Super Lemonade Pie

Super lemonade pie is the easiest icebox pie in the church-cookbook canon: frozen lemonade concentrate, sweetened condensed milk, and whipped topping in a graham cracker crust. The acid in the concentrated lemonade reacts with the milk proteins to thicken everything cold, no stovetop and no oven required.

The key trick: do not reconstitute the lemonade as the can suggests. You need the full-strength concentrate so the acid is potent enough to thicken the milk and the lemon flavor stands up to all that sugar.

Whipped topping folds in last to lighten the dense base into a fluffy mousse. The whole thing splits between two graham crusts and chills firm in about two hours.

Kitchen Tips

• Thaw the lemonade concentrate completely before mixing. Half-frozen pieces won’t dissolve into the milk and you’ll bite into icy pockets later.
• Refrigerate the milk-and-lemonade mixture for the full 10 minutes before adding the whipped topping. This rest lets the filling start to thicken so the topping doesn’t deflate when it folds in.
• Fold the whipped topping in gently with a rubber spatula in big bottom-up strokes. Beating with a whisk knocks the air out and gives a flat, dense pie.
• Use a soft yellow food color sparingly if you want the look of bright lemonade. The natural color is pale cream and tastes the same.
• Chill at least 2 hours, ideally 4 or overnight. Freezer storage works for up to 2 weeks tightly wrapped.

Variations

• Swap lemonade concentrate for limeade for a key-lime style pie, or pink lemonade for color and a slightly different fruit edge.
• Stir 1 teaspoon of lemon zest into the filling for extra citrus oil.
• Top with fresh berries and a dollop of whipped topping just before serving for a seasonal finish.