Refreshingly cold, smooth, sweet and tart, these Lemon Ice Box Pie Bars are one of my favorite summer desserts. Adding fresh lemon zest to the graham cracker crust packs extra lemon flavor into every perfectly chewy bite. And with only a handful of ingredients, you can have a light yet decadent dessert with ease.

I hate summer, I make no secret of that.

I hate the heat, the lack of rain, the endless sweating and the electric bills (note: this list is not exhaustive…but summer is).

But one thing that makes summer feel more tolerable are chilled desserts. (Don’t get me wrong, I don’t need hot weather to enjoy this. I’d eat these Lemon Ice Box Pie Bars any time of the year and twice on Sundays…).

They’re cold, they’re sweet, they’re refreshing, and they’re addicting. Take these to your next poolside gathering and they’re sure to be a hit.

Key Ingredients

Lemons – Look for lemons that are heavy for their size…ish. If you pick up a lemon and it seems like it’s lightweight for it’s size, it could indicate that it’s not as juicy. Also, yes, you need fresh lemons for this recipe…
Sweetened Condensed Milk – This is NOT the same as Evaporated Milk. I repeat: Sweetened Condensed Milk is NOT the same as Evaporated Milk. You do NOT want to use Evaporated Milk in this recipe.
Lemon Zest – I wanted to bring extra attention to the use of lemon zest in the crust. I don’t add it to the filling because I want that velvety smooth texture. But texture isn’t an issue when adding zest to the crust. This simple addition just layers on the lemon flavor.

The Process

First up – make your crust.

Zest the lemons and, using your fingers, massage that zest into the graham cracker crumbs. This will help release the oils (flavor) and also helps break up any clumps of zest for an even distribution throughout the crust.

When you’re ready to press the crust in a baking pan, first line the pan with parchment paper. While this isn’t 100% necessary (you could get away with baking spray), it certainty makes the removal and plating process easier!

DO NOT BAKE THE CRUST UNTIL THE FILLING IS READY – read below…

BEFORE baking the crust, make the filling.

Whisk together fresh lemon juice and sweetened condensed milk. (There. Wasn’t that easy!?)

NOW bake the (empty) crust. You’ll need the filling on deck as soon as the crust is removed from the oven.

Once you remove the (screaming hot) crust from the oven (set it down and) immediately pour in the filling. The residual heat from the crust sets the filling, with no need for eggs or to bake the bars further (because it’s too damn hot outside for longer bake times).

Chill thoroughly. Serve cold.

Lemon Ice Box Pie Bars

Refreshingly cold, smooth, sweet and tart, these Lemon Ice Box Pie Bars are soon to be one of your favorite summer desserts.

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Chill Time 8

Course Dessert

Servings 9 bars

Equipment

8×8 Baking Pan or Glass Dish
Parchment Paper
Microplane, Zester, or Fine Grater

Ingredients

For the Lemon Graham Cracker Crust

1-2 Tbsp fresh lemon zest (about 6 lemons)
1 ¼ cup graham cracker crumbs
⅓ cup butter, melted
¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

For the Lemon Ice Box Pie Filling

2 14-oz cans sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 6 lemons)
fresh lemon wedges for garnish (optional)

Instructions

For the Lemon Graham Cracker Crust

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8 baking pan or glass dish with parchment paper (or spray with Baker's Joy). Set aside.
Combine fresh lemon zest and graham cracker crumbs in a medium mixing bowl. Using clean hands, massage the zest into the crumbs, pinching the two ingredients together to release the oils in the zest.
Add the brown sugar and melted butter. Mix until well combined.
Press the crust mixture into the parchment lined baking dish. Bring the crust about halfway up the sides, if desired, and make sure the base is an even layer.

For the Lemon Ice Box Pie Filling

In a medium mixing bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk and fresh lemon juice. Whisk until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

For the Assembled Bars

Once the filling is ready, set it aside and bake the crust in a preheated oven at 350°F, for 10 minutes. DO NOT COOL.
Pour the filling into the hot crust and gently spread the filling with a spoon or spatula. Set aside until cool enough to handle, about 30-60 minutes.
Place cooled bars in the refrigerator for 4-8 hours (or overnight) to chill thoroughly. Remove bars from the baking pan but gently pulling up the parchment paper. Cut into 9 squares, or desired serving size. Serve cold.