Grapefruit Pie is Signature Regional Dessert
Grapefruit Pie represents the glory of our Rio Grande Valley winter, which is the harvest of the Ruby Red grapefruit. Ruby Reds are what every little grapefruit should aspire to be. Sweet, juicy and deeply red on the inside, they are blush like a peach on their outside peel. These are the best type of grapefruit to use for your dessert.
Learning how to section a grapefruit is vital for the success of this recipe. Simply slice off the top and bottom of the fruit, so it is flat on both ends. Then, carefully cut away the remaining peel by slicing from top to bottom. Slice away any of the white pith. Once the thick peel is removed, cut the section away from each membrane wall. Keep practicing, and you will be able to whip up a grapefruit pie in no time!
More Short Cuts, More Pie!
You can take shortcuts when making this pie. Of course, home made is best, but somedays a quick dessert is what you need. Don’t be afraid to substitute a store bought pie shell, instead of pre-baking one at home. The fresh grapefruit filling is what people notice about this dessert.
And yes, there are store-bought strawberry glazes available too, which work well in a pinch. However, if you ca, take the extra time of making the homemade strawberry glaze. You’ll find yourself licking the spoon, the saucepan and any spare drips, as it is so good!
The biggest hack when making this pie is allowing the fresh grapefruit sections to drain a bit before you make your pie. Everyone loves juicy grapefruit, but if the sections are too juicy, you could end up with a soggy dessert. Don’t worry: draining the grapefruit won’t give you a less juicy pie.
Tart and Juicy Ruby Red Grapefruit Pie
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Ingredients
1 pre-baked 9″ pie shell (23cm)
5–6 fresh ruby red grapefruit, enough for 5 cups of fruit (about 3lbs or 1.5 kg)
1 cup fresh strawberries (160gr)
1 cup water (240 ml)
3 tbsp. cornstarch, sifted (21gr)
3/4 cup sugar (150gr)
Whipped cream for garnish
Fresh mint leaves for garnish
Instructions
Section grapefruit, removing membrane and leaving slices whole or in large pieces. Place the grapefruit sections in a stainless steel or plastic mesh colander, and allow to drain for at least 15 minutes.
In a small saucepan, combine water and strawberries. Bring to a boil, crushing strawberries. Simmer for 3-4 minutes.
Strain the strawberries with a mesh strainer, reserving the liquid and pressing the pulp through the strainer. Discard the remaining pulp.
In same saucepan, return strawberry juice, whisking in the cornstarch and the sugar. Stir continuously over medium low heat, until the mixture forms a clear and thick gel. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Divide the grapefruit sections and strawberry gel into 1/3 portions. Spread a 1/3 of the gel in the pie shell. Arrange 1/3 of the grapefruit sections in the prepared pie crust. Spread another 1/3 of the gel on top of the grapefruit sections, and add another 1/3 portion of grapefruit sections. Cover the grapefruit with the final layer of strawberry gel, cover with plastic and store in the refrigerator. Reserve the final 1/3 portion of grapefruit sections for garnish.
Chill for about three hours before serving. Garnish with the last 1/3 portion of grapefruit sections. Serve with whipped cream and top with fresh mint leaves.
Excellent, traditional pie! Yummy….
Thanks Parilee! It is a family fave recipe! Thanks for visiting!
MG
Thank you Melissa for posting your family’s favorite recipe Grapefruit Pie. I am also a Texan and was watching a wonderful documentary called “Truly Texas Mexican” on Amazon Prime about Women who are preserving our Tex/Mex culture from their past and using what the land has to offer in their cooking. There was a lovely woman that was interviewed from the Rio Grande Valley who made a Grapefruit Pie. The man that was interviewing her face was in udder delight when he tasted her pie. I have never hear of a Grapefruit Pie and after watching this documentary I want to make one for my family.
Thank you
That is a great documentary! Thank you for your kind email, always happy to share border recipes!
Good flavor, and I was looking for a recipe that did not use the strawberry Jello. I thought this might work for me since the thickener is cooked separate from the acidic grapefruit. However, the pie still turned out runny, even after being refrigerated overnight, just slightly better than the last time I tried to make a grapefruit pie. Not sure what I did wrong. Maybe I’ll try ClearJel next.
Hi Cynthia! I agree the recipe can be a tiny bit runny – I think you can mix up the gel park and then combine at the last minute and serve. Commercial gel mixtures hold better, but the ingredients are mysterious and not so tasty! I don’t recommend storiing this pie for more than 2 hours. Thanks for bringing up this point!
Happy holidays! MG