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My Grandmother’s Christmas Pie

December 13, 2018

Christmas pie is my grandmother’s classic recipe, and it is simplicity in a pie dish. That may be what makes it so beautiful and delicious! Sugar, egg whites, gelatin, milk, almond extract, vanilla extract, and coconut in a baked pie shell – that simple! This is an easy and classic Christmas dessert that is a family heirloom!a photograph of a slice of Christmas pie with a whole pie in the background and coconut sprinkled on the background

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Salty or Sweet?

Which do you prefer – sweet or salty? Most of us in my family are pretty balanced between having a sweet tooth and a salty tooth (though I have to admit that it would be a rare occasion that I would choose a cupcake over a bag of nacho Doritos or some stovetop popcorn). My dad, though…he does not care much for sweets (he’s been digging into the desserts a little bit more over the past few months, and I am sure he’d deny that).
A photograph of a Christmas pie with coconut and crushed pineapple sprinkled on the backdrop

Christmas Pie

One dessert that he can’t say no to, though, is my grandmother’s Christmas pie. It’s something that she made every Christmas, and I am sure that’s why. You know, the whole childhood/nostalgia thing. I mean, besides that fact that it’s delicious, of course.

My grandmother was a phenomenal cook. Everything she made was delicious. And visually perfect. I wish I had her eye for detail. Maybe one of these days I’ll have the time to perfectly measure my cookie dough then roll it into perfect little balls so that every cookie is the same size and shape. Not that she wasn’t busy, but perfection in the kitchen was important to her.
an overhead photograph of a slice of Christmas pie with a whole pie in the background and coconut and crushed peppermint sprinkled on the backdroup

Christmas Dessert Recipe

Anyway, back to Christmas pie. Honestly, I do not remember it. Not.One.Bit. I don’t remember her ever making it, though I’m told (as I mentioned before) that she made it every Christmas. As a kid I hated coconut, so that’s probably why I don’t remember this pie.

It’s okay, though. When you have an aunt who loves to cook as much as you do and as much as her mother did, and who has amazingly organized binders of all of her favorite recipes, you can always ask for the recipe. That’s just what I did.
an overhead photograph of a slice of Christmas pie with white chocolate stars on the plate and coconut and crushed peppermint sprinkled on the backdrop

Easy Christmas Recipe

This Christmas pie recipe is just as my grandmother made it. I did add a little decoration, you know, for pictures. Everything else, though…it’s exactly as my aunt wrote it down. No cheating here, and no embellishment.

Really, this Christmas pie is so simple, it just reminds you that food doesn’t have to be difficult or fancy to be perfect and tasty. This delicious Christmas dessert takes a little time, but every step is so easy! Definitely worth it to bring back my dad’s childhood memories.

I hope that you enjoy my grandmother’s white Christmas pie!

Shared on the Weekend Potluck on Served Up With Love!

Click here to save this recipe on your Pinterest  Christmas baking board for later!

a close-up photograph of a slice of Christmas pie with a whole pie in the background

Mary

Yield: 1 9-inch pie (about 8-10 servings)

My Grandmother’s White Christmas Pie

25 minPrep Time:

40 minCook Time:

1 hr, 5 Total Time:

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Ingredients

  • 1 pie crust (use your favorite recipe or a store-bought crust)
  • 2 cups granulated sugar, divided
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 3/4 cup whole milk
  • 3/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 egg whites
  • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut (or mix 1/2 cup sweetened coconut and 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut), plus another 2 tablespoons for decorating the top.

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Form the pie crust in the dish and press a sheet of aluminum foil into the crust. Fill with pie weights. Bake until light brown, about 25 minutes. Set on a cooling rack to cool completely.
  2. Fill the sink with about 3 inches of water and 4 cups of ice (2 ice trays).
  3. In a medium saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups of the sugar, the flour, the gelatin, and the salt. Gradually whisk in the milk. Set over medium high heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Once the mixture boils, boil it for one minute. Remove from heat and place into the ice bath. Stir from time to time and allow to cool until the mixture mounds slightly when dropped from a spoon (this took about ten minutes for me). Stir in the vanilla and almond extracts.
  4. In a stand mixer or using a hand mixer with a large bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on high until soft peaks form. With the beater still going, gradually pour in the remaining half cup of sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. Fold the beaten egg whites into the milk mixture.
  5. Wash and dry the mixing bowl. Beat the heavy cream on high until stiff peaks form. Fold into the milk and egg white mixture until completely combined, then fold in the coconut. Pour into the pie shell and sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of coconut on top. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, until firm.

Notes

NOTE: This recipe contains uncooked egg whites. People with compromised immune systems, young children, and elderly people should avoid consuming raw eggs due to food borne illnesses. However, you can purchase pasteurized eggs at many grocery stores. Pasteurized eggs are processed in a way that makes them safer to consume raw. I purchase eggs that I am comfortable consuming without cooking them.

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Filed Under: By Course, Dessert, Easy Baking, Easy Recipes, Recipes Tagged With: desserts, pies, special occasions By Mary // Chattavore 17 Comments

Eggnog Pie

This jalapeño popper cheese ball is a delicious party snack that's a little bit kitschy, a lot delicious, and sure to be a crowd pleaser! | recipe from Chattavore.com

Jalapeño Cheese Ball + Video

Comments

  1. Becky Winkler (A Calculated Whisk) says

    December 17, 2016 at 4:18 pm

    This sounds so amazing! Crying over here that I can't try it because of my coconut allergy...
    Reply
    • Mary // Chattavore says

      December 18, 2016 at 7:25 pm

      Aw, man! I wonder what you could use in place of the coconut that would be just as tasty?
      Reply
    • Timna says

      November 21, 2024 at 6:18 am

      Growing up we always ate this pie with Strawberries on top
      Reply
  2. Olivia says

    December 25, 2016 at 4:13 pm

    How can this be eaten without baking since it has raw eggs?
    Reply
    • Mary // Chattavore says

      December 25, 2016 at 8:45 pm

      Olivia, I use eggs that I feel okay eating without cooking them. If you are unsure about uncooked eggs, you can buy pasteurized eggs at many grocery stores. Pasteurized eggs are safe to eat without cooking.
      Reply
  3. judy leach says

    January 5, 2017 at 10:51 am

    Is this an Amish recipe? Can't wait to make this it's a surprise for a very special friend who just told me about her grandmother who always made a white Christmas pie when she was little. Has not had any for many years and wished she had the recipe.
    Reply
    • Mary // Chattavore says

      January 5, 2017 at 3:44 pm

      You know, I don't know! I am not sure where my grandmother got the original recipe. At any rate, I hope that your friend loves it!
      Reply
  4. Traci says

    December 8, 2017 at 7:27 pm

    My grandmother also made this pie every Christmas and Thanksgiving for over 50 years. She would always top it with fresh raspberries, which I highly recommend. She got the recipe from her Betty Crocker cookbook published in the 1950’s.
    Reply
    • Mary // Chattavore says

      December 8, 2017 at 7:52 pm

      Oh, that sounds wonderful!
      Reply
  5. Nita Sherrill says

    December 21, 2017 at 2:17 pm

    Is this the same recipe in the large cookbook I bought in 1959? My page is missing.
    Reply
    • Mary // Chattavore says

      December 21, 2017 at 5:34 pm

      I’m betting there is a good chance it is, Nita!
      Reply
  6. Heather says

    December 22, 2017 at 2:16 pm

    Looks & sounds DELICIOUS!! Going to make for Christmas?. Thanks for sharing❄️
    Reply
    • Mary // Chattavore says

      December 23, 2017 at 12:05 am

      Thank you, Heather! I hope you enjoy it!
      Reply
  7. Vicki says

    December 15, 2023 at 2:58 pm

    My mother made this every Christmas and had many requests for it. Light and fluffy. Now the task is passed on to me. Absolute favorite pie and perfect for the holidays!
    Reply
  8. Jean McLeod says

    December 31, 2023 at 1:43 am

    I have the exact same recipe, which I've been making for over 50 years, except that mine calls for only 1 cup of sugar. Over the years I have reduced that to 2/3 cup and it is perfect for our taste. 2 cups of sugar would make it impossibly sweet in my opinion. My original recipe also called for only 1/2 tsp each of vanilla and almond extract but like you i have increased that to 3/4 tsp each. A few times I have put 1 tsp of almond and only 1/2 tsp of vanilla because I love the almond flavor but my husband prefers equal shares. The last 3 years I have scraped a vanilla bean rather than using extract, and he's crazy for that. The only other thing I do differently is I use a light dusting of white sparkling sugar (the large grains) over the coconut. It looks like glistening snow. I serve it on a base of raspberry or strawberry coulis with a dollop of whipped cream on top. My family love this pie. I make it every Christmas, with pasteurized egg whites. I would point out that the yolks are cooked on the stove top, for those concerned about raw egg.
    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Eggnog Pie - Chattavore says:
    February 7, 2019 at 10:07 pm
    […] it occurred to me that it would be easy to incorporate eggnog into a buttermilk pie recipe for a Christmas pie with my favorite flavor of the holiday. I tried it with my last little bit of eggnog and it was […]
    Reply
  2. 34 Easy Christmas Pie Ideas - Mica Restaurant says:
    November 1, 2024 at 6:53 am
    […] GET FULL RECIPE HERE […]
    Reply

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About Chattavore

Hi, I'm Mary! Welcome to Chattavore, a destination for people who want to feed themselves and their families well every day! Life can be crazy, which means that getting dinner on the table can be a challenge (more often than not!) and my mission is to take all your favorite recipes and figure out how to serve them on a Tuesday.

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