No Bake Lemon Icebox Pie

This Lemon icebox pie recipe is a family favorite! My kids literally jump up and down whenever I make it!

I use fresh lemon juice and zest to pack each bite with bright, lemon flavor and then pour that delicious creamy filling into a homemade graham cracker crust.

I didn’t stop there. With this recipe, I wanted to take it a bit further and top it with a lemon whipped cream on top – and trust me, it is a game changer! It reminds me of a lemon meringue pie but with far less work and guess what? No baking required! 

This is the perfect pie if you love a no bake pie recipe and don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen fussing over pie crust.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• No Baking Required = ideal for summer days when you don’t want the oven heating up the house! 
• Easy peasy! Mix, set, and forget – make the crust, mix in the filling, and place in the fridge. It’s the perfect make-ahead dessert! You can even use a store-bought crust to quicken things up even more. 
• Bursting with lemon flavor! ​This recipe is made for lemon lovers – meaning each bite offer a nice punch of citrus. And honestly, I love that! 
• Handful of ingredients! ​Nothing but simple ingredients that you already likely have in your pantry/fridge. 

(full list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card below)

• Fresh Lemons are used to make fresh lemon juice and also used for lemon zest.
• Graham Crackers: I prefer a homemade crust with graham crackers, however, you can use vanilla wafers for a more old fashioned vibe. 
• Cream Cheese: because this is a no bake recipe, we don’t have to worry about making an egg-based custard (that means no separating egg yolks and egg whites – yay). The cream cheese is the binder that helps the pie set while also giving it that rich and smooth texture. 
• Sweetened Condensed Milk: adds sweetness and helps to stabilize the lemon filling. 
• Lemon extract: isn’t commonly used in lemon icebox pie recipes – however, I added just a pinch. It’s a great way to really up the citrus flavor. You only need a little bit, it goes a long way! 
• Heavy Cream: is used to stabilize the filling and add creaminess too!

How To Make Lemon Icebox Pie 

Step 1: Add the graham crackers, sugar, and a pinch of salt to a food processor. Blend until uniform crumbs form, then add melted butter and continue to mix until the mixture sembles wet sand. 

Step 2: Press the graham cracker crumbs into a 9-inch springform pan. Firmly press along the sides and bottom of the pan, then place into the refrigerator to set. 

Step 3: In a large bowl, add cream cheese and mix on low speed for about 30 seconds, until smooth. Then add sweetened condensed milk, and lemon zest. Mix with a hand mixer on medium speed until combined, about 1 minute. 

Step 4: In a separate medium bowl, add heavy cream beat until stiff peaks (it should look like whipped cream). 

Step 5: Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture, then add in lemon juice, lemon extract, and a tiny pinch of salt. Whisk together with. a hand whisk until just combined and smooth. Pour into the graham cracker crust and place into the refrigerator for 8 hours, overnight. (if storing longer, cover with plastic wrap)

Step 6: Just before serving, make the lemon whipped cream. Combine cold heavy cream and powdered sugar in a bowl. Use an electric mixer to mix until stiff peaks form. Then add the lemon juice and lemon zest and mix until just combined. Add on top of the lemon ice box pie and serve.