Sunshine in a pie shell? That pretty much describes this dairy free and Gluten Free Arizona Sunshine Lemon Pie! This easy lemon custard pie is a throwback to simpler times—and a game-changer for anyone who thought they had to give up on homemade pies.
What is Arizona Sunshine Lemon Pie?
A charmingly retro dessert, this pie recipe traces its roots to the southwestern United States, where whole-lemon pies were a practical (and delicious) way to use up an abundance of citrus. The term “Arizona Sunshine” reflects the pie’s golden, sun-soaked appearance and bright flavor. I imagine it has gained in popularity because it’s also the easiest way I can imagine to concoct a homemade lemon custard pie.
It’s often compared to lemon bars or lemon chess pie, but again, an even easier recipe to make. If you find yourself hankerin for gluten-free lemon bars though, don’t miss that crowd favorite recipe here at gfJules.com.
But back to Karen, the reader who shared this ingenious pie recipe with me. She had given up on making gluten free pies after so many years of gluten-free pie making disappointment (if this sounds familiar, you’re not alone!). But when she found my gfJules Flour, she decided to give it a go in pie crusts.
Thankfully she put it to the test, because it passed with flying colors, and now she’s back happily making pies again, as you should be, too!
How Do I Make the Lemon Custard Filling for This Pie?
The sunshine in this pie is the lemon custard: a classic, old-fashioned filling made unbelievably simple with just six ingredients—and mixed right in your blender. I’d like to emphasize that the filling for this recipe is not my idea, although I’d love to claim it (it’s really so brilliant); this recipe seems to be one that many have shared for generations.
And if you love a good blender recipe like I do, you’re also going to love this lemon custard pie! A powerful blender like my beloved Blendtec (shop here with 10% off using code GFJULES) will make quick work of this filling and you’ll have it mixed in 1-2 minutes! If you don’t have a strong blender though, you’ll want to use a food processor instead, since this recipe calls for 1 whole lemon, rind and all, and you don’t want any notable pieces of rind making their way into this smooth custard.
Again, with this filling, there’s no tempering the eggs, no stovetop, absolutely no fuss. The whole lemon (rind and all) gets blitzed into a smooth, creamy, sweet-tart custard that somehow makes you yearn for a good diner or maybe your grandma’s back porch.
It’s the easiest lemon custard pie you’ll ever make, and the flavor is the perfect balance of tart and sweet in every bite.
How Do I Blind Bake A Gluten Free Pie Crust?
The gluten free pie crust is the other piece of the pie you’ll need to master, and luckily that’s not difficult either (see Karen’s note, above). With the right gluten free flour blend and crust recipe, you too, can be baking delicious, flaky, gluten free pies like a pro!
In recipes like these, you’ll want to par-bake the pie dough (also called “Blind Baking” the pie). It’s not hard, just roll the dough out, put it in the pie plate, cover with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans (like I do, as I don’t have pie weights) and bake for about 10 minutes.
At that point, you’ll fill the partially baked crust with the filling you make while it’s baking, then finish the bake. Easy peasy! The blind bake step just helps keep the crust from getting soggy with that custardy filling inside.
For lots more details on how to blind bake a gluten-free pie crust, hop to my recipe here.
Whether you’re looking for a gluten free lemon custard pie, a dairy free lemon blender pie, or a vintage recipe that actually works for modern dietary needs, this Arizona Sunshine Lemon Pie delivers. Made with gfJules® gluten free all-purpose flour, the crust is tender, flaky, and 100% grit-free. It’s everything you’ve been missing from homemade pies—without the gluten, dairy, or hassle.
Gluten Free Arizona Sunshine Lemon Pie
Equipment
Ingredients
Gluten Free Pie Crust
- 1 (135) grams gfJules All-Purpose Gluten Free Flour
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 (1) Tablespoons (ounce) shortening (I prefer Spectrum® Palm Oil shortening) OR 1⅛ ounce cream cheese (vegan or dairy)
- 3 Tablespoons butter or non-dairy alternative
- 3 Tablespoons vodka* OR white or rice vinegar
- 1 Tablespoons cold water
Lemon Custard Filling
- 1 large whole lemon washed with seeds removed
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1/2 cup butter or vegan butter melted and cooled slightly
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1½ cups white sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
To Make the Gluten Free Pie Dough:
- In a bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Cut in the shortening and butter using a pastry cutter (or the flat paddle attachment on a stand mixer or a food processor). Do not overwork! It should be pebbly, not smooth.
- Add the vodka/water gradually to make the consistency you need to form a ball – err on the side of it being wetter rather than crumbly, but not sticky or actually wet. Don’t over-work the dough, or it may become tough when baked. Form a disc with the dough, wrap in plastic and set aside in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375 ℉.
Rolling the Dough:
- After allowing the dough to rest, roll the pastry out onto a surface dusted well with gfJules All Purpose Gluten Free Flour.
- Use a flexible pastry mat (e.g. Silpat) and rolling pin covers or a pie crust bag for rolling and transferring your gluten free crust easily.
- Gently roll in each direction -- do not press down on the pin while rolling -- to a circle with a diameter at least 1 inch larger than that of your pie pan.
To Transfer the Crust:
- Gently lift an edge of the rolled out crust over your rolling pin. With one hand under the baking mat, use the pin in the other hand to lift the crust so that it is supported by the rolling pin as you pull the crust gently off of the baking mat. Transfer gently over the pie plate to center. Drop gently into the plate and press in with floured fingers. Pat into your pan.
- Cut the edges of the crust to an even length of approximately 1-inch larger than the diameter of your pie plate.
- Gently fold the edges under, then press with a fork or pinch into a fluted design between your fingers.
Blind Baking Gluten Free Pie Crust:
- Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork to help prevent air bubbles from forming. Lay foil or parchment over the pie dough and gently up the sides. Place pie weights or dry beans or rice onto the top of the foil to help keep the crust from puffing during the bake.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and remove the foil and weights.
Make Custard Filling:
- Add all ingredients to a strong blender or food processor. Pulse until totally smooth.
Assemble Pie:
- Pour the lemon custard filling into the par-baked pie crust.
- Place the pie in the preheated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the custard is set and the top is lightly golden. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean.
Cool and Serve:
- Allow the pie to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
Garnish (Optional):
- Before serving, dust the top with powdered sugar or garnish with lemon slices.
** Please keep in mind that nutrition information provided is per serving, which may vary. While we have taken care to provide you with the most accurate nutritional values possible, please note that this information may differ significantly depending on the exact ingredients and brands that you choose to use to make this recipe. Additionally, where options are given for ingredients, the resulting calculation may include all ingredient options instead of only one per line, skewing the totals significantly.
I hope you love this recipe, too!
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I have a gluten free frozen pie crust. Should I pre-bake it before adding this filling?
Hmmm good question! I’ve never used one! Does it have directions on it about blind baking at all? If not, I’d treat it like the frozen homemade ones in my post linked here, and then par-bake it. Hopefully that will do the trick!
~jules
Thanks! One more question… the butter. It’s put into the blender as a solid and not softened or melted?
Hi Brenna, good question — it’s melted but cooled some so it doesn’t cook the eggs when added to the blender! 🙂
~jules
can i use something other than lemon?
Hi Rose, this is a lemon custard pie, so not using lemon would change the recipe substantially. You could make the easy switch to lime or orange or another citrus, but beyond that, I’d suggest just trying a different pie recipe.
~jules
Would LUV to make this, but don’t have a blender and not going to buy one for one recipe! 😉 What suggestions or substitution can I make for the lemon rind?
Hi Janet, do you have a food processor? That’s what I suggest in the recipe notes above the recipe card. Beyond that, I would say you could try manually zesting and adding that to the inside of the lemon without the actual rind. Having not tried that myself, I’m not sure if it will throw off the texture or not, but there’s only one way to try! The lemon flavor will be somewhat more muted without the full rind, but you could supplement with a 1/4 tsp. lemon extract. Let me know how it goes!
~jules