No-Bake Lemon Icebox Pie
The Best Lemon Icebox Pie Recipe – This foolproof no-bake icebox dessert features a graham cracker crust, luscious and creamy lemon filling, plus a fluffy whipped topping. It’s perfect for summer picnics and parties!
Perfect Lemon Icebox Pie
If you love lemon cream pie, and you love icy-cold classic key lime pie, you are going to go nuts over this Lemon Icebox Pie recipe. Seriously, I dare you to try and make it only one time this season… Not gonna happen.
No-bake Lemon Icebox Pie is a perfectly bright and tangy dessert, layered with cream topping, and ice cold to satisfy any summertime sweet tooth. It’s just the right combination of all the good things that make you still want a bit more after every bite.
Our classic recipe for lemon ice box pie is easy to make ahead in just a few steps – no baking required! Simply crumble and press the graham cracker crust together, blend together the creamy lemon filling, add a fluffy whipped topping, and chill to perfection.
Prepare it a day or so before your summer gatherings for a foolproof and effortless dessert that everyone will love! Or make this sweetly sunny, wonderfully vibrant Lemon Icebox Pie recipe anytime you are craving some of those #summervibes.
And guess what? This no-bake pie can even be made as a key lime pie, too! Keep reading for the complete steps and our handy tips to make the best lemon-or-lime icebox pie from scratch.
Ingredients You Need
There are three components necessary to make the perfect Lemon Icebox Pie recipe: a soft graham cracker crust, silky lemon pie filling, and that signature whipped topping.
For the Graham Cracker Crust You Need:
- Graham crackers
- Melted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Salt
To Make the Lemon Pie Filling You Need:
- Cream cheese
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Lemon juice and zest
For the Creamy Topping You Need:
- Cool whip
- Sour cream
- Powdered sugar
How to Make the Best No-Bake Lemon Icebox Pie
It takes a breezy 20 minutes to put together this tangy-licious ice box pie. However, note that it should then be refrigerated (actually, frozen) for a few hours before it’s ready to enjoy. I recommend making the Lemon Icebox Pie the day before or the morning of your afternoon potluck, picnic, or evening dinner.
For the best (nearly) effortless icebox pie with a creamy lemon filling, first, make the perfectly crumbly graham cracker crust. Set out a 9-inch pie pan and place the graham crackers in a food processor. Lock the lid into place and pulse into a fine crumb. Then add in the melted butter, sugar, and salt. Pulse to combine.
Dump the graham cracker crumble into the pie pan. Use your hands to press it into an even layer over the bottom of the pan and up the sides a bit. Refrigerate until ready to fill.
Wipe out the food processor bowl. Then add in the cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice and lemon zest.
Get the Complete (Printable) Lemon Icebox Pie Recipe + VIDEO Below. Enjoy!
Puree until the lemon filling is smooth and creamy. Scoop the filling into the pie crust, spread out evenly, and continue to refrigerate.
Lastly, prepare the tangy whipped topping. In a medium bowl, mix together the sour cream and powdered sugar. Stir until smooth. Then fold in the cool whip. Don’t over-stir the mixture since you want it to stay fluffy.
Spread the topping over the lemon pie filling, and garnish with lemon slices, if you like. Then place the lemon pie in the freezer – AKA the “icebox” – for at least 4 hours, undisturbed.
How to Serve Lemon Ice box Pie
When ready to enjoy, cut the pie into slices while frozen. Plate each piece and let it sit out at room temperature for about 10 minutes, then serve slightly softened.
Recipe Variations
Prepare as a Single-Layer Pie with No Whipped Topping
If you want one thicker layer of lemon filling with no topping, omit the powder sugar and sour cream. Then fold the cool whip into the lemon pie filling before scooping into the crust.
How to Make This a No-Bake Key Lime Icebox Pie Recipe
Want to make an easy no-bake key lime pie? Just swap the fresh lemon juice for fresh-squeezed key lime juice. It’s ultra-tart and frosty, just like they serve it in the Florida Keys.
Like in the above tip, you can omit the whipped topping and make this as a single-layer dessert. Simply fold the cool whip right into the lime pie filling before scooping into the crust.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sure! Just use your preferred brand of gluten-free graham crackers to make this an easy no-bake GF-friendly dessert.
The lemon ice box pie will stay fresh in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Cover the pie with plastic wrap before putting in the fridge, and cut the pie while still cold to serve.
Absolutely, this no-bake dessert recipe is great to freeze! After all, it’s made to be frozen. Cover the pie well with plastic cling wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil. Keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Looking for More Delicious No-Bake Dessert Recipes?
- Fluffy No-Bake Strawberry Cream Pie
- Magic Chocolate Eclair Cake
- Fluffy No-Bake Chocolate Banoffee Pie
- Crispy No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
- Cinnamon Cream Pie with Brown Sugar Whipped Cream
No-Bake Lemon Icebox Pie Recipe
Ingredients
For the Graham Cracker Crust –
- 12 whole graham crackers 1 ½ cups crushed
- 7 tablespoons melted butter
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Lemon Pie Filling –
- 8 ounce cream cheese
- 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice
- Zest of 1 lemon
Cream Topping –
- 8 ounce Cool Whip
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Set out a 9-inch pie pan and a food processor. Place the graham crackers in the food processor. Lock the lid into place and pulse into a fine crumb. Then add in the melted butter, sugar, and salt. Pulse to combine.
- Dump the graham cracker crumble into the pie pan. Use your hands to press it into an even layer over the bottom of the pan and up the sides. Refrigerate until ready to fill.
- Wipe out the food processor bowl. Then add in the cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice and lemon zest. Puree until smooth. Pour/scoop the filling into the pie crust and continue to refrigerate.
- In a medium bowl, mix the sour cream and powdered sugar. Stir until smooth. Then fold in the Cool Whip. Spread the topping over the lemon pie filling and place in the freezer for at least 4 hours, undisturbed.
- When ready to serve, cut into pieces while frozen. Let each piece sit out at room temperature for 10 minutes, then serve slightly softened. Garnish with lemon sliced if desired.
I loved everything about this pie and my family did too. However, patting the Graham cracker crust in the bottom of the pie plate and not baking it didn’t work for me.. It literally glue itself to the pie plate and I practically had to chisel it out. Luckily nobody cared! Next time I will bake it and cool it then add the other 2 layers.
My family is going to love this! The flavors are perfect and I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Absolutely delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
This pie is such a great dessert, and I love a great no bake dessert as well!
This looks delicious!! Will make it this week.