Beat the heat with this refreshing Lemonade Pie recipe! The lemon-flavored cream cheese filling is creamy, tangy, and the perfect match for a crunchy and sweet graham cracker crust. Serve this icebox pie at a summer BBQ or enjoy poolside on a hot day!
Icebox pies are no-bake desserts that are typically made with a graham cracker crust and a creamy filling.
They originated in the United States in the early 1900s when early refrigerators were just boxes with ice . . . hence, the icebox!
You're going to love this easy icebox pie. It has the refreshing flavors of lemonade coming from instant lemon pudding, frozen lemonade concentrate, and fresh lemon zest. You then mix them with cream cheese, frozen whipped topping, and evaporated milk for a rich and creamy lemon filling.
Then you just have to pour it on top of a premade graham cracker crust and chill until the filling can easily be sliced. Top it with whipped cream and lemon slices for a beautiful presentation.
This pie is perfect for summertime gatherings or any time you want a sweet and tart dessert! Check out this vibrant Kool Aid Pie too!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
There's absolutely no baking required to make this delicious lemonade icebox pie recipe. This means you'll use less electricity used and less heat in your kitchen during the warmer months.
This recipe is easily adaptable to make it your own. Use a different flavor of pudding mix, or experiment with adding other citrus fruits like lime or orange.
You can make this Cream Cheese Lemonade Pie made ahead of time for a party or potluck.
The recipe steps are simple to follow. Mix the filling, pour it into the crust, chill, and serve! I like to get the kids involved!
Ingredients
- Cream Cheese - Makes up the thick base of the pie filling and offers a tart and tangy flavor.
- Lemon Pudding Mix (Instant) - Instant pudding mix gives the pie a lemon flavor and helps thicken the filling. I use the Jell-o brand.
- Frozen Lemonade Concentrate - Adds additional lemonade flavor to the pie and helps thin out the filling to the perfect consistency. You'll need the canned frozen concentrated lemonade.
- Evaporated Milk - Adds a creamy texture to the filling which helps it slice easily. Or, for an even sweeter pie, use condensed milk.
- Whipped Topping - This light and fluffy topping gets folded into the filling to make the texture light and airy. I use Cool Whip.
- Lemon Zest - Adds even more concentrated lemon flavor from the natural oils in the zest of a lemon.
- Graham Cracker Crust - These premade crusts can easily be found in the baking section of your grocery store and save a lot of time.
- Garnish - Once ready to serve, garnish the top of the pie with freshly sliced lemon and even more whipped topping.
Please see the recipe card below for quantities.
Instructions
Wondering how to make this Cream Cheese Lemonade Pie recipe? It's easy! Just follow this step-by-step photo tutorial. Then, scroll down for the recipe card for the full ingredients list and recipe method.
Mix the cream cheese and pudding: Add the softened cream cheese to a bowl along with the dry pudding mix. Using a stand mixer or electric mixer, beat on medium speed until they are both fully combined.
Add the wet ingredients: To the mixture, add the lemonade concentrate and evaporated milk. Mix until everything is fully combined.
Fold in the whipped topping: Use a rubber spatula to gently fold in the whipped topping into the filling mixture making sure not to overmix.
Pour and chill: Evenly distribute the filling into the pie crust spreading it out with a spatula. Let the pie chill in the fridge for 4 hours or in the freezer for 2 hours.
Garnish and serve: Remove the chilled pie and top with whipped topping and lemon slices. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Top tips
Make sure your cream cheese is softened before starting the recipe. This will make it much easier to mix everything together and prevent lumps in your filling.
If you want an extra lemon flavor, add a teaspoon or two of lemon extract along with the other wet ingredients.
Take care when folding the whipped topping into the filling as you don't want to overmix and deflate the airy texture.
Chilling the pie overnight will give the flavors time to meld together for an even more delicious dessert.
Variations
Change up the flavor by using other citrus pudding mixes such as lime or orange.
Give this pie a brighter yellow color by adding a drop or two of yellow food coloring.
Make a lemon berry pie by adding in other fruits like raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries.
For a gluten-free lemonade pie, use a store-bought gluten-free graham cracker crust, and check all other ingredients are gluten-free.
Storage
Storing: This lemon icebox pie can be stored in the fridge for up to four days. Cover it with plastic wrap or foil to prevent the pie from drying out.
Freezing: To extend the shelf-life, this lemonade pie can also be frozen for up to two months. Place it in a freezer-safe container and thaw overnight in the fridge when ready to enjoy.
FAQs
This lemonade pie gets its name from the fact that it needs to be stored in the fridge or freezer (aka the icebox) to set. In the past, before refrigerators were common, people would store food in a box filled with ice to keep it cool.
Yes, this is the perfect make-ahead dessert! You can prepare it a day in advance and store it in the fridge until you're ready to serve.
Yes, you can use lemon juice in place of the lemonade concentrate. However, you may need to add a bit more sweetener to the recipe as lemon juice is quite tart and lemonade has added sugar.
More Icebox Pies
We hope that you love this classic Lemonade Icebox Pie recipe! Be sure to check out these other chilled pies too.
- Kool-Aid Pie
- Earl Grey Icebox Pie
- Chocolate Icebox Pie
- Strawberry Icebox Pie
- Tiramisu Icebox Pie
- Peanut Butter Icebox Pie
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📖 Recipe
Lemonade Pie
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 box (3.4 ounce box) instant lemon pudding mix
- 6 ounces frozen lemonade from concentrate thawed (or use half a 12 ounce can)
- 14 ounces evaporated milk or condensed milk, but the pie will be quite sweet
- 4 ounces frozen whipped topping thawed
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest optional
- 1 9 inch graham cracker crust
To decorate
- Whipped cream
- Lemon slices
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until fluffy, then beat in the dry pudding mix.
- Beat in the lemonade, and evaporated milk until well blended.
- Fold in whipped topping.
- Pour the lemonade filling into the graham cracker crust.
- Chill for at least 4 hours in the fridge to set, or freeze for at least 2 hours or until firm.
- Store in the fridge or freezer and serve cold topped with whipped cream and slices of lemon.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors, so is not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietician for special diet advice.
Cara
The perfect summer dessert! I loved how refreshing it was, especially after eating a heavy steak meal. Will definitely make again!
Peter
This was my first icebox pie that I made and it turned out great. I can't believe how easy it was to make, feels like cheating! 🤣 It was the hit of the potluck. Thanks!
Mandy Applegate
This pie was absolutely delicious, the only drawback was that it was eaten in minutes - I should have made two!