With the summer temperatures climbing, it’s time to go oven-free with these Easy Icebox Cakes! Fresh, creamy, and endlessly customizable, discover why this retro no-bake dessert never goes out of style.
We’re baking like it’s 1935 – as in, we aren’t baking at all. Easy icebox cake recipes are the best desserts for summer, no oven required! Made with simple and delicious ingredients, you’re going to love bringing these fresh desserts to all your summertime parties and cookouts.
These lush and creamy no-bake desserts were all the rage in the 1930s. Traditional ice box cakes consist of layers of wafer cookies and cream, sometimes with fruit and nuts, with no baking needed. The cake is refrigerated overnight, and the result is a bit like a trifle, with softened cookies similar to cake layers.
Why do they call it icebox cake?
The icebox cake hails from an era when ice boxes, a.k.a. non-mechanical refrigerators, were popping up in homes all over. Icebox cakes were a layered no-bake dessert that didn’t require baking in order to set, just an overnight stint in the icebox!
Food companies started printing icebox cake recipes onto cookie and wafer boxes at the time, boosting their popularity. And the rest is history, as they say.
How long does an icebox cake need to be refrigerated?
Most icebox cakes should chill in the fridge for at least 8 hours, ideally overnight. This gives the cakes enough time to set up and the cookies time to soften.
21 Icebox Cake Recipes to Try
Ready to cool down with easy icebox cakes this summer? Here are 24 recipes to get you started!
Summer Berry Icebox Cake
A patriotic red, white, and blue dessert you can make for the 4th of July! Made with a medley of ripe blueberries and juicy red strawberries, folded into layers of fluffy white whipped cream.
No-Bake Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Icebox Cake
If summer desserts had a face, it would be this blueberry and lemon cheesecake icebox cake! Fresh seasonal flavors are laced throughout layers of honey Graham crackers, blueberry sauce, and lemon cheesecake.
Easy Lemon Icebox Cake
This gorgeous lemon icebox cake is a cool and creamy number that’s made for summer. Bursting with zesty lemon filling and smooth whipped cream!
Old-Fashioned Icebox Cake
A true throwback to classic icebox cakes! An easy recipe made with only 5 ingredients including whipped cream and chocolate wafers, just like the good old days.
No-Bake Pumpkin Icebox Cake
This pumpkin icebox cake is just singing with the flavors of fall. Layers of pumpkin cream and ginger cookies mingle with cozy spices and pecans in this easy no-bake dessert.
Oreo Icebox Cake
Oreo lovers, meet Oreo icebox cake! It’s a match made in dessert heaven. You’ll love how easy this cake recipe is, with only 3 ingredients!
No-Bake Snickers Icebox Cake
Everyone’s favorite fudgy caramel chocolate bar gets transformed into a no-bake dessert in this easy Snickers icebox cake. Made with chocolate Graham crackers, chocolate pudding, caramel cream cheese and crunchy salted peanuts.
Peanut Butter Icebox Cake
What’s better than a slice of creamy peanut butter icebox cake smothered in hot fudge sauce? Let’s just say: not much.
No Bake Eclair Cake
Another easy recipe that turns the classic bakery treat into an out-of-this-world icebox cake! This eclair icebox cake comes together in no time for a fantastic no-bake dessert in a hurry.
Blackberry Icebox Cake
This easy blackberry icebox cake features its own homemade no-churn blackberry ice cream! Layered with whipped cream and flavor-soaked Graham crackers.
Chocolate Icebox Cake
Chocolate lovers won’t be able to resist this decadent, layered no-bake dessert. Made with a triple-whammy of chocolate wafers, chocolate pudding, and chocolate ganache.
Black Forest Icebox Cake
Just 5 ingredients, including real cherries, is all you need for this incredible black forest icebox cake! Inspired by the original, made with layers of whipped cream cheese filling and chocolate wafers.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Lush Dessert
A fully-loaded lush dessert recipe jam packed with chocolate chip cookies, pudding, cheesecake and whipped cream. Pop this into your icebox – er, refrigerator – and let the good times roll.
The Ultimate Lemon Icebox Cake
This recipe definitely answers the question as to what to do when life hands you lemons. You make this no-bake cake filled with shortbread and lemon cream, obviously.
Pumpkin Icebox Cake
Where are the pumpkin pie fans at? Do we have an icebox cake recipe for you! Tender Graham crackers soak up all the flavors from rich no-bake pumpkin cheesecake layers in this classic, autumn-inspired dessert.
Eclair Cake
A classic patisserie treat, made icebox dessert-style. A no-bake dessert that’s perfect to take along to parties, full of creamy vanilla pudding layered with Graham crackers and topped with chocolate ganache.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Icebox Cake
Everything we love about a chocolate chip cookie, made into an irresistible no-bake dessert. Mascarpone cream lends a bit of flair to this easy recipe. It’s a creamy layered dessert you’ll never get enough of!
Pumpkin Mousse Ice Box Cake
An effortless yet fancy no-bake dessert featuring layers of rich homemade pumpkin mousse, Graham crackers, and vanilla whipped cream. Perfectly chilled for summer, and crave-able all year long!
No-Bake Chocolate Eclair Cake
Creamy custard? Soft wafers? Chocolate ganache? You got it. This recipe for a no-bake chocolate eclair-inspired cake is pulling out all the stops for the best icebox dessert.
Old Fashioned Chocolate Icebox Cake
A classic icebox cake recipe that keeps it deliciously simple. Simple to make, simple to chill, and more than easy to enjoy at your next summer gathering!
No-Bake Lemon Icebox Cake
Nothing beats the freshness of sweet-tart lemon in this easy summer dessert! Making this lemon icebox cake is nothing short of a breeze, and the end result is sure to be a hit at the BBQ.
Find hundreds of easy summer dessert ideas using the recipe finder!
