Grasshopper pie is mint chip ice cream in pie form. It has a cool mint filling, a dark chocolate cookie crust, and a texture that’s light enough to slice straight from the freezer. It’s one of those desserts that’s been on St. Patrick’s Day and Christmas tables since the 1950s. As it’s been passed down through the years, each generation adds their own special touch.
Make it the day before you plan to serve it, not the morning of. The freezer does the work overnight, and the next day all that’s left is cutting slices.
Before You Make It, Know That It Contains Alcohol
If you’re planning to serve this to kids, this recipe isn’t the right choice.
Grasshopper pie gets its flavor from two liqueurs:
- crème de menthe for the mint
- and crème de cacao for a light chocolate flavor in the background.
Because nothing is cooked after they’re added, the alcohol stays in the filling.
The pie doesn’t taste like a cocktail, though. Frozen desserts mute flavor, so they need more seasoning, more vanilla, or in this case, more liqueur than you might expect. A quarter cup of crème de menthe tastes fresh and minty, not boozy.
If you need a mint pie without alcohol, I’d make my peppermint pie instead.
Grasshopper Pie Isn’t Frozen Cheesecake
The first slice surprises people because it isn’t hard.
After a night in the freezer, the filling is still light, smooth, and easy to cut. Think of mint chocolate chip ice cream that’s softened for a few minutes on the counter, not a dense frozen cheesecake. It holds its shape on the plate but melts smoothly as you eat it.
That’s why I use marshmallow creme instead of melted marshmallows.
I use marshmallow creme instead of melted marshmallows because it’s more reliable. Many older grasshopper pie recipes have you melt marshmallows on the stove, and that’s where things can go wrong. The marshmallows can turn rubbery or gummy, and some fillings never set properly.
I wanted to know whether that step actually mattered, so I made one pie with marshmallow creme and another with melted marshmallows. The marshmallow creme pie stayed noticeably smoother after freezing, while the pie made with melted marshmallows had a slight chew to it.
One thing that surprised me during testing was that more marshmallow creme didn’t make a firmer pie. I tried it thinking it would help the filling hold together better. Instead, it made the pie softer. Stick with one 7-ounce jar.
You’ll also find recipes that add cream cheese. Those are perfectly good desserts, but they’re closer to my mint Oreo dessert than to the grasshopper pie most people remember.
Putting It In The Freezer Isn’t Optional
This is the mistake most likely to ruin gross hopper pie.
It looks like an icebox pie, so it’s natural to assume putting it the refrigerator is enough. However, the alcohol keeps the filling too soft to set properly unless it goes into the freezer.
Give it at least six hours, but overnight is even better. And don’t wait for it to freeze solid, because it never will. My test pie was ready to slice after about seven hours, cut cleanly, and was still soft enough to eat straight from the freezer.
Once you’ve cut your slices, return the pie to the freezer. I left one on the counter for about an hour during testing to see what would happen. It didn’t collapse, but it softened enough that the remaining slices lost their clean edges.
If you’re feeding a bigger crowd than one pie covers, my chocolate mint lasagna is the 9×13 I’d make instead.
Buy The Green Bottle
Crème de menthe comes in both green and clear bottles. They taste the same, but they don’t look the same in the finished pie.
The green liqueur gives the filling its classic pale mint color. The clear version leaves the filling almost white.
If you want a brighter green for St. Patrick’s Day, add green gel food coloring one drop at a time. Different brands vary quite a bit. One bottle I tested needed four drops, while a newer bottle needed only two.
Bake The Crust Even Though The Filling Is Frozen
It’s only ten minutes, but it makes a difference.
A frozen filling puts more stress on a cookie crust than a chilled filling does. Baking helps set the butter so the crust stays together when you cut the pie instead of crumbling under the knife.
I use my Oreo pie crust every time I make grasshopper pie because it’s the version that held up through all of my testing.
For a beautiful presentation, top each slice with homemade Cool Whip, chocolate shavings, or a drizzle of homemade hot fudge sauce. Garnishing with cookie crumbles, chocolate shavings or fresh mint leaves also add a nice crunch.
Grasshopper Pie
Ingredients
Crust
- 25 chocolate creme filled cookies, Oreo brand used
- 5 tablespoons salted butter, melted and cooled slightly
Filling
- 7 ounces marshmallow creme, also known as marshmallow fluff
- ¼ cup crème de menthe liqueur
- 2 tablespoons crème de cacao liqueur
- 2 cups heavy cream, well chilled
- 2 to 4 drops green gel food coloring, optional (for a darker green colored pie filling)
Optional Garnish
- 1 to 2 chocolate creme filled cookies, finely crushed
- Whipped cream
- Bottled chocolate sauce
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Pulse the chocolate cookies in a food processor for 1-2 minutes or until finely ground.
- Add the melted butter and pulse again until fully combined and the texture resembles wet sand.
- Press the chocolate cookie mixture evenly into a 9-inch, freezer safe, pie plate to form a crust. Use the flat bottom of a small glass, or dry measure cup, to create a tightly packed crust on the bottom, and up the sides of the pie plate.
- Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the crust to cool completely at room temperature while you prepare the filling.
Filling
- Add the marshmallow creme to a microwave safe bowl and heat for 30 seconds to warm slightly making it easier to stir. Be sure to scrape all the creme out of the container to use. It will be thick and sticky.
- Stir in the crème de menthe and crème de cacao liqueurs until fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl whip the heavy cream, with a hand mixer on high speed, for 3-4 minutes or just until stiff peaks form. Start the mixer on low and gradually build to high to avoid splashing the heavy cream all over the counter when beginning to whip.
- Add the marshmallow creme mixture to the bowl of whipped cream along with 2-4 drops of the optional green gel food coloring. Gently fold together until no streaks of green or white remain and the filling is a uniform color and consistency. It should be light and fluffy.
- Spoon the mixture into the cooled cookie crust and spread to an even thickness being careful not to deflate the fluffy texture of the filling too much.
- Garnish with a sprinkle of crushed cookies if desired and freeze for 6 hours, up to overnight, or until the filling has firmed up enough to easily slice and serve.
Notes
- If using the optional green gel food coloring, start with 2 drops and add more if desired for a darker green colored pie filling. If no food coloring is added, the filling will be a pale green color from the crème de menthe addition.
- A store bought 9-inch chocolate cookie crust can be used in place of making your own crust for an even easier to make grasshopper pie.
- For clean slices, run a sharp knife under hot water, wipe dry then slice. Repeat as needed.
Nutrition
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