12 Best No-Bake Pies to Satisfy a Summer Sweet Tooth

August 12, 2020
Photo: Jennifer Davick; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck
Yearning for fresh dessert ideas to make it through the dog days of summer? Move over, peach cobblers and apple pies. Step aside, homemade ice cream (and your ice-and-rock-salt mess). When the temps really heat up, icebox and other no-bake pies steal the show. Keep your oven off and your kitchen cool with these decadent no-bake pies that are the perfect afternoon or after-dinner pick-me-up.
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No-Bake Peach Pie

Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Mary Clayton Carl
No-Bake Peach Pie Recipe
This luscious dessert comes together easily and is the perfect ending to summer supper with friends. Use the softest and juiciest peaches you have, even slightly overripe fruit. For added peach oomph, chop some of the topping and stir it into the filling.
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No-Bake Fresh Strawberry Pie

Photo: Romulo Yanes; Styling: Helen Crowther
No-Bake Fresh Strawberry Pie Recipe
Glorious fresh strawberries are the focus here—tons of them, piled atop a layer of creamy filling. You can leave small berries whole in this no-bake strawberry pie recipe.

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No-Bake Peanut Butter-Fudge Ice-Cream Pie

Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely
No-Bake Peanut Butter-Fudge Ice-Cream Pie Recipe

With its creamy filling and crispy crust, this frozen peanut butter pie is made for summer cookouts. Nothing cools you down in the summertime like a slice of a creamy, frozen pie. A secret to keeping the pie neat is to use a hot knife for slicing each serving. Dip the blade in a glass of very hot water, then wipe it off before slicing into the pie. Repeat before cutting each new slice.

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Mini Vegan Key Lime Icebox Pies

Mini Vegan Key Lime Icebox Pies Recipe
This “custard” has an insanely rich and silky mouthfeel born from a partnership between avocado (which also provides the natural green coloring) and tofu. The blend of fats released from the ground nuts and a bit of added coconut oil combined with the sugary moisture of the dates create not only a cohesive crust, but one that is deep in flavor and wonderfully crisp once chilled.

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Double Chocolate Pudding Pie

Photo: Oxmoor House
Double Chocolate Pudding Pie Recipe
This five-ingredient, no-cook pie comes together quickly thanks to the use of a few store-bought ingredients. The recipe makes two pies, so plan to gift one or freeze it for later.

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No-Bake Samoa Pie

Photo: Daniel Agee; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis
No-Bake Samoa Pie Recipe

Save a stash of Samoas (or Caramel DeLights) in order to make an epic pie that looks, and tastes, just like the classic Girl Scout cookie. Use the back of a measuring cup to press the crust into the pie plate and add heavy cream to the caramel when melting for a smoother, drizzle-with-ease consistency. Serve chilled, as you would a coconut creme pie.

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Strawberry Yogurt Cream Pie with Cereal Crust

Sara Tane
Strawberry Yogurt Cream Pie with Cereal Crust Recipe

Made with a fiber cereal-crusted pie shell, this strawberry yogurt cream pie is the ultimate no-bake dessert. With a fruity, rich filling (made even more digestive-friendly with the addition of Greek yogurt and berries *you’re welcome*), this breakfast-inspired treat is everything you want in a (somewhat) guilt-free dessert. It’s ultra-satisfying with just the right amount of sweetness, without sending you over the edge.

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Vegan Mini Peanut Butter Pies

Jamie Vespa
Vegan Mini Peanut Butter Pies Recipe

Love peanut butter cups? This is the treat for you. With a rich, chocolatey crust and a deep, nutty, creamy inside, this dessert is for all the peanut butter and chocolate lovers, whether you're vegan or not. Silken tofu acts as a smooth, thickening component for the filling, as well as canned coconut cream. 

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Easy Key Lime Pie

Meredith Food Studios 
Easy Key Lime Pie Recipe

Dessert doesn’t get easier, or more delicious, than a no-bake key lime pie. Requiring just a handful of ingredients, this easy pie is a great recipe for less experienced bakers—especially considering what a crowd-pleaser it is. Perfect for the hot summer months when you’d rather reduce your oven use, the luscious key lime filling sets up to creamy perfection with the help of Cool Whip. Though we provide instructions for a homemade graham cracker crust, you can make this key lime pie recipe all the easier (and skip the oven altogether) by opting for a pre-made, store-bought pie crust instead. 

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Peanut Butter Pie

Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Margaret Dickey; Prop Styling: Kay Clarke
Peanut Butter Pie Recipe
When this reader-submitted pie recipe made its debut in Cooking Light in 2001, it became an instant classic. We loved the results, and since it makes two peanut butter pies, you can share one with a friend and keep the other for yourself. Several tasters in our Test Kitchens enjoy serving this pie frozen. Swapping reduced-fat peanut butter, cream cheese, whipped topping, condensed milk, and graham cracker crusts slashes the fat and calories found in traditional peanut butter pie, making it a little more waistline-friendly.

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Thai Tea Pie

Aaron Kirk; Food Styling: Ivy Idom; Prop Styling: Christina Daley
Thai Tea Pie Recipe

Warmly spiced Thai tea mix—which you can purchase at an Asian market or online—stars in this show-stopping, no-bake pie. The tea is steeped in sweetened condensed milk which is then used to make a stovetop custard; after straining out the tea leaves (definitely use cheesecloth), you’ll simply pour the vibrantly colored custard into a peanutty, no-oven-necessary crust and refrigerate until set. If you’re looking for a pie that’s sure to impress, trust us, the sweet Thai tea against the salty, toasty flavor of the peanuts is a combo you won’t be able to get enough of.

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Strawberry-Pretzel Icebox Pie

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck
Strawberry-Pretzel Icebox Pie Recipe

This chilled, creamy strawberry icebox pie is the dessert equivalent of a swimming hole--so refreshing you can't help but dive in. Serve with lightly sweetened, sliced strawberries.

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