Lemon Icebox Pie
Learn how to make this old fasioned southern Lemon Icebox Pie recipe. A tasty spring and summer pie that's simple and easy to make. Made with cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, and lemon juice, this is the best no-bake dessert.
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 1 package graham crackers crushed. 1 package from a 14 oz box. About 9 sheets of graham crackers.
- ⅓ cup butter melted
- 3 Tablespoons sugar see notes below
For the Filling:
- 8 ounce cream cheese softened
- 14 ounce sweetened condensed milk
- ¾ cup lemon juice fresh squeezed for the best flavor, about 4 large lemons
- zest from one large lemon about 1 Tablespoon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Crust:
- Make the graham cracker crust by placing crushed graham crackers, sugar and melted butter in a bowl. Mix with a fork until combined. Pour into a 9" pie plate and press the crust into the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to push it down for a more compact crust. See notes below.
Filling:
- With a hand mixer or in the bowl of stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat softened cream cheese on medium speed for 2 minutes, until perfectly smooth (see photo above). Add in the sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla. Whisk together until completely combined then whisk another 30 seconds.
- Pour the filling into the pie crust and refrigerate until set up, about 5 hours. This pie is a little soft, but will still mostly hold it's form. Top with whipped cream, if desired.
Video
Notes
- We prefer a graham cracker without sugar as the filling is sweet enough and we feel the overall flavor is better. If you don't add sugar, the graham cracker crust won't hold together well and will be crumbly. For a pretty pie, add the sugar. If it doesn't need to be pretty, we recommend omitting the sugar.
- This is a soft pie. It won't set up completely firm. If you leave it in the refrigerator long enough it will hold together well though.
- For a firmer pie, use ½ cup - ⅔ cup lemon juice. We love the more intense lemon flavor when using a full ¾ cup, but it will make it a little firmer to use less.
- Use the bottom of a measuring cup or small glass to press the graham cracker crust into the pie plate. Start by pushing it up the sides then into the bottom of the plate.
- It's super important that your cream cheese is nice and soft and that you beat it the full 2 minutes. This will ensure that your pie is lump free and totally smooth.
- Mixing lemon juice and sweetened condensed milk might seem counterintuitive and like it might make a runny pie. However, the lemon juice thickens the condensed milk by curdling it (don't worry, you won't be able to tell!) and provides a really nice texture.
Nutrition
Serving: 1large sliceCalories: 325kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 10gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 421mgPotassium: 289mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 33gVitamin A: 385IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 244mgIron: 0.2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was in the comments below
Tag us on Instagram!We love seeing people make our recipes. Mention @simplyscrumptiouseats_
