Million Dollar Pie Is the Nostalgic Dessert You Should Make This Fall

This old-fashioned dessert recipe is filled with creamy whipped cream, canned fruit, and pecans. It's the perfect icebox pie for holidays, family dinners, or whenever you need something sweet. Our recipe testers raved about the rich flavor and decadent texture of this no-bake pie. Read on for our complete guide to making homemade million dollar pie.

What Is Million Dollar Pie?

This Million Dollar Pie recipe is thought to have originated in the South in the last 1930s as icebox pies grew in popularity. It's sometimes called millionaire's pie, billion dollar pie, or million dollar pie. The recipe starts with a graham cracker crust that's filled with whipped cream, pineapple, mandarin oranges, coconut, and pecans. It's topped with a cherry or two. Today it's popular in Texas, New Mexico, and other Southern states.

Why Is it Called Million Dollar Pie?

Like other "million dollar" recipes, this pie recipe earned the name because of its rich, decadent flavor. There's something special about each millionaire recipe that makes it truly indulgent. Here, it's the combination of sweetened condensed milk and whipped topping.

Million Dollar Pie Ingredients

You'll need just a few pantry staples to make this recipe for a million dollar pie.

Graham Crackers: Crushed graham crackers make up the pie crust along with butter and sugar. You can make a homemade graham cracker crust or purchase one premade from the grocery store.
Shredded Coconut: Look for sweetened shredded coconut for this recipe. Do not use dried or toasted coconut chips or the texture will change.
Sweetened Condensed Milk: You'll need one can of sweetened condensed milk for this millionaire pie recipe.
Canned Pineapple: For the best texture and flavor, our Test Kitchen recommends using crushed pineapple for this recipe. It's important to drain it really well to keep the pie filling from becoming too watery.
Mandarin Oranges: You'll need a small can of mandarin oranges for this no-bake dessert. Again, drain them really well to ensure the filling is the right consistency.
Pecans: For the most flavor, toast the chopped pecans before adding them to the filling.
Whipped Topping: Make sure the frozen whipped topping is completely thawed before adding it to the other ingredients. This ensures it's evenly distributed through the filling.
Maraschino Cherries: A few maraschino cherries are the perfect garnish. When serving, you could add one to each slice for a pretty presentation.

How to Store Million Dollar Pie

Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If you store it much longer, the graham cracker crust will start to become soggy. You can freeze million dollar pie but the texture will change when thawed. Our Test Kitchen recommends eating it within three days of making it rather than freezing.