Chocolate Cream Pie, Banana Cream Pie and Key Lime Pie

These are the three pies I make for “pi day”.  You know, March 14, because pi=3.14.  Pi day 2016 was a really big day in our house of nerds. Anyway, I take one pie to work, one (or more) pies go to school, and we eat whatever is left.  But these pies are so quick and easy, not to mention very popular, that you can eat them way more often than once per year.

Chocolate Cream Pie

Ok, so this is the recipe off the back of the Keebler graham cracker pie crust label.  But maybe someday you’ll want to make this and you won’t be able to find the recipe because you bought the generic graham cracker crust.  But maybe that crust has the recipe too, I don’t know.  The recipe says this should take 5 minutes, but it takes me 10.  I guess I’m slow.

1 9 inch graham cracker pie crust
2 instant chocolate pudding mixes, the smaller boxes
8 oz. tub of frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 ¼ cup milk

Mix milk and pudding in a large bowl.  Mixture will be very thick.  Add ½ tub of Cool Whip and stir until well combined.  Spread mixture evenly into the bottom of the pie shell.  Top with the remaining ½ tub of Cool Whip.  Pie can be served immediately, or refrigerated for several days. Like it’s going to last several days, yeah right.

Banana Cream Pie

So this is the pie recipe on the back of the pudding box, but I’m including it to remind you to make a banana pie.  It has fruit, it only takes about 8 minutes to make, and it’s delicious.  It could also be made with vanilla pudding and a vanilla wafer crust, but I’ve always used banana flavored pudding. It’s great and easy and I think I’ll go make one now.

1 package instant banana or vanilla pudding mix (6.1 oz.)
2 1/2 cups cold milk
1 premade graham cracker pie crust, 9 inch
2 bananas
1 8 oz. container frozen whipped topping (optional)

Slice the bananas and distribute them across the bottom of the pie crust. Whisk the pudding mix and cold milk together. Pour the pudding over the bananas in the pie crust. Put the pie into the refrigerator and let chill for at least 1 hour. To serve, top with whipped topping.

Key Lime Pie

This version of key lime pie is very light due to the whipped topping being stirred right in.  I brought it into work without labeling it, and listened to people try to figure out what it was before they tasted it.  You could add green food coloring if you want to reduce the guessing, or top the pie with thin slices of key lime.  From now on I’m keeping the pie to ourselves.

1 9 inch graham cracker crust
1 8 oz container of frozen whipped topping, thawed (Cool Whip)
8 oz. sweetened condensed milk (1/2 a can, or dump in the whole can if you want)
½ cup lime juice

Stir together the condensed milk and lime juice.  Gently fold in the whipped topping.  Spread the filling into the graham cracker crust and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.  Slice and serve.