Lemon Icebox Pie

Name: Lemon Icebox Pie
Prep time: 25 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients: 1½ cups (150 g) graham cracker crumbs, finely ground (about 10 full sheets); 2 tablespoons (25 g) granulated sugar; 6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled; ⅛ teaspoon (0.8 g) fine salt; 14 ounces (397 g) sweetened condensed milk, one can, at room temperature; ½ cup (120 ml) fresh lemon juice, strained, from about 3–4 lemons; 1 tablespoon (6 g) lemon zest, finely grated, from about 2 lemons; 8 ounces (227 g) frozen whipped topping, one tub, thawed in the refrigerator (about 3½ cups); 4 slices (40 g) thin lemon slices, cut into thin rounds, seeds removed (optional); 1 cup (30 g) frozen whipped topping, thawed, for dolloping (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A cool, creamy, no-bake lemon pie with a buttery homemade graham cracker crust. Sweetened condensed milk and fresh lemon juice thicken into a tangy filling, lightened with whipped topping and chilled until sliceable.

Prep: 25 min
Cook: —
Wait: 6 hr 15 min
Total: 6 hr 40 min
Makes: 1 pie (8 slices)

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Ingredients

8 servings

For the crust
1½ cups (150 g) graham cracker crumbs, finely ground (about 10 full sheets)
2 tablespoons (25 g) granulated sugar
6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
⅛ teaspoon (0.8 g) fine salt
For the filling
14 ounces (397 g) sweetened condensed milk, one can, at room temperature
½ cup (120 ml) fresh lemon juice, strained, from about 3–4 lemons
1 tablespoon (6 g) lemon zest, finely grated, from about 2 lemons
8 ounces (227 g) frozen whipped topping, one tub, thawed in the refrigerator (about 3½ cups)
To finish
4 slices (40 g) thin lemon slices, cut into thin rounds, seeds removed (optional)
1 cup (30 g) frozen whipped topping, thawed, for dolloping (optional)

Equipment (8)

9-inch (23 cm) standard pie plate
Food processor or zip-top bag and rolling pin
Citrus zester or microplane
Citrus juicer or reamer
Large mixing bowl
Rubber spatula
Flat-bottomed measuring cup or glass for pressing the crust
Fine-mesh sieve

Steps

Before you start

Thaw frozen whipped topping in the refrigerator overnight, or for at least 4 hours, so it is soft but still cold.
Plan for at least 6 hours of chilling (overnight is best) so the pie sets firmly enough to slice cleanly.
You need about 4 large lemons to get ½ cup (120 ml) juice and 1 tablespoon zest. Zest them before juicing.
Use full-sweetened condensed milk, not evaporated milk.

1
Make crust mixture
- In a medium bowl, stir the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and salt together.
- Pour in the melted butter and mix with a fork for about 1 minute, until every crumb is moistened.
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Ready when: The crumbs look like wet sand and hold together when squeezed in your fist.
Tip: If you grind crackers yourself, process until no pieces larger than a grain of rice remain, or the crust will crumble when sliced.
2
Press in crust
- Tip the crumbs into a 9-inch (23 cm) pie plate.
- Press firmly across the bottom and up the sides, using the flat bottom of a measuring cup to pack the crumbs tightly, especially in the corner where the bottom meets the side.
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Ready when: The crust is an even ¼-inch (6 mm) thickness with a smooth, compact surface.
3
Chill the crust
- Place the crust in the freezer for 15 minutes so the butter firms up and the crust holds its shape when filled.
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Ready when: The crust feels hard and cold to the touch.
Tip: Use this time to zest and juice the lemons.
4
Zest and juice lemons
- Finely grate the zest from about 2 lemons to get 1 tablespoon, before cutting them.
- Juice 3–4 lemons and pour the juice through a fine-mesh sieve to remove seeds and pulp.
- Measure ½ cup (120 ml).
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Ready when: You have 1 tablespoon zest and exactly ½ cup (120 ml) juice.
Tip: Grate only the yellow part of the peel. The white pith is bitter.
5
Mix lemon base
- In a large bowl, whisk the sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice and lemon zest for about 1 minute.
- The mixture will thicken noticeably as the acid reacts with the milk.
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Ready when: The mixture is smooth, pale yellow and slightly thicker than pancake batter.
6
Fold in topping
- Add the thawed whipped topping to the lemon base.
- Using a rubber spatula, fold gently by sweeping down the middle and up the side of the bowl, turning the bowl as you go, for about 1 minute.
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Ready when: The filling is uniformly pale yellow with no white streaks, and still looks fluffy.
Tip: Fold, don't stir. Vigorous mixing deflates the topping and gives a denser, runnier pie.
7
Fill the crust
- Scrape the filling into the chilled crust and mound it slightly in the center.
- Use the back of a spoon or an offset spatula to spread it to the edges and make soft swirls on top.
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Ready when: The filling reaches the rim of the crust with no gaps or air pockets at the edges.
8
Chill until set
- Cover the pie loosely with plastic wrap, tenting it so it doesn't touch the surface.
- Refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight, until completely firm.
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Ready when: The center doesn't jiggle when the plate is gently shaken, and the filling feels firm when lightly touched.
Tip: A shorter chill gives a soft, spoonable pie that won't slice neatly.
9
Garnish and slice
- Just before serving, dollop or pipe the extra whipped topping around the edge and tuck a lemon slice on each dollop, if using.
- Dip a sharp knife in hot water, wipe dry, and cut into 8 slices, rewiping the knife between cuts.
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Ready when: Slices release cleanly from the plate with a defined filling edge.
Tip: Serve straight from the fridge. The pie softens quickly at room temperature.

Good to know

Tips

Use fresh lemon juice. Bottled juice gives a flat taste and can set less firmly.
Make sure the whipped topping is thawed but cold. Warm topping makes the filling loose.
For extra-clean slices, chill the pie overnight and warm the knife in hot water between cuts.
For a tangier pie, add 1 extra tablespoon of lemon juice to the base.

Make ahead

"Assemble the pie up to 2 days ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator. Add the garnish just before serving."

Storage & reheating

"Refrigerator: covered, up to 4 days. Freezer: freeze whole or in slices on a tray until solid, then wrap tightly, up to 1 month; thaw in the refrigerator for 3–4 hours before serving. Not suitable for room temperature storage; serve within 1 hour of removing from the fridge."

Substitutions

frozen whipped topping → 2 cups (480 ml) cold heavy cream whipped to stiff peaks. Fold in the same way. The pie will be richer and slightly less stable, so keep it chilled.
graham cracker crumbs → 1 ready-made 9-inch graham cracker crust. Skip the crust steps. Store-bought crusts are shallower, so you may have a little extra filling.
fresh lemon juice → ½ cup (120 ml) fresh lime juice. Makes a key lime-style pie. Use lime zest in place of the lemon zest.
unsalted butter → 6 tablespoons (85 g) refined coconut oil, melted. Dairy-free crust option, though the condensed milk and topping still contain dairy.