Ice box pies are easy to make, delicious and require no cooking.

Ice Box Pies

Nothing goes better during the hot Southern summers than ice box pies. Some of my favorites are banana, vanilla, chocolate and cherry. You can make your own graham cracker crust or use vanilla wafers or any cookies. You can also use saltine crackers if you choose.  Place crackers or cookies in a plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin, or if you have one, use a food processor. Add a little melted butter, just enough to hold the crumbs together and press them in your pie pan. Some cooks bake the crust a few minutes, but I don't.

I like the crust as well without baking.  Just be sure not to add too much butter. And put your pie crust in the freezer while mixing the filling. Vanilla is one of my favorite pie fillings. I have one in my refrigerator right now. It's actually a box of vanilla instant pudding that you can buy at your grocery store. Easy, no frills but delicious. Directions are on the box but I add a little extra to my ice box pies.

Get out a large bowl.

Pour into the bowl almost two cups evaporated milk instead of milk. Don't fill either cup to the top.

Add about a fourth of a 16 ounce container of cream cheese.

Beat with hand held mixer until thickened.

Take the pie crust out of the freezer and pour the pudding into the crust. Place in the refrigerater.

For the Topping
 
You can use the same bowl, wash or not, makes no difference.

Put about 16 ounces whipped topping in the bowl.

Add about 1/2 of 16 ounces cream cheese.

Beat well until thickened. You can add a little sugar if you like. I don't add sugar.

Top your ice box pie with the topping and place in the refrigerator

It's ready to serve in about an hour.

You haven't heated your kitchen and you have a nice dessert for dinner. Exactly what I like.

Another of my favorite icebox pies is cherry. Don't worry. You can buy cherry pie filling in a can and there's no cooking to be done.
Prepare the crust of your choice. I usually use graham crackers, sometimes saltine crackers for this one. Place crust in the freezer.

When your crust is ready after being placed in the freezer for several minutes. Open the can of cherry pie filling and drain a little juice from the cherries before pouring cherries into the crust. Place cherry pie in the refrigerator.

For the topping.

Mix in large bowl, 16 ounces whipped topping, 1/2 of 16 ounce cream cheese and the small amount of juice drained from the can of cherries. Add a little sugar if you wish and whip until topping is well mixed. Spread over cherries. Let set in the refrigerator about an hour before serving. I hope you love these ice box pies as much as we do. Happy eating.