This Vintage Pie Is Just Like My Aunt Ada Used To Make

Every summer when I was growing up, our church held a “dinner on the grounds.” Rows of long folding tables filled with Southern dishes lined the parking lot and often spilled over into the cemetery. Each family brought a dish, sometimes two. As the day approached, I looked forward to certain repeat dishes: my mom’s squash casserole, Mrs. Bailey’s fried chicken, and Aunt Ada’s Millionaire Pie.

I learned the hard way that if you waited until the end of the meal to get a slice of pie, you’d be out of luck. So as soon as we pulled in to the church, I headed straight to the dessert tables to make sure I didn’t miss out. Then I’d grab a paper plate and serve myself a sliver of caramel cake, a small spoonful of banana pudding, and a whole slice of the Millionaire Pie, the highlight of dinner on the grounds for me.

What Is Millionaire Pie?

A type of icebox pie, Millionaire Pie consists of whipped cream, crushed pineapple, chopped pecans, and a Graham cracker crust. (Another variation—known as Billionaire Pie—adds shredded coconut and either cherry pie filling or maraschino cherries.) What makes our version so yummy is the addition of cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk, which creates a richness not found in other versions. Allrecipes.com community member Barbara Jones said that she replaced her old Millionaire Pie recipe with this one because the cream cheese gave it more body and a creamier texture! Named for its decadence, Millionaire Pie is perfect for summer cookouts and potlucks because there’s no baking involved. But if there’s a crowd, we highly recommend you grab a slice at the start of the meal.

Millionaire Pie History

First introduced in South Carolina in the late 1930s or early 1940s, Millionaire Pie was popularized in the late 1940s by two Southern cafeteria-style restaurant chains, Luby’s and Furr’s. With the adoption of refrigerators in home kitchens across the U.S., icebox pies like Millionaire Pie became a summer staple.

How to Make Millionaire Pie

Using a premade crust reduces the prep time for this no-bake dessert to just 10 minutes. Simply combine condensed milk and cream cheese in a large bowl, then fold in the whipped topping and stir in crushed pineapple and pecans. Pour the filling into two pie crusts and chill until set. You’ll be thankful this recipe makes two pies because one isn’t enough!

Get the recipe: Millionaire Pie

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