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I made this pie for the first time during a summer power outage when using the oven wasn’t an option. Three ingredients, no baking, and honestly one of the best desserts I’ve served to guests.

This pie is creamy, sweet, and tastes way more impressive than the effort it takes. The filling sets up smooth and sliceable, with that classic vanilla pudding flavor everyone loves. It’s the kind of recipe you memorize because it works every single time.

The simplicity is the whole point here. You’re not fussing with egg custards or tempering anything. Just whisk, pour, chill. Done.

What This Pie Is Good For

This is your emergency dessert. Someone calls and says they’re coming over in two hours? You can have this ready. Potluck tomorrow and you forgot to plan something? This works.

It’s also great for hot weather when turning on the oven feels like punishment. The filling stays cool and creamy, which people appreciate in July and August.

Kids love it because it tastes like pudding in pie form. Adults love it because it reminds them of something their grandmother probably made. It hits that nostalgic sweet spot without being too fancy.

How to Store It

Keep it in the fridge, covered loosely with plastic wrap or foil. The pie stays good for 3 to 4 days, though it rarely lasts that long in my house.

Don’t freeze it. The pudding texture gets weird when thawed and you’ll be disappointed.

If you’re making it ahead for an event, you can prep it up to two days in advance. The crust might soften slightly over time, but most people don’t mind.

Ingredients

• 1 package (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
• 2 cups cold milk (whole milk works best)
• 1 prepared graham cracker crust (9 inch)

That’s it. Three things. You probably have most of this in your kitchen already.

Instructions

1. Pour the pudding mix into a medium bowl. Add the cold milk.
2. Whisk steadily for about 2 minutes until the mixture starts to thicken. You’ll feel it getting heavier as you stir.
3. Pour the pudding into the graham cracker crust immediately. It sets up fast, so don’t wait around.
4. Spread the filling evenly with a spatula or the back of a spoon. Get it into the edges.
5. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Overnight is better if you have the time.
6. Slice and serve cold. A dollop of whipped cream on top is optional but recommended.

Notes

The milk temperature matters more than you’d think. It needs to be cold, straight from the fridge. Room temperature milk won’t set the pudding properly and you’ll end up with a soupy mess.

Whole milk gives you the richest, creamiest result. You can use 2% and it works fine, but skip the skim. The lower fat content affects the texture and flavor.

For the crust, store-bought is perfectly acceptable. I use Keebler or whatever’s on sale. If you want to make your own, that’s great, but it’s not necessary. The point of this recipe is keeping things simple.

Some people add a layer of sliced bananas on the bottom before pouring in the pudding. That turns it into a banana cream pie situation and it’s honestly delicious. Fresh strawberries work too.

You can swap the vanilla pudding for chocolate, butterscotch, or banana flavor. The technique stays exactly the same. Chocolate with an Oreo crust is a good combination if you want something different.

About the whipped cream on top: you can use Cool Whip straight from the tub, or whip your own heavy cream with a bit of sugar. Either works. The homemade version tastes better but the store-bought is faster, which is kind of the whole philosophy of this pie anyway.

I’ve brought this to work potlucks multiple times and people always ask for the recipe. They never believe it’s only three ingredients. There’s something satisfying about making something that looks and tastes impressive while barely doing any work.

One last thing. Let the pie chill the full time. I know it’s tempting to cut into it after two hours when it looks set, but the texture improves with patience. The filling firms up and slices cleaner. Four hours minimum, overnight if you can manage it.

This is one of those recipes that proves cooking doesn’t have to be complicated to be good. Sometimes three ingredients and zero oven time is exactly what you need.