Creamy No-Bake Lemon Icebox Pie
Lemon icebox pie with no oven at any stage. Cream cheese, a whole can of sweetened condensed milk and half a cup of fresh lemon juice beat into a filling that thickens on contact with the acid and sets overnight in a graham cracker crust. Fifteen minutes of work, then the refrigerator does the rest.
Ingredients
Lemon Filling
- 8 oz cream cheese full-fat block style, at room temperature
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk 1 standard can
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice from about 3 to 4 lemons; do not use bottled
- 1 tbsp lemon zest from about 2 lemons, taken off before juicing
Crust and Toppings
- 1 prepared graham cracker crust 9-inch, store-bought or homemade
- whipped cream for serving, added at the last minute
- fresh berries or mint optional, for garnish
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Electric mixer or stand mixer
- Microplane or zester
- Spatula
- Pie pan
Instructions
Beat the Filling
- Beat the cream cheese on its own with an electric mixer until it is completely smooth and lump-free. Scrape the bowl and beat again, because this is the only chance you have to get rid of lumps.
- Pour in the sweetened condensed milk.
- Beat until the mixture is fully incorporated, glossy and thick enough to coat the beaters without dripping.
- Add the fresh lemon juice and the lemon zest, and mix on low just until combined. The filling tightens noticeably as the acid meets the milk. Stop as soon as it is even.
Fill and Chill
- Pour the filling into the prepared graham cracker crust and smooth the top with a spatula, working from the center outward so you do not drag crumbs up into it.
- Cover the pie and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight, until it is fully set and sliceable.
Top and Serve
- Just before serving, top with whipped cream and garnish with fresh berries or mint if you like.
- Slice with a thin knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry between every cut, and serve cold.
Notes
* Make-ahead: this pie has to be made the day before. Assemble it, leave it uncovered for the first hour so the surface dries slightly, then cover it and refrigerate overnight.
* Storage: covered in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days, with plastic wrap pressed against the cut faces. Add the whipped cream only to the slices you are about to serve.
* Freezing: freeze the untopped pie uncovered for 1 hour to firm the surface, then double wrap and keep for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, never on the counter. * Lemon juice: use fresh only. Bottled juice will still set the filling but tastes dull and slightly metallic, and there is nothing in a four-ingredient filling to hide it behind. Zest the lemons before you juice them.
* Homemade crust: 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs, 1/3 cup sugar and 6 tablespoons melted butter, pressed into a 9-inch dish and chilled for an hour.
* Doneness: the center should feel firm and spring back, and a knife pulled straight out should leave clean walls.
* Nutrition values are an estimate.
* Storage: covered in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days, with plastic wrap pressed against the cut faces. Add the whipped cream only to the slices you are about to serve.
* Freezing: freeze the untopped pie uncovered for 1 hour to firm the surface, then double wrap and keep for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, never on the counter. * Lemon juice: use fresh only. Bottled juice will still set the filling but tastes dull and slightly metallic, and there is nothing in a four-ingredient filling to hide it behind. Zest the lemons before you juice them.
* Homemade crust: 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs, 1/3 cup sugar and 6 tablespoons melted butter, pressed into a 9-inch dish and chilled for an hour.
* Doneness: the center should feel firm and spring back, and a knife pulled straight out should leave clean walls.
* Nutrition values are an estimate.
Nutrition
Calories: 405kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 300mg | Potassium: 208mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 765IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 200mg | Iron: 1mg