Lemon Icebox Pie (No Bake)

Delicious lemon no-bake icebox pies you can make at home are a perfect summer dessert for a crowd

4.89 from 17 votes

Lemon Icebox Pie (No Bake)

This no-bake Lemon Icebox Pie recipe has a bright lemon filling, rich crumbly crust, and mounds of sweet whipped cream on top. With a few simple ingredients and just 30 minutes of assembly time, it's the perfect make-ahead summer dessert.

Prep Time30

Total Time6 30

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: lemon pie, no bake, No-bake Lemon Icebox Pie

Servings: to 10 people

Calories: 426kcal

Author: Tara Teaspoon

Ingredients

1½ cups vanilla wafer cookie crumbs from about 50 cookies
5 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
¾ cup frozen lemonade concentrate thawed, but cold
½ cup granulated sugar
1 cup water DIVIDED
1 envelope Knox unflavored gelatin almost 2½ teaspoons / 7.2 grams
2 cups heavy cream DIVIDED
4 to 7 drops yellow liquid food coloring optional
¼ cup confectioners' sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Garnishes: vanilla wafer cookie crumbs, lemon zest curls, or candied lemon zest optional

Instructions

Make the crust

In a food processor, blend cookie crumbs with the 5 tablespoons melted butter. Evenly press into a 9- or 10-inch pie plate and chill or freeze while preparing the filling. (See Notes for making the recipe in a 9- by 9-inch pan.)

Make the filling

In a medium bowl sprinkle gelatin over ½ cup of the room-temperature water. Let the gelatin bloom (or soften), so there are no dry bits visible. Boil the remaining ½ cup water in the microwave or on the stovetop and stir into gelatin mixture. Stir until gelatin is dissolved.
Stir in cold lemonade concentrate, sugar, and food coloring (to desired color). Stir until sugar is dissolved and then refrigerate until mixture is the consistency of loose jelly, 2 to 2½ hours. Mixture will jiggle like just-setting Jell-o.
In a separate bowl, whip 1 cup heavy cream to firm peaks. To test for firm peaks, lift your beaters straight out of the bowl, the cream should stand up in a sharp point with the tip just barely flopping over. Set aside.
Whip barely-set lemonade gelatin to infuse it with air until frothy, about 1 minute on high speed. Add the whipped cream and fold into the gelatin just to combine.
Gently pour filling into chilled crust and chill until set, 4 hours or more.

Finish the pie

To serve, whip remaining 1 cup cream with confectioners' sugar to soft peaks. Top pie with whipped cream and garnish with extra cookie crumbs, lemon zest curls, or candied lemon zest. Serve immediately, or chill with cream on top for up to 2 hours.

Notes

Make this in a 9-by-9-inch square pan: Press crust mixture into the bottom of a 9-by 9-inch square pan in an even layer. Chill as directed and pour prepared filling on top. Chill until ready to top with whipped cream. The sweetened whipped cream topping can be spread in an even layer over the chilled filling. Garnish as desired and serve cut into 9 or more squares.

Be careful with the no-bake crust: The crust isn't baked, so it's pretty fragile. Chilling in the fridge or freezer while the Jell-o sets is essential. Add the filling carefully so that the crust doesn't get broken.

Fully dissolve gelatin and sugar: Make sure the unflavored gelatin and sugar are completely dissolved in the lemonade before chilling it in the fridge to ensure it activates the lemonade evenly and creates a sturdy base for the mousse.

Recipe has been re-tested and improved. It was re-written in 2026 to add loads of helpful information.

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