No-bake pie that tastes like a margarita, complete with salt from the pretzel crust!
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Sometimes I beg my husband to go to a Mexican restaurant just so I can slurp down (in a ladylike way) a good, blended Margarita. I've tried lots of flavors over the years - strawberry, watermelon, mango, and cranberry - but the classic lime is still my all-time favorite.
But have you ever had it as a pie? Yes, a Margarita Pie.
The filling has the same ingredients, plus a few more. And the crust incorporates finely crushed pretzels for the salt.
I should point out, this is not the healthiest dessert you'll make this year, but it might be the easiest. And sometimes, you have to toss the diet out the window and live a little. Here's why this simple dessert is worth it.
It's super-easy, comes together quickly, and lets the freezer do the heavy lifting.
The most complicated thing in the recipe is whipping the cream, and you only have to whip it to a soft peak. True, crushing the pretzels and graham crackers can be an upper body workout allowing you to skip the gym all week, but if you have a food processor or fancy blender like Ninja or Vitamix, it will take you all of 15 seconds. At most.
There's no frantic scramble at the end of dinner since it must be made ahead.
It's a no-bake pie - but it's a frozen dessert, and needs to set up. Most recipes out there recommend (optimistically, IMHO) popping it in the freezer for at least 6 hours before serving - some say an even shorter chill will do it. One website I looked at wildly suggested 2 hours, but that's just crazy talk. My experience is that it's best if you make it the day ahead, putting it into the deep freeze overnight. At 6 hours, the crust is frozen, but the pie is barely set up and will be like a soft-serve ice cream after it's on the plate for 10 minutes.
Save the rest for later - much, much later, if you want.
Slice off what you need for your family or guests - or yes, just for yourself, wrap it in plastic, and keep it in the freezer for last-minute desserts you might need over the next 6 months. This is a perfect dessert to whip out when summer temperatures soar. Just let it sit on the counter for 10 minutes before serving. Of course, since Cinco de Mayo is right around the corner, you might want to make two of these babies so that you have enough left over to sock away.
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No-Bake Pie: Margarita Pie with a Pretzel Crust
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- ¾ cup finely crushed salted pretzels
- ½ cup finely crushed graham crackers
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
Pie Filling
- 1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
- ⅓ cup defrosted limeade concentrate
- 2 tablespoons tequila
- 2 tablespoons Triple Sec
- 1 cup whipping cream whipped to soft peaks
- Zest from 1 lime
Instructions
- Stir the Pie Crust ingredients together until well moistened. Line the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate or springform baking pan, and press down lightly to stick the crumbs together. Slide into the refrigerator.
- Whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, limeade concentrate, tequila, and Triple Sec in a large bowl. Whip the whipping cream to soft peaks. Fold the whipped cream into the milk mixture. This is easier if you first fold in only ⅓ of the whipped cream, and then fold in the rest. Pour into the chilled Pie Crust, and smooth with a knife. Cover and slide into the freezer overnight.
- When ready to serve, sprinkle lime zest over the top, and sit on the counter for 10 minutes before slicing. Completely clean the knife between each slice to get a clean cut or use dental floss to cut the pie filling and finish with a sharp knife.
laurasmess
I've never heard of a margarita pie but it sounds absolutely delicious! I love the combination of salty and sweet, particularly if there's a kick of citrus. Gorgeous recipe. Can't wait to try it!
Liz
Wow! As a fan of this cocktail, I'm so excited to see your stunning pie recipe!!! YUM!
Janet
I am so making this pie for my company this weekend. I've been chomping at the bit to get into lighter more summer type desserts even though it's still kind of on the cold side where I live. I love a good margarita so why not put it in a pie. I think I might drink a margarita while eating the margarita pie and have the best of both worlds! Thank you for sharing another great recipe.
Heather | All Roads Lead to the Kitchen
I can just taste the creamy, tangy filling against that salty pretzel crust - this sounds AMAZING Susan!
Coleen @ The Redhead Baker
Oh wow. I think I know what I'm making for Cinco de Mayo dessert! I have to try this!
Megan Myers
This sounds fantastic! As someone who loves margaritas (Texas after all...) this pie is going to be a must-make.
C.Max
This pie is delicious, and like the blended drink, it tastes colder than ice cream and smoother than just about anything. MORE, please!
cheri
Hi Susan, how clever to combine salty pretzels with the sweetness of the filling. Looks delicious!
The Food Hunter
What a great idea! And so easy perfect for summer
Barbara | Creative Culinary
You must know this is my kind of pie! I made a margarita cake last year and not sure I shared...same would hold true hear...it sounds divine!
Sabrina Modelle
Would you believe I've never had a Margarita pie? Can't say the same for margaritas! Like you, I've tried all the flavors and lime is probably the best. I know I'd love this margarita pie. What a fun recipe.
Jane, The Heritage Cook
I'm like Sabrina and have never experienced a margarita pie. You are brilliant Susan and I cannot wait to give this a try!! I'll make a gluten-free version with almond meal and gluten-free pretzels for the crust. This is the perfect dessert for Cinco de Mayo!! Brava Susan!
laura@motherwouldknow
Susan, I've never heard of margarita pie before this and now I won't be able to get it out of my mind. What a great way to combine sweet and salty. In my house, if I put one of these in the freezer with one piece cut out, the rest would be gone - by thin slices - in a flash, each of us claiming that we're just evening out the edges:)
Caroline
I am loving that pretzel crust! I'm making this for a get together this weekend!
Heather Brown
I don't even like pie crust so the pretzel crust would bea winner for me!
Miss @ Miss in the Kitchen
This is my kind of pie! Amazingly delicious!
Jenni
Easy, gorgeous, perfect! And where have *I* been that I didn't know a margarita pie is a frozen thing! Yum!
IndieRhythm
This is brilliant! I spend 100 days a year in Mexico and my friends are having their 9th annual pie contest right after I arrive in early December. It's my first time to get to one and while I love to cook, I never make pies. My thoughts were... oh geez... I will be in a kitchen with no baking supplies, far away from any gourmet grocery stores and it will be hot. What can I make with ingredients I will mostly already have, ideally very few, that does not require baking. Googling brought me to this recipe! Couldn't be more perfect since we are considered the King and Queen of margaritas in our hood... So, I made this pie last night as a "test" and LOVE IT... There are a few minor things I'd like to tweak and wondering if anyone has a suggestion? The pie crust stuck so much to the glass dish, I was having to pry it off. Even this morning, after sitting in the refrigerator all night, the top of the pie is soft (not melted but very soft) and the crust is still very difficult to get off the plate. Waxed paper? Flour the dish first? I've never done a frozen no bake pie so no idea how to solve that. Secondly, I don't taste the tequila - how much more can I add so that it will still freeze up well? Lastly, the filling was very sweet but not sure how to make it less sweet without using less of the condensed milk and wondering how that might change the consistency? Thanks Susan or anyone else who has thoughts on this? This will be a keeper for me. LOVE the salty crust.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I'm so glad you enjoyed the pie!! It's a favorite that I make every summer at least a few times. My crust also sticks to the pie dish - it's because of the frozen butter in the crust I'm sure. I've heated a spatula with some success, and generally have been able to lift it out of the pie dish fine. On your other questions, I don't know. My pie wasn't that soft, so not sure if it has to do with the temp of your fridge?? The other questions will definitely affect the freeze-ability, as you suggest, and I imagine the reduction of condensed milk will affect the texture. I think you'll need to experiment a bit. Please feel free to post what you learn! Thanks so much!!
IndieRhythm
Thank you so much. I was thinking of trying a warm cloth over the bottom of the dish as well... so that sounds like it may work. I am LOVING your blog and other recipes. My kind of food. Thank you for all of this!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Yes, I think you just need to melt the butter a bit for it to loosen. Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm so glad you found my blog 🙂
Lisa
Hello, I made this pie last summer and can I just say YUM!! I made it for a party and presentation was everything for me so I made it in a sprung form pan with a parchment paper circle on the bottom. The pie came out perfectly!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I'm so happy it worked so well for you!! It's truly one of my summer favorites - thanks for letting me know!
Raquel
Yum! This looks so good - I have never had a Margarita Pie! This looks so refreshing!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I make it every year now - it's such a favorite of my husband's. Thanks so very much!!
Danae
I know this isn’t the point of this pie... But, is there a way to make this alcohol free?
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I haven't done it, so I'm honestly not sure. I think I would start with looking at recipes for a non-alcoholic margarita, and see how that's made. Another idea is - I know you can buy margarita mix that you add alcohol too. Maybe just work with that margarita mix.