a recipe for passionfruit tajin pie

inspired by kellogg's diner in brooklyn

Tangy, a little spicy, and not too sweet!

The first time I went to Kellogg’s Diner, it was for lunch. We spotted the pie in the dessert case and asked for a slice. The manager said it wouldn’t be served until dinner but offered up the whole pie to go. Without hesitation, I bought it, brought it home and shared it with friends that night. This is not an exaggeration …it was perfect — tart and creamy passionfruit curd, salty graham cracker crust, topped with a fluffy meringue. To this day, it’s still one of my favourite desserts in New York City (and I don’t even like sweets).

Six months later, I was humming and hawing over what to bake for a potluck that wouldn’t require a trip to the grocery store. It hit me that I had all of the ingredients to make a passionfruit pie in my kitchen, although hoarding passionfruit pulp in your fridge is definitely just a me thing.

Kellogg’s passionfruit pie is topped with a torched Italian meringue, which I’d classify as a medium-difficulty technique that I did attempt. I overcooked the sugar, subsequently poured it on my finger, and gave myself a gnarly blister. Below, I’ve opted for a simpler whipped cream topping stabilized with jello.

This recipe is stupid easy, even if you’ve never baked before. 30 minutes of active time. No special tools. One bowl, one tart/pie pan and less than 10 ingredients.

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Ingredients

• Graham cracker crust

  • 8 graham crackers

  • 1 stick of unsalted butter

  • Pinch of salt

• Passionfruit filling

  • 1/2 cup passionfruit pulp (seeds removed)

  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 fl. oz./400mL)

  • 4 egg yolks

• Stabilized whipped cream (optional)

  • 1 cup whipped cream

  • 2 tbsp sugar

  • 1 tbsp vanilla jello powder

• Garnishes (optional)

  • Tajin

  • Berries

  • Passionfruit pulp

  • Lime zest

Instructions

1. Graham cracker crust: Preheat oven to 350F. Combine 1 stick melted butter, 8 crushed graham crackers and a pinch of salt. You can do this in a food processor or by hand. It should have the consistency of wet sand. Form the crust by pressing it firmly into a 9-inch pie pan. Bake for 10 minutes and cool to room temperature.

2. Passionfruit filling: While the crust is baking, stir 1/2 cup passionfruit pulp, 4 egg yolks, and 1 can of sweetened condensed milk until uniform and smooth. Pour over cooled graham cracker crust and return to the oven for 15-20 minutes until set and slightly jiggly. Let it rest at room temperature for 20 minutes, then move it to the fridge for 2 hours.

3. Toppings: By hand or in a stand mixer, whip together 1 cup whipped cream, 2 tbsp sugar, and 1 tbsp vanilla jello powder until stiff peaks form. Pile on top of the chilled passionfruit filling and add leftover passionfruit pulp, berries, lime zest and tajin for colour.

4. Enjoy!

Kellogg’s Diner Passionfruit Ice Box Pie (the inspiration!)