This sweet Atlantic Beach Lemon Pie is tangy and creamy. It is made with sweetened condensed milk and eggs and baked in a saltine cracker crust. Enjoy this sweet treat any time of the year.
History of Atlantic Beach Lemon Pie
Atlantic Beach lemon pie, a renowned North Carolina dessert, originated in Chapel Hill at Crook’s Corner, not by the ocean. Inspired by creator Bill Smith’s memories of beach restaurants serving lemon pie, he added the pie to the menu, and patrons loved it! Since then, many magazines and food writers have increased the recipe’s popularity by publishing the recipe.
The Crust
When Bill Smith created the Atlanta Beach lemon pie, he remembered restaurants using buttery Ritz crackers for the crust. He put his twist on the crust by changing Ritz crackers to saltines because that was all he had in the restaurant kitchen. And it works well in this recipe, giving an unexpected texture to the crust.
This recipe makes a lot of crust, which works well for a deep-dish pie pan. However, using a regular-sized 8-inch pie pan instead of a deep dish, use the ingredient amounts listed in the notes section to make less pie crust.
Chilling the Atlantic Beach Lemon Pie
Serve this pie cold and preferably the next day. However, if you want to serve it sooner, place it in the freezer to cool it quickly. Also, about 4 hours of refrigeration time will chill this pie.
Eggs
When making this pie, beat the eggs well using a mixer with a whisk attachment. Alternatively, use a whisk and beat them vigorously by hand, then whisk in the other ingredients until well blended. Be aware that whisking the eggs can create bubbles. One way to break up surface bubbles after you pour the pie filling into the crust is to use a toothpick. Place the tip of the toothpick on the surface of the pie. Use a zig-zag motion to burst the bubbles, and don’t worry about breaking them all.
Salt for Atlantic Beach Lemon Pie
This pie has a sprinkling of coarse sea salt on top, paying homage to its salt air beach origins. The original recipe suggests adding whipped cream on top of the pie and then sprinkling salt over the cream. However, you can also sprinkle the salt directly on the lemon filling. Since the filling is quite sweet, the salt helps to balance that sweetness. Rest assured, the small amount of salt won’t alter the pie’s overall flavor. If you’re mindful of your salt intake, feel free to omit the salt—your pie will still be delicious. Enjoy!
Another Tangy Condensed Milk Recipe
Click here for a Key Lime Pie recipe that is similar to this recipe. The Key Lime pie is a chilled pie with an almond crust.
Other Lemon Recipes You Might Like
- Lemon Chess Tarts
- Chinese Style Lemon Chicken
- Pink Lemonade Mermaid Cakes
- Blue Ribbon Lemon Muffins
- Pink Lemonade Macarons
- Chicken Piccata
- No-Bake Strawberry Lemon Pie
- Pink and Yellow Spring Cake
- Lemon Buttercream in Stars
Atlantic Beach Lemon Pie
Equipment
- (1) 8-inch deep dish pie pan
- mixer with whisk attachment (optional)
- food processor or electric chopper (optional)
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 ½ sleeves saltine crackers (about 54 crackers)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Filling
- (1) 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 4 egg yolks
- ½ cup lemon juice
- Whipped cream
- ⅛ teaspoon coarse sea salt
Instructions
Crust
- Place crackers into a food processor bowl. Add the sugar and melted butter. Pulse to chop the crackers to a coarse consistency. See notes below for making the crust without a food processor.
- Press the crushed crackers into a pie dish. Tamp down the cracker crumbs with the bottom of a cup or other tamper. Use your fingers to tamp down the crust on the sides of the pie pan. You may have too much crust if you don't use a deep-dish pie dish. (See the note below for reducing the crust amount.)
- Chill the crust in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Then, bake the crust for 13 minutes.
Filling
- Make the filling while the crust cools. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs well with the mixer's whisk attachment. Then, add the condensed milk and lemon juice. Mix well.
- Pour filling into the crust. Bake for 16 minutes until the filling sets. The center will be jiggly when it comes out of the oven.
- Cool the pie for an hour, then place it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or until it is cold. Serve cold with whipped cream and the sea salt sprinkled on top.
Notes
Alternative Method for Crust Making
Place crackers into a gallon resealable bag and seal, pressing until the air is expelled from the bag. Use a rolling pin to crush the crackers. Place the crushed crackers into a medium-sized mixing bowl and add the sugar and melted butter. Stir until well mixed.Pie Dish Size
This recipe makes enough crust for an 8- or 9-inch deep-dish pan. If you are using an 8-inch pan that is not a deep dish, you can cut back on the amount of crust you make by using these amounts instead of the ones listed in the recipe:- One sleeve of saltine crackers (about 36 crackers)
- Two tablespoons of granulated sugar
- Six tablespoons of melted butter