This no-bake triple berry icebox cake is the easiest summer dessert you’ll ever make—light, creamy, and packed with fresh berries. With just a few simple ingredients and no oven required, it’s the perfect make-ahead treat for Fourth of July, summer BBQs, or any hot day when you just can’t be bothered to bake.
This is the summer dessert I’ve made an embarrassing number of times already.
Because it’s hot, and I don’t want to cook. This is the kind of dessert I can make while half-distracted, kids bouncing around, and a podcast playing in the background. I mix up the filling, layer it up in a pan, and pop it into the fridge. That’s it. No stove. No oven. No actual cooking.
An icebox cake is honestly pretty close to perfect. It’s cold. It’s creamy. It’s packed with juicy berries and soft graham cracker layers. And best of all? It takes maybe ten minutes to throw together—no oven, no stovetop, no heat required.
I’ve made this with homemade pudding, fresh whipped cream, all the works. It was all fine. But honestly? I keep coming back to this version. Instant pudding. Cool Whip. A box of graham crackers. And somehow, it’s the most perfect summer dessert my family asks for every single week.
Ingredient swaps & real-life tips
- Cream layer: I use cheesecake-flavored instant pudding when I can—because it gives the most classic “icebox cake” flavor and keeps the cream nice and white for that red-white-blue vibe. But vanilla works too (just expect a slightly yellower tint).
- Milk amount: Start with 1½ cups and only add more (up to 2 cups) if the cream is too thick. It should be about the consistency of thick whipped cream—spreadable but not runny. Too stiff and it won’t layer easily; too thin and the cake will ooze.
- Cool Whip vs whipped cream: Use whichever one you’ve got. I personally reach for Cool Whip when I remember to defrost it, but whipped cream takes just a few minutes and works beautifully too.
- Berry situation: I like a mix of raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries. They’re patriotic if you squint (or if it’s the Fourth of July). If your blackberries are huge, you can halve them for better layering—but I rarely bother. Just give everything a good rinse and pat dry with paper towels before adding.
Assembly advice from someone who’s done this 100x
Start with a thin swipe of cream at the bottom of your pan to keep the crackers from sliding around.
I gently press the graham cracker layers down before spreading the cream—otherwise the dessert can get a little tall and unstable. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect. This is a rustic dessert.
Finish the top layers with berries and make it look cute if you care. I usually don’t put that much thought into it, because I sprinkle crushed graham crackers on top before serving. You can also go full party mode and add sprinkles!
Refrigerate it least 4–6 hours. This is crucial. The crackers need time to soften so the cake slices cleanly. Overnight is even better.
Printable recipe
Triple Berry Icebox Cake
Ingredients
- 1 (8-oz) block cream cheese (softened)
- 1 (3.4-oz) box instant cheesecake (OR vanilla pudding mix)
- 1.5-2 cups milk (whole or 2% works best)
- 1 (8-oz) container thawed Cool Whip (OR 3 cups freshly whipped cream)
- 4 cups mixed berries (I use blackberries, blueberries and raspberries; rinsed and gently patted dry)
- 2 sleeves graham crackers (18 crackers; I usually make sure I have 3 sleeves on hand in case of breakage or small graham cracker thieves in my kitchen ;- ))
Instructions
- Beat cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth. Beat in 1.5 cups milk until combined, then beat in instant pudding mix as directed on the package.
- Fold in the Cool Whip (or whipped cream) using a rubber spatula, until fully combined. Fold in up to ½ extra cup milk to yield a creamy, smooth, fluffy mixture (I’ve found the exact amount of milk to depend on the exact pudding mix and if you’re using cool whip or whipped cream – just make sure it’s about the texture of thick whipped cream, it shouldn’t be runny but also not like glue).
- Spread a thin layer of cream mixture in a 7×11 inch (OR a 9×9 inch) baking dish. Top with a layer of graham crackers, breaking up crackers as needed to cover the dish with a single layer, without any gaps.
- Cover the crackers with ⅓ of the cream mixture, gently spreading it out (I find this part a little annoying because the crackers can stick to the cream mixture and it’s a little annoying to get the cream spread; but in a dessert this easy I can’t really complain about a little inconvenience, haha!). Top with ⅓ of the prepared berries, pushing them slightly into the cream.
- Repeat the layers two more times (you’ll want to carefully push down on the graham cracker layer to get the layers even, if your blackberries/blueberries are very large it helps to cut them in half but I hardly ever bother). Arrange the top layer of berries in a way you find aesthetically pleasing (in my case, the aesthetic is usually “rustic, aka this is a mess but it’s fine”).
- Cover the cake with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4-6 hours, up to overnight.
- When ready to serve, I usually sprinkle the top with some crushed up crackers (or you could do sprinkles if you bring it to a party) and then slice it and watch it disappear!
How we eat it
Usually outside, forks and paper plates, and always with second helpings. My kids are obsessed. My husband is, too. I’ve never once had leftovers past the second day (leftovers keep for 2 days, covered in the fridge).
I’ll say it again: this is the summer dessert. No oven. No stress. Just chilled, creamy layers of joy in a pan. Make it. You’ll get it.
I first shared this recipe in 2018. I updated it on May 17, 2020 with new text to make it more helpful for you. I updated the recipe again on 07/03/2025 to reflect how I actually make it now – the most notable change is a packet of prepared instant pudding thrown into the mix because that way, you get three layers instead of just two!
Emily Sinclair Hays says
Do I crumble up the graham crackers?
Nora says
Nope, just layer them in whole! They will soften as the cake chills. Hope this helps, Emily.