Coconut Lime Icebox Pie

Cold, creamy and tropical, my coconut lime icebox pie is a frozen dessert that cools and refreshes in the summer heat. Prepared with a creamy filling made with cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk and the flavors of fresh, tangy lime and creamy coconut nestled into a buttery graham cracker crust, this refreshing icebox pie recipe is then finished with spiced rum-infused whipped cream for a taste of the tropics!

An Icebox Pie with a Tropical Twist

When that summer heat kicks in, there's nothing quite like a cold, creamy and refreshing sweet treat to beat that heat with.

Sure, ice cream and popsicles are terrific, but sometimes I crave something a little more decadent, rich, and sliceable!

For those occasions, I love to whip up my coconut lime icebox pie, a frozen dessert in pie form that absolutely whisks me away to a tropical island, with the tangy flavors of lime and creamy coconut.

Topped with a thick layer of spiced rum infused whipped cream, this icebox pie recipe is such a delicious and fun treat to cool off with during the summer months, with an irresistible flavor that'll leave you craving a second slice!

My Recipe for Coconut Lime Icebox Pie

What I love about this cold, creamy icebox pie is that the filling is no bake, meaning that everything is mixed together in a bowl and poured into a graham cracker crust.

I like to make my graham cracker crust from scratch, so that's the only baking required here, but that only takes mere minutes to prepare.

For my filling, I use a combination of cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk, and lighten that up with whipped cream that I fold in.

I flavor that delectable filling with lime juice and lime zest, plus coconut flavor (I like to use natural coconut flavor here) for that sunny, tropical island flavor.

The icebox pie is then placed into the freezer for a few hours until frozen, then gets a topping of spiced rum whipped cream as a scrumptious finisher!

Here's a peek at my coconut lime icebox pie recipe: (or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To get started, I prep and bake my graham cracker crust and allow it to cool.
2. Next, I prepare my coconut lime filling
3. Then, I pour the filling into the cooled crust.
4. I place the pie into the freezer for about 6 to 7 hours, or until frozen.
5. When ready to serve, I allow the icebox pie to sit outside the freezer 10 to 15 minutes to allow it to soften enough to slice.
6. To finish, I prep my spiced rum whipped cream, dollop that thickly over top, sprinkle over additional shredded coconut, and serve nice and cool!

Recipe

Coconut Lime Icebox Pie

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

This rich, tropical coconut lime icebox pie is refreshing frozen dessert made with a no bake filling, topped with spiced rum whipped cream!

Category: Desserts
Cuisine: American

Yield: Serves 8

Nutrition Info: 684 calories per serving

Prep Time: 30 minutes (does not include the time needed to freeze the pie)
Cook time: 10 minutes (for graham cracker crust)
Total time: 40 minutes

Icebox Pie Ingredients:

• 1 cup cold whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature
• 1 (14 fl oz) can sweetened condensed milk
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons lime zest
• ¾ cup fresh squeezed lime juice (about 5 limes)
• ¾ teaspoon coconut flavor
• ⅓ cup sweetened, shredded coconut, for garnish
• 8 semi-circle lime slices, for garnish

Graham Cracker Crust Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups fine graham cracker crumbs (about 10 cracker sheets)
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• Pinch cinnamon
• 6 tablespoons melted butter

Spiced Rum Whipped Cream Ingredients:

• ½ cup whipping cream, cold
• 1 ½ tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons dark, spiced rum

Preparation:

1. If making the graham cracker crust from scratch, begin by gathering and prepping all of the crust ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
2. To prepare the crust, preheat the oven to 350°, and have a 9 inch or 9 ½ inch pie dish handy.
3. In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients, and using a fork or your hands, mix together until well moistened. Turn the crumbs out into the pie dish, pressing the crumbs evenly on the bottom and about half-way up the sides, as well.
4. Bake for 10 minutes, then allow to cool completely before filling.
5. Next, gather and prep all of your icebox pie ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
6. To prepare your filling, add the cold whipping cream to a bowl, and using the whisk attachment on a hand mixer, whip the cream until it begins to thicken. Then, add in the tablespoon of powdered sugar, and continue to whip for another moment or two until stiff peaks form.
7. Set aside in the fridge for a moment, to keep cold.
8. Add the softened cream cheese to a medium-size bowl along with the condensed milk, the sugar and the lime zest, and using a hand mixer, beat the mixture on low/medium speed until nice and creamy. Add in the lime juice and the coconut flavor, and once again beat those in until well blended.
9. Next, gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese/lime filling, making sure that it's well incorporated.
10. Pour the coconut lime filling mixture into your prepared graham cracker crust, and place into the freezer for at least 6 to 8 hours, or even overnight.
11. Next, gather and prep all of your spiced rum whipped cream ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
12. To prepare the spiced rum whipped cream, add the the cold whipping cream to a bowl, and using a hand mixer with a whisk attachment, whip the cream until thickened. Add in the powdered sugar and the rum, and continue whipping until stiff peaks form. Keep in fridge until ready to use.
13. Once the icebox pie is frozen and you're ready to serve it, remove from freezer and allow the pie to sit at room temp for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until just softened enough to slice.
14. Top the icebox pie with the spiced rum whipped cream, and garnish with the shredded coconut and lime circles. Slice the pie and serve frozen. (Store any leftover pie in the freezer, and when you're ready to enjoy, just allow it to stand at room temp for about 10 to 15 minutes before slicing and enjoying.)

Tips & Tidbits for my Coconut Lime Icebox Pie recipe:

• Use a store-bought graham cracker crust for convenience: Nothing quite beats a homemade graham cracker crust with its buttery, mildly spiced flavor (it's even super quick to make!), but feel free to use a good quality store-bought graham cracker crust to save time.
• Fresh squeezed lime juice for fresh and tangy flavor: I like to use a good amount of lime juice for the filling, and use fresh limes that I juice for that extra tangy and fresh flavor. I also use the zest of some of those limes, which add lots of natural lime flavor.
• Coconut flavor for a creamy tropical twist: I opt for natural coconut flavor here, and you can find it online if your local market doesn't carry it. You can also substitute artificial coconut flavor here as well, but it can be a little strong and not quite as authentic tasting, so use sparingly.
• Prepare your icebox pie ahead: This is one of those desserts where you do actually want to prepare it a day or two ahead of when you'd like to serve it to allow it to fully freeze. Typically, it takes 6 to 8 hours for the filling to freeze, so allow for that when preparing.
• Leave the spiced rum out of the whipped cream topping: If serving adults, the rum makes for such a divinely delicious addition to the whipped cream! But if serving younger folks, and you don't want to include the rum, simply leave it out, or even use rum flavoring which contains no alcohol.
• Allow the icebox pie to sit at room temp for a few minutes before slicing: Because this is served as a frozen dessert, almost like ice cream, the icebox pie will be quite firm when you first remove it from the freezer. Allow it to sit at room temp for 10 to 15 minutes, or just until you can easily slice it.

Hungry for more summery sweet treats? Check out these Lemon Cheesecake Bars, this Nectarine Crumb Tart, these Strawberry Lemonade Scones, this Lemon Blueberry Cake, or these juicy Strawberry Oatmeal Bars!

Cook's Note: This recipe was originally published in 2013, and has been updated with even more love!