Quick answer: whisk two 14 oz cans of sweetened condensed milk with 1 cup of fresh lemon juice, 5 egg yolks and the zest of 2 lemons, pour into a baked graham cracker crust and bake at 325°F for 15 minutes. Chill for at least 6 hours and top with whipped cream.
Ingredients (9-inch deep-dish pie)
- 1½ cups (about 180 g) graham cracker crumbs
- 6 tbsp (85 g) butter, melted
- ¼ cup (50 g) sugar
- 2 cans (14 oz / 397 g each) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup (240 ml) fresh lemon juice (5-6 lemons)
- 5 large egg yolks
- Zest of 2 lemons
Topping
- 1½ cups (360 ml) cold heavy cream
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
How to make it
- Heat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Mix the crumbs, butter and sugar, press into a deep 9-inch pie dish and bake for 10 minutes.
- Whisk the condensed milk, lemon juice, yolks and zest until smooth. The acid thickens it at once.
- Pour into the crust and bake for 15 minutes, until set at the edges with a slight wobble.
- Cool, then chill for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla and spread or pipe it over the pie.
No-bake version
Leave out the yolks. Beat 8 oz of cream cheese until smooth, beat in one can of condensed milk, ½ cup of lemon juice and the zest, then fold in 1 cup of cream whipped to stiff peaks. Chill in the crust for 6 hours.
The topping
Whipped cream softens the sharp lemon. For a pie that will sit on a buffet, use stabilized whipped cream; for the method, see whipped cream.
Variations
- Key lime: swap in lime juice and zest.
- Frozen: freeze the no-bake version for a firmer, ice cream-like slice.
- Vanilla wafer crust: use crushed vanilla wafers in place of graham crackers.
More lemon and cream: lemon posset, which sets with nothing but cream, sugar and lemon. More chilled pies: French silk pie and banoffee pie.
Frequently asked questions
What is lemon icebox pie?
A Southern chilled pie with a graham cracker crust and a tart, creamy filling of sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice and egg yolks, topped with whipped cream.
Is lemon icebox pie baked?
Briefly. This version bakes for about 15 minutes to set the egg yolks, then chills. Fully no-bake versions use cream cheese or whipped cream instead of eggs.
Can I use bottled lemon juice?
Fresh juice tastes much brighter, and you need the zest. Bottled works in a pinch.
How long does lemon icebox pie last?
About 3 days in the fridge. Add the whipped cream on the day you serve it.
