Before serving, top with remaining 8 ounces of thawed whipped topping, and garnish with 1/4 cup pecans, 2 Tablespoons toasted coconut and Maraschino cherries and serve.
NOTES
Topping: Sprinkle your topping pecans and coconut right before serving so they keep their crunch!
Cream Cheese: Now, for the million-dollar question: does my million dollar pie recipe include cream cheese? No — because the original authentic recipe did not include cream cheese! But if you want to, adding 8 ounces of cream cheese to the filling makes a really rich, yummy variation of this pie.
Pineapple: Make sure your pineapple is well-drained. When I drain my pineapple, I use a mesh sieve, aka a strainer. I pour my can of pineapple into the strainer, then with a wooden spoon, I press down on the pineapple. This ensures that I’ve removed as much of the juice as possible. If this step isn’t done correctly, you could end up with a very soupy filling!
Crust: In the spirit of having this pie be one of the easiest recipes you’ve ever made, I suggest using a premade 9-inch Graham Cracker Crust. Listen, homemade is always a more delicious alternative! But oh man, premade makes the preparation a whole lot easier.
Thaw The Cool Whip: Here’s a reminder to make sure you plan on the thawing time! The Diary Dish says that manufacturers of frozen whipped topping recommend thawing it out in the refrigerator overnight – not on the countertop. This is important because you’ve got both skimmed milk and cream as ingredients, which can spoil quickly if they’re left in temperatures over 40 F.
Coconut: For the filling, I like to add the coconut untoasted and straight out of the bag. I like the soft and chewy texture it provides the filling. For the topping, however, I like it toasted until just slightly golden. It provides a little crunchy contrast to the creamy texture of the pie and a nice bit of extra color to the topping.
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