I live in Texas, so sometimes I want dessert but turning on the oven sounds like torture during the summer. There’s a time and place for good old-fashioned baked apple pie, and then there’s enjoying a bite of chilly goodness on a hot day.
Here are two no-bake pie recipes for you to try the next time you want something cool, sweet and light to end your meal.

tropical fruit potluck no bake pie
Icebox pie. Fridge pie. No bake dessert. Whatever you might call this, the flavors of this recipe remind me of that “fluff,” “ambrosia” or “watergate salad” from the 70s, just without marshmallows or Cool Whip. The sour cream cuts the glaring sweetness of the old-time recipe, and the crust gives this a nice bite. You can also leave off the maraschino cherries if you don’t like their strong flavor.
Ingredients
- 10 oz. (about half the can shown in the picture) of crushed pineapple, WITH the juice
- 8 oz. can of sliced pineapple rings, drained
- 3.4 oz package of instant vanilla pudding mix
- 8 oz. container of sour cream
- 3 oz. of sweetened flake coconut
- 8 Maraschino cherries
- 1 9 oz. (deep dish) graham cracker crust
- Optional: 1/3 c. chopped pecans or walnuts
Instructions
- Pour crushed pineapple (juice included) into a large mixing bowl.
- Add pudding mix and sour cream. (If using nuts in the mixture, add now.)
- Using a spoon blend all ingredients together thoroughly.
- Spoon mixture into pie crust.
- Sprinkle coconut evenly around the top.
- Lay sliced pineapples on top. (About 8 rings will fit – usually 7 outside and one in the center.)
- Place one cherry in the center of each pineapple slice.
- Place in the fridge for 2 hours and allow to chill and firm up. Can be sliced and served immediately for a soft-set, but it’s better after at least an hour in the fridge.
Notes
You can add 1/3 c. chopped pecans to the mixture or sprinkle on top. I added a few to the “cherry holes” for a bit of interest, and for a group of people enjoying this pie, they can avoid the nuts if they choose.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 390Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 144mgCarbohydrates: 70gFiber: 4gSugar: 60gProtein: 3g
✅ Check out this handy pie keeper
Place a large mixing bowl (metal or glass) into your fridge for 15 minutes prior to whipping the cream. This keeps the cream cold and your stiff peaks will form faster. (My favorite mixing bowl in the whole world is a metal one (stainless, I guess?) with nonskid bottom and very wide lip. It is unmarked (!!?) and I’ve had it about 15 years. This one is the closest thing I can find online so far.) Note: Wait to prepare the fruit right before serving. Note: Prepare the fruit right before serving
lemon sherbet no bake pie with berries
Ingredients
Sherbet filling:
Fruit:
Instructions
Create filling
Prepare Fruit
Mix the fruit
Serving Tips:
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12
Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 328Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 46mgSodium: 116mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 1gSugar: 20gProtein: 3g