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Atlantic Beach Pie is a delicious dessert with a salty saltine cracker crust and a sweet lemon filling. A combination that goes together perfectly!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
Occasionally I get an email from my good friend Sherra and it begins with the words – Must Make! Then there is a link to a recipe. I know if it comes from Sherra and it starts with those two words I can pretty much be guaranteed it’s going to be a good one.
She is always right, you must make this lemon pie recipe!!
I love all things lemon but I have to say that the star of this dessert is not the lemon, it is the crust which is made out of saltine crackers. The saltiness of the crust along with the sweetness of the filling is simply lovely! The salty cracker crusts helps make the pie not too sweet.
Why Is it Called Atlantic Beach Pie?
This story comes from the Our State: North Carolina online magazine. The story goes that in the 50’s in North Carolina they believed that if you ate dessert after a dinner of seafood you would die. Honest! The only exception to that though was Atlantic Beach Pie so it was a very popular dessert at seafood restaurants. I guess it has something to do with how lemon and fish go together.
The original recipe was made with a meringue crust. This cracker crust version was developed by cookbook author Chef Bill Smith.
Ingredients Needed
- Saltine crackers (about a sleeve and a half)
- Butter, use unsalted butter for this since there is so much salt in the crackers.
- Sugar
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Egg yolks
- Lemon juice, fresh squeezed
- Whipping Cream
How to Make Atlantic Beach Pie Recipe
- Crush up the saltine crackers, you don’t want them totally pulverized though. I like to put them in a zippered plastic bag and roll over them with a rolling pin.
- Combine the crumbs with sugar and softened butter and press into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate.
- Bake crust at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes.
- Cool the crust.
Lemon Cream Pie Filling
- In a medium bowl, combine fresh lemon juice, sweetened condensed milk and egg yolks and whisk together.
- Fill the crust with mixture.
- Bake again for 16 minutes or until filling has set.
- Refrigerate the pie until ready to serve. Chill completely before serving.
- Serve the pie topped with some whipped cream. Find out how to make sweetened whipped cream here.
How to Serve Atlantic Beach Pie?
- We love to add a dollop of whipped cream to the top of the pie.
- Add a sprinkling of lime zest for some extra color on top of the whipped cream.
- The pie does need time to chill and set up so be sure to prepare the night or morning before you plan to serve it.
Atlantic Beach Pie Variations
- Instead of lemon juice you could make more of a key lime pie using fresh lime juice or key lime juice.
- You could really use any kind of citrus juices, such as orange.
- To give it even more lemon flavor, add in the lemon zest of one lemon.
- If you prefer more sweet than salty, use graham cracker crumbs, vanilla wafers or gingersnaps for the crust.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long will Atlantic Beach Pie keep?
Keep leftover pie in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap. It will last for 3-4 days.
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Atlantic Beach Lemon Cream Pie
Ingredients
- 60 saltine crackers (about a sleeve and a half)
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 3 tablespoons sugar
For the filling:
- 14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
- 4 egg yolks
- ½ cup lemon juice
- Fresh whipped cream for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350
- Crush the crackers finely, but not to dust.
- You can use a food processor or place in a plastic bag and use a rolling pin to crush.
- Add the sugar, then knead in the butter until the crumbs hold together like dough.
- Press into an 8-inch pie pan. Chill for 15 minutes, then bake for 18 minutes or until the crust colors a little.
- While the crust is cooling (it doesn’t need to be cold), beat the egg into the milk, then beat in the lemon juice.
- Mix well.
- Pour into the shell and bake for 16 minutes until the filling has set. The pie needs to be completely cold to be sliced. Serve with fresh whipped cream
Tips & Notes:
- Instead of lemon juice you could make more of a key lime pie using fresh lime juice or key lime juice.
- You could really use any kind of citrus juices, such as orange.
- To give it even more lemon flavor, add in the lemon zest of one lemon.
- If you prefer more sweet than salty, use graham cracker crumbs, vanilla wafers or gingersnaps for the crust.
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Robyn says
I too love lemon – and this sounds deeelish!
Cindy says
I absolutely love lemon desserts and when I saw that crumbly crust, I knew I had to make this! I will be making it this weekend! Don’t you just love crackers?! I can eat them right out of the sleeve with or without toppings! Love your recipes!
Phaedra Kowis says
I have never seen it done with crackers. In the south it is called Lemon Iced box pie and it is a graham cracker crust and topped with a meringue or whipped cream. I will give this recipe a try with this new twist.
Martha @ A Family Feast says
I love a good salty-sweet combination – and this sounds so delicious! Pinned!
Sherra says
You are cracking me up! Did I email that recipe to you about 3 or 4 days ago? And you whipped it up that fast?! Looks delicious and just when we thought you have tested every lemon recipe ever made! Now I just need you to get some dry ice and ship one to Atlanta!! 😉