Easy No-Bake Lemon Icebox Pie
Easy No-Bake Lemon Icebox Pie can be made up in 15 minutes or less then it just needs to chill until dessert time. It’s easy and delicious and the perfect no bake dessert for lemon lovers!
Originally posted July 2016, updated January 2025.
No Bake Lemon Pie
When I think about this No-Bake Lemon Icebox Pie recipe, I always think of my Aunt Carol. My Mama also made it often growing up but for whatever reason, I associate it with Aunt Carol.
It’s not a lemon meringue pie and it’s not quite the exact recipe for an old fashioned lemon icebox pie, but it’s the perfect combination of a a classic graham cracker crust with a creamy lemon filling that is sweet and tart!
I should note: this is not her original Lemon Icebox Pie recipe; I’ve tweaked it over the years, but it’s still one of my favorite easy desserts! The main variation is that I made this no bake lemon pie with cream cheese.
And gosh, it really makes it so much better! But if you don’t have or don’t want to use cream cheese, you can absolutely skip the cream cheese in this recipe and make a Lemon Icebox Pie without cream cheese!
Why You’ll Love this No Bake Lemon Icebox Pie
This recipe for lemon icebox pie has so many great qualities that will make you love it just as much as we do:
Easy. With only a handful of ingredients and a few minutes of your time, this lemon ice box pie is the perfect dessert when you want to keep things simple.
Make-ahead dessert. Because this pie needs to chill to set up, it’s a great recipe when you want to work ahead and prepare dessert ahead of time!
Party Perfect. This is the perfect pie for a hot summer day, a yummy dessert at home, or anything in between. With it’s creamy filling and buttery crust, it’s the best creamy lemon icebox pie!
Sweet & Tart. I love the combo of sweet and tart and lemon desserts are so refreshing! If you love this combo, you might also love my Key Lime Pie recipe.
No Oven Needed! When you’re already battling the summer heat, I love having an easy no bake recipe that doesn’t require my oven and this icebox pie is it!
More Lemon Recipes
Tools Needed
- Food processor or blender
- 9-inch pie plate
- Electric Mixer with Bowl
- Or Hand Mixer & Large Bowl
- Spatula
- Piping bag
- Star tip
- Citrus zester, optional if you want to garnish with fresh lemon zest
- Sharp knife
- Measuring cups
Ingredients
Easy Lemon Icebox Pie has all simple ingredients found at your local grocery store!
- Graham Crackers – I prefer a homemade graham cracker crust, but if that’s not your thing, or you’re in a pinch to make it fast, fast, fast – buy a pre-made graham cracker crust. Either way, it’s still delicious!
- Salted Butter, melted
- Brown Sugar.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk
- Cream Cheese, at room temperature
- Lemon Juice – fresh lemon juice is preferred but bottled works just fine!
- Cool Whip
- Fresh Lemons (optional)
Find the complete recipe with ingredients measurements in the recipe card below.
Substitutions
The ingredients for this delicious dessert are already really basic, but if you need to make substitutions, here are a few suggestions.
Graham crackers. You can use Gluten-free graham crackers to make the dish gluten-free. If you do this, add 2 tablespoons more butter. You can also blend pretzels for a sweet and salty flavor or use vanilla wafers for a sweeter crust. You can also use graham cracker crumbs to skip crushing them yourself.
Brown sugar. If you are out, you can mix one cup of granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon of molasses for light brown sugar and 2 tablespoons for dark brown sugar. Mix until thoroughly mixed and all sugar is evenly coated, then use what you need for the recipe and store the remaining in an airtight container. You can also simply substitute white sugar for the brown and call it a day!
Cream Cheese. For this recipe full fat cream cheese is recommended, but you can use fat-free. It will be a bit tangier, and though it will have a creamy texture, it won’t have the full-body creaminess that full fat will give.
Cool Whip. You can make your own real whipped cream with heavy cream (recipe here), but you will want to make it as a stabilized whipped cream, which means you need to add 1 teaspoon of gelatin, corn starch, or instant pudding to the mixture when you make the fresh whipped cream.
Easy No-Bake Lemon Icebox Pie
This easy lemon pie recipe is so insanely easy to make and a family favorite for everyone in my big extended family!
Make the Graham Cracker Pie Crust
- Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor or blender until fine crumbs. Add in the melted butter and brown sugar. Pulse the mixture a few times just until combined.
- Press the crumbs into a 9-inch pie pan. Use the bottom of a glass or measuring cup to get really good corners!
Make the Lemon Filling
The filling for this lemon icebox pie with condensed milk is the best part! It’s so silky and sweet – just perfection!
- In the bowl of your mixer, beat together the sweetened condensed milk, cream cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Gently fold half of the Cool
- Whip into the sweetened condensed milk mixture. Pour the filling into your graham cracker crust and spread it into an even layer.Place the remaining Cool Whip into a piping bag with a star tip. Pipe the cool whip around the edge of the pie. Arrange the lemon slices on top of the Cool Whip.
- Place the pie into the refrigerator for one to two hours to allow the filling to set.
Pro Tips
Chill the crust! Sometimes when you pour the filling into the crust, the crust will shift around. You can place the crust into the refrigerator for an hour before adding the filling to prevent that. I usually skip this step but it is helpful if you have the time and patience.
Make it pretty. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to press the crust into place for really defined corners and a good, packed crust!
Freeze whole lemons. Freeze whole lemons to easily access lemon zest whenever you need it by simply zesting the frozen lemon directly; this method allows you to store a readily available supply of zest without having to worry about the lemon going bad quickly.
Lemon Icebox Pie (No Cream Cheese)
Aunt Carol’s original recipe did not have cream cheese so if you don’t have any (or don’t want to use it), you can absolutely skip the cream cheese in this recipe!
Gluten Free Lemon Icebox Pie
You can use Gluten-free graham crackers to make the dish gluten-free. If you do this, add 2 tablespoons more butter. Or you can simply buy a pre-made gluten-free graham cracker pie crust.
Storage Directions
No Bake Lemon Pie should be stored covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. It can be stored tightly covered with a layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
Serving Suggestions
What should I serve with my Lemon Icebox Pie? Extra toppings – powdered sugar, graham cracker crumble, or mint leaves.
FAQ
To make this easy recipe even easier, you can use a store-bought crust if you would like. Just be aware that a premade graham cracker crust may not have the same buttery flavor that a fresh crust would have.
Yes, you can make it ahead of time. I would not recommend more than two days before. But by making it ahead, you will be giving the pie more time for the flavors to blend and the pie to set up to a firmer texture.
If your pie filling is lumpy but you haven’t folded in your cool whip, you can go with one of two options. First, you can let it sit on the count covered for 15-20 minutes to let the cream cheese clumps come up to room temperature, and the acid from the lemon juice helps break them down, then blend again, and they should smooth out.
Another option, if you do not have time to wait, is to microwave it in a microwave-safe bowl gently. Microwave for 10 seconds at a time, stirring in between until it is lightly warm, and then whip on high speed. You do not want to heat the dish. You are just trying to dissolve the clumps of cream cheese.
To avoid this in the future, you will want to make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature before blending. If you are using the packages, take them out of the box but leave them in the wrapper. Before using them, press a finger in the center of the package to make sure they are soft and up to room temperature.
To increase the lemon flavor in the dish, you add more zest, as this is what gives the pie the concentrated lemon flavor, or you can add 1/2 teaspoon of lemon extract. I would highly recommend adding just a little at a time as the flavor can become overwhelming quickly, and you cannot take it out but always add.
Another thing is that when using lemon zest, remember that the flavor will increase as it sets and has a chance to marry with the other flavors, releasing the oils in it.
More Classic Southern Recipes
- Grandma’s Southern Banana Pudding Recipe
- Easy Southern Pecan Pralines
- Easy Peach Cobbler
- Bundt Cake Banana Bread
- Easy No Bake Key Lime Pie
If you make this No Bake Lemon Icebox Pie with condensed milk or any of my other recipes, please leave a comment!
Easy Lemon Icebox Pie
- Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Description
Easy No-Bake Lemon Icebox Pie can be made up in 15 mins or less then it just needs to chill until dessert time. It’s easy and delicious!
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust (or use pre-made crust):
- 12 Graham Crackers, crushed
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
Lemon Icebox Filling
- 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 lemon, zested
- 1 (12 oz) container of non-dairy whipped topping, divided
- 1 lemon, sliced and quartered (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor or blender until fine crumbs. Add in the melted butter and brown sugar. Pulse the mixture a few times just until combined.
- Press the crumbs into a 9-inch pie pan. Chill the crust while you make the filling.
- In the bowl of your mixer, beat together the sweetened condensed milk, cream cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Gently fold half of the Cool Whip into the sweetened condensed milk mixture. Pour the filling into your graham cracker crust and spread it into an even layer.
- Place the remaining Cool Whip into a piping bag with a star tip. Pipe the cool whip around the edge of the pie. Arrange the lemon slice slices on top of the Cool Whip.
- Place the pie into the refrigerator for one to two hours to allow the filling to set.
Notes
- No Cream Cheese? Aunt Carol’s original recipe did not have cream cheese so if you don’t have any (or don’t want to use it), you can absolutely skip the cream cheese in this recipe!
- Gluten Free Lemon Icebox Pie – use a gluten-free graham cracker pie crust (or gluten-free graham crackers to make the pie crust) for a gluten-free pie! If you do this, add 2 tablespoons more butter.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Chill Time: 2 hours
- Category: Desserts
Check out these other pies and lemon-y desserts:
Oh wow! I bet this is super refreshing on a hot summer day! Thanks for sharing your recipe with us at Merry Monday this week!
This looks delicious!
Thank you for sharing this at Thoughts of Home.
We are so glad you are here!
Laura
White Spray Paint
Thanks so much for joining us at Delicious Dishes! We love your Easy No Bake Lemon Icebox Pie recipe and hope you’ll join us again this week!
Can you freeze the after making it??…Or is it safer to put in the refrigerator???….
I don’t think it would freeze well 🙁
Sounds like a great refreshing summer pie. Love that’s it’s no-bake. Will be including this in a no-bake dessert roundup. Pinned.
just made it, love this filling
My filling is almost soupy. Will it firm up
In the refrigerator? (I may have added extra lemon juice. I like extra pucker.)
I came on here to see if anyone else had this happen. I didn’t add extra lemon, however, I did make my own condensed milk. I always do. Recipe doesn’t specify how much condensed milk. The crust is still nice, not soggy, it just fills up in between slices. Also the whipped cream doesn’t come in 12 oz. I only found 8 oz so I scooped extra from my spare whipped cream. So much happening here! LOL. It’s still delicious.
Love no bake pies or for that matter any other no bakes
Thank you for sharing and participating at SSPS 343. See you at #344
This is one of my favorite pies to throw together when I want something easy and delicious!