Drink mixes showed up often in my household growing up. My mother would stock our cabinets with tubs of Kool-Aid or Tang, and she always kept a pitcher of juice hanging out in the fridge. She would upgrade the drink by plopping in fresh slices of lemon or lime, turning a sugary staple into a refreshing beverage with real depth.
So when my editor reached out about a vintage hack involving Tang (yes, the powdered orange drink mix!) being stirred straight into pie filling, I was skeptical. Would it be too sweet? Too artificial? I love it as a juice option, sure, but as the flavoring for a dessert? That was another story.
One weekend, with some time to spare, I mixed Cool Whip, softened cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, and Tang in a large bowl, poured the filling into a pre-made graham cracker crust, and placed it in the fridge to set.
After trying Tang Pie, all my hesitation vanished. It’s not the most elegant-tasting dessert, but it delivers sweet, creamy, citrusy notes that I genuinely enjoyed. Mixing the drink mix directly into the filling cuts the prep time in half—an easy shortcut to big flavor with minimal effort.
What Is Tang Pie?
As the name suggests, this pie relies on Tang juice powder to infuse citrusy notes into an icebox dessert. The filling combines Cool Whip, softened cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, and Tang. Once all the ingredients are whipped together, the mixture is added to a graham cracker crust and chilled in the refrigerator before serving.
The savory tang of the cream cheese helps balance the cloying flavors of the sweetened condensed milk and sugary juice powder. The center is fluffy and light, and the graham cracker crust is crumbly and buttery.
The sweet and citrusy notes of this Tang-packed dessert reminded me of a key lime pie. But instead of a cheesecake-like texture, this icebox pie version is airier, which I appreciated. All in all, it’s definitely on the sweet side, so if you want to tone that down, I’d recommend using half the amount of sweetened condensed milk and Tang mix in this recipe.
How to Upgrade Tang Pie
Now that you’ve gotten this juice-mix-pie hack down, why not get creative with which flavors you use? Instead of leaning on orange-flavored Tang, you can experiment with other kinds such as passion fruit, lemon, or even lime. Beyond the filling, try replacing the crumbly graham cracker base with a buttery, flaky version or a shortbread alternative. To add fresh notes, garnish the pie with citrus segments or sliced berries for an extra-refreshing upgrade.
Get the Recipe: Tang Pie
