Published on April 26, 2025

Have you ever made a recipe that came together so quickly and easily you were convinced that you must have skipped a step, or missed something? That is exactly how I felt after making this Lemon Icebox Pie. No-bake desserts like this one are usually pretty straightforward, but this process was so simple I was sure that I screwed it up somehow. Thankfully, I didn’t and it was delicious. My whole family raved about its sweet-tart flavor and creamy texture. (I’ve definitely spent more time making complicated recipes that received less praise.)

This recipe essentially has two parts: making a graham cracker crust and preparing the lemon-cream cheese filling. You can simplify things even more if you use a store-bought crust. (I prefer making a homemade crust because it’s thicker.) The filling is nothing more than sweetened condensed milk and cream cheese, beaten together with lemon juice and zest. You don’t even need to pull out your stand mixer—a good old fashioned hand mixer will get the job done.

Once you have your crust, the recipe comes together in 10 minutes. Then, all you have to do is pop it in the refrigerator to chill and firm up. Like I said, it's unbelievably easy.

The recipe calls for sweetened whipped cream on top (or storebought whipped topping, if you want to save time) but I didn’t even bother with that. I piled on some fresh raspberries topped with sugar, which added a pretty pop of color and tasted great with the creamy and tart filling.

Beyond swapping the whipped cream for fresh fruit, there are other ways to play with this recipe. You can try other types of citrus, like oranges, blood oranges, and limes, or try a combination. The graham cracker crust can be made with shortbread cookies, gingersnaps, or vanilla wafers. 

I’m not the only one impressed by this dessert. One commenter wrote: “Just the right amount of tangy-ness and with the condensed milk, not a lot of added sugars. I whipped up some heavy whipping cream and the zest garnish completed it all.” 

Another commenter praised the ease of this recipe, writing: “I lead a program teaching and practicing various cooking techniques, styles, and foods to people with mental and physical disabilities. This recipe finished out our program for the fall semester and the directions were clear and easy to follow. Not to mention all our participants and mentors loved how it tasted!”