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 is a famous North Carolina dessert. Contrary to its name, it was created far from the ocean in Chapel Hill at a former restaurant named Crook’s Corner. The dessert was made for a coastal-themed event and based on creator Bill Smith’s memories of going to beach restaurants that served lemon pie.
After the event, Crook’s Corner added the pie to the menu, and patrons loved it! Then a cookbook author visited the restaurant, tried the pie, talked about it, and the rest is history. Many magazines and food writers have added to its 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 changed Ritz crackers to saltines because that was all he had in the restaurant kitchen. And it works well in this recipe, giving a salty-sweet taste to the crust.
This recipe makes a lot of crust which works well for a deep-dish pie pan. However, if you use a regular-sized 8-inch pie pan, 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, try storing it in the freezer for a while to cool it quickly. Also, about 4 hours of refrigeration time will chill this pie.
Eggs
When making this pie, beat the eggs very well to blend them with the other ingredients. I sometimes use an electric chopper or blender to beat the eggs well before using them. However, if you have a mixer with a whisk attachment, use it to whisk the eggs while making the filling. 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. The original recipe says to place whipped cream on top of the pie and then sprinkle salt on top of the cream. Instead, you can sprinkle salt on top of the lemon filling. Since the filling is so sweet, the salt helps to balance the sweetness. But don’t worry, the small amount of salt does not change the taste of the pie. If you are watching your salt intake, you can omit the salt and still have a tasty pie. 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 also a chilled pie but has 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
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 ยฝ sleeves saltine crackers (about 54 crackers)
- ยฝ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Filling
- (1) 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 4 egg yolks
- ยฝ cup lemon juice
- Whipped cream
- โ 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. If you don’t use a deep-dish pie dish, you will have crust leftover. (See the note below for reducing the amount of crust you make.)
- Chill the crust in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees 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, and 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 zipper bag and seal, pressing until expelling the air from the zipper 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 granulated sugar
- Six tablespoons melted butter