You only need three simple ingredients to make this easy lemon pie and it takes just 10 minutes to prepare.

It’s the perfect no bake dessert for lemon lovers!

This is the ultimate zesty and refreshing lemon pie. The combination of the citrusy lemon filling with the sweetness of the condensed milk in a classic graham cracker crust, it’s literally sunshine in every bite!

I’m always looking for quick and easy desserts for the hot summer months and I can assure you this beautiful no bake lemon icebox pie checks all the boxes. It’s the perfect combination of sweet and tart that is sure to satisfy anyone’s cravings.

If you’re looking to make this for a gathering, I recommend serving it with a strawberry rosé spritzer for the ultimate summer fruity duo too!

Why you’ll love this 3 ingredient lemon icebox pie

• This lemon icebox pie with cream cheese is a classic no-bake dessert. You’ll get a tangy and creamy filling in a buttery graham cracker crust!

• The lemon pie filling only needs 3 simple ingredients that you can find at the grocery store. Just whip them up with a mixer at high speed, then pour the easy pie filling into a pre-made graham cracker crust.

• This lemon icebox pie can be made 2-3 days ahead, so it’s perfect to make if you’re serving to a crowd or for a gathering.

• I love serving it with whipped cream and fresh lemon zest.  If you want to go all out, candied lemon slices would be very stunning as a topper to this pie too!

Ingredients Needed to make this easy lemon icebox pie

Cream Cheese: I recommend using full fat cream cheese in this recipe to make sure you get the best, creamy texture for the filling.

Sweetened Condensed Milk: make sure you’re using sweetened condensed milk and not evaporated milk!

Lemon Juice: use lemon juice from fresh lemons to get a real citrusy flavor.

Graham Cracker Pie Crust: you can use a 9-inch or 10-inch store-bought graham cracker crumb crust. If you’re making your own, follow the instructions of the recipe you’re making to bake the crust and cool it first before you fill and chill it with the lemon pie filling.

Step by Step Process for making this pie recipe

Step 1: Make sure you have a pie crust ready before starting to make this filling. In a large bowl, whip the room temperature cream cheese with a handheld electric mixer until smooth. Stop the mixer and pour in the sweetened condensed milk and lemon juice. Blend until smooth.

Step 2: Pour the lemon pie filling into the pie crust and smooth out the top with a small offset spatula. Refrigerate until set, or at least 3 hours but preferably overnight.

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Easy No Bake 3 Ingredient Lemon Icebox Pie Recipe

This easy 3 Ingredient Lemon Icebox Pie is a make-ahead dessert that requires no baking! It's a perfect pie for Spring & Summer gatherings.

Course Dessert

Cuisine american-inspired

Keyword lemon, no bake, pie

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Resting time in the fridge 3 hours hours

Total Time 3 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Servings 8 -10 slices

Author Jess

Ingredients

• 250 g full fat cream cheese
• 10-14 oz sweetened condensed milk (either amount will work as cans are sold in different sizes in different countries)
• 1/2 cup lemon Juice
• 1 9-10 inch graham cracker pie crust
• Extra toppings: whipped cream, lemon zest

Instructions

• Whip the cream cheese with an electric stand mixer (with whisk attachment) or hand mixer until smooth. Then add the sweetened condensed milk and lemon juice and continue to blend until smooth and fully incorporated.
• Pour the pie filling into the pie crust and smooth out the top. Refrigerate until set, at least 3 hours or overnight.
• Add whipped cream and/or fresh lemon zest just before slicing and serving.

Notes

• What is the best recipe for making my own graham cracker crust?
  If you want to make a homemade graham cracker crust, this is one of my favourite recipes to follow OR this gluten free version is great too (if needed for dietary reasons).
• How can I get my cream cheese to soften quicker? Remove it from the fridge, unwrap it and cut it into small cubes on a plate. Spread the cubes a part a bit on the plate so that they can soften more quickly at room temperature.
• Why didn’t my icebox pie set? I recommend letting the pie set for at least 3 hours, if not overnight. If you don’t give it long enough in the fridge, it won’t set and you won’t be able to cut a clean slice.

Expert Tips for making this easy recipe

• Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature. If it’s too cold it might be lumpy so your lemon icebox pie filling won’t be smooth. While the prep time is quick for this recipe, you won’t want to skip letting the cream cheese come to room temperature first.

• I recommend using fresh lemon juice but you can also use bottled lemon juice if that’s all you have on hand.

• Serve this icebox lemon pie with homemade whipped cream and lemon zest!

• I recommend letting the pie set overnight to make sure it sets completely, giving you cleaner slices that come out of the pie plate well.

The hardest part is waiting for this pie to set so you can dig in and enjoy!

FAQ

Why is it called 3 ingredient lemon icebox pie when there are more ingredients?
This is a classic old fashioned recipe that is referring to the lemon filling, which has just 3 ingredients! Technically with the graham cracker crust this would be a 4 ingredient no bake lemon pie. You can easily purchase a premade graham cracker crust at the store to make your life easier!

What is the best recipe for making my own graham cracker crust?
If you want to make a homemade graham cracker crust, this is one of my favourite recipes to follow OR this gluten free version is great too (if needed for dietary reasons).

How can I get my cream cheese to soften quicker?
Remove it from the fridge, unwrap it and cut it into small cubes on a plate. Spread the cubes a part a bit on the plate so that they can soften more quickly at room temperature.

Why didn’t my icebox pie set?
I recommend letting the pie set for at least 3 hours, if not overnight. If you don’t give it long enough in the fridge, it won’t set and you won’t be able to cut a clean slice.

Storage for this 3 ingredient lemon icebox pie

You can make this 3 ingredient lemon icebox pie tightly covered with plastic wrap or foil in the fridge for up to 5 days.

If you love lemon meringue pie, you’re sure to love the lemon flavor of this icebox pie too! It’s a beautiful dessert made to share on a hot day.

More easy dessert recipes to love from the blog:

Easy Waffle Ice Cream Sandwiches

Strawberry Crumble Bars

Easy Strawberry Rhubarb Hand Pies with Lemon Icing

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

The post Easy No Bake 3 Ingredient Lemon Icebox Pie Recipe appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

These hand pies are the perfect handheld treat for picnics, family gatherings, or potlucks.

This is truly the perfect sweet strawberry and tart rhubarb combo that you can’t get enough of.

Once rhubarb season starts, I am always in the market buying it every week until the season is over! Strawberry and rhubarb are a classic flavour combination which makes delicious hand pies, cocktails and sundaes.

Each flaky and buttery pastry is filled with juicy strawberries that pair perfectly with the tartness of the rhubarb. Taking these hand pies over the top is the lemon drizzle! Totally optional but the lemon glaze brings all the flavours together.

Why you’ll love these delicious fruit hand pies

• These are simple to make as you can use ready made puff pastry, no need to make your own!

• Each strawberry rhubarb hand pie is bursting with flavor thanks to fresh fruit filling ingredients.

• It takes just 10 minutes to prep these hand pies and then you’ll need to let them chill for 20 minutes before baking.

• This makes 4 perfect strawberry rhubarb pies, but you can easily double the ingredients to make more for a crowd!

What is better that a small little fruit pie that is all yours and you can hold in your hand to enjoy? To me it doesn’t get much better than these pies for dessert in the summertime!

And, the best part is you don’t need to make your own pie dough or need any fancy baking equipment. All you need are some basic pantry ingredients; fresh strawberries and rhubarb; and, frozen puff pastry that’s been defrosted. This is truly an easy summer dessert that you can make on repeat.

Ingredients Needed to make these strawberry rhubarb hand pies

Fresh Fruit: I recommend making this recipe when it’s rhubarb season, that way the rhubarb and strawberries are at their best for the strawberry rhubarb pie filling.

Cinnamon: a sprinkle of cinnamon is going to amp up the flavor.

Puff Pastry Dough: make sure you defrost your frozen puff pastry dough before starting this recipe!

Lemon Juice: you’ll need a tablespoon of lemon juice combined with icing sugar to make the glaze for the hand pies.

Milk: use milk or beaten egg wash to brush on the pies before baking.

These Strawberry Rhubarb Hand Pies are simple, elegant and the perfect ending to meal. So make a batch (or two, or three) and invite some family or friends over to enjoy together.

Step by Step Process to make this simple recipe

Step 1: Make sure to defrost the frozen puff pastry before you begin. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Step 2: In a medium bowl, combine the sliced strawberries and chopped rhubarb with the cinnamon, sugar and cornstarch.

Step 3: If your puff pastry comes in a square, use a rolling pin and roll it out on a floured work surface until it is 10×10-inches. Cut the dough into 4 equal squares.

Step 4: Divide the strawberry rhubarb mixture between the 4 squares of puff pastry, placing the mixture on one side of the dough and leaving a half inch border.

Step 5: Fold the dough over to create a triangle or rectangular hand pie. Pinch the edges around all sides and use the tines of a fork to seal the sides.

Step 6: Place the hand pies on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Use a pastry brush to brush the top of each pie with milk or an egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Place in the fridge to chill for 20 minutes. While the pies are in the fridge, preheat the oven to 400°Fahrenheit.

Step 7: Take the pies out of the fridge and use a sharp knife to cut 3 small slits on top of each hand pie – cutting slits in the top of the puff pastry crust allows the steam to escape while baking.

Step 8: Bake the hand pies in the pre-heated oven for 22-26 minutes or until nicely golden brown. Some juices will leak out which is totally normal so don’t fret! You’ll know the hand pies are done when the tops of the pies are golden brown and have puffed up. Let the hand pies cool fully on a baking rack.

Step 9: Once the pies are completely cooled, whisk the lemon juice with the icing sugar in a small bowl until combined and drizzle over the hand pies. Enjoy these mini hand pies on their own or add a scoop of ice cream on top.

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Strawberry Rhubarb Hand Pies

These Strawberry Rhubarb Hand Pies are made for sharing! They are easy to make and perfect to enjoy all summer long at barbeques and picnics!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword hand pie, strawberry rhubarb, strawberry rhubarb hand pie

Prep Time 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings 4 hand pies

Author Jess

Ingredients

• 1 square or sheet of puff pastry dough, defrosted
• extra flour for rolling out the dough
• 3/4 cup strawberries, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup rhubarb, thinly sliced
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp corn starch
• 1 tbsp milk
• white sugar for dusting

Lemon Glaze

• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup icing sugar

Instructions

• Pre-heat your oven to 400F.  Line your baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
• Combine sliced strawberries & rhubarb, cinnamon, sugar and corn starch in a bowl and mix until combined.
  
• If using a square of puff pastry dough, roll out the dough to about a 10inch x 10inch square. Cut your dough into 4 squares.
• Divide the strawberry-rhubarb mixture evenly between the 4 squares of puff pastry dough, leaving about a half inch border, placing the mixture on one side of the dough to make a triangle or rectangular pie.
• Then, fold over the dough to create the pocket, gently pinching the edges around all of the sides and then pinch with a fork all around to seal.
• Move the pies to your parchment-lined baking sheet. Then, brush the top of each hand pie with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Place in the fridge for 20 minutes to firm up before baking (this helps to keep the hand pie's shape when baking).
• Using a sharp knife cut 3 small slits into the top of the pies.
• Bake for 22-26 minutes or until golden (don't fret, juices will run onto parchment) until pies are golden brown & have puffed up.  Then take the hand pies out of the oven and let cool on a baking rack.
• Once cooled, mix the glaze ingredients together (it will be fairly thick) and drizzle over the pies. Best enjoyed the day you make them!

Notes

Equipment: baking sheet, rolling pin, parchment paper

When I created this recipe here’s what I had in mind – you’re gathered with your family and friends catching up after a lovely summer barbecue and a batch of hand pies sits on the table for all to enjoy at their leisure. Or honestly enjoy them ANYTIME!

Expert Tips to make this strawberry rhubarb hand pies recipe

• Using ready made puff pastry is going to make your life so much easier! Find it in your grocery store’s freezer section. You can find puff pastry in pre-rolled sheets or as squares that you’ll need to roll out.

• Once you’ve assembled the hand pies, place in the fridge for 20 minutes before baking. This is going to help the gluten in the puff pastry relax and it helps the butter to stay cold, giving you lovely, puffy layers of dough!

• Don’t forget to brush the top of the hand pies with milk or an egg wash before baking! This milk wash is going to give you that beautiful golden brown color.

FAQ

Can I use frozen strawberries or frozen rhubarb instead of fresh?
I recommend only using fresh fruit for this recipe. Frozen strawberries and frozen rhubarb will release a lot of moisture when baking so you won’t get a buttery and flaky hand pie if you use those frozen fruits.

My puff pastry doesn’t come in sheets, can I still use it?
Yes, if your puff pastry comes in a square instead of a sheet you’ll just need to spend a bit of extra time and effort to roll it out on a lightly floured surface.

How do I keep my pie filling from being runny?
Adding that little bit of cornstarch is going to help firm up your hand pie filling, so don’t leave it out! But don’t fret if some of the filling comes out of the pies while baking; this is definitely normal. Just make sure to let the pies fully cool before enjoying so that pie filling can firm up.

Can I make these pies a different shape?
Yes! You can use a circle-shaped cookie cutter to make pies as well. The filling will probably make 6-8 smaller circle hand pies.  Here’s the thing with these hand pies, however you shape them they’re going to turn our delicious no matter what!

These Strawberry Rhubarb Hand Pies are simple and elegant and the perfect ending to meal. So make a batch (or two, or three) and invite some family or friends over to enjoy together!

And, if you’re looking for another unique strawberry dessert, try these Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies from my friends at Truffle Nation.

Now it’s time to enjoy! To me these taste just like summer and might just become your dessert of the season.

Storage

These strawberry rhubarb hand pies are best enjoyed on the day they’re made! Want to make them ahead of a gathering? If you’re having guests over for brunch, lunch or dinner, make a batch in the morning and they can sit at room temperature until you’re ready to enjoy later in the day.

Now it’s time to enjoy! To me these taste just like summer and might just become your dessert of the season.

More strawberry and rhubarb recipes to love from the blog:

Strawberry Rhubarb Toasted Oat Sundaes

Berry Rhubarb Kombucha Sangria

Rhubarb Cake

Strawberry Crumble Bars

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

The post Easy Strawberry Rhubarb Hand Pies with Lemon Icing appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

We took a quick little trip back to Ontario to visit family and friends at the end of July; it was the perfect little vacation before we went back to Calgary to finish packing for our move!

We basically spent our time packing and moving since we got back to Calgary which has also been a bit of a whirlwind but I’m happy to say we’re finally settling into our new place.

One room I am in LOVE with in our new house is the kitchen! It is light and bright and has the most insane countertop (I’m not kidding when I say we need 6-8 barstools for it!) Once I’ve got the kitchen setup I will be sharing a full tour with you to show you where the magic will happen for all upcoming Cooking in my Genes recipes.

Because of the move our schedules and meals have been all over the place so I’ve been sticking to some of my go-to recipes that are easy for the summertime:

My Roasted Summer Vegetable Salad is super simple & easy to make – you can make it the day before and take it for lunch too

This Cucumber Quinoa Salad from Gimme Some Oven is simple and refreshing, we made this recipe alongside some roasted salmon filets

Also these Ancho Chicken Street Tacos are full of flavour and perfect for Taco Tuesday!

And my Peanut Chicken Lettuce Wraps, a quick recipe that you can add in whichever vegetables suit your fancy

Easy snacks have also been essential like my Lemon Coconut Power Balls or these Cashew, Peanut Butter and Chocolate Power Balls from Eyecandypopper

Of course we needed dessert too and since the rhubarb is still going strong my Strawberry Rhubarb Hand Pies did just the trick

And a cocktail like my Cherry Bourbon Lemonade Smash is super refreshing and the perfect use for all of those tasty cherries

Enjoy these last couple weeks of summer fun, I know I’ll be cooking up a storm in my new kitchen to bring you some wonderful autumn recipes along with some fabulous food stories! Plus, stay tuned for my upcoming coverage of Feast Portland, a food festival I’m attending in September!

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

The post What’s In Season – Summer Favourites appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.