Lemon Icebox Pie

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Made with a classic graham cracker crust and plenty of fresh-squeezed lemon juice, this soft and creamy Lemon Icebox Pie is so delightful! It’s not too sweet, not too tart, and super easy to make with minimal ingredients.

The Ultimate Lemon Pie Recipe

This bright and beautiful dessert combines two of my favorite things – the soft, creamy texture of key lime pie and the lovely flavor of lemon. It’s a refreshing treat in the summer and an ultra-tasty way to get in your Vitamin C during the wintertime. With swirls of fluffy homemade whipped cream piped on top, it’s seriously hard to stop eating!

The process of making it is super straightforward, and you only need a handful of ingredients for each component. The hardest part about making this pie is waiting for it to cool before you dig in! Absolute torture. But the moment you take your first bite, you’ll be on cloud nine.

What is an Icebox Pie?

Icebox pies are a Southern classic! Before refrigerators and freezers were a thing, people living in the South used highly insulated “iceboxes” to keep their food cold – hence the name of this type of pie. Traditionally, they didn’t require any baking so that making them wouldn’t heat up the house in the summertime.

Nowadays, an icebox pie refers to pretty much any pie that’s meant to be served cold. Think banana cream pie, key lime pie, chiffon pie, etc. This easy recipe takes one of those classics – lemon icebox pie – to a whole new level of amazingness!

Ingredients You’ll Need

Let’s talk about everything you’ll need to make this pie from start to finish. First up, our lovely crust!

For the Graham Cracker Crust

• Graham Crackers: Use a food processor to crush the graham crackers into a fine crumb.
• Sugar: For a touch of sweetness.
• Salt: For flavor.
• Unsalted Butter: Melted.

For the Lemon Pie Filling

• Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed from 6-8 lemons.
• Sweetened Condensed Milk: Make sure you don’t pick up evaporated milk by mistake.
• Large Eggs: You’ll only need the yolks.
• Lemon Zest: Finely grated from fresh lemons.

For the Whipped Cream Topping

• Heavy Whipping Cream: Don’t remove this from the fridge until you’re ready to use it.
• Powdered Sugar: This does add a bit of sweetness, but its main purpose is to stabilize the whipped cream so it doesn’t wilt in the fridge.
• Vanilla Extract: Use a good quality extract for the best results.

How to Juice Lemons

Follow the instructions below to get as much juice as possible out of your lemons. Be sure to zest them before you squeeze them to make your life easier.

• Microwave: Place your lemons onto a microwave-safe plate and heat them for 30 seconds. This helps release the juice from the membranes inside of the fruit.
• Roll: Use your dominant hand to firmly roll each lemon against a hard, flat surface for a couple of seconds.
• Slice & Juice: Slice each lemon in half, lengthwise, and use your citrus juicer to extract as much juice as you can. If you have a handheld lemon reamer, place a bowl underneath it to catch the juice.

How to Make Lemon Icebox Pie

Once you have your lemon zest and juice, everything else practically falls into place. It’s time to make some pie!

1. Heat Oven: Preheat your oven to 325°F.
2. Make Crust: Add the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and salt to a large bowl and stir to combine. Then add the melted butter and stir until the mixture is well combined and crumbly.
3. Add to Pan: Transfer the crust mixture to a 9-inch pie pan and spread the crumbs around so that they’re evenly dispersed. Press the crust into the bottom and up the sides of the pan, then set it aside.
4. Combine Lemon Juice & Condensed Milk: Whisk the lemon juice and sweetened condensed milk together in a medium-sized bowl. Set the mixture aside.
5. Beat Lemon Zest & Egg Yolks: Add the lemon zest and egg yolks to a large mixing bowl. Beat on high until the mixture is pale and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes.
6. Combine Mixtures: Pour the sweetened condensed milk mixture into the egg mixture and stir to combine.
7. Bake: Pour the lemon pie filling into the pan with the crust and bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until the edges of the pie are set and the center jiggles slightly.
8. Let Cool: Cool the pie on a cooling a rack for an hour, then refrigerate it until it’s firm, about 5-6 hours.
9. Make Whipped Cream: Add the heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract to a large mixer bowl and whip the mixture on high speed until stiff peaks form.
10. Pipe Onto Pie: Pipe the whipped cream around the edges of the pie, adding half a lemon slice between each swirl if desired.
11. Enjoy! Cut your pie into slices and serve it immediately.

Tips for Success

I’m going to let you in on a couple of handy tips that apply to this particular pie. Read them over before you get started.

• Do Not Use Bottled Lemon Juice: You just won’t get the same genuine flavor from bottled lemon juice.
• Beat the Egg Mixture Thoroughly: It’s important to combine the lemon zest with the egg yolks until the mixture turns a paler shade of yellow, which indicates that it’s fully beaten. Using a stand mixer makes this incredibly easy!
• Keep the Pie Refrigerated: Unless you’re serving your pie right after you add the whipped cream, return it to the fridge. It’s not meant to sit out at room temperature.

Variation Ideas

If you’d like to alter something about this lemonade icebox pie, I’m certainly not gonna stop you! I’ll even give you some good ideas:

• Make Lemon Limeade Pie: Feel free to substitute some or all of the lemon juice with freshly squeezed lime juice – and the same goes for the zest. In fact, you can use any citrus fruit of your choice!
• More Lemon: If you want an even stronger lemon flavor, swap out 1/4 cup of the sweetened condensed milk for another 1/4 cup of lemon juice. You just don’t want to use all of the two cans of sweetened condensed milk as well as the extra lemon juice, because it likely won’t all fit in your pie pan.
• Swap Out the Graham Crackers: Not a fan of graham cracker crusts? You can use any cookie crumbs you’re craving. Nilla wafers and shortbread cookies are both great options.

Storage Instructions

This lemonade icebox pie should be kept well-covered in the fridge. It’s best to enjoy it within 4-5 days of making it.

Does Lemonade Pie Freeze Well?

It does! Whether you put it in the fridge or the freezer is entirely up to you – in the fridge, it has a creamy texture similar to that of a key lime pie, while the freezer makes it firmer and frozen (but without being too hard). I find that frozen lemon pie is especially nice when the weather is hot and stuffy.

If you do decide to keep your pie in the freezer, let it sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before you cut it. This will help the knife go through nice and easily. Frozen lemon icebox pie will last for up to 3 months.

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More Refreshing Icebox Pies to Try

In the mood for another satisfying icebox pie? I highly recommend any of the following recipes.

• Strawberry Cream Pie
• French Silk Pie
• Classic Key Lime Pie
• Margarita Pie

Recipe slightly modified from Pip and Ebby.