This is the best single serving icebox cake recipe! So easy to make and the perfect size for one person. It's a light, no-bake cake made with a sweet cream filling and berries layered over graham crackers.
There's nothing more refreshing than a cool dessert on a hot summer day, one that's quick to make and doesn't require any baking time is an absolute winner. Icebox cakes are some of my favorite desserts. No oven is necessary because the dessert "cooks" in the refrigerator and becomes a heavenly cake-like treat.
Making an icebox cake takes very little time to do and you don't need any fancy ingredients. At its simplest, an icebox cake is just graham crackers or cookies with whipped cream layered in between. Fancier versions might include espresso, caramel, or chocolate.
Why This Recipe Works
The mini icebox cake recipe I'm sharing today is a cream cheese version that is constructed by layering graham crackers with a sweetened creamy filling along with a scattering of berries in a dessert dish. The cake is then placed in the refrigerator to chill until the cookies soften into a cake-like consistency.
The whole idea of an icebox cake may sound a bit odd - crisp graham crackers, no cake? But that's what makes an icebox cake so wonderful. In the refrigerator, the crackers soften and meld with the cream and fruit, making the cake almost custard-like.
RELATED: The Best Single Serving Summer Recipes
You often see icebox cakes at summer cookouts and picnics. They're usually made in a large serving dish and are great for serving a big group of people. In the case of this mini icebox cake, it's made in a small dish so it's the ideal size for one person.
What Is An Icebox Cake?
An icebox cake is similar to a trifle or a "dessert lasagna". It was introduced to the US in the late 1920s and was popular because it used pre-made inexpensive ingredients. This incredibly simple dessert was named after the icebox that the cake was kept cool in.
Besides being one of the most delicious cakes ever, an icebox cake is made with very few ingredients; mainly lightly sweetened cookies and whipped cream. In fact, you might already be familiar with Nabisco's Famous Chocolate Wafer Icebox Cake, which is also known as a Zebra Cake. Their cake was made using their own chocolate wafers and whipped cream.
RELATED: The Best Small Batch Cookie Recipes
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Cream cheese: Technically, an icebox cake can be made with just whipped cream and cookies but I LOVE adding cream cheese to the whipped cream. Cream cheese adds richness and a delicious, slight tang to the cream. Use room temperature cream cheese from a block of real cream cheese, not cream cheese spread or whipped cream cheese. To soften cream cheese, leave it on the counter for 30 minutes and the cream cheese should be soft enough to use.
- Sugar: Sweetens the dessert beautifully.
- Vanilla extract: Vanilla adds a wonderful flavor to the creamy filling.
- Heavy cream: Icebox cake recipes traditionally call for homemade whipped cream made from heavy cream (double cream) or heavy whipping cream. You can use a pre-made whipped topping such as Cool Whip instead.
- Graham crackers: Graham crackers are sweet whole wheat cookies made from graham flour. They are commonly found in the US in the cookie aisle of the grocery store. Although I use graham crackers (digestive biscuits in the UK), you can use just about any kind of cookie. Store-bought vanilla wafers or chocolate wafers or homemade cookies such as ladyfingers, oatmeal cookies, ginger cookies, or double chocolate chip cookies work beautifully in icebox cakes.
- Blueberries: Fresh blueberries are best but if they aren't available to you, use frozen and thawed blueberries instead. Understand that frozen and thawed blueberries tend to turn mushy because of the extra water in them. If using them, be sure to pat the berries gently with a towel to remove excess liquid.
See below for ways to use leftover ingredients.
How To Make An Icebox Cake
See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Place the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in a medium-sized bowl and beat well with an electric hand mixer. Set the bowl aside.
- In a separate small bowl, whip the cold cream with an electric mixer until the cream holds thick peaks.
Pro Tips: Use cold cream because cold cream whips better. You can also use a whisk to beat the cream until stiff peaks begin to form. This is an arm workout, switch arms if you need to.
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture and blend well.
- Layer the bottom of a small dessert dish with graham crackers. Break them up if necessary.
Pro Tip: I use a 10-ounce ramekin when making a single icebox cake. For best results use a dish of similar size.
- Gently spread half of the cream mixture evenly over the cookies.
- Place half of the blueberries on top of the cream.
- Cover the berries with a second layer of graham crackers.
- Top the second layer of graham crackers with the remaining cream mixture and the rest of the blueberries.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to overnight.
Expert Tips
- Let the cake rest: Although you can enjoy your icebox cake right after you make it, it is best to allow your cake to "rest" in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours to allow the cookie layers to absorb moisture and become softer.
- Choose the right vessel: Icebox cakes can be assembled in any vessel you choose. The ingredient amounts in our small strawberry icebox cake recipe are perfect for a 10-ounce ramekin. Feel free to use a similarly sized dessert dish or bowl with sides.
- Have fun with the toppings: Consider drizzling melted chocolate or caramel over the top of the cake.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! This dessert should be made ahead so that the graham crackers have time to soften. Three hours ahead at least and overnight is great!
An icebox cake will last two to three days in the refrigerator.
Absolutely! If you'd like to make a larger cake, double or triple the ingredient amounts and use a larger dish to hold the icebox cake.
Yes. Cover your cake well with a layer of plastic wrap and another layer of aluminum foil. It will keep for up to one month in the freezer. Thaw for a few hours in the refrigerator before eating.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients left over from this icebox cake recipe, you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
- Cream cheese: Pumpkin Bars, Lemon Cheesecake Mousse, Mini Carrot Cake
- Heavy cream: Blue Cheese Dressing, Alfredo Sauce, Quiche Lorraine
- Graham crackers: Peanut Butter Pie, Lemon Mango Pie, Key Lime Pie
- Fruit: Berry Filled Dutch Baby, Coffee Cake, Blueberry Crumble, Strawberry Shortcake
Other Single Serving No-Bake Desserts
- Cheesecake For One
- Pumpkin Cheesecake For One
- Fat Bombs
- Chocolate Truffles
- Ice Cream For One
- Tiramisu
- 2 Ingredient Chocolate Mousse For One
For more information on the cooking and baking dishes I use in our “recipes for one”, please visit our FAQ page.
For examples of the dishes used at One Dish Kitchen, please visit our Store page.
RELATED: 15 Easy Dessert Recipes For One
If you’ve tried this "Icebox Cake For One" or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
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Icebox Cake For One
See the post above for expert tips,
FAQs and ways to use leftover ingredients.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces cream cheese , softened
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 sheets graham crackers (1-ounce/30g) or use vanilla or chocolate wafers
- ½ cup fresh blueberries
Instructions
- Place the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in a medium-sized bowl and beat well with an electric hand mixer. Set the bowl aside.
- In a separate small bowl, whip the cold cream with an electric mixer until the cream holds thick peaks.Use cold cream because cold cream whips better. You can also use a whisk to beat the cream until stiff peaks begin to form. This is an arm workout, switch arms if you need to.
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture and blend well.
- Layer the bottom of a small dessert dish with graham crackers. Break them up if necessary.I use a 10-ounce ramekin when making a single icebox cake. For best results use a dish of similar size.
- Gently spread half of the cream mixture evenly over the cookies.
- Place half of the blueberries on top of the cream.
- Cover the berries with a second layer of graham crackers.
- Top the second layer of graham crackers with the remaining cream mixture and the rest of the blueberries.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to overnight.
Notes
- Let the cake rest: Although you can enjoy your icebox cake right after you make it, it is best to allow your cake to "rest" in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours to allow the cookie layers to absorb moisture and become softer.
- Choose the right vessel: Icebox cakes can be assembled in any vessel you choose. The ingredient amounts in our small strawberry icebox cake recipe are perfect for a 10-ounce ramekin. Feel free to use a similarly sized dessert dish or bowl with sides.
- Have fun with the toppings: Consider drizzling melted chocolate or caramel over the top of the cake.
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
DML says
Easy to assemble. Used strawberries. Also happy to know I have to eat it within 2 days . 😁
Susan Dennis says
I'm not a berry fan so didn't have any and just made this without. (Also used Marie digestives which worked great.) And after just now eating the first piece, it's delicious BUT it needs bananas!!! This will make the best, easiest banana cream (adjacent) pie!
Deb says
Wonderful recipe! Next time I'll put a bit of the filling on the bottom first and then start building (to help the bottom graham cracker soften more). And add more blueberries! I used Cool Whip Light in place of the heavy cream because that's what I had on hand. It worked! A keeper-recipe.
Joanie Zisk says
Hi Deb,
I'm so happy you loved the recipe. Great idea to add a bit of the filling to the bottom. Thanks so much for writing.
Joanie
Michelle Lawrence says
Double cream is not available where I live, only whipping cream (of max 32% fat content). Can it be substituted for the double cream, or will it flop?
Joanie Zisk says
Yes, it will work. The higher the fat content the thicker the cream which makes it easier to whip into soft peaks.
Pam says
Do you think I could use half and half instead of heavy cream? It is what I have on hand.
Joanie Zisk says
Half and half does not have enough fat to whip properly. I recommend using either heavy cream or heavy whipping cream, they can be used interchangeably.
Leanne Long says
I am unable to eat that many carbohydrates in a day/week!! But, I can substitute erythritol for the sugar and low carb cookies for the graham crackers.
I love all of your recipes but since I have had to go so low in the carb department, it is a bit more challenging. I have to make over the recipes if I can. This recipe looks like it will lend itself to a carb make over very well.