When summer strikes, you shouldn't be subjected to that kitchen heat just to satisfy your dessert cravings—icebox cakes to the rescue. You can whip them up in 10 minutes, and they’ll be ready to enjoy after a quick stint in your freezer–no need to even turn on the oven. Whether you're looking for extra basic or something slightly more involved (by which we mean whipping cream and nothing more—they're truly that simple), we’ve got a no-bake cake that’ll tickle your fancy. Check out our list of 15 icebox cake recipes for flavor inspiration.
If we’ve totally lost you, let us break down what an icebox cake is: At its most basic, an icebox cake is whipped cream and wafer cookies (think Nilla, not Loacker Quadratini) that are layered then frozen. The freezer is where the magic happens, transforming cookies from crunchy to cakey, and whipped cream from soft to firm and sliceable. Just two ingredients and you’ve got yourself a cake!
In typical Delish fashion, we couldn’t just stop at two ingredients though. Chocolate fan? Try our black & white cheesecake icebox cake, our s’mores icebox cake, or our peanut butter Oreo icebox cake. More of a fruit dessert fan? We got you. Check out our strawberry dalgona icebox cake (the TikTok trend mashup of our dreams), our lemon icebox cake, or our banana pudding icebox cake. You could even make one in the dead of winter— try our caramel apple cheesecake icebox cake or our cappuccino icebox cake (for all you year-round iced cold brew coffee drinkers). We’ve used everything from graham crackers to Oreos to gingersnaps to make these—try swapping in your own favorite cookies, icebox cakes are ripe for improvisation.
Easy Icebox Cake
Few desserts are as easy as an icebox cake. If you can whip cream, you're basically halfway there. Oreo Thins make a great cookie base because they can soften perfectly all the way through, but, honestly, a a regular Oreo will work just as well if you have those on hand.
Get the Easy Icebox Cake recipe.
Banana Pudding Icebox Cake
Instant banana pudding mix can be hard to come by, so we used vanilla instead. And since there are tons of bananas in the cake, it really doesn't matter! If banana pudding is available in your area, feel free to sub in.
Get the Banana Pudding Icebox Cake recipe.
Lemon Icebox Cake
Icebox cake may be an old-school concept, but this recipe is truly spectacular. The combination of lemon curd and cream cheese frosting is intensely citrusy and refreshing, and the quick candied lemon peel makes it priceless.
Get the Lemon Icebox Cake recipe.
Milk N' Cookies Icebox Cake
Want to turn milk and cookies into a dessert you can serve a crowd?This no-bake showstopper is for you—did we mention it only has 4 ingredients?
Get the Milk N' Cookies Icebox Cake recipe.
Peanut Butter Oreo Icebox Cake
This makes an extremely decadent cake. The amount amount of layers you end up with will depend on how much whipped cream you spread between the Oreos. You really can't go wrong, but fair warning: We ended up with 10 layers, which resulted in A LOT of cookies.
Oreo Funfetti Icebox Cake
Chocolate Oreos shouldn't have all the fun! Make this when you're craving all the celebratory energy of a Funfetti cake, for less than half the effort.
Get the Oreo Funfetti Icebox Cake recipe.
Peanut Butter Icebox Cake
Peanut butter lovers, this is the perfect make-ahead dessert. The longer it chills, the easier it will be to get a clean slice. Make it tonight and you'll be thanking yourself tomorrow.
Get the Peanut Butter Icebox Cake recipe.
Strawberry Dalgona Icebox Cake
First there was Dalgona Coffee. Then there was Whipped Strawberry Milk. And now you have a fluffy pink icebox cake. You're welcome.
Black & White Cheesecake Icebox Cake
We've taken the classic chocolate wafer icebox cake and made it part cheesecake. Swap in Oreos for the chocolate wafer cookies if you like, or just use them as decoration atop the chocolate ganache.
S'mores Icebox Cake
This icebox cake is five layers of s'mores bliss, plus mini marshmallows—take inspiration from our confetti square bars and use pastel mini "Funmallows" for an colorful twist!
Get the S'mores Icebox Cake recipe.
Caramel Apple Cheesecake Icebox Cake
The only thing that makes an icebox cake more tempting? When it has cinnamon-spiced apples and a cheesecake filling.
Matzo Icebox Cake
Second maybe only to matzoh toffee (that stuff is seriously addictive!) comes this matzoh icebox cake, perfect for any celebration, Passover or otherwise. It’s easy to throw together, and tastes just like tiramisu, for less than half the effort.
Get the Matzo Icebox Cake recipe.
Strawberry Shortcake Icebox Cake
Are you totally obsessed with Good Humor Strawberry Shortcake Bars? Us too! Like our Strawberry Crunch Cake, this turns them into a dessert worthy of any party or celebration.
S'mores Icebox Cake
Graham crackers, instant chocolate pudding mix, and marshmallow creme combine to make this s'mores-inspired icebox cake. You're going to want to put the simple marshmallow whipped cream in everything.
Get the S'mores Icebox Cake recipe.
Cappuccino Icebox Cake
This frozen dessert combines your chocolate fix with a cappuccino-flavored caffeine kick.
Get the Cappuccino Icebox Cake recipe.
Camille Lowder is the digital food producer at Delish, otherwise known as our resident queen of recipe galleries. Previously, she attended the Natural Gourmet Institute for culinary school and worked at/managed a number of New York restaurants. She loves anything vegan, foods masquerading as other foods (hello, cauliflower), and a well-used Oxford comma.
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