Margarita Pie Recipe

Cinco de Mayo is around the corner and this year I wanted to celebrate with a margarita dessert recipe. A twist on my easy key lime pie (my first blog post from years ago) that gets an adult-friendly overhaul from baking with tequila. Could this be better than a margarita itself?

Key lime pie may perhaps be my favourite type of pie. How could you not love it? It’s so refreshing and incredibly easy to make. I make my key lime pie recipe with condensed milk, lime juice, egg yolks and not much else, plus it comes together in less than 10 minutes. 

I love lime everything. It’s most certainly my favourite flavour. From drinks to desserts, lime is always a winner in my eyes. Do you love lime, too?

For this recipe, you’ll need to separate your eggs. It’s easiest to separate them using eggshells when cold, fresh from the fridge because the yolks are firmer and less likely to burst. I separate the two parts into two mason jars, one for yolks and one for whites. That way the whites can be stored for another delicious recipe.

These egg whites can be used to make macarons, quiche or even in my favourite margarita recipe. It might sound strange to use egg whites in a drink, but the result is a thick foam that adds beautiful texture to this powerful cocktail. Check out my classic margarita recipe. Both are fantastic.

Make this margarita dessert recipe for Cinco de Mayo, in the summer with a barbequed feast on the patio or in the winter for a tropical treat to remind you of warmer days. It’s perfect any day of the year.

Margarita Pie Recipe

Course: DessertDifficulty: Medium

Servings

12

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Baking time

40

minutes

Ingredients

• Crust

• 1 cup of graham cracker crumbs

• ¼ cup of butter, melted

• 2 tbsp of brown sugar

• 2 tsp of salt

• Filling

• 5 large egg yolks

• 1 can of sweetened condensed milk

• ⅓ cup of lime juice (fresh or bottled)

• 1 oz or 2 tbsp of tequila

• ½ oz or 1 tbsp of orange liqueur (like Cointreau)

• 2 tbsp of sugar

• 1 tsp of salt

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350ºF.
• In a small bowl, combine graham crumbs, melted butter, 2 tsp of sale and brown sugar until thoroughly mixed. Press evenly into a pie dish. Bake for 10 minutes until the crust is golden. Let the crust cool for 15 minutes before adding the filling mixture.
• Meanwhile to make the filling, beat yolks until thick and light in colour (about 5 minutes). This can be done with a whisk by hand or a mixer (I usually opt for the hand whisking).
• To the yolks, add the condensed milk and other liquids, sugar and remaining salt. Whisk well. (If desired, you can add green food colouring here to make the pie “green” but naturally, it will be more yellow).
• Pour the filling mixture carefully and evenly in the baked pie crust. Return the pie to the oven for about 20 minutes until the pie has set in the centre. The filling should resemble firm Jello when done.
• Remove and let cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Then, let the pie rest in your fridge for a few hours or overnight to serve a cool, refreshing slice of margarita pie.

Notes

• This margarita pie recipe with graham crackers can also be made with pretzel crumbs for their saltiness to pair well with the tequila. Simply swap ½ cup of graham cracker crumbs with 1/2c of pretzel crumbs (pulse in a food processor) for a margarita pie with pretzel crust.
• Need a kid-friendly or mocktail version of this pie? Use ½ cup of lime juice instead of the lime, tequila and Cointreau combo above and add a bit of orange zest.