Millionaire pie might sound fancy, but it's very easy and big on flavor and nostalgia. It's a vintage recipe with pineapple, whipped cream, maraschino cherries, coconut, crunchy pecans, and condensed milk, all in a classic crumb crust.
I first made it out of curiosity when looking for retro desserts for this blog. It surprised me, and now I make it when I need a no-bake, impressive dessert, sometimes using fresh cherries when in season. If sweet ambrosia salad and my favorite easy pineapple pie merged, you would have this creamy fruit pie.
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Stunning icebox pie
If you like no-bake cheesecakes and icebox pies, you'll feel right at home here with the ease of assembly and creamy texture of this dessert, and also if you want to impress without much effort. It's fantastic what fruit, condensed milk, nuts and cream can accomplish together!
This recipe, also known as million-dollar pie and popularized in the Southern United States during the 1930s and 1940s, is a stir-and-chill type of pie with simple ingredients that doesn't ask for much fussing. You do need to let it chill or freeze until firm, and this might take several hours, so plan ahead.
Some say it should be a billionaire pie, since it has cherries and coconut, that wasn't part of the original recipe. But it's not clear, so you be the judge.
There's no need to turn on the oven, even though you could if you want to bake the crust for 10 minutes. The creamy pineapple and cherry pie filling needs only to be combined and then refrigerated.
For a quicker assembly, use a store-bought graham cracker crust.
Testing Notes
Drain fruit well: you don't want pineapple or cherry juice, or as little as possible. This is essential for the pie filling not to be soupy.
Cream: I use heavy or heavy whipping cream. You can also use Cool Whip topping instead for a quicker filling. I find that it can make the filling softer, but it's the original ingredient.
Serve cold! This is key, or the pie will be too soft. You can keep it in the refrigerator up to 3 days, and also freeze it, then thaw it slightly before serving, so that it loses the icy feeling.
Coconut: For me, it's always shredded unsweetened coconut, but you can use sweetened, which some might say is more traditional. I'd rather adjust the sweetness by adding more or less sugar to the whipped cream.
Toasting the pecans and coconut is optional but highly recommended; it adds flavor and a slight crunch that balances the soft, sweet filling.
Fresh fruit option: I make it with fresh cherries when available, as maraschino cherries are not my favorite ones. If using fresh pineapple, it can add a vibrant, natural sweetness to the pie. Make sure it's sweet and ripe, or it won't have much flavor. Finely chop or crush it, and drain it well to achieve a texture similar to canned pineapple.
Process steps
Toppings: Reserve a few cherries and pecans, or use extra ones. You can omit them and still have a fantastically flavorful and creamy millionaire pie, though not as visually gorgeous.
Graham crust
This no-bake pie doesn't require pre-baking the crust.
However, if you prefer a crisper crust, you can bake it for 10 minutes and let it cool completely before filling it.
Chopped ingredients
They should be bite-sized.
This is where you can use more or less of each according to your preference. Or omit one.
They're first stirred with condensed milk, and it's a soupy preparation.
Whipped cream
Though you can use a purchased topping like Cool Whip, I like to whip heavy cream.
It should make fairly firm peaks. If you underwhip it (soft to medium peaks), it won't hold well, and you'll have a too soft filling. Unless you want to serve it almost frozen; in that case, you can get away with medium peaks.
Storage tips
- Freezer: This is the best way to store leftovers rather than in the fridge, in my opinion. Use an airtight freezer-safe container.
- Consume within 5 days: no-bake pies generally have a shorter shelf life than baked pies because they often contain dairy products. Consume the pie within 5 days for optimal taste and quality.
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Vintage Million Dollar Pie (no-bake, whipped cream filling)
Ingredients
Graham cracker crust:
- 1 ¾ cups graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Whipped cream filling:
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk, 14 ounces or 397g
- 8 ounces pineapple in juice, 1 can, well-drained, patted dry and chopped
- ½ cup chopped maraschino cherries, well drained and patted dry
- ½ cup chopped pecans, lightly toasted
- ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut, lightly toasted; or use sweetened if you have a sweet tooth
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 cup cold heavy cream, or 8 ounces whipped topping, such as Cool Whip
To serve:
- 1 cup whipped topping
- maraschino cherries
- chopped pecans
- flaked coconut, lightly toasted
Instructions
Make the crust:
- In a medium bowl, stir 1 ¾ cups graham cracker crumbs, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 6 tablespoons unsalted butter until it looks like wet sand. It should not have dry patches.
- Press into a 9-inch pie plate and chill while you make the filling.
Mix the filling:
- In a large bowl, stir together 1 can sweetened condensed milk and 2 tablespoons lemon juice until slightly thickened.
- Add 8 ounces pineapple in juice, well-drained and chopped, ½ cup chopped maraschino cherries, well-drained, ½ cup chopped pecans, and ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut. Mix to combine.
- If using freshly whipped cream, whip 1 cup cold heavy cream to fairly firm peaks. Fold it gently (or 1 cup whipped topping if you choose this) into the condensed milk mixture until fully blended. Use a spatula to make sure it's all integrated, but don't overmix.
Assemble the pie:
- Spoon the filling into the chilled crust and smooth the top.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight to set fully. You can also freeze it.
- Serve cold, topped with 1 cup whipped topping and garnish with extra maraschino cherries, chopped pecans and flaked coconut before serving.
Martha says
I am not a fan of Graham cracker crusts. Can I use crushed saltines in equal measure or a baked pie shell?
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Martha, yes. You can use other crusts. I don't know about saltines because I haven't tried it, but another type of plain cookies, like vanilla or digestive biscuits can work, or a regular pie crust, fully baked.