Orange creamsicle pie is a delightfully nostalgic dessert. One bite will instantly transport you back to the carefree summer days of your childhood.
It features a buttery graham cracker crust and a luscious, silky orange filling. And yes, it tastes just like the classic ice cream treat.
Everything about this pie is smooth, bright, and irresistible.
It’s a creamy, dreamy, no-bake dessert perfect for summer parties. Now, let’s dive right in!
Why You’ll Love This Orange Creamsicle Pie
No-Bake Convenience: Skip the oven and enjoy this cool, creamy pie without baking. It’s ideal for hot summer days when no one wants the extra kitchen heat.
Showstopping Presentation: This is definitely one of those desserts that looks as good as it tastes. You’ll love its vibrant orange hue and elegant whipped cream topping. It will easily be one of the prettiest things on the table.
Balanced Sweetness: Though sweet, orange creamsicle pie isn’t too sweet. Instead, it has a perfectly balanced flavor.
Ingredients
- Orange Jello: Adds vibrant citrus flavor and helps the filling set with a delightful, sliceable texture.
- Water: Boiling water activates the Jello, ensuring it fully dissolves for a smooth, consistent filling. Then you’ll add ice cold water so it cools quicker.
- Cream Cheese: Provides a rich, creamy base that balances the sweetness and adds a velvety texture.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk: Delivers luxurious sweetness and a silky consistency, perfectly complementing the tang of the cream cheese.
- Cool Whip: Lightens the filling with its airy texture. You’ll also use it for the garnish.
- Graham Cracker Pie Crust: Offers a crunchy, buttery base that contrasts beautifully with the creamy, citrusy filling. Grab a pre-made crust to keep it no-bake.
- Orange Zest & Food Coloring: Though optional, these will boost the orange flavor and create a visually appealing, vibrant orange hue, respectively
How to Make Orange Creamsicle Pie
If you want to make the crust from scratch, you’ll need 1 1/2 cups cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar, and 6 tablespoons melted butter.
Mix and press that into a 9-inch pie dish and bake at 350°F for about 8 minutes.
If you do this, be sure to make it early so it has time to cool fully before adding the filling.
If you’re sticking with a no-bake dessert, the steps are minimal.
1. WHISK: Combine the orange jello and boiling water in a medium bowl until dissolved. Stir in the cold water and set aside.
2. BEAT: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Gradually mix in the sweetened condensed milk, then blend in the cooled jello, orange zest, and food coloring.
3. FOLD: Gently fold 8-12 ounces of Cool Whip into the filling until evenly mixed. I like it extra light, so I used 12 ounces. If you want it a little more dense, stick to 8 ounces.
4. CHILL: Transfer the filling into the crust and smooth the top with a spatula. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight for best results.
5. GARNISH: Top with the remaining Cool Whip. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Tips for the Best Orange Creamsicle Pie
Incorporate these tips into your pie-making process, and it’ll be flawless every time:
- Save time with a store-bought crust. I usually prefer making graham cracker crusts from scratch. But for no-bake desserts in summer, store-bought is your best bet.
- Set the cream cheese out early. It should be at room temperature before you start beating it. That’ll make the filling extra creamy.
- Use whipped cream. Ditch the Cool Whip and make 2 cups of homemade whipped cream instead.
- Amp up the flavor. For even more orange goodness, swap the iced water for iced orange juice.
Recipe Variations
You can make tweaks to this recipe however you like. I recommend trying the following:
- Make it lighter. Swap the full-fat condensed milk for fat-free. Use store-bought sugar-free whipped topping, as well.
- Vary the crust. You can use whatever type of crust you like. Shortbread or vanilla wafers would work really well, but so would Oreos or pretzels.
- Try different jello. Swap in lemon, cherry, lime, or strawberry.
- Add fruit. Mix chunks of mandarins or pineapple into the filling for a chunkier texture.
- Top with candied oranges. Topping this pie with Mandarin slices is great. But if you want to take it a step further, though, use candied orange slices instead.
How to Store
Unfortunately, I don’t recommend freezing orange creamsicle pie. The texture doesn’t hold up once you thaw it out.
You can, however, store it for up to 5 days!
To Store: Cover the pie loosely with foil or plastic wrap. Refrigerate it for up to 5 days, and enjoy it straight from the fridge.
More Summer Pie Recipes You’ll Love
Coconut Cream Pie Bars
Lemon Cream Pie
Peanut Butter Cream Pie
Chocolate Cream Pie
Orange Creamsicle Pie
8
servings10
minutes4
hours503
kcalThis quick and easy, no-bake orange creamsicle pie is the epitome of sunny days and sweet memories. It’s rich, creamy, and to die for.
Ingredients
1 (3.4 ounce) box orange jello
1/4 cup boiling water
1/4 cup ice cold water
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon orange zest, optional
a few drops of orange food coloring, optional
16 oz Cool Whip, divided
1 (9-inch) Graham Cracker pie crust
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk the orange jello and boiling water until smooth and the jello is fully dissolved. Let cool for 5-10 minutes, then carefully pour the cold water into the bowl, mix well, and set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Gradually mix in the sweetened condensed milk until well combined, then turn the mixer to low and blend in the cooled orange jello, orange zest, and food coloring, if using.
- Gently fold 8-12 ounces of the Cool Whip into the filling, stirring gently until evenly mixed.
- Pour the filling into the crust and smooth the top with a spatula.
- Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight for best results.
- Garnish with the remaining Cool Whip. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
- Ditch the Cool Whip and make 2 cups of homemade whipped cream instead.
- Mix chunks of mandarins or pineapple into the filling for a chunkier texture.
