Millionaire Pie

Millionaire pie is a creamy, fruit-filled treat that is about as Southern as desserts can be. It's also super easy to make for a last-minute potluck or party as it comes together in just 10 minutes and only needs to chill in the refrigerator for about an hour before it's ready to serve.

Pineapple bits and chewy, sweet coconut are suspended throughout this creamy pie along with crunchy pecans. Gelatin sets the pie so that it's easily sliceable and maintains its shape.

Learn how to make millionaire pie, and be ready for any festive gathering with this eye-catching, tropical-flavored treat.

Millionaire Pie Ingredients

For millionaire pie, you'll need:

• Whole milk: Milk is used to bloom the gelatin to set up the pie's structure.
• Unflavored gelatin: Gelatin helps make this pie firm and sliceable.
• Crushed pineapple: If you use fresh pineapple, it should be well chopped so it blends into the pie mixture easily.
• Sweetened condensed milk: Provides the rich, creamy texture of the pie.
• Sweetened shredded coconut: You can use unsweetened if you want to reduce some of the sugary sweetness of the pie.
• Maraschino cherries and juice: Provides fruity flavor and a hint of pink color.
• Pecans: Adds a nuttiness to contrast all the sweet flavors.
• Lemon juice: Helps to thicken up the sweetened condensed milk, along with the gelatin.
• Frozen whipped topping: Such as Cool Whip. Gives the filling its light and airy texture.
• Graham cracker pie crust: You can use a homemade or store-bought crust.

Also, keep extra maraschino cherries, pecans, whipped topping, and coconut on hand to garnish the pie once it's ready to serve.

How To Make Millionaire Pie

Traditional millionaire pies use lemon juice to thicken sweetened condensed milk enough that it's sliceable. We're not going to take any chances with our version, so this recipe uses gelatin to make the pie filling firm and sliceable, too.

• Step 1. To start, combine gelatin and milk in a bowl. Let the mixture stand until the gelatin absorbs the milk. This should take about 5 minutes. Right before you add it to the other ingredients, you'll microwave this mixture in 5-second intervals to make sure the gelatin is fully dissolved.
• Step 2. Then, stir together pineapple, condensed milk, coconut, maraschino cherries, pecans, lemon juice, and maraschino cherry juice in a large bowl. Fold in the whipped topping.
• Step 3. Add the gelatin mixture to the fruit mixture, and stir well to make sure all the ingredients have the filling mixture coating it.
• Step 4. Pour the pie filling into the prepared pie crust, and put the pie in the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour.
• Step 5. When you're ready to serve, garnish with whatever toppings you want, such as extra whipped topping, cherries, pecans, and coconut.

Our Tips for the Best Millionaire Pie

This pie is incredibly easy to make, but there are a few things that can help you make it even better:

• Don't rush the gelatin blooming process. Give the milk-gelatin mixture enough time to let the gelatin absorb the milk. This combination is responsible for the creamy, luscious texture of this no-bake pie. And don't forget to microwave it just before adding it to the other ingredients.
• Don't skip the lemon juice. For back-up, this recipe uses lemon juice and sweetened condensed milk for the pie's thick texture. It's a lot of lemon juice—1/4 cup—but it's precisely balanced with the other ingredients for both thickening and flavor.
• Squeeze the pineapple. Get as much pineapple juice out of the fruit as you can. Too much liquid could jeopardize the pie filling. Save the juice for a fun Azalea Cocktail.
• Have fun with the toppings. We like repeating some of the flavors of the pie filling on the pie top, but you can get creative. White chocolate curls or chocolate syrup might be delicious.
• Consider other crusts. The traditional graham cracker crust for this millionaire pie is fantastic, but you could consider other options, like a shortbread crust or a cookie crumb crust.

How To Store Millionaire Pie

If you have leftover slices, wrap the pie plate with plastic wrap, and put it right back in the fridge. Millionaire pie will last up to 5 days in the fridge, though the crust may get a little soggy.