With a buttery shortbread crust and a soft and creamy filling with a bright, tangy lemon flavor, this Lemon Icebox Pie makes a delicious and refreshing dessert for summer.
Best of all, there’s no need to turn the oven on. Lemon Icebox Pie is completely no bake.
The crust is made from crushed shortbread cookies and melted butter, plus a little sugar to give it enough sweetness to counter the tartness of the lemon juice in the filling.
A quick 15 minutes in the freezer and the crust will hold together perfectly.
If you don’t want to go to the trouble of making a crust, you could always use a store- bought graham cracker crust.
But I really like the flavor and butteriness of a shortbread crust. The filling only takes minutes to mix up so this is still a quick and easy dessert even if you make the piecrust.
Some fresh raspberries or blueberries scattered on top would be wonderful.
With a sweet shortbread crust and a smooth and creamy lemon filling, Lemon Icebox Pie is an irresistible southern pie.
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Lemon Icebox Pie
Ingredients
- 1 (10-ounce) package shortbread cookies,, such as Lorna Dorne
- 6 tablespoons butter,, melted
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese,, softened
- zest from 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- whipped cream for garnish,, optional
Instructions
- Use a food processor to pulse cookies into fine crumbs. Place in a medium bowl. Stir in melted butter, 1 tablespoon sugar, and salt.
- Press mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Place in freezer until firm, about 15 minutes.
- With an electric mixer, beat sweetened condensed milk, cream cheese, lemon zest, and lemon juice until smooth. Set aside.
- Use an electric mixer to beat heavy whipping cream and sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold whipped cream into condensed milk mixture.
- Pour filling into crust and smooth on top with offset spatula. Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe adapted slightly from Taste of the South Magazine
Doesn’t set properly. I refigerated it for over 4 hours before cutting and it still ran all over the plate. Not enough lemon flavor either. Lemon desserts should make you pucker and be mouth watering. I’m a seasoned Baker and this was an epic fail! On a good note, the crust is amazingly delicious.
Why does no one answer these questions??? I don’t want to make it if it’s going to fail for some reason.
Made this pie for dessert last night and was so disappointed that there was very little hint of lemon flavor. I used 2 fresh lemons plus the zest. My husband loves lemon ice box pie and I chose this one off Google. Now I have to throw it away or put some berries on it to give it some flavor. Not what I was hoping for. The creaminess and look is beautiful. Any suggestion as to why it had virtually no lemon flavor?
Thank you for the recipe. I made it several times this summer and my daughter loves it. Asked for it for Christmas of all things, lol
Did you mean 1/2 pint of whipped cream instead of 1/2 cup?
This is wonderful! I used lemon shortbread cookies and reduced the butter as the cookies already had quite a bit. Since I’ve never made whipping cream, I used the store bought in a can. I also added more lemon juice as I always do to anything lemony. Thank you for this delightful recipe!
So glad you liked it!
Delicious! Just the right amount of lemon flavor!
i actually made this and it was fantastic. I made a topping out of whipped cream and sour cream wild a couple tablespoons of powdered sugar. put it on top of the pie, then added blueberries to the top and almond slivers around the edge. it was fantastic.
You alterations sound incredible Michelle. Glad you enjoyed it!
Looks delicious! Will definitely try this.
This looks magical Christin! I love love love lemon desserts!
Yum! This looks so delicious. And I love that you don’t use “whipped topping” but real whipped cream.