Description
This Easter Swirl Pie is a delightful and visually stunning dessert perfect for spring celebrations. Featuring a crunchy graham cracker crust and a colorful, creamy filling swirled with pastel gel food coloring, it offers a smooth, sweet, and fluffy texture that will impress your guests. The no-bake filling, combined with a lightly baked crust, makes it an easy yet festive treat for Easter or any special occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Crust
- 2 ½ cups (250 g) graham cracker crumbs (or vanilla cookie crumbs)
- ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tbsp sugar
Filling
- 8 oz (225 g) cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup (100 g) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120 ml) sweetened condensed milk
- Gel food coloring (pastel pink, blue, yellow, purple, or preferred colors)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) to prepare for baking the crust.
- Prepare the crust mixture: In a medium bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar until the crumbs are evenly coated with butter and combined well.
- Form the crust: Press the crumb mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan to create the base of the pie.
- Bake the crust: Place the pie pan in the oven and bake the crust for 8-10 minutes until it is set and lightly golden, then remove and allow it to cool completely.
- Beat the cream cheese: Using a mixer or whisk, beat the softened cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth and creamy, ensuring no lumps remain.
- Whip the cream: In a separate bowl, whip the heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form to provide a light and fluffy texture.
- Add sweeteners and vanilla: Gradually incorporate powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and sweetened condensed milk into the cream cheese, mixing thoroughly until combined and smooth.
- Fold in whipped cream: Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until it becomes smooth and fluffy, maintaining the airy texture.
- Color the filling: Divide the filling evenly into separate bowls according to the number of colors you want to use. Add a few drops of gel food coloring to each and mix gently to achieve pastel hues without overmixing.
- Create the swirl effect: Spoon alternating dollops of each colored filling into the cooled crust. Use a butter knife or skewer to swirl the colors together, creating a beautiful marbled pattern throughout the pie.
- Chill the pie: Refrigerate the pie for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, to allow the filling to set firmly and develop its full flavor and texture.
- Serve: Slice the pie and serve chilled for a refreshing and festive dessert.
Notes
- Make sure the cream cheese is fully softened before beating to avoid lumps in the filling.
- For best results, use gel food coloring as it provides vibrant colors without thinning the filling.
- The pie must be chilled for a minimum of 4 hours to properly set, but overnight chilling yields the best texture.
- You can substitute the graham cracker crust with a vanilla cookie crust if desired for a slightly different flavor.
- To make cleanup easier, use a silicone spatula when folding the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.
