From scratch Lemon Icebox Pie is just what summer ordered! It’s sweet, tart, creamy, nutty and best served cold!
Summer is filled with scorching days, so, this mouthwatering lemon icebox pie hits the spot when that thermometer soars!
One of my dad’s favorite desserts is key lime pie, so I make that quite often. But this year for his birthday I decided to switch things up a bit and use lemon instead of lime and add some cream cheese to make a more velvety custard.
The idea was to make an icebox pie that could be topped with fresh fruit and whipped cream with a lemon custard as the vehicle. In my humble opinion, I think lemon goes perfectly with just about anything, but the quantity is key. Too much and the pie is sour. Too little and you have plain cream pie.
I’m happy to say that this lemon icebox pie has just the right amount of lemon flavor! It can stand on its own or you can give it a topping. The first time I made it, I paired the pie with strawberries and my guinea pigs taste testers loved it. The pie was tangy, creamy and so refreshing. However, there were crumbly crust issues with the first batch, so as tasty as it was, it was unphotogenic.
The second time around, I added a little extra butter to the almond, graham cracker crust and used a pie dish instead of a tall fluted tart pan. Bottom line, it was less fussy and the cookie-like crust held together beautifully.
For serving, I topped the pie with large, plump blackberries and served it up to a crowd of family and friends. It was a hit with the young and old alike, and three days later, folks were still asking for more pie! It’s a good thing that this recipe feeds a crowd!
Which brings me to this somewhat odd-sized recipe. To get the perfect lemony flavored custard, I ended up with too much filling. It wasn’t the kind of recipe that could be easily divided so I made more graham cracker crust. I mean, more pie is never a problem, right?
This lemon icebox pie recipe can fill an extra-large, deep dish pie plate… like the vintage 11.5 inch 211 Pyrex I’ve been coveting online for YEARS! Or, you can make a regular 8-9 inch pie and use the leftover crust and filling in an individual pie plate. For the pictures here, the recipe filled one shallow 10 inch pie plate and two 5 inch ramekins. But really, whatever you have on hand will work. It’s just not that fussy.
Did I mention that the second testing of this recipe happened while vacationing in the Outer Banks? And what does this crazy baker lady do on vacation? Double the recipe of course!!!! Turns out that a double recipe makes three regular sized pies!!!!
Three pies is not an easy feat in a rental kitchen, but this recipe uses simple, easy to find ingredients and if you shop smart, you can cut out some of the preparation steps. Spend more time enjoying your summer and less time in the kitchen? That’s a no brainer!
Nowadays it’s pretty easy to find graham cracker crumbs and almond meal/flour so that’s an easy swap. If you don’t have a juicer on hand, look for lemon juice in the freezer aisle and (it pains me to say this) skip the lemon zest. But with these swaps you won’t need a food pressor, mixer, lemon reamer or zester.
Imagine yourself eating this amazing Lemon Icebox Pie while watching the summer sun set over the horizon. What a great way to savor this classic summer dessert! Now go make it, because the sweet life is within reach!
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Lemon Icebox Pie
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- 1½ cups ground graham cracker crumbs
- 1 cup ground almonds
- 9 tablespoons butter , melted or very soft
- 6 tablespoons white or raw (turbinado) sugar
Filling
- 5 egg yolks
- ½ cup lemon juice
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (about the zest of 1-2 lemons)
- 1 8oz package cream cheese , softened to room temperature
- 1 tablespoon limoncello (optional)
Instructions
Graham Cracker Crust
- Preheat oven to 350°
- In a large bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, ground almonds, butter and sugar.
- Kneed until crumbs form. (To test consistency, gather a handful and squeeze. If the crumble forms a ball in your hand, it is ready. If it fails to come together, add melted butter one tablespoon at a time until it comes together).
- Press crust into pie plate. then blind bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove the crust and let cool partially.
- Reduce oven temperature to 325°
Lemon Pie Filling
- In a large bowl , whisk together egg yolks, lemon juice, and sweetened condensed milk.
- Add sugar and lemon zest to the condensed milk mixture and stir until combined.
- Add softened cream cheese and whisk until smooth.
- If using, whisk in limoncello.
- Pour lemon custard into the pie crust and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until custard is set. It should have just a slight wobble in the middle when set.
- Cool pie at room temperature and then transfer to a refrigerator to chill. (This step is very important! Putting a hot dish in a cold refrigerator can crack the dish!)
Serving
- Refrigerate or freeze pie until ready to serve.
- Top with fresh fruit and whipped cream.
Notes
- This recipe can be made in the most basic of kitchens if you buy pre-prepped ingredients. Most grocery stores carry graham cracker crumbs, almond meal and frozen lemon juice. Save yourself some time, the shortcuts won't be noticeable in this recipe.
- If you don't have a zester or a microplane, use a vegetable peeler to remove the zest. If any white pith comes along, scrape it off with a paring knife and then chop the zest with a chefs knife until very fine.
- Doubling the recipe makes three regular 8 inch pies. Might sound like a lot of pie, but I've done this while on beach vacations with the family and the pies disappear fast!
Nutrition
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Kattie says
Today, I went to the beach with my children. I found a sea shell and gave it to
my 4 year old daughter and said “You can hear the ocean if you put this to your ear.” She placed the shell to her ear and screamed.
There was a hermit crab inside and it pinched her ear.
She never wants to go back! LoL I know this is totally off
topic but I had to tell someone!
Susan says
This is an easy and elegant pie-also delicious!
Made a test pie before serving to guests, but was not necessary. Recipe is perfect, as written and the practice pie didn’t last long in the frig,
Try it? You’ll be glad you did!
vintagekitty says
So glad to hear you liked it Susan!
Heather says
I need to make this recipe. My mom loves Lemon Icebox pie and we can hardly find a good one out anymore. Thanks for the recipe!
carolina says
This looks amazing, but my son has a nut allergy :(
Can you recommend a substitution for the ground almonds?
Vintage Kitty says
Hi Carolina. I would suggest using cookies, rice crispies or pretzels, but you may need to add extra butter since the nuts contain oil that adds moisture to the crust. If you try a substitution, come back and let me know how it works. I’m sure I have other readers that also share your son’s allergy.
Nicolas Hortense says
Mmm nice!! I love how you made it citrusy but still gave it that creamy custardy vibe. The crust also looks so simple and wonderful. I always make sweet pastry tarts so it’s nice to see something different.
Vintage Kitty says
Thanks Nicolas! Yes, it’s a perfect balance of sweet, creamy and tart!
Kristen King says
This looks and sounds absolutely divine! How long do you think you could leave it in the freezer if you wanted to make ahead?
Vintage Kitty says
Great question Kristen. I’ve never tried too freeze for storage, but I would imagine a month if it was wrapped well. I’d defrost it in the fridge for a day before serving.
Julie says
I love love love love love all things lemon! Does this have any sort of a cream cheese flavor, or is it really just acting as a binding agent? I loathe cream cheese in sweet things (cheesecake is the single most vile dessert in existence as far as I’m concerned).
Vintage Kitty says
No cream cheese flavor at all. It helps give the custard a firm but creamy texture.
Nicole says
Very pretty pie! It looks perfect! So perfect I wouldn’t want to eat it.
Vintage Kitty says
Aw that’s sweet! But it tastes even better than it looks!
Sam says
Wow this pie looks amazing!! I need some of this in my life right now!!
Vintage Kitty says
Thanks Sam! It is amazing!
lauren says
First of all, you can sign me up for anything that involves limoncello. I’m a big key lime pie fan AND any sort of lemon dessert, this ice box pie sounds right up my alley. The almond crust looks perfectly crunchy and I love the addition of fresh blackberries on top for a pop of natural sweet fruit!
Vintage Kitty says
Yes, this has all the refreshing zip of key lime pie but it’s lemon instead! And we’re fans of limoncello too! We make our own every year!
Sara says
Oh wow – this looks absolutely decadent. I can only imagine indulging on this whilst looking out over the horizon of the Outer Banks! Literally like a dream come true. Can’t wait to try this!
Vintage Kitty says
Hope you love it Sara!
Eileen Kelly says
This is such a delicious dessert! The crust has a great flavor combo by using the nuts. The lemon filling is delicious and I love the option of the limoncello
Vintage Kitty says
:-) So glad you enjoyed the recipe Eileen!
Amanda Mason says
I love that vacation picture! I’m so going to have to do that…bake while on vacation! To me, that sounds amazing! Ok, this looks amazing and it’s so scorching hot here in AZ right now!! This looks like the perfect dessert! And I love graham cracker crusts!! And I love that you are human and make cooking mistakes like the rest of us!
Vintage Kitty says
Yeah I’m one of those crazy people that likes to cook for the family on vacation… not constantly or anything because I want to savor the local flavors too! And yes, I make lots of baking mistakes. Recipe testing takes time and often trial and error.
Sara says
This looks like the perfect summer dessert! I love icebox treats! Those beautiful berries you topped it with have my tummy rumbling!
Vintage Kitty says
Happy to entice you with yumminess!
Jordan says
True story… I’ve never tried to make an icebox pie. Why? I don’t know. But it’s happening SOON because I am in the mood for lemon everything and this looks perfect.
Vintage Kitty says
Oh my Jordan! Get on that girl!
Heather says
Super easy and looks so tasty! Love that the ingredients list is simple and I can already taste that lovely tartness. Perfect for summer!!
Vintage Kitty says
Thanks Heather!
Aimee Shugarman says
The lemon in this pie really shines through, so much flavor!
Vintage Kitty says
So glad you loved it!
heather says
Oh my goodness this is a pretty pie! Love anything lemon, will be trying for next party!!
Vintage Kitty says
Thanks Heather! Let me know how it goes!
Jamielyn says
Oh my goodness yum! I need to make this ASAP!
Vintage Kitty says
You’ll love it Jamielyn!
Erin says
This looks absolutely delicious! Yummy!
Vintage Kitty says
Oh my goodness it is!
Julia says
You aren’t going to believe it but I’ve never made an icebox pie before. Somehow those pies never appealed to me… until now! Your breathtaking photos are mouthwatering and I wish I could have a slice of this pie right now.
When sharing this post on facebook, it still shows your old photo and the difference in the photographs is striking. You grew so much as a photographer and stylist in the past 3 years since sharing this recipe first. Congratulations!
Vintage Kitty says
Thanks Julia! At the time I took those photos in 2015, I thought they were great. LOL! I was very new to food photograghy then. Funny thing is a took pictures of yogurt pops that same beach week and they are one of my favorite shoots ever. I still have bad days, but overall, my photography has gotten more consistent. Plus my editing has gotten so much better with practice. Thanks for noticing my growth. As an artisit, it’s very easy to overlook the progress and be self-critical ALL THE TIME!
Larry says
Can you replace the lemon juice with limoncello?
Vintage Kitty says
Maybe up to 2 tablespoons, but not entirely no. THe alcohol would not be able to burn off off enough during cooking.