A unique, lovely, and delicious dessert, this no-bake Lemon Icebox Pie with Lavender has a cool, sweet filling in a vanilla cookie crust.
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This is a bright, floral, lemon-lavender dessert that has a sweet and tangy lemon filling, a cookie crust, and lavender whipped cream.
Of all the recipes to enjoy during the spring and summer, Lemon Icebox Pie with Lavender is one I look forward to the most!
One of the first lavender-flavored baked goods I ever tried was the bouchons at Myer's Bagels. The flavor was delicate, floral, summery, and aromatic. And that's what I tried to recreate in this lemon refrigerator pie!
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What's an icebox cake?
Icebox cakes are old-fashioned, no-bake desserts made by layering ingredients into pie plates or baking pans. They're refrigerated (or iceboxed) overnight, where they set up into firm, sliceable treats.
Reading through my vintage cookbooks, I found many different recipes for these cool fridge cakes. Though there are numerous variations, in general, icebox cakes are made with layers of:
- Something already baked (like leftover cake, cookies, or crackers)
- Something sweet and creamy (pudding, custard, mousse, whipped cream)
- Layers of sweet mix-ins like fruit (such as berries, mango, and peaches) or candies (such as chocolate chunks, toffee bits, candy bars, ganache, and caramel sauce)
The overnight stay in the fridge melds the layers together, forming a firm, chilled dessert that's easy to slice and serve!
So, what's an icebox??
Why, it's your fridge, of course!
Starting in the late 1920s, more and more households were buying the coolest new appliance on the market (literally)—the electric refrigerator.
Before that, families had to make do with iceboxes: tall, metal-lined, wooden cabinets that held large blocks of ice to keep everything stored inside the icebox cold.
And because iceboxes needed ice, there was a whole business around ice deliveries. Blocks were delivered by horses pulling the enormous pieces of ice on carriages. Delivery men would grab the ice blocks with huge metal tongs, then haul them into homes.
Despite the upgrade in the '20s to electric refrigerators, for many decades folks still referred to their fridges as iceboxes. Remember in 1984's "Ghostbusters" when Dr. Venkman tells Dana Barrett about the evil deity named Gozer? (He was very big in Sumeria.) "Well, what's he doing in my icebox??" she asks. Dana's talking about her fridge!
Why you'll love this Lemon Icebox Pie
This simple, no-bake lemon icebox pie recipe comes together easily because the crust is quick to make by hand. Instead of the graham cracker crust found in many icebox pies, this one has a vanilla cookie crust—that vanilla flavor is perfect with the lemony filling.
(If you're really pressed for time, you can also use a store-bought cookie crust.)
Unlike other lemon pie recipes out there, this is an icebox lemon pie made without eggs in the filling. Instead, lemon instant pudding is the easy filling. It's topped with homemade whipped cream that has a subtle lavender flavor—and a sprinkle of fresh lemon zest.
The only lengthy part is the time the icebox pie needs to chill, which is a few hours or overnight. However, that is exactly what makes this a perfect make-ahead dessert.
In our house, this old-fashioned dessert always impresses all the hungry fans. It's simple, but it has a vibrant flavor and feels like an extra special dessert.
More cool, creamy treats!
No-Bake Desserts
Find more icebox cakes, ice cream, and more.
🔪 How to make Lemon Icebox Pie With Lavender
Ingredients:
- 'Nilla wafers: These classic vanilla cookies are crushed up to make the crust for this pie.
- Butter: Melted butter holds the crust together—you can use salted or unsalted.
- Whipping cream: Pick up whipping cream to make easy, homemade whipped cream for the filling.
- Confectioners' sugar: I use confectioners' sugar in the whipped cream because it dissolves quickly and stabilizes the cream.
- Lavender: Buy culinary lavender buds at spice shops or online.
- Lemon pudding mix: The pie filling is easy to make because I use instant lemon pudding.
- Milk: Cold whole milk brings the pudding filling together.
- Lemon zest: A little fresh lemon zest grated over the finished pie is a lovely garnish.
- Cream of tartar: A little cream of tartar added to the whipped cream keeps it stabilized.
Make the cookie crust
Crush the vanilla wafer cookies and mix the crumbs with melted butter. Press the mixture into a pie pan to make an even layer over the bottom and up the sides.
Make the whipped cream
Beat the cream with the sugar to make whipped cream. Set aside a cup of the cream in the fridge. Whisk lavender into the rest of the whipped cream.
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Make the pudding layer
Mix up the lemon pie filling layer using the pudding mix and the milk. Then, stir the reserved whipped cream into it.
Assemble the pie and chill it
Spoon the pudding into the pie shell into an even layer. Spoon the lavender whipped cream over the top and smooth it. Sprinkle lemon zest over the top, then wrap the pie. Refrigerate the pie for a few hours or overnight.
Enjoy!
After the pie has had an overnight stay in the fridge, slice it up and serve it immediately.
I ♥ lemons!
Lemon Cream Puffs
Learn how to make choux pastry puffs and fill them with homemade lemony pastry cream.
Lemon Icebox Pie FAQs
Keep Lemon Icebox Pie wrapped and in the fridge for up to five days. The longer it rests the softer the crust will become, so if you want to keep it a little crunchy it's best to eat it a day or two after making it.
A common type of lemon pie is lemon meringue which is made with lemon juice and eggs. This pie is different: the filling is made with easy, instant lemon pudding, milk, and homemade whipped cream. It's a no-bake and no-cook pie.
Because this pie is made differently than pies with liquid fillings that are cooked, the crust stays crunchy even after chilling. For the best texture, enjoy this Lemon Icebox Pie within three days of making it.
Tips
- Plan ahead for this dessert, because it requires a few hours in the fridge before you can serve it.
- If you're short on time, find premade cookie crusts in the baking aisle of your grocery store.
Try this sweet and unique dessert any time of the year! The recipe for easy Lemon Icebox Pie with Lavender is below! Here are sweet dishes to try:
💬 Did you make and devour this recipe? Leave a comment below.
📖 Recipe
Lemon Icebox Pie With Lavender
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Ingredients
For the crust:
- 3 cups vanilla wafer cookies
- 7 tablespoons butter, melted (unsalted)
For the filling:
- 1½ cups whipping cream
- ¼ cup confectioners' sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 2 teaspoons dried, organic culinary lavender buds
- 3.4 ounces (1 box) of Jell-O Instant Lemon Pudding & Pie Filling
- 1½ cups cold milk
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions
- Have a 9½ inch pie plate ready. Place the bowl and beater from your mixer into the freezer to chill.
Prepare the crust:
- Place the 3 cups vanilla wafer cookies in a the bowl of a food processor and grind them into fine crumbs. If you don't have a food processor you can also crush the cookies in a large bowl using a potato masher or the bottom of a sturdy drinking glass.
- Stir the 7 tablespoons butter, melted into the cookie crumbs until the crumbs have thoroughly absorbed the butter.
- Press the butter-crumb mixture into the pie plate, making an even layer across the bottom and up the sides of the plate to the rim. Press the mixture into place firmly and smooth out the edges.
- Cover the pie plate with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 1 hour.
Prepare the whipped cream:
- When the pie crust has chilled, assemble the bowl and beater on your mixer. Turn the mixer on low and slowly pour in the 1½ cups whipping cream. Increase the speed to medium-high or the highest speed you can go to without cream flying all over the kitchen!
- After about 2 minutes add in the ¼ cup confectioners' sugar and ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar. Beat the mixture for another 2-4 minutes until it has thickened and holds loose peaks. Warm weather may make the whipping process take a little longer.
- Refrigerate 1 cup of the finished whipped cream.
- Pour the 2 teaspoons dried, organic culinary lavender buds into a spice grinder or mini chopper. Pulse the lavender to grind the buds down to a fine consistency.
- Fold the ground lavender into the remaining whipped cream in the bowl.
Prepare the lemon pudding:
- In a medium bowl, combine the 3.4 ounces (1 box) of Jell-O Instant Lemon Pudding & Pie Filling with the 1½ cups cold milk. Whisk it together for 2 minutes. Mix the reserved 1 cup of whipped cream into the pudding.
Assemble the pie:
- Remove the chilled cookie crust from the refrigerator. Pour the lemon pudding mixture into shell and smooth it into an even layer. Spoon the lavender whipped cream onto the top and smooth it evenly. Sprinkle the 1 teaspoon lemon zest over the top.
- Cover the pie with plastic wrap and place it in your fridge. Chill the pie for at least two hours or overnight.
- Slice: Cut slowly trhrough the pudding layer, then press firmly to slice through the crust. Serve the pie while it's cold and oh so refreshing!
- This is a soft pie, so don't let it sit out at room temperature. Keep it covered in the fridge. If traveling with the pie, place it in a cooler with cold packs and add some cushioning around the pie plate to minimize the jostling.
Notes
- Plan ahead for this dessert, because it requires an overnight stay in the fridge before you can serve it.
- If you're short on time, find premade cookie crusts in the baking aisle of your grocery store.
Nutrition
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