Atlantic Beach Pie

Atlantic Beach Pie has a saltine cracker crust, a tart lemon custard filling, and whipped cream on top. This amazing summer pie is frequently served at seafood restaurants in Atlantic Beach, NC. It’s a simple pie with contrasting flavors that’s perfect for warm weather.

The best thing about this pie is the Saltine cracker crust. It is so unique and gives the pie a distinctive flavor. This pie has the perfect balance between the sweetness of the sweetened condensed milk and the tartness of the lemon. It’s a magical combination.

Atlantic Beach Pie got National recognition thanks to Chef Bill Smith, the well known chef of Crook’s Corner in Chapel Hill, NC. This recipe is a slight adaptation of his recipe.

Atlantic Beach Pie is super easy to make. Great for lazy summer days. The filling only has 3 ingredients: egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk, and fresh lemon juice. The original Atlantic Beach Pies most likely had a meringue topping, but meringues have fallen out of favor, and it’s hard to beat a whipped cream topping. Most likely, since the pie filling uses only egg yolks, the egg whites were used for a meringue so they wouldn’t be wasted. I just refrigerate them and use them for an omelet the next morning.

Tips for making Atlantic Beach Pie:

It’s easiest to crush the Saltines in a food processor, but you can do it by hand if you don’t have a food processor. Place them in a large ziptop bag and crush them with a rolling pin or a heavy pan.

The pie needs to be completely chilled before slicing.

More Lemon Desserts:

• Slow Cooker Lemon Cake
• Lemon Chess Pie
• No-Bake Pink Lemonade Pie
• Lemon Lush

Atlantic Beach Pie

5 from 1 vote

Prep: 25 minutes mins

Cook: 15 minutes mins

Servings: 8

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Atlantic Beach Pie has a saltine cracker crust, a tart lemon custard filling, and whipped cream on top. A southern summertime favorite!

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Ingredients

Crust

• ▢ 60 Saltine crackers
• ▢ 1/4 cup sugar
• ▢ 12 tablespoons salted butter,, melted

Filling

• ▢ 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• ▢ 4 large egg yolks
• ▢ 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• ▢ 3 drops yellow food coloring,, optional

Topping

• ▢ 2 cups Cool Whip or freshly whipped cream

Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly spray a deep dish 9-inch pie pan with cooking spray.
• Place Saltine crackers in a food processor with sugar and pulse 12-15 times to coarsely grind.
• Add melted butter and pulse about 10 more times.
• Press mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pie pan.
• Bake until lightly golden, about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together condensed milk, egg yolks, and lemon juice. Pour into pie crust.
• Bake for 15 minutes or until set. Let cool 1 hour and then refrigerate overnight.
• Top with cool whip or whipped cream before serving.

Notes

The pie needs to be completely chilled before slicing.

If you don't have a food pprocessor, place the Saltines in a large ziptop bag and crush them with a rolling pin.

A few drops of yellow food coloring gives a bright yellow hue to the filling, but thanks to the egg yolks, the filling is yellow without the food coloring.

Nutrition

Calories: 513kcal

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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