Creamy Frozen Margarita Pie Slice with a Pretzel Crust

Frozen margarita pie with pretzel crust and meringue topping on a wooden board.

Creamy Frozen Margarita Pie Slice with a Pretzel Crust

Course: Baked Desserts, Dessert, Desserts, Frozen Desserts, Tarts

Cuisine: American, Mexican, North American

Prep Time: 1 5

Cook Time: 25

Chilling time: 10

Total Time: 11 30

Servings: servings

Calories: 1280kcal

Author: Dini Kodippili

This creamy no bake Frozen Margarita Pie Slice with a Pretzel crust is a cocktail, a dessert, and a summer fiesta all in one delicious frozen margarita pie slice! A boozy and refreshing dessert with sweet, tart, and salty flavors.

INTERMEDIATE - This recipe has multiple components. So more prep time is required for each component.

Please note that there is an overnight freezing step in this recipe.

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Ingredients

Frozen Margarita Filling

240 mL lime juice 1 cup, about 10 limes (depending on their size)
2 tbsp lime zest
6 egg yolks
1 ½ tbsp cornstarch also known as cornflour
200 g white granulated sugar 1 cup
86 g unsalted butter 6 tbsp, softened to room temperature
Pinch sea salt I like to use about ¼ tsp for a sweet and salty flavor
1 tsp vanilla
80 mL tequila ⅓ cup. Use ½ cup / 120 mL for a boozier dessert, extra alcohol will also make the dessert freeze softer.
180 mL half and half ¾ cup

Pretzel Crust

198 g pretzels 7 oz
¾ tsp sea salt
57 g g melted unsalted butter use upto 86 g if needed ( 4 - 6 tbsp)

Meringue Topping

2 egg whites make sure there are no yolks in the egg whites
85 oz granulated white sugar 3 oz, caster sugar dissolves faster, but granulated sugar is ok too
Pinch of salt
1 tsp zest of lime

Instructions

Margarita Filling

Place the lime juice, zest, egg yolks, cornstarch, sugar, butter, vanilla and salt in a saucepan. Whisk to combine. Heat over medium heat while whisking continuously until the butter melts. Whisk continuously to prevent the mix from curdling/scrambling. Make sure to stir at the bottom edges of the saucepan as well, so that the lime curd doesn’t catch the bottom.
240 mL lime juice, 2 tbsp lime zest, 6 egg yolks, 1 ½ tbsp cornstarch, 200 g white granulated sugar, 86 g unsalted butter, Pinch sea salt, 1 tsp vanilla
Heat the mixture until the curd thickens, and starts to come to a boil. The bubbles should break the surface. Cook for about 1 more minute while whisking continuously to make sure that the egg yolks don't curdle.
Transfer the curd into a bowl. Cover the lime curd with plastic wrap (with the surface touching the plastic wrap), and let it cool down completely.
Once cooled, the lime curd should be really thick and set. Remove the plastic wrap and whisk to make it smooth. Stir in tequila and half and half. Refrigerate the mix to chill.
80 mL tequila, 180 mL half and half

Pretzel Crust

Line a bread pan (loaf pan) with parchment paper (leaving some parchment paper hanging off the sides for easy removal). Set aside.
Place the pretzels and salt in a food processor. Process until they resemble bread crumbs.
198 g pretzels, ¾ tsp sea salt
Pour the melted butter, and mix it in to the pretzel crumbs using a spatula or spoon. The mixture should stick together when squeezed.
57 g g melted unsalted butter
Press these crumbs into the bottom of the prepared loaf pan. Freeze the crust in the freezer until completely hardened.

Meringue Topping

Place the egg whites, sugar and salt in a clean and dry (preferably metal) bowl. Bring some water to a simmer in a saucepan, and then place the metal bowl with the egg whites, over the simmering water. Whisk continuously until the sugar has dissolved in the egg whites.
2 egg whites, 85 oz granulated white sugar, Pinch of salt
Once the sugar has completely dissolved, remove the bowl from the simmering water and using your hand mixer, whisk on high until you have thick glossy meringue with stiff peaks. Stir in lime zest. Use immediately.
1 tsp zest of lime

Assembly

Once the crust is frozen, pour the chilled margarita filling on top. Return to the freezer to let it completely harden (preferably overnight).
When the frozen margarita pie has completely hardened, you can prepare the meringue. Top the margarita filling with the meringue, creating swirls and peaks with the back of a spoon. The margarita tart can now be stored in the freezer for a few hours with the meringue topping.
Using a blow torch, caramelize the meringue just before serving. Slice the frozen margarita pie into slices (use a warm knife for clean, neat cuts). Enjoy!

Notes

Note - If you have a super cold freezer (like mine), it's ok to add 1/2 cup of tequila. However, if your freezer isn't very cold, I would suggest adding 1/3 of a cup. Remember that this is relatively soft and melts easily because of the extra tequila!

Nutrition