Growing up in Texas, we ate a lot of grapefruit. I don’t know if it was because we were close to the Rio Grande Valley or if it was just more popular back then, but grapefruit was a staple. We’d have it for breakfast, in fruit salads-you name it. But surprisingly, I never heard of Pink Grapefruit Pie until adulthood!
Texas Pink Grapefruit Pie
The pie starts with a graham cracker crust and has a creamy, tangy filling made with cream cheese, strawberry gelatin, and sections of pink grapefruit. It’s light, cool, sweet-tart, and a little nostalgic in the best way.
Grapefruit Pie Origin
After making it, I got curious about where Pink Grapefruit Pie even came from. Turns out, its roots go back further than I expected. The first pink grapefruit was discovered in Florida in the early 1900s-a natural mutation of the white variety. But it really took off when the Ruby Red grapefruit was developed and patented in Texas in the late 1920s. That sweeter, more vibrant fruit helped grapefruit make its way into all kinds of recipes, especially in the South.
The earliest actual recipe for grapefruit pie I could find was published in American Cookery in 1922. That one was more like a lemon meringue pie-grapefruit juice thickened with cornstarch and egg yolks, poured into a baked crust and topped with meringue. But over time, other versions popped up, especially in Texas. Some use gelatin, others are more custard-like, and a few (like mine) lean into the creamy, no-bake style that feels straight out of the 1960s or ’70s.
Grapefruit Cake
And while it’s not quite the same thing, The Brown Derby in Hollywood also helped put grapefruit desserts on the map. Their famous Grapefruit Cake-a chiffon cake with grapefruit cream cheese frosting-was supposedly created for columnist Louella Parsons, who wanted a lighter dessert. It’s not a pie, but it definitely helped glamorize grapefruit in sweets.
I really need to update the photo for this one because it’s the perfect pie for people who love grapefruit. I generally make this when someone sends us a big bag of Ruby Reds, but the pie is good enough to make more often and with any good grapefruit. Canned grapefruit should work too, though I haven’t tried it.
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Recipe
Pink Grapefruit Pie
Anna
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 ⅔ cups graham cracker crumbs 22 squares, crushed
- 3 tablespoons sugar (36 grams)
- 6 tablespoons melted butter (84 grams)
Pie:
- 1 cup water
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ pack strawberry gelatin (so use 1 ½ oz from a 3 oz pack)
- 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened (225 grams)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 large Ruby Red Grapefruits peeled, sectioned, membranes removed
- Whipped topping or fresh whipped cream for garnish
Instructions
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Make crust first. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
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Mix together crumbs, sugar and butter. Press into bottom and up sides of a 9 inch glass pie plate. Bake for 8 minutes. Let cool.
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Prepare filling. Whisk together water, sugar and flour in a saucepan. Heat over medium, stirring often, until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and gelatin. Set aside to cool.
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Combine cream cheese and powdered sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Spread cream cheese mixture over crust. Arrange grapefruit pieces over cream cheese filling. Pour gelatin mixture over grapefruit and chill until set.
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Garnish with whipped topping.