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Today I’m an expert on pink lemonade pies. That’s because I made seven of them this morning to get a head start on tomorrow’s Pink Lemonade Day at The Prepared Pantry. We’ll hand out samples to folks coming into the store.
Now I’m writing this the lazy way, lounging in the shade at home under the aspens and maples in the corner of the yard. It’s a hot day, at least by Idaho standards, but there’s a persistent breeze that rattles the aspen leaves and makes the shadows dance and makes it a very pleasant day in the shade. Days like this are made for pink lemonade pie.
 We’ve been making pink lemonade pies and their cousins for years now. We’ve tweaked the recipe along the way but basically, it’s the same. We now make it in a springform pan instead of a pie pan but you can use either. With a graham cracker crust, it’s easier to cut nice, neat slices using a springform pan.
These pies are absolutely scrumptious. They are frozen, almost ice cream pies, and don’t require baking (unless you choose to bake the crust for eight to ten minutes) so they are perfect for summer.
Pink Lemonade Pie Recipe
This pie can be made in a deep dish pie pan or a springform pan. We nearly always use a springform pan, either a ten-inch or a nine-inch. (The one in the picture was made with a ten-inch pan.) With a nine-inch springform pan instead of a ten-inch or a deep dish pie pan, you will have a tall, mounded dessert.
This pie is made in three parts: a graham cracker crust, a lemonade and cream cheese filling, and a whipped cream topping. If you prefer, you can use a commercial whipped topping or whipped cream from an aerosol can for the topping.
For the Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons butter
Mix the crumbs, sugar, and butter in a nine inch pie pan or springform pan. Mix until the crumbs have absorbed the butter and the mixture is uniform.
Press the crumbs across the bottom of the pan and up the sides.
Bake for eight to ten minutes at 350 degrees. (If it’s a hot July day, you can choose not to bake the crust. A baked crust holds together better because the heat melts the sugar to help hold the crumbs together.)
For the Filling:
1 8-ounce packet of cream cheese, softened
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup pink lemonade concentrate (not mixed with water)
2 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
red food coloring as desired
Using the whip attachment and your stand-type mixer or with a handheld electric mixer, mix the cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk together on medium high speed until the mixture is smooth. (If you place the sweetened condensed milk in the bowl first, the cream cheese will not stick to the bowl and you will have little need to scrape the sides.)
Add the lemonade concentrate and lemon juice and continue beating. Color with red food coloring as desired.
Pour the mixture into the pie shell and place it in the freezer while you mix the topping.
For the Topping:
1/3 cup shredded coconut
red food coloring
1 cup whipping cream
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Place the coconut in a small bowl with a drop of food coloring and a couple drops of water and stir until the coconut turns pink.
Whip the cream until stiff, adding the sugar and vanilla in the process. Spoon the cream over the pie filling and garnish with the pink coconut. Freeze the pie until firm.
How to Make the Cousins
You make the cousins just as you do the original but substituting another juice. Taste your filling before adding the two tablespoons lemon juice but you will probably want to use them to balance the fruit flavor against the cream cheese. We just made pink raspberry lemonade pie but to balance the raspberry and the lemon, we added a 1/2 teaspoon lemon flavor. For strawberry guava pie, use the two tablespoons of lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon strawberry flavor. Here is the recipe for the limeade pie (leprechaun pie).
Limeade Pie
 The mixture of lime and cream cheese is delightful, almost like a key lime pie.
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons butter
Mix the crumbs, sugar, and butter in a nine inch pie pan or springform pan. Mix until the crumbs have absorbed the butter and the mixture is uniform.
Press the crumbs across the bottom of the pan and up the sides.
Bake for eight to ten minutes at 350 degrees. (If it’s a hot July day, you can choose not to bake the crust. A baked crust holds together better because the heat melts the sugar to help hold the crumbs together.)
For the Filling:
1 8-ounce package of cream cheese, softened
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup limeade concentrate (not mixed with water)
2 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
green food coloring as desired
Using the whip attachment and your stand-type mixer or with a handheld electric mixer, mix the cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk together on medium high speed until the mixture is smooth. (If you place the sweetened condensed milk in the bowl first, the cream cheese will not stick to the bowl and you will have little need to scrape the sides.)
Add the limeade concentrate and lemon juice and continue beating. Color with food coloring as desired.
Pour the mixture into the pie shell and place it in the freezer while you mix the topping.
For the Topping:
1/3 cup shredded coconut
green food coloring
1 cup whipping cream
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Place the coconut in a small bowl with a drop of food coloring and a couple drops of water and stir until the coconut turns pink.
Whip the cream until stiff, adding the sugar and vanilla in the process. Spoon the cream over the pie filling and garnish with the pink coconut.
Freeze the pie until firm.
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