Simple Sour Orange Pie Recipe

Fans of Sour Patch Kids and Sour Warheads, look no further: If you want a dessert that has all the punch of your favorite sweets with a luscious, creamy texture, this sour orange pie is the recipe for you.

"This is REALLY sour!" says recipe developer and registered dietitian Kristen Carli of her creation. "If you like sour candy, this pie is for you." Flavor- and texture-wise, Carli compares this pie to one of her childhood faves: key lime pie. "This sour orange pie is just a bit different," she notes, "in that it needs to be baked and has eggs."

But don't let the trip into the oven deter you. Start to finish, this pie requires less than half an hour of active time — and that includes the 20-minute bake. Filled with an easy-to-make orange-scented custard, this sour orange pie effortlessly combines sweet and sour flavors for a summery dessert you'll love.

To make this easy sour orange pie, you'll be relying on just a handful of pantry ingredients. The filling is made by combining orange juice concentrate with sweetened condensed milk for creaminess. Four egg yolks make this custard rich and help it set up nice and thick.

The sour part of this easy sour orange pie comes from lemon juice — a whole half-cup. A touch of both orange and lemon zest finishes things off nicely. 

For the base, there's truly nothing simpler: a frozen pie crust does the job perfectly.

To make this easy sour orange pie, start by preheating the oven to 325 F. Then prep the crust, rolling it out and placing it in the pie dish. Set that aside, and while the oven heats, turn your attention to the filling.

Making the filling for this easy sour orange pie truly couldn't be simpler. Just grab a large mixing bowl, and combine the sweetened condensed milk, orange juice, egg yolks, lemon juice, orange zest, and lemon zest. Stir until smooth and homogenous. That's it — you're done!

With the filling made, all that's left to do is to pour the mixture into the prepared crust and bake the pie. Twenty minutes should do the trick — just until the filling is set and the edges of the crust are nice and golden brown. Don't worry if the filling jiggles a bit when you remove the pie from the oven. It will set more as it cools.

It's looking and smelling delicious ... but resist the urge to dig in. There's still one last step before this pie is ready to serve.

As with many custard pies, this easy sour orange pie needs to chill before serving. Carli recommends refrigerating it for at least four hours, but you could also let it set up longer. In fact, if you've got friends coming over for dinner, this is a great dessert to make in advance, so all you need to do when your guests arrive is slice, garnish, and serve. 

This pie is delightful all on its own, but if you want to gild the lily, Carli recommends serving slices topped with a dollop of whipped cream and a garnish of candied orange peel.