Whipped Lemon Pie with Condensed Milk – No Meringue
This is for my lemon lovers who are looking for the perfect dessert for those hot summer months. Look no further! My Whipped Lemon Pie with Condensed Milk – No Meringue will be one of your new favorite desserts! It’s cold, creamy, full of fresh lemon flavor, and light and airy. (Hence the “whipped” part.) It is so delicious and deceptively light, that it would be possible to eat the entire pie in one sitting! (But I don’t recommend… HA) I think the addition of blueberries and strawberries really sends this pie over the edge and compliments the lemon flavor nicely, but I’ll leave that up to you. Say hello to the PIE OF THE MONTH for MAY!
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This recipe is not original to me, it comes from my sister-in-law, Lesley. I did make one tiny change to make it a “whipped” version. I changed the location of the whipped topping from on top of the pie to the inside of the pie and it made a HUGE difference in my opinion. (As far as lightness and texture.) Lesley made this pie for me several years ago when I visited on the 4th of July. This is also the reason that she topped it with strawberries and blueberries. (The American Flag… Red, White, and Blue.) And I have a funny story to tell you about that trip! (Read on…)
My brother and his wife, Lesley, live in Denver, Colorado. And every chance I get, I fly up there for some fine dining, skiing, hiking, or any other adventure that they have scoped out for me. It’s so nice to have family living somewhere with plenty of things to do that aren’t offered where I live. Plus, they have some amazing restaurants and food. After all, I travel for the food about 90% of the time!
Lesley’s lemon icebox pie is one of those desserts that I’m willing to travel for! It has just the right amount of tart and sweetness to excite your taste buds. The whipped lemon curd (actually more like a lemon cheesecake filling) and the fresh fruit on top cut through the decadence of the cream cheese and entice you to keep having “one more piece.” And the homemade graham cracker crust is 1,000% better than any store-bought crust you’ll ever have.
You might be wondering why I chose not to do a sweet meringue on top of this pie. Well, truthfully, I think the whipped topping inside and fresh fruit on top are better. Now, I don’t have anything against traditional lemon meringue pies. I just like this version better. I also think that my version holds up better in the hot and humid months of the summer. Meringues have a tendency to hate heat and humidity, and where I live (LOUISIANA), those two things are basically our companions year-round! But if you are a die-hard creamy lemon meringue pie lover, then feel free to just add a beautiful meringue to the top of this recipe and call it a day.
For me, this pie is not only the perfect summer dessert, but it’s also a great indulgence at the end of the day when you want to visit with friends and family and reminisce. A hot cup of coffee coupled with a slice of this delicious pie paves the way for connections and laughter. Or at least that’s what it did for me on this holiday weekend.
When I picked up the phone to book our white water rafting trip I remember telling the man on the other end of the phone that I was interested in a “run” that was going to be adventurous and exciting but that I didn’t want to die. This was actually a valid concern because whenever the water levels are high on the Arkansas River due to melting snow, the rivers and rapids could be extremely dangerous.
We then decided on our best option and booked it.
Our rafting adventure on this holiday weekend was sure to work up an appetite for Lesley’s lemon icebox pie!
I was super excited and a little bit nervous because our guide gave us a trip that had a couple of 4/5 class rapids and it had been years since I had been on the water in a raft or canoe. My adrenaline was pumping and I was ready for all the challenges that the day had to offer.
We were joined in our raft by another couple from California and our guide. The older gentleman sat in the front right beside me. He was very talkative, polite and felt very sure of himself. He told me about his experience white water rafting several years prior and how much he had liked the experience. I was just glad to have another person beside me that had done this before, survived it, and enjoyed it!
We hopped in the raft, pushed off the shore, and were on our way.
In between some of the smaller rapids we were able to make small talk. It is simply impossible for me to sit next to someone and not chat. But the higher classes of rapids required our full attention.
It was on one of those bigger rapids that my seat partner vanished into thin air!
When we began the day in the raft, knowing there were some challenging spots ahead, I had wedged my leg really deep into the interior side of the raft to make sure that I had no chance of flying out.
Unfortunately, my raft neighbor had not taken the same precautions and soon enough he would pay the price.
We were cruising along and were warned of our upcoming challenge, Shark’s tooth. Just the name of this rapid was designed to incite fear. At no point in my life did I have a desire to be near a shark’s tooth in the water! I knew that it was going to be dangerous and exciting.
Our guide began to holler out directions for us, “Get ready!” and then I saw it. A giant drop into white foamy water with a large boulder sitting in the middle. It was the largest rock I had seen in the water that day. “Left paddle!” That was me. That was my side, the left side. I began to paddle furiously as if my life depended on it. “Right paddle!” I stopped to breathe while the people on the right fulfilled their order. “Hold!” Now, we just wait. We had positioned ourselves correctly for impact and we were to just ride it out until the next set of orders.
We entered Shark’s tooth.
I’m not sure if it was on the first dip or in one of the subsequent lesser rapids but during all of the commotion the older gentleman to my right went flying over my head and landed in the icy water.
I realized that he has been ejected right about the same time that our guide did and she began shouting orders, “Get him out! Pull him into the raft!”
At the beginning of the day we had a brief safety talk and discussed how to pull someone back into the raft even if they outweighed you.
It was supposed to be easy. “Anyone can do it with this technique”, she said.
But that simply wasn’t the case with me. I had tried grabbing his vest, leaning back with all my might, and pulling him into the raft. He didn’t budge.
The frightening thing was that another challenging rapid was quickly approaching and he NEEDED to be out of the water and into the safety of the raft. After another attempt the guide couldn’t wait any longer. She made her way to the front of the raft, grabbed the man, and pulled him in. She then returned to her post to get ready to give directions.
I looked at the man that just a short while ago had seemed so sure of himself, a true master of the rapids, and asked, “Are you okay?”
To which he replied with slight embarrassment, “Oh yeah! I’m just fine!”
The reliving of that story and the laughter that followed later in the evening with my slice of Lesley’s lemon icebox pie would prove to be the most satisfying end to a most adventurous day!
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Tips for the Whipped Lemon Pie with Condensed Milk – No Meringue:
- While you can mix the creamy lemon filling with a spoon or whisk, I think that using a hand mixer or a stand mixer on medium-high speed really incorporates more air into the mixture and gives it that truly “whipped” effect.
- I like to warm the cream cheese in the microwave for a minute or let it sit at room temperature for a while to make it easier to mix.
Make the Whipped Lemon Pie with Condensed Milk – No Meringue with me on YouTube! (updated video coming soon)
Whipped Lemon Pie with Condensed Milk – No Meringue Ingredients:
The filling:
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 8 oz. of whipped topping
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
The Crust:
- 2 packs of graham crackers (272 grams)
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 8 tablespoons melted butter
Whipped Lemon Pie with Condensed Milk – No Meringue Instructions:
Making the Filling:
- First, mix all ingredients (except whipped topping) in a medium bowl with a whisk or an electric mixer until smooth.
- Second, fold in the whipped topping until smooth.
Making the Crust:
- First, add the graham crackers to a blender or food processor and grind them until fine.
- Second, pour the graham cracker crumbs into the pie plate and add the melted butter.
- Third, mix all ingredients with your fingers.
- Next, press into the pie pan or baking dish.
- Then, bake at 375 degrees F. for 7 – 10 minutes or until the crust begins to get slightly golden brown around the edges.
- Finally, let it cool and come to room temperature.
Putting it all together:
- First, pour the lemon mixture into the cooled pie crust and spread evenly all the way to the edge of crust.
- Second, chill for 3 hours.
- Finally, top with blueberries and strawberries before serving. (optional, but delicious!)
Variations for the Whipped Lemon Pie with Condensed Milk – No Meringue:
- I have substituted vanilla wafers for my graham crackers in the crust before and it is a slight difference that is still really delicious!
- You can opt to not put fruit on top of your pie or you can try other fruits. Raspberries, cherries, or even peaches would be a nice change.
Storage for the Whipped Lemon Pie with Condensed Milk – No Meringue:
- Leftover lemon pie can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container or covered in plastic wrap.
What are the Macros for the Whipped Lemon Pie with Condensed Milk – No Meringue?
Makes 8 servings (Nutritional information below is for 1 serving = 1 slice)
- Calories – 613
- Protein – 8.16 grams
- Carbs – 48.2 grams (net)
- Fat – 34.6 grams
Check out some of my other Homemade Pies!
New Orleans Style – Bread Pudding Pie
No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
Southern Blueberry Peach Crumble Pie
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Whipped Lemon Pie with Condensed Milk – No Meringue
Equipment
- 1 Pie Pan
- 1 Mixing bowl
Ingredients
The filling:
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 14 oz can of condensed milk
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 oz. of whipped topping
The Crust:
- 2 packages graham crackers
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 8 tablespoons melted butter
Instructions
Making the filling:
- First, mix all ingredients (except whipped topping) in a medium bowl with a whisk or an electric mixer until smooth.
- Second, fold in the whipped topping until smooth.
Making the crust:
- First, add the graham crackers to a blender or food processor and grind them until fine.
- Second, pour the graham cracker crumbs into the pie plate and add the melted butter.
- Third, mix all ingredients with your fingers.
- Next, press into the pie pan or baking dish.
- Then, bake at 375 degrees F. for 7 – 10 minutes or until the crust begins to get slightly golden brown around the edges.
- Finally, let it cool and come to room temperature.
Putting it all together:
- First, pour the lemon mixture into the cooled pie crust and spread evenly all the way to the edge of crust.
- Second, chill for 3 hours.
- Finally, top with blueberries and strawberries before serving. (optional, but delicious!)
Video
