

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Pulse cookies and ground espresso in food processor until coarsely ground, about 15 pulses, then process to fine, even crumbs, about 15 seconds. Drizzle melted butter over crumbs and pulse to incorporate, about 5 pulses.
  2. Transfer mixture to 9-inch pie plate. Using your hands, press crumbs very firmly into bottom and up sides of pie plate. Using lightly greased bottom of dry measuring cup, press and smooth crust into even, compact layer. 
  3. for the filling

  4. In large bowl, whisk condensed milk and egg yolks until well combined. Slowly whisk in lemon juice until well combined. Stir in lemon zest with silicone spatula. Set aside until thickened, about 5 minutes.
  5. Place crust on rimmed baking sheet and pour filling into crust. Bake pie on sheet until outer ring of filling appears set and dry and center jiggles slightly when shaken, about 15 minutes. Transfer pie to wire rack and let cool slightly, about 15 minutes. Refrigerate pie until chilled and set, about 6 hours.
  6. Using silicone or offset spatula, spread lemon curd evenly over surface of pie; return pie to refrigerator until chilled, about 1 hour. (Filled pie can be refrigerated, covered loosely, for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 2 months. If frozen, thaw pie at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes before slicing.)
  7. for the whipped cream

  8. Add cream, sugar, and vanilla extract to bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Cut vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Using paring knife, gently scrape out seeds; transfer seeds to bowl with cream mixture and reserve pod for another use. Whip cream mixture on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form, 1 to 3 minutes.
  9. Cut pie into 8 slices. For each serving, spoon ¼ cup hot fudge sauce onto plate. Place pie slice on sauce and top with whipped cream. Serve.

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