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Lemon Ice Box Pie is an iconic Southern dessert recipe made with a sweet, tangy lemon filling and a fluffy orange meringue on top. It’s rich, delicious, and silky smooth. Best of all, this lemon icebox pie recipe only requires 10 minutes of prep work!
Here are more tasty pie recipes: Southern Sweet Potato Pie, Classic Apple Pie, Cherry Galette with Chocolate Port Sauce, Southern Pecan Pie, and Fried Peach Pies.
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When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade, lemon ice box pie. This classic lemon dessert has been around longer than I have, and for good reason. Lemon Ice Box Pie (also called lemon meringue pie) is sweet, tangy, silky, and overflowing with decadence.
It’s a simple dessert requiring only a few ingredients and 10 minutes of prep work. If you’re looking for a fantastic yet easy dessert that will ‘wow’ your friends and family, this is the one.
This original lemon icebox pie recipe is from Master Chef Louis Evans, the first black chef in history to be admitted to the exclusive order of the Golden Toque.
Evans was among only thirteen American master chefs to appear on Julia Child's PBS special, “Dinner at Julia’s.” It’s safe to say the man knows what he’s doing in the kitchen! You can find more of Chef Louis’ delicious recipes in his Louis Evans Creole Cookbook.
Serve this creamy lemon or lemon meringue pie at your next dinner party, barbecue, or potluck. No matter the occasion, this incredible lemon dessert guarantees to be the star of the show. Be sure to let me know what you think in the comments below!
Key Ingredients
Ready to make this drool-worthy lemon icebox recipe? You’re going to need the key ingredients listed below.
Fresh Lemon Juice
You will need around 4-6 fresh lemons for one cup of lemon juice. Make sure to use freshly squeezed lemon juice rather than bottled lemon juice—it makes a huge difference.
Sweetened Condensed Milk
This is what makes the creamy lemon filling extra silky and rich. Feel free to use any kind you like, but many people love the Eagle brand for this recipe.
Powdered Sugar
I only use Imperial Sugar powdered sugar. It’s by far the best on the market. Imperial Sugar is one of the largest processors and marketers of refined sugar in the U.S., supplying high-quality products to food manufacturers, retail grocers, and food service distributors.
Lemon Extract
A little lemon extract goes a long way in enhancing the bright citrus flavors of this lemon ice box pie. It's a great way to add more lemon flavor.
Orange Zest
The addition of orange zest in the meringue is unique to Master Chef Louis Evans’ lemon ice box pie recipe and was a brilliant move on his part because the orange flavors play beautifully with the lemon flavors.
Frozen Pie Shell
You’re more than welcome to make a homemade pie crust if you want, but I prefer to stick to frozen pie shells for convenience. You can also use a graham cracker crust instead.
How to Make Lemon Ice Box Pie
To make this easy recipe for lemon icebox pie, all you have to do is follow these simple steps:
Lemon Icebox Pie Filling:
In a medium bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk, fresh lemon juice, lemon extract, and egg yolks until smooth. Pour the mixture into the pie shell and freeze for 2-3 hours until hardened.
Orange Meringue:
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Then, place an oven rack directly under the broiler. In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites with a hand mixer on medium speed for 3 minutes until stiff peaks form. Mix in powdered sugar until foamy, then add orange zest.
Once the pies are set, evenly pour meringue over the pies. Bake for 4-6 minutes until meringue turns light brown or broil for 1-2 minutes. Place the pies in the freezer for 6 hours before serving. Let the lemon pie set out for 10 minutes before serving at room temperature.
How to Store Lemon Ice Box Pie
If you want to prepare this dish ahead of time, you can store it in the fridge up to 2 days in advance. Before storing, wrap the pie tightly in plastic wrap and then with aluminum foil. Store leftover lemon ice box pie as follows:
In the fridge for up to 2 days or in the freezer for 1-2 months.
To thaw the pie after freezing, transfer it to the fridge and let it thaw overnight. Then, serve chilled.
Pro Recipe Substitutions, Tips and Tricks
If you want to make this easy lemon pie, here are some of my top tips and tricks to help you get there:
- Make sure to zest the lemons before juicing them. Otherwise, you’ll have a much more difficult time zesting them.
- Feel free to use lemon zest instead of orange zest in your meringue.
- Use lemon zest or vanilla extract instead of lemon extract.
- Use the zest side on a cheese grater if you don't have a zester.
- You can serve your lemon pie with whipped cream instead of a meringue. I recommend making a homemade one instead of using whipped cream topping. If you go this route, you don't have to worry about baking the pie and will have a yummy, no-bake lemon icebox pie recipe.
- You can quickly turn this into a no-bake pie recipe by using a Chef's torch to brown the meringue instead of popping the pie into the oven.
- To maximize the amount of fresh juice you get from your lemons, roll them on the counter and/or microwave them for 30 seconds before slicing them open. This helps break down the fruit's cell walls, allowing you to get more juice out.
- If you want to garnish your pie for a little extra pizzazz, try topping it with graham cracker crumbs or lemon zest.
- Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk is my go-to, but use whatever brand you can find.
- You can make a delicious key lime pie if you swap the lemon juice for key lime juice.
- Here's my homemade pie crust recipe. You can use my homemade graham cracker crust recipe from my sweet potato cheesecake bars recipe. You'll need graham crackers, sugar, and unsalted melted butter.
FAQ's
Here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about this easy lemon icebox pie recipe:
The name ‘icebox pie’ refers to the fact that this pie is kept in the refrigerator and served chilled. It comes from way back in the day before electric fridges were around, so food was stored in a chilled box or cupboard called an icebox.
The creamy and delicious filling for this lemon ice box pie is made with just four ingredients: fresh lemon juice, condensed milk, lemon extract, and egg yolks. This combination creates a pie filling that is sweet, rich, silky, and perfectly fluffy.
Yes! To store icebox pie in the freezer, wrap it tightly in saran wrap and then once more in aluminum foil. Then, you can store it in the freezer for up to 1-2 months. When you’re ready to enjoy it again, transfer the pie to the fridge and let it thaw overnight.
Sweetened condensed milk is already thickened from the way it's made. Adding lemon juice will not thicken it further but will thin it out slightly.
Freshly squeezed lemon juice or bottled lemon juice will not curdle condensed milk.
Evaporated milk is thinner and unsweetened, and sweetened condensed milk is thicker and sweeter. If you swap in condensed milk, it will make whatever you're adding to it sweeter and more viscous.
Cream of tartar is unnecessary, but the acid in it helps keep your meringue from breaking or weeping. You can use a ¼ teaspoon of lemon juice per egg white as a swap for the cream of tartar.
More Sweet Lemon Recipes
Are you a lemon lover looking for more ways to use lemons? Check out these recipes next:
- Blueberry Lemon Lavender Sorbet
- Homemade Strawberry Ginger Lemonade
- Simple Fresh Fruit Tart with Lemon Pastry Cream
- Southern Tea Cake Cookies
- Blueberry Lemon Tart
- Lemon Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing
- Lemon Pound Cake Loafs
- Meyer Lemon Curd
- Baked Lemon Hand Pies
Before You Begin
Here are my steps for getting organized before I start anything.
Step 1: Get all the ingredients for the lemon ice box on the counter. Read the recipe one full time before starting.
Step 2: Measure everything out into individual bowls.
Step 3: Start following the recipe and get ready for the best creamy lemon pie ever!
So, what are you waiting for? This lemon icebox pie recipe is definitely one you’ll want to add to your repertoire. It’s rich, delicious, and silky smooth. Best of all, it only requires 10 minutes of prep work! Make the recipe and leave me a 5-star review, telling me how much you loved it. I can’t wait to hear what you think!
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📖 Recipe
Lemon Ice Box Pie with Condensed Milk
Ingredients
Lemon Ice Box Pie:
- 2 14 oz. cans sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon lemon extract
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 9-inch baked frozen pie shell
Orange Meringue:
- 2 large egg whites
- ⅛ teaspoon cream tartar
- ¾ cups Imperial Sugar Powdered Sugar
- zest of 1 small orange
Instructions
Lemon Ice Box Pie:
- In a medium bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, lemon extract and egg yolks, until smooth. Pour in pie shell and freeze for 2-3 hours until it gets hard.
Orange Meringue:
- Place the oven rack directly under the broiler. Preheat oven to low broiler. Once the lemon pie is set. In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites and cream tartar, with a hand mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes, until stiff peaks form. Add in powdered sugar ½ cup at a time, adding orange zest with the last ½ cup meringue should have stiff peaks.
- Evenly pour meringue over pie. Bake for 30-45 seconds until meringue turns light brown. Place back in the freezer for 6 hours before serving.
Notes
- Make sure to zest the lemons beforejuicing them. Otherwise, you’ll have a much more difficult time zesting them.
- Feel free to use lemon zest instead of orange zest in your meringue.
- Use lemon zest or vanilla extract instead of lemon extract.
- Use the zest side on a cheese grater if you don't have a zester.
- You can serve your lemon pie with whipped cream instead of a meringue. I recommend making a homemade one instead of using whipped cream topping. If you go this route, you don't have to worry about baking the pie and will have a yummy, no-bake lemon icebox pie recipe.
- You can quickly turn this into a no-bake pie recipe by using a Chef's torch to brown the meringue instead of popping the pie into the oven.
- To maximize the amount of fresh juice you get from your lemons, roll them on the counter and/or microwave them for 30 seconds before slicing them open. This helps break down the fruit's cell walls, allowing you to get more juice out.
- If you want to garnish your pie for a little extra pizzazz, try topping it with graham cracker crumbs or lemon zest.
- Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk is my go-to, but use whatever brand you can find.
- You can make a delicious key lime pie if you swap the lemon juice for key lime juice.
- Here's my homemade pie crust You can use my homemade graham cracker crust recipe from my sweet potato cheesecake barsrecipe. You'll need graham crackers, sugar, and unsalted melted butter.
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