On a sticky summer day, the idea of turning the oven on and eating a piping-hot dessert feels downright yucky. Instead, during the scorching months, we like turn to icebox desserts, and our lemon icebox pie is a mouth-puckering favorite.
This no-bake pie features a fluffy, light filling of cream cheese, bright lemonade concentrate and whipped topping. A premade graham cracker crust means you don’t need to use the oven to do any baking at all—no blind baking required here!
The best lemon desserts are completely irresistible with their bright, citrusy flavor and ability to refresh you on even the hottest of days. This lemon icebox pie fits the bill.
Ingredients for Lemon Icebox Pie
- Cream cheese: Make sure your cream cheese is softened before starting this recipe so there are no lumps in the filling.
- Sweetened condensed milk: Sweetened condensed milk provides a concentrated sweetness and creaminess to the pie filling.
- Lemonade concentrate: Lemonade concentrate gives you all the yummy flavors of a glass of lemonade without adding excess liquid to your pie filling.
- Whipped topping: Whipped topping is folded into the pie filling to add body and a fluffy texture.
- Food coloring: A few drops of yellow food coloring impart a lemonade-like color to this no-bake lemon icebox pie.
- Graham cracker crust: We use a premade graham cracker crust to keep this lemon icebox pie recipe simple and bake-free, but you can certainly make your own homemade graham cracker crust!
Directions
Step 1: Create the filling
In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the cream cheese and milk until smooth. Beat in the lemonade concentrate.
Fold in the whipped topping and, if desired, food coloring.
Step 2: Chill
Pour the filling into the crust.
Cover with storage wrap, and refrigerate until set.
Editor’s Tip: You can smooth the top of the filling using a mini offset spatula and create little decorative swoops on top.
Recipe Variations
- Add a decoration: Top the pie with whipped topping or homemade sweetened whipped cream. Lemon slices, lemon zest or candied lemon peels would also elevate the pie’s look.
- Use a different crumb crust: Swap out the premade graham cracker crust for your own using different crumb crust ingredients. Nilla wafers, ice cream cones and even cereal would work well with this lemon icebox pie recipe.
- Swap out the lemon for orange: Substitute 3/4 cup thawed orange juice concentrate for the lemonade, add 1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel, and omit the food coloring.
- Make it a creamy pineapple pie: Substitute one can (8 ounces) of crushed, undrained pineapple and 1/4 cup lemon juice for the lemonade. Omit the cream cheese and food coloring.
How to Store Lemon Icebox Pie
To store, cover the no-bake lemon icebox pie in a few layers of storage wrap. It can last in the fridge for up to four days. However, we don’t recommend freezing this pie. If you know how to freeze pie, you’ll know that cream-based pies (such as this one) don’t freeze very well. The contents will separate after thawing and create a runny mess.
Lemon Icebox Pie Tips
How long do you refrigerate lemon icebox pie?
Once assembled, refrigerate your lemon icebox pie for at least four hours before serving. That way you can serve up a sturdy, well-set slice.
Why is it called lemon icebox pie?
Lemon icebox pie earned its name thanks to the cold-storage appliance we used before refrigeration: the icebox! An icebox was an insulated box that used large blocks of ice to keep food cold back in the day, including this pie!
