Passion Fruit Cream Pie
This passion fruit cream pie is my latest obsession! A luscious sweet and tangy passion fruit filling is embraced by a buttery Brazil nut crust and topped with dollops of whipped cream. A great treat any time of the year, but especially perfect in the summertime!
By now, you’ve probably noticed I adore passion fruit. This pie is at the top of the list of my favorite passion fruit recipes, along my Passion Fruit Mousse and Passion Fruit Curd!
This passion fruit dessert will steal the show!
I. Can’t. Stop. Eating. This. Pie!
Please, send help. And by help I mean company, so I have an excuse to eat another slice! After all, I can’t have my guests eating alone.
But all gluttony aside, I am pretty proud of this passion fruit cream pie! It comes together with very little prep and has been inspiring oohs and aahs every time I serve it.
And since it can be made with frozen passion fruit, you can make it all year round!
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make the Brazil nut crust:
BRAZIL NUTS – Make sure they are fresh. Those forgotten nuts in the back of your pantry won’t do, as they’ll probably taste bitter.
SUGAR – Just a touch (a couple tablespoons) for the crust. The pie filling is sweet enough due to the sweet condensed milk!
BUTTER – Unsalted butter, at room temperature.
SALT – A pinch of salt goes in the crust to balance the flavors.
And to make the passion fruit filling and cream topping:
PASSION FRUIT PULP – Here I used thawed frozen pulp, but you can use fresh if you can find it. You will need 10 to 12 passion fruits to get one cup of pulp! To separate from the seeds, gently heat to liquefy and strain through a fine mesh strainer.
EGG YOLKS – The protein in the egg yolks help the filling firm, while the fat content adds creaminess.
SWEET CONDENSED MILK – My favorite dessert ingredient! Provides sweetness and creaminess to this pie. I also like to save a little bit to add to the whipped cream topping.
HEAVY CREAM – For the cream topping. Make sure it is cold!
VANILLA EXTRACT – To flavor the whipped cream.
How to make Passion Fruit Cream Pie
The inspiration for this pie came from another dessert I love: the classic lemon cream pie.
But, since I was subbing the lemon for passion fruit, I thought it be fitting to make a Brazil nut crust instead of the usual graham cracker crust. Ya know, just to keep it tropical! 😉
That being said, if you have a nut allergy (or simply don’t like Brazil nuts), feel free to use a homemade or store bought graham cracker crust instead.
Your pie will be delicious regardless!
Recommended tools and equipment: Food processor, 9-inch pie dish, hand mixer.
Here’s how I make passion fruit cream pie. As always, you will find the printable (and more complete) version of the recipe at the end of this post!
Step 1: Make the crust.
- Process the Brazil nuts until finely ground. (Photo 1)
- Add the remaining crust ingredients and pulse until everything comes together. (Photo 2)
- Wrap the dough in plastic and place it in the fridge for 1 hour. (Photo 3)
- Press the chilled dough into a pie dish and prick all over with a fork. (Photo 4) Place it in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- Bake at 375 degrees F for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. (Photo 5)
Step 2: Make the cream filling.
- Beat egg yolks until pale and fluffy. (Photo 6)
- Add most of the sweet condensed milk (reserve 3 tablespoons for later) and passion fruit pulp, and beat until combined. (Photo 7)
Step 3: Bake the pie.
- Pour filling into the cooled crust. (Photo 8)
- Bake at 375 degrees F until the edges are set but the center is still jiggly. (Photo 9)
- Let it cool completely and then refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
Step 4: Make the whipped topping.
- Beat the cold whipped cream with the vanilla extract and reserved sweet condensed milk, until stiff peaks form.
Step 5: Top the pie with the cream.
- Spread or pipe the whipped cream over the cold pie. (Photo 10)
- If desired, garnish with fresh passion fruit pulp. (Photo 11)
- Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Olivia’s Tips
- Once the pie has been topped with the whipped cream, it can be refrigerated for up to 1 hour. More than that, and the cream will start weeping out liquid and will eventually deflate.
Can I top this pie with meringue instead?
Yes, but then it’ll be called a Passion Fruit Meringue Pie! :)
Can I make passion fruit cream pie ahead?
Once this pie it’s completely assembled, you should serve it within 1 hour.
That being said, you can make the dough 2-3 days in advance and keep it in the fridge. You can also blind bake it the day before. The filling can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept chilled.
And if you don’t mind the bottom of the pie getting slightly soft, you can fill and bake the pie the day before.
Whatever you do, do not top the pie with the whipped cream until you are ready to serve. As I mentioned earlier, it will weep and lose all the air bubbles that were whipped into it.
Passion Fruit Cream Pie FAQs
Store this pie, wrapped with plastic or foil, in the fridge.
If stored properly, passion fruit cream pie will keep for up to 4 days in the fridge.
For best quality, cream pies should be baked fresh. Once the cream filling comes in contact with the crust, the pie will get soft and soggy.
If you absolutely must freeze and don’t mind the significant texture change, skip the whipped topping and make it later, once ready to serve!
Did you make this recipe? I love hearing from you! Please comment and leave a 5-star rating below. You can also take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #oliviascuisine.
Passion Fruit Cream Pie
Ingredients
Brazil Nut Crust:
- 2 1/2 cups Brazil nuts
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Passion Fruit Filling:
- 5 large egg yolks
- 2 14-ounces cans sweet condensed milk, divided
- 1 cup passion fruit pulp, without seeds
Whipped Cream Topping:
- 1 cup heavy cream, cold
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Equipment
Instructions
Making the crust:
- Place the nuts in the jar of a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Do not overdo it so you don’t end up with nut butter.
- Add the remaining ingredients and pulse until everything comes together, forming a dough.
- Transfer the dough to the counter and pat it into a disc. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour (or up to 24h).
- Press the chilled dough into a 9-inch pie dish. Using a fork, poke several holes all over the dough. Cover with plastic and place it in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake the crust for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool to room temperature before filling.
Making the filling and topping:
- Using a hand mixer, beat the egg yolks in a bowl, until pale and fluffy.
- Reserve 3 tablespoons of sweet condensed milk (to use later, in the whipped topping). Add the remaining sweet condensed milk and the passion fruit pulp to the bowl with the yolks. Beat until well mixed.
- Pour the filling into the cooled crust.
- Bake until the edges are set but the center still jiggles slightly when you gently shake the pie dish, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool completely on a wire rack. Once cooled, cover and refrigerate until set and cold, at least 3 hours (or up to 24 hours).
- When ready to serve, make the whipped cream. Combine the heavy cream, reserved sweet condensed milk and vanilla extract in a bowl. Using a hand mixer, whip until stiff peaks form.
- Spread or pipe the whipped cream over the pie. You can then garnish with fresh passion fruit pulp and seeds, if desired.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 hour.
