Furr's Cafeteria Millionaire Pie Recipe

If you grew up eating at Furr's Cafeteria, you may remember their famous Millionaire Pie. This vintage dessert features a buttery cream filling topped with whipped cream, crushed pineapple and pecans all in a baked pie crust. Unlike many modern Millionaire Pie recipes, the original Furr's version doesn't call for sweetened condensed milk. Instead, it's made with a rich butter filling that gives the pie its signature flavor and silky texture.

Without Condensed Milk or Bananas

Millionaire Pie has always been a favorite in my family. My grandmother made several versions over the years, including one layered in a 9x13-inch casserole dish with sliced bananas. We usually skipped the bananas because not everyone in our family liked them, but the pineapple, whipped cream and pecans were always there. When I found this original Furr's recipe clipping, I knew it belonged here instead.

What Makes This Recipe Different

Most Millionaire Pie recipes you'll find today are made with sweetened condensed milk, cream cheese or both. The original Furr's recipe is a little different. Instead, the filling starts with butter, powdered sugar and eggs whipped together until light and fluffy. The pie is then topped with sweetened whipped cream folded together with crushed pineapple and chopped pecans. The result is lighter than a condensed milk version but still rich which is probably how Millionaire Pie earned its name. Because the eggs are not cooked, I recommend using pasteurized eggs if you're concerned about food safety.

Did Furr's Really Serve This Pie?

Yes! This recipe comes from a vintage recipe leaflet distributed by Furr's Cafeterias. The clipping calls it Pineapple Millionaire Pie and makes two 9-inch pies. Like many cafeteria recipes, the filling isn't piled very high, so the finished pies are somewhat shallower than the towering bakery-style pies we're used to today.

Tips for Making This Pie

• Be sure to drain the pineapple extremely well. Excess juice will keep the topping from setting properly
• This is a vintage recipe and, like many desserts of its era, it contains an uncooked egg. If you have concerns about consuming raw eggs, use a pasteurized shell egg or a pasteurized liquid whole egg product.
• Toasting the pecans adds a little extra flavor, though the original recipe doesn't specify it

Recipe

Furr's Cafeteria Millionaire Pie

Anna

An easy vintage Millionaire Pie adapted from the classic Furr's Cafeteria recipe. The original recipe was divided between two pie shells. This version uses one egg instead of two and is made in a single, slightly deeper 9-inch pie shell. If you'd rather make two thinner pies like the original, use two small store-bought pie crusts, such as Keebler Ready Crusts.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 minute min

Chilling and Cooling 6 hours hrs

Total Time 11 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 8 slices

Ingredients

 

• 1 9-inch deep dish pie crust or two small Keebler crusts
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened (114 grams)
• 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (240 grams)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg or pasteurized egg equivalent
• ⅛ teaspoon of salt only if using unsalted butter

Whipped Cream Pineapple Topping

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• ⅓ cup confectioners' sugar or more to taste
• 2 cans crushed pineapple, well drained (8 oz cans) or one large can, well drained
• ½ cup toasted chopped pecans

Instructions

 

• Prepare the crust as directed on the package and let cool.
• In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and 2 cups confectioners' sugar until creamy. Beat in the vanilla, egg and salt (if using).
• Spread the mixture over bottom of the shell or divide between two shells if using the smaller pie shells.
• Beat the whipping cream until soft peaks form. Beat in the vanilla and the sugar, adding more to taste. Furr's used up to ½ cup. Fold in the pineapple.
• Sprinkle top with toasted pecans.
• Chill overnight.

Notes

If you plan on using a homemade crust in a standard 9 inch size pie shell, you can keep the butter/sugar mixture the same and increase the whipped cream/pineapple mixture by 1 ½. As written, this works best in a smaller size pie shell such as the ones you find on the baking aisle.

Keyword Furr's Cafeteria, Millionaire Pie

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