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Millionaire Pie is a classic creamy no-bake dessert – a retro pie that will bring back memories. It’s got a creamy filling that sets perfectly every time and is filled with cherries, pineapple, coconut, and pecans. You can vary this pie to your liking too! It’s crunchy, creamy, sweet and the perfect summer or holiday dessert.
Millionaire Pie is a classic that is kind of like dessert fluff married ambrosia salad. It has super simple ingredients and the pie filling has a fluffy and creamy texture that tastes good with any crust. Originating in the south, it got it’s name because it’s so rich tasting (a rich million dollar pie)!
The secret to a Million Dollar Pie that sets perfectly is the lemon juice and sweetened condensed milk combination. Lemon juice creates an acidic environment that causes the milk proteins (also called casein) to coagulate and thicken, ensuring your pie sets up every time.
Millionaire Pie is a combination of creamy ambrosia flavors, like pineapple, cherries, and coconut in a creamy filling with pecans, all in a graham cracker crust. It uses sweetened condensed milk and lemon juice to ensure a set pie filling that’s creamy and crunchy in every bite.
Millionaire Pie Ingredients
- Sweetened Condensed Milk is the sugar and creaminess all in one. You’ll mix Lemon Juice into the sweetened condensed milk because the acid in the citrus reacts with the milk proteins to jell the sweetened condensed milk, which is what sets the pie. Without lemon juice the pie will not set up. The pie does not have a lemon flavor, the lemon juice is just required for the filling to set up.
- Use only full fat sweetened condensed milk NOT fat free or your pie won’t set up.
- Canned Pineapple and Maraschino Cherries both need to be drained before going to this pie recipe. Maraschino cherry juice can water down the pies. I use these in my pineapple fluff recipe too.
- I also add sweetened shredded (flaked) coconut and chopped pecans after mixing everything else in.
- A store bought crust makes this super simple, but you can make a homemade graham cracker crust too.
Click to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions. See below the recipe card for even more information: process shots, variations, FAQ and more.
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Expert Tips
- I typically cut my cherries into quarters so they are easy to eat with every bite!
- It may seem like you can omit lemon juice, but this recipe cannot work without the lemon juice, so do not forget it!
- Homemade crusts need to chill, so if that is something you want to make, then plan ahead so you can have a little extra time.
Millionaire Pie Recipe
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 1 9-inch graham cracker crust
- 1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup (173g) crushed pineapple, well drained
- ⅓ cup (79ml) lemon juice
- 1 cup (90g) shredded sweetened coconut
- ½ cup (55g) chopped pecans
- ½ cup (80g) chopped maraschino cherries, drained and patted dry
Instructions
- If making the crust from scratch, make it and chill until ready to fill.
- Add sweetened condensed milk, drained pineapple, and lemon juice to a large bowl. Stir until smooth.
- Fold in coconut, pecans, and cherries.
- Pour mixture into prepared pie plate. Chill in the refrigerator at least 4 hours.
- Before serving, garnish with additional pecans and/or cherries
Recipe Notes
- Be sure to only use regular sweetened condensed milk (not fat free) for best results.
- Use fresh lemon juice and do not omit or substitute – the lemon juice is needed to help the pie set up.
- Be sure to drain your pineapple well before adding to the mixture.
- Buy maraschino cherries without stems for easy chopping.
- If you’re making a graham cracker crust from scratch you’ll need 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, and 7 tablespoons melted butter.
Recipe Nutrition
How to make Millionaire Pie
- Mix the sweetened condensed milk with the lemon juice until smooth.
- Mix in the coconut, pineapple, cherries, and pecans.
- Add to a pie crust and chill a few hours to set. Serve with whipped cream!
Variations
This pie has tons of variations and substitutions – so make it your favorite!
- You can use any kind of crust – like an Oreo Crust or Shortbread Crust.
- Swap walnuts or any other nuts in place of the pecans, or use mandarin oranges in place of the pineapple.
- A billionaire pie is a similar recipe but mixes pie filling into the mixture.
FAQs
Yes you can! Just wrap it well with plastic wrap and freeze up to 3 months.
These are basically the same base recipe but billionaires pie adds a can of pie filling.
What other fruit can I use instead of the cherries
Any canned and drained fruit would work
I made this the other evening. Left it chill as directed. Followed the recipe to the T. I feel 1 C of coconut is to much. I didn’t care for it. My family liked it. But agreed too much coconut.
Hello Don, I agree I only use like a tablespoon and a half, not a huge coconut fan. Some thing about the texture in my mouth feels like I’m eating carpet, lol. If you do try it next time use less or just omit it. Good luck thanks for sharing! 😃
I’ve never heard of Millionaire Pie before but it sounds wonderful.
Maureen…try getting some rug burns on the carpet 😉 that will change your palette 😋
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