Margarita Pie in Jars

When weather warms up, cool down with Margarita Pie in Jars! Sweet, tart, and perfect for picnics.

Memorial Day is just around the corner, and for us that means celebrating with lots of food! It’s almost an unspoken agreement that we’ll be having a cookout, so I’ve been making my shopping list and checking it twice (hot dog buns – check!). I’ve also been thinking about refreshing desserts that would be a nice pick-me-up after a heavy meal of hamburgers, potato salad and baked beans.

These Margarita Pie Jars are just the thing! They are cold and refreshing, and their zingy lime flavor will put some pep in you step.

First you’ll need to find some small jars, approximately 1/2 cup capacity.  I used French yogurt jars, but you could also use small jelly jars.  I coated the rims with a mixture of pearl sugar and margarita salt. This gives the dessert just enough saltiness to remind you that it’s not an ordinary lime pie, it’s margarita pie!

Fresh lime juice is best for this recipe, but in a pinch, I’ve used bottled key lime juice. It’s a wonderful addition to this recipe, and if you don’t have time to juice a bunch of limes, then it’s a great shortcut!

Cocktail? Or make it a mocktail!

The pie filling has two tablespoons of orange liqueur and one tablespoon of tequila in it, which doesn’t offer much of a boozy punch, but it absolutely adds that signature margarita flavor. If you’d like to omit alcohol from this recipe, replace the orange liqueur with orange juice, and omit the tequila.

These are fun to serve, and so tasty! If you love key lime pie, then I’m certain you’ll love this cocktail-inspired version.

If you’re a ‘pies in jars’ fan like I am, check out these Lemon Icebox Pies in Jars, too. They’re soooo good!

Margarita Pie in Jars

Heather Baird

These pies are cool and creamy; a perfect ending to dinner on the patio. The liqueur can be omitted if you'd rather not indulge, or have other dietary and lifestyle considerations.

Be sure to use the right kind of canned milk for the pie filling. Here we’re using evaporated milk, which is thin and pours like whole milk. Condensed milk is thick and syrupy; it is not suitable for this recipe.

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

2 hours chill time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 8

Equipment

• Eight jars, 4 1/2 oz. each

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

Salty-sweet rim

• 2 tablespoons margarita salt
• 3 tablespoons pearl sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon light corn syrup or agave syrup

Crust

• 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs, plus more for garnish
• 1 tablespoon salted butter melted

Filling

• 2 tablespoons cold water
• 1 envelope .25 oz. powdered gelatin
• 12 oz. can evaporated milk
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup lime juice
• 2 tablespoons orange liqueur
• 1 tablespoon tequila
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream whipped to firm peaks
• Lime wheels for garnish (optional)

Instructions

 

• Rim the jars: Combine the margarita salt and pearl sugar in a small shallow dish. Dip an index finger into the corn syrup. Lightly coat the rims of each jar with the corn syrup using your finger. Dip rims into the sugar mixture. Set aside to dry, about 5 minutes.
• Make the crust: Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter in a large bowl. Mix until the crumbs are coated with the butter. Divide between eight 4 1/2 ounce dessert cups. Lightly shake the jars to level the crumbs. Tamp crumbs down using a spoon or the bottom of a shot glass.
• Prepare the filling: Pour the cold water in a small cup and quickly mix in the powdered gelatin. Let stand until set, about 2 minutes.
• Heat the evaporated milk, sugar and set gelatin in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar is melted and the mixture is hot but not boiling. Remove from the heat source. Add the lime juice. Pour the mixture into a medium bowl and refrigerate until cool, about 30 minutes. Add the orange liqueur and tequila. Mix well.
• Whisk in 1 half of the whipped cream, mixture should be thick but pourable.
• Divide filling among the jars filled with graham crumb mixture. Refrigerate for 2 hours, or until set. Transfer remaining whipped topping to a piping bag fitted with a closed star tip (Wilton 2D) and pipe whipped cream on top of set pie filling. You may also skip the piping and dollop whipped cream on with a spoon.
• Sprinkle graham crumbs over the whipped cream. Garnish with lime wheels, if using. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes

The salt mixture will make more than you need to rim the jars, but the amount is necessary. You need enough to dip and adequately coat the rims of the jars. The leftover mixture can be stored in a zip-top bag for the next batch you make. 

For a non-alcoholic version, omit the tequila and replace the orange liqueur with fresh orange juice. 

Keyword margarita, margarita salt, pearl sugar, powdered gelatin

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