Creamy and refreshing Kool-Aid Pie is an easy no-bake pie with bright colors and intense fruity flavor that is perfect for summer potlucks, picnics, and celebrations! You can use a premade graham cracker crust and have it made in under 10 minutes!
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I’ve been exploring famous foods from Nebraska as part of my American Eats series and wanted to pay tribute to one of Nebraska’s greatest food contributions with this Kool-Aid pie since the powdered drink mix was invented there in 1927!
This is the perfect dessert for the summer months when you don’t want to heat up the kitchen. The pie filling comes together in under 10 minutes and you can use a premade graham cracker pie crust or make your own, depending on your level of commitment. It’s an easy dessert with simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry, and the creamy, fruity flavor is perfect for a hot summer day!
Every bite of this no-bake Kool-Aid pie recipe evokes memories of summer vacations and birthday parties. The flavor possibilities are endless using different flavors of Kool aid drink powder to make the creamy filling.
Kool-Aid pie is a dessert that is made with Kool-Aid powder, which is a flavored drink mix. The pie is typically made by mixing Kool-Aid powder with sweetened condensed milk and cool whip, and then pouring the mixture into a pre-made graham cracker crust. The pie is then chilled in the refrigerator until it sets, which usually takes a few hours.
What You’ll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Sweetened condensed milk – There is no need to add any extra sugar to the recipe since the sweetened condensed milk adds plenty of sweetness.
- Kool-Aid – You can use any Kool-Aid flavor you like for this recipe! Tropical punch, pink lemonade, black cherry, and grape are just some of our favorite flavors for this delicious no bake dessert recipe.
- Heavy cream – Most Kool-Aid pie recipes use a container of thawed Cool Whip, but I strongly prefer the taste of homemade whipped cream.
- Graham cracker crust – You can make your own using my homemade graham cracker crust recipe or use a store-bought crust to make things easier and make this a true no-bake recipe.
- Fresh fruit – This is technically optional, but I like to use some thinly sliced oranges, lemons, or limes, halved strawberries or grapes, or other fruit to garnish the top of the pie and give an indication of the flavor.
- Whipped cream – A little homemade sweetened whipped cream is the perfect finish to balance out the punchy pie filling.
How to Make Kool-Aid Pie
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk and the contents of the Kool-Aid packet until well combined. This can easily be done by hand.
- Beat the heavy cream in another bowl with a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until stiff peaks start to form.
- Fold the sweetened condensed milk and Kool-Aid mixture into the whipped cream until the mixture is smooth and evenly mixed.
- Pour the mixture into the graham cracker crust and smooth the top with a spatula.
- Chill the pie in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours, or until it is firm.
- Whip some more homemade whipped cream sweetened with powdered sugar and vanilla extract and transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a decorative tip. Pipe swirls of whipped cream around the top of the pie and garnish with fresh fruit.
- Serve chilled and enjoy!
Recipe FAQ’s
If you want to make your own graham cracker pie crust, all you need are 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs, ⅓ cup granulated sugar, and 6 Tablespoons melted butter. Press the homemade crust into a 9-inch pie plate and bake at 350°F for 10 minutes to set, then let it cool completely before filling. I have an entire post on how to make a graham cracker pie crust if you need more help.
If you would like a slightly more dense, cheesecake like texture, you can add an 8-ounce brick of softened cream cheese to the filling. Blend it first with a hand mixer before adding the sweetened condensed milk and Kool-Aid powder.
Sure! If you want to fold in some chopped strawberries, drained mandarin oranges, or chopped cherries, I think that would add a wonderful texture and fresh pop of flavor to this pie filling.
Yes, if you can’t find Kool-Aid, you could use a packet of Jell-O powder instead.
Tips for Success
- Use unsweetened Kool-Aid. This recipe was written and tested using the unsweetened Kool-Aid packets rather than the kind that comes with sugar in the mix.
- Choose your favorite flavor of Kool-Aid! Whether you like fruit punch, blue raspberry lemonade, pink lemonade, or strawberry Kool-Aid, you really can’t go wrong with this easy pie recipe. An orange Kool-Aid pie tastes a lot like an orange creamsicle pie which is another childhood favorite.
- Switch up the crust. Rather than graham crackers, you could use Nilla Wafers, Golden Oreos, or Biscoff cookies for most flavors of this pie.
How to Store Kool-Aid Pie
Because of the cream in the filling, this pie should be refrigerated until ready to serve and shouldn’t be left out longer than two hours. Be sure to store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
You can freeze Kool-Aid pie for up to 2 months. You can serve the pie straight from frozen (it has an almost ice creamy texture) or let it thaw overnight in the fridge before serving the next day.
More Pie Recipes
- Mississippi Mud Pie
- Easy Grasshopper Ice Cream Pie
- No Bake Oreo Pie
- Payday Pie
- Candy Cane Peppermint Pie
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
No-Bake Kool-Aid Pie Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 packet Kool-Aid (any flavor)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 graham cracker pie crust
- Additional whipped cream for garnish
- Fresh fruit for garnish
Instructions
- Combine sweetened condensed milk and the contents of the Kool-Aid packet in a medium bowl. Whisk or stir until thoroughly combined.1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk, 1 packet Kool-Aid
- In a large separate bowl, beat heavy cream with whisk attachment until stiff peaks form.1 cup heavy cream
- Fold Kool-Aid mixture into the whipped cream with a spatula until everything is evenly combined. Spread into the prepared graham cracker crust, smoothing the top of the pie with a spatula.1 graham cracker pie crust
- Refrigerate the pie for 3 hours or more until set.
- Before serving, decorate the top of the pie with whipped cream and fresh fruit, if desired.Additional whipped cream, Fresh fruit
Notes
- Homemade Graham Cracker Pie Crust: To make a graham cracker pie crust, combine 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs, ⅓ cup granulated sugar, and 6 Tablespoons melted butter. Press into a 9-inch pie plate and bake in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes until set. Cool completely before filling.
- Homemade Whipped Cream: To make additional homemade whipped cream for topping the pie, combine 1 cup cold heavy cream, ¼ cup powdered sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in a large bowl. Beat on medium-high speed with a whisk attachment until stiff peaks form.
- Storage: Because of the cream in the filling, this pie should be refrigerated until ready to serve and shouldn’t be left out longer than two hours. Be sure to store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Freezing: You can freeze Kool-Aid pie for up to 2 months. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge before serving the next day.
When I stumbled across this recipe.. I was kinda afraid of it at first, I have only know of koolaid to be just that koolaid.. well let me tell ya what I did.. I started off slow and made a strawberry pie and followed the directions to a T. Guess what epic fail! It was runny and so sweet that the kids could not eat it ( and that is really unusual) So I told myself nope I’m not doing that again. I was laying in bed that night going over in my head what i had done wrong to my pie.. then it hit me, it was runny because instead of folding in the cool whip, i stirred it, causing it to lose all its air i guess? Then i remembered i had used a whole can of sweetened condensed milk, which is why it was way too sweet. If i cut down on the amount of the condensed milk then it might be kinda tart.. unless i cut back on the koolaid powder too. So i thought if i add cream cheese to it, not only will it help thicken it a little it will help with the sweetness. So i decided i was going to try it again the next day. Let me tell you i was beaming because the next strawberry pie was absolutely delicious and there was not even a crumb left after dinner that night! I even put fresh strawberries on top and it was amazing. So i decided i was going to use the cream cheese along with the other ingredients. Since then i have made 2 pineapple, with crushed pineapple mixed in, Another delicious strawberry, and i just finished making a orange With crushed pineapple mixed in and it is like heaven in a pie crust! I am calling it Hawaiian Delight!! Oh and btw, i decided to go out of my comfort zone again and made Koolickles, which i used the fruit punch for those, and i also did the pineapple.. i made one jar watermelon and another jar green apple!! They were a hit!! I think next I’m gonna try and make ice cream! 😍
Hi! So glad you found a way to enjoy the Kool-Aid pie! Sounds like you have been busy making delicious treats! I love all the different flavors you tried out. Let me know how your ice cream goes!
I made this as instructed using heavy cream. It came out almost liquid. The taste was great but so disappointingly soupy
Hmmm I’m sorry! did you whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks formed? I can’t think of what else could be issue besides the heavy cream not whipped enough? Try it again and let me know how it goes!
I give it 10 stars