Woolworth Icebox Cheesecake Recipe is a light and fluffy, no-bake dessert with a hint of lemon flavor on top of a graham cracker crust. I also have a Strawberry Icebox Cheesecake version!
Woolworth Icebox Cheesecake Recipe
Most people over a certain age have probably heard of, or even visited, a Woolworth store. It started out as a five-and-dime store, selling things that only cost 5 or 10 cents until it became a popular department store. And, the lunch counter was an added attraction, serving food, including its famous Icebox Cheesecake Recipe.
Woolworth Icebox Cheesecake Ingredients
There are two parts to this no-bake dessert–the graham cracker crust and the light filling.
Graham Crackers: You can buy graham cracker crumbs to use for the crust (about 2 cups). Or, you could crush sheets of graham crackers. You will need about 14 full sheets of graham crackers for 2 cups of crumbs.
Cream Cheese: Be sure the cream cheese is at room temperature when creaming with the sugar.
Jello Mix: The lemon-flavored box of jello mix gives the dessert just a hint of lemon flavor (but not even close to overwhelming). You could even try other flavors of jello!
Water: You will use both boiling water (212°F) and cold water (55°F) for the filling.
Evaporated Milk: Evaporated milk is super-concentrated milk that helps give the dessert filling its creamy texture. It should not be confused with sweetened condensed milk, which has added sugar. They should not be used interchangeably in recipes. Be sure to chill the can of evaporated milk in the freezer for about 30 minutes before using.
Do I Have to Freeze Icebox Cheesecake Recipe?
No, you don’t have to freeze this dessert, even with Icebox in the name. In fact, an icebox used to refer to a non-mechanical ‘refrigerator’ before we had electric refrigerators. So, you do have to store the cheesecake in the refrigerator (covered, for up to a week), but no need to make room in your freezer. The only freezing needed with this recipe is to chill the bowl and whisk attachment of a stand mixer.
What if My Evaporated Milk Does Not Form Peaks?
If you looked at the recipe below, you may notice the first instruction is to chill the bowl of a stand mixer, the whisk attachment, and the can of evaporated milk. If you are finding that the evaporated milk is not forming peaks, you can place the entire bowl with the contents into the freezer for 15-30 minutes and then re-whip. You’ll know it is ready to whip again when there are ice crystals on the bowl. Do not leave it longer than 30 minutes.
Evaporated milk has a lower fat content compared to whipping cream, so it’s harder to whip. This is why chilling is so important.
How Does it Taste?
Heaven. Seriously! It is light as air and melts into a velvety cloud of creamy deliciousness in your mouth. It’s almost like a “cloud cheesecake”. The lemon is so subtle, if you hadn’t made it you almost wouldn’t be able to detect it is there! This dessert is worth making and there is a reason it is so famous!
More No-Bake Cheesecake Desserts
Woolworth Icebox Cheesecake Recipe
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups (14-16 sheets, 168 g) honey graham crackers, finely crushed
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ cup (1 stick / 113g) butter, melted
Filling
- 1 block (8 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 box (3 ounces) lemon jello mix
- ½ cup boiling water, about 212°F
- ½ cup cold water, about 50°F
- 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk, chilled in freezer for 30 minutes
Instructions
- Chill the bowl of a stand mixer, the whisk attachment, and the can of evaporated milk in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. (This will help get peaks when whipping the evaporated milk.) Do not skip this step.
Crust
- Lightly spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, add graham crackers and sugar and mix together.
- Add melted butter and mix until all ingredients are fully incorporated (no dry spots).
- Reserve ¼ cup of the graham cracker mixture and set aside.
- Press the remaining crumbs firmly into the bottom of the prepared 9×13-inch baking dish. Set aside.
Filling
- In a medium bowl cream together cream cheese and sugar with a hand mixer. Add vanilla and mix until well blended (2-3 minutes). Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, add jello mix and boiling water. Whisk until the jello mix dissolves (1-2 minutes). Add cold water and set the mixture in the refrigerator for a few minutes while you prepare the rest of the filling, but do not let the gelatin set.
- To a stand mixer, add the chilled bowl and whisk attachment. Add the evaporated milk and mix on high until soft peaks form (about 5 minutes).
- Add the jello mixture and continue to whisk for 30 more seconds.
- Add cream cheese mixture and whisk for 30 more seconds.
- Pour mixture into the pan and top with the reserved graham cracker mixture.
- Chill overnight before serving.
Did you make this recipe?
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I made the lemon cheesecake and was very unhappy with it, followed directions to the T, not enough lemon taste at all so I added a can of lemon pie filling, passable but nothing I would take any place or serve, sorry I have made other recipes you have done and enjoyed all of those, just not this one, everyone has their own taste
Sorry you didn’t like it! That’s the first I have heard of that for this recipe – it’s been around for so long and had so many amazing reviews I will definitely chalk this one up to personal taste. Also, adding the can of lemon pie filling will change the texture considerably – and this recipe (as is) doesn’t really taste like lemon.
Ate this as a kid
I made this as written except i used orange jello as hubby doesn’t like lemon. The evaporated milk did not thicken up at all! I whipped it for about 15 minutes and it never got thicker than heavy cream. Now I should mention that it was not the name brand so maybe that made the difference. It still tasted fine and hubby didn’t know that it wasn’t as light and fluffy as it was meant to be so all good!!
YUMMY! Fluffy, light & perfect for summer. Easy and delicious 😋
I adapted this recipe to make it sugar free for a friend that is diabetic. It came out perfect with no aftertaste. I used sugar free strawberry jello because sugar free lemon or lime wasn’t available where I live. I also put it in a 10 inch spring form pan.
can i use whipping cream instead of evaporated milk?
This is a great recipe! I used to make it years ago and I lost the recipe I was thrilled when I seen yours online. It’s so creamy and 😋
Can this be frozen?
Absolutely and it’s heavenly a little bit thawed, too! My mom always served it that way in the summer.
My mom, grandma & I made something very similar but it called for a can of Milnot which no one now knows what that is. It might have said a small can. I hate recipes that do not give size of can in ounces as we all know manufacturers change can sizes. We loved it so I will try tjis recipe😀
Can you use an electric hand mixer instead of a stand mixer?
My grandmother always made this for family events and parties.. everyone waited for “”Grams Cheesecake”” to arrive ..it got to the point that she had to make several as everyone took large portions and the family grew. I lost her recipe and was terrible upset about it.. then seen this.. so thank you very much as I know this will be a welcomed surprise at the next family function 😊 💕