Refreshing and delicious, this Strawberry Lemon Icebox Pie is the perfect summer pie! A layer of creamy whipped lemon pudding tops a mound of old-fashioned gelatin-glazed strawberries set in a flaky crust – the presentation alone will have everyone thinking you bought it at a fancy bakery!
We are super excited to be working with Eggland’s Best in 2018 to create a dozen delicious sponsored recipe posts to keep you drooling!
I’ve never been crazy about pie.
I mean, I like it, but given the choice between pie and cake, cupcakes, brownies, cookies…I will usually go after whatever isn’t pie. I’m not even sure why, since I’m a fiend for pie crust – and you can’t find that anywhere except in a pie.
The fillings are always delish too, so my logic makes no sense. But I think I may have found the pie to turn it all around, here.
This page includes step by step instructions, as well as tips and notes. If you’d like to skip all that, feel free to scroll down to the full, printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Strawberry Lemon Icebox Pie.
I was skeptical that I would be a fan of this pie, in spite of it having two of my favorite flavors. I’m usually more of a peanut butter, chocolate cream, and Turtle Pie type of gal.
If your childhood summers were anything like mine, they involved a lot of playing outdoors, staying up late, and strawberry lemonade, among other things. Any kind of lemonade, but particularly strawberry. Sweetening up that tart lemon-kissed water with a bunch of mashed up red berries is still something I do to this day.
I took that idea and ran with it in this icebox pie recipe.
What is an icebox pie?
An Ice Box Pie is classically southern as far as desserts go. Named after the ice box that kept them cool before electricity and refrigeration came along, icebox pies are easy to make. They usually require no baking, and are stored in the icebox until serving time.
This Strawberry Lemon Icebox Pie only needs a tiny bit of baking. I went with a classic flaky pastry crust instead of graham cracker – the strawberry layer (a Shoney’s copycat!) needs a bit more body to hold it up. Besides, the fluffy whipped lemon pudding layer LOVES flaky crust.
This pie does require a bit of planning and patience. There’s plenty of setting and chilling time, but you can get ahead by making the pudding while the strawberry layer sets since it also needs cooling time.
I promise, the minimal effort is absolutely worth it.
Have you ever tried sunshine?
I went through a list of names for this before deciding on Strawberry Lemon Icebox Pie. It’s the most straightforward name, but I almost named it Sunshine Pie.
Google would have punished me hard for that one (see: my Bronados that no one ever searches for because – hello, WTF is a bronado?) so I opted for simple.
Why Sunshine Pie? Simply put, the taste reminds me of summer sunshine. From the jellied strawberries to the light lemon topping, it’s bright and flavorful and refreshing. This icebox pie is the perfect summer dessert!
And if we’re talking nutrition, it’s also got some Vitamin D to spare thanks to the Eggland’s Best eggs used in the pudding! Vitamin D aids in the body’s absorption of calcium, and is essential for maintaining muscle strength, healthy body fat levels, and body tissue health.
If we spent enough time in the sun, we would get our daily Vitamin D fix. Of course, with the risk of dehydration, sunburn, and skin cancer, moderation is key, so we turn to food to make up the difference.
Each Eggland’s Best egg contains 6 times more Vitamin D than ordinary eggs – roughly 35% of your recommended intake.
You’re practically eating a slice of sunshine, here.
Eating sunshine in the sunshine…sounds like a great summer to me!
How to make Strawberry Lemon Icebox Pie
- Place the pre-made pie crust in a deep-dish pie tin. Prick the bottom and sides of the dough with a fork, then bake according to package directions.
- In a medium saucepan, add sugar, cornstarch and water; whisk to combine. Heat over medium heat until boiling, then reduce heat to low and simmer several minutes, until thickened.
- Remove the pan from heat and whisk in strawberry gelatin powder. Cool slightly, then add the sliced strawberries, stirring to coat them completely.
- Pour the strawberry-gelatin mixture into the baked pie crust. Chill 2-4 hours, until set.
- In a clean medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar and the cornstarch. Add the milk and whisk until smooth. Heat over medium heat and add the egg yolks, salt, and zest. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently, until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the lemon juice. Allow to cool to room temperature. Place a sheet of plastic wrap on top of the pudding (to prevent a skin from forming) and chill for 1-2 hours until set.
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the pudding until well combined. Pour over the set strawberries and use a spatula to spread it into and even layer.
- Chill the pie in the refrigerator overnight or freeze for 2-3 hours until set. Garnish with halved strawberries, lemon slices, and lemon zest, if desired. Refrigerate any leftovers.
If sunshine is your jam, here are some more amazing summer desserts to try!
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Strawberry Lemon Icebox Pie
Ingredients
Strawberry Filling
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 cup water
- 1 package strawberry gelatin
- 24 ounces strawberries fresh, sliced
Lemon Pudding
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 cups whole milk
- 3 large Eggland’s Best egg yolks
- Pinch kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest plus more for garnish
- ½ cup lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 2 cups whipped cream
- 1 pie crust pre-made
- 7 large fresh strawberries
- 6 lemon slices cut in half
Instructions
- Place the pre-made pie crust in a deep-dish pie tin. Prick the bottom and sides of the dough with a fork, then bake according to package directions.
Strawberry Filling:
- In a medium saucepan, add sugar, cornstarch and water; whisk to combine. Heat over medium heat until boiling, then reduce heat to low and simmer several minutes, until thickened.
- Remove the pan from heat and whisk in strawberry gelatin powder. Cool slightly, then add the sliced strawberries, stirring to coat them completely.
- Pour the strawberry-gelatin mixture into the baked pie crust. Chill 2-4 hours, until set.
Lemon Pudding:
- In a clean medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar and the cornstarch. Add the milk and whisk until smooth. Heat over medium heat and add the egg yolks, salt, and zest. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently, until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the lemon juice. Allow to cool to room temperature. Place a sheet of plastic wrap on top of the pudding (to prevent a skin from forming) and chill for 1-2 hours until set.
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the pudding until well combined. Pour over the set strawberries and use a spatula to spread it into and even layer.
- Chill the pie in the refrigerator overnight or freeze for 2-3 hours until set. Garnish with halved strawberries, lemon slices, and lemon zest, if desired. Refrigerate any leftovers.
Amber @ Slim Pickin's Kitchen says
This is just gorgeous!!!! I’m not a fan of pie either, it’s deft not my go to, but I would absolutely give this pie a try!
Rebecca | Let's Eat Cake says
I love this Strawberry Lemon Pie for summer!
Kimberlee McKinney says
Erica, Can you clarify what size box of strawberry gelatin is needed? I picked up a 3 ounce box and a 6 ounce box. Not sure which to use. I am hoping to make this beautiful strawberry lemon pie for a Willy Wonka party in 2 days:)Thank you!
Erin says
I was wondering the same, but I used the small sized 3 oz box and it was perfect!
Erin says
This was delicious! I only added about 2 tsps. of lemon zest to the pudding instead of the recommended 2 Tablespoons though.I felt it would be far too tart. I am glad I didn’t add the extra, because it had just the right amount of tartness. I did add some sugar to extra zest and used a small amount to decorate the top. I also didn’t have whole milk, so I added 1/2 cup heavy cream to 1-1/2 cups of 2% milk. Will make again soon!!!