Margarita fans will love this light and creamy, incredibly cool and refreshing Margarita Pie Recipe. With freshly squeezed lime juice and zest, along with tequila and orange liqueur, this unique dessert is a party in a pie shell!
Also included in this post is a kid-friendly, nonalcoholic version.
This tasty Margarita Pie recipe is a fusion of key lime, lime meringue and margaritas.
This pie is special because of where you'll find the meringue. Instead of spread on top, it gets folded into the base, along with the lime and libations (among other delicious ingredients), to create a wonderfully sweet, light and fluffy, citrus and tequila infused delight.
Seriously, what's not to like about that? And be sure to garnish it with Easy Homemade Whipped Cream.
Indulge, my friend, because it's 5 o'clock somewhere.
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👪Why you'll love it
| Crowd pleaser- Show up to a Cinco de Mayo party or a summer luau with this cool and refreshing delight and you're bound to get raves! Unique recipe- There are many Margarita Pie Recipes out there, including frozen versions, which are delicious. But I've yet to stumble upon another one that uses meringue in the base as this recipe does. Open to customization- Choose your favorite crust, and whether this will be an adult or family friendly pie. Then make it and enjoy the deliciousness! |
🥘Ingredients
Please note: pie crust and alcohol aren't pictured.
For a complete list with measurements, see the printable recipe card below.
- baked, cooled pie crust- feel free to make your own-- 9 inch deep dish is best
- unflavored gelatin- used for solidifying purposes; do not use lime flavored gelatin
- sugar- half is mixed into the lime mixture, with the rest being mixed into the meringue
- salt
- eggs- the eggs get separated; we use the yolks in the lime mixture and the whites for the meringue
- freshly squeezed lime juice & zest- for optimum flavor, do not buy bottled
- tequila & orange liqueur/triple sec- increase the lime juice and add water if omitting from this recipe (see notes below for nonalcoholic version)
🔪Instructions
For a more complete set of instructions, see the printable recipe card below.
- Bake pie crust and allow to cool.
- Mix the gelatin, ½ cup of the sugar, and salt in a small saucepan.
- Beat the egg yolks and lime juice together and add to the gelatin mixture.
- Cook and stir over low heat until gelatin is dissolved and mixture thickens; about 5-7 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in lime zest, tequila and liqueur (or extra lime juice and water).
- Chill in fridge until mixture mounds slightly when dropped from a spoon (check in 30 minute intervals...see notes below).
- Beat egg whites until peaks form; add remaining sugar and beat until stiff.
- Fold the meringue into the gelatin mixture; fold thoroughly.
- Turn into pie shell and chill until firm.
- Garnish with lime twists and whipped cream before serving.
Hint: One sleeve of unflavored gelatin is all you need for this recipe. That's only .25 ounce. Flavored gelatins typically come in 3 oz. boxes, plus have a ton of added sugar, and of course, food dye. Stick with unflavored gelatin for best results.
🥣Substitutions
Nonalcoholic version: Omit the tequila and liqueur. Follow the steps above, but when it's time to add the alcohol, add an additional ¼ cup of lime juice plus water to make ⅓ cup of total liquid. Then add an additional 2 tablespoons of water to equal the total amount of liquor that will be replaced. It's important to replace the liquor with the same amount of liquid so that the gelatin ratio isn't affected. (We don't use all lime juice as a replacement because the pie gets, well, a little too limey!)
📖Variations
Choose a crust for this pie that suits your taste. You'll need a 9 inch deep dish in whichever option you choose. For simplicity, I often go with a refrigerated crust, as pictured. But for the margarita enthusiast who craves sweet, your best bet is a graham cracker crust. If salt on the rim is more of your thing, you may wish to try a pretzel crust instead.
🍽Equipment
- 9 inch deep dish pie plate
- citrus juicer & zester
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- small saucepan
- stirring spoon
- small mixing bowl
- hand mixer
- medium mixing bowl
- mixing spoon
- rubber scraping spatula
🍶Storage
This tangy meringue based pie is at its best when served the same day it is made.
If you have leftovers, loosely cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Because of its aerated texture, freezing isn't recommended.
💭Top Tip
Working with gelatin is all about the timing. It's important not to overcook the gelatin mixture on the stove (remove from heat just after it starts to thicken). When the mixture is chilling, it's important to check on it every 30 minutes. Once it's slightly set (usually between 30-60 minutes), take it out of the fridge, make the meringue, and fold the two together. If you let the gelatin mixture sit for too long in the fridge, it will solidify too much and you will have chunks of it in your pie!
🥄Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
🍴Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to enjoy with Margarita Pie:
📋Recipe
Margarita Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 baked, deep dish 9-inch pie shell cooled
- 1 envelope (.25 oz.) unflavored gelatin
- 1 cup granulated sugar divided
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 eggs separated
- ½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice you will need additional lime juice if choosing to make the nonalcoholic version
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- ⅓ cup tequila omit and replace with ¼ cup lime juice plus water to equal ⅓ cup for nonalcoholic version
- 2 tablespoons orange liqueur or triple sec omit and replace with water for nonalcoholic version
Instructions
- Bake pie crust and allow to cool.
- Mix the gelatin, ½ cup of the sugar, and salt in a small saucepan.
- Beat the egg yolks and lime juice together and add to the gelatin mixture.
- Cook and stir over low heat until gelatin is dissolved and mixture thickens; about 5-7 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in lime zest, tequila and liqueur (or extra lime juice and water--see notes).
- Chill in fridge until mixture mounds slightly when dropped from a spoon (check in 30 minute intervals...see notes below).
- Using a hand mixer on its highest setting, beat egg whites until peaks form; add remaining sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
- Fold the meringue into the gelatin mixture; fold thoroughly.
- Turn into pie shell and chill until firm.
- Garnish with lime twists and whipped cream before serving.
- This tangy meringue based pie is at its best when served the same day it is made. If you have leftovers, loosely cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Working with gelatin is all about the timing. It's important not to overcook the gelatin mixture on the stove (remove from heat just after it starts to thicken). When the mixture is chilling, it's important to check on it every 30 minutes. Once it's slightly set (usually between 30-60 minutes), take it out of the fridge, make the meringue, and fold the two together. If you let the gelatin mixture sit for too long in the fridge, it will solidify too much and you will have chunks of it in your pie!
- One sleeve of unflavored gelatin is all you need for this recipe. That's only .25 ounce. Flavored gelatins typically come in 3 oz. boxes, plus have a ton of added sugar, and of course, food dye. Stick with unflavored gelatin for best results.
- Nonalcoholic version: Omit the tequila and liqueur. Follow the steps above, but when it's time to add the alcohol, add an additional ¼ cup of lime juice plus water to make ⅓ cup of total liquid. Then add an additional 2 tablespoons of water to equal the total amount of liquor that will be replaced. It's important to replace the liquor with the same amount of liquid so that the gelatin ratio isn't affected. (We don't use all lime juice as a replacement because the pie gets, well, a little too limey!)
Steph D. says
Wow! What a pie! Made this for my Cinco de Mayo party, and let me just say, it was all the rage! I'm trying it with a pretzel crust next time!
Kitchen Ready Betty says
Oh yeah! Sounds like it was definitely a hit! Come back and let me know how you liked it with the pretzel crust!