Grasshopper pie, named for its bright green color, is a rich yet refreshing dessert. This no-bake pie recipe is festive, quick to make and requires just a few ingredients. It features a silky smooth filling spiked with crème de menthe and crème de cacao, nestled into an Oreo cookie crust. Grasshopper pie will be your go-to St. Patrick’s Day dessert!
Growing up, I’m not sure anything was better than going out to eat at Olive Garden and having Andes mints get strewn on the table along with the check at the end of the meal. I loved those little mint chocolate candies and would try to steal as many as I could.
I’ve always loved the combination of smooth chocolate and refreshing mint, so it came as no surprise that I loved my first grasshopper cocktail when I tried it in college. Fast forward a few more years and I fell in love all over again with this grasshopper pie.
Perfect for a holiday celebration
The filling in grasshopper pie is such a festive green color that it’s sure to bring out your St. Patrick’s Day spirit. It doesn’t hurt that the added liqueur makes for a boozy treat with all the flavors of a grasshopper cocktail.
You don’t have to stop there, though. Not only does this make a great St. Patrick’s Day pie, but it would also be wonderfully refreshing during the summer, and festive enough for the winter holidays.
What you’ll need…
This recipe doesn’t use too many ingredients, and you may already have many of them in your kitchen.
- One package of Cool Mint Oreos
- Green crème de menthe
- White crème de cacao
- Unflavored gelatin
- Heavy cream
- Egg yolks
- Melted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Pinch of salt
There is a total infusion of chocolate and mint flavors in this pie, which begins with the crust. Instead of using a plain ol’ chocolate cookie crumb crust, Cool Mint Oreos are used for an even bigger pop of flavor. Add to that a healthy dose of crème de menthe and crème de cacao, and you have a perfectly balanced, fantastic-tasting pie.
The texture of the filling is a cross between a meringue, a Jell-O dessert, and a cream pie. It’s smooth, creamy, light and airy. The best part about this mint-flavored pie is that it has a gelatin-based filling instead of the traditional marshmallow creme. This substitution makes for a smoother consistency and a bolder mint flavor in the filling.
Liquer vs. food extract
While both ingredients are alcohol-based, liqueur tends to have a more natural flavor than extracts do. Because the overall flavor is also less intense, you can use more liqueur without compromising the texture of the filling like other liquids might.
White crème de cacao, in particular, has a very unique flavor that is hard to find with extracts since it also has hints of vanilla.
Substitute for Crème de Menthe
Crème de menthe is a mint-flavored liqueur that is 50 percent alcohol by volume. The alcohol does not cook out, so it’s important to note that, as written, this recipe is not kid-friendly.
The good news is, there is a simple substitute! To make the grasshopper pie recipe non-alcoholic, omit the mint and chocolate liqueurs. Instead, use ½ teaspoon of pure peppermint extract and ½ cup of milk.
How to make grasshopper pie
It will take you less than an hour to assemble the pie. After that, it needs to chill for several more hours, or even overnight.
- Make the Oreo crust: Stir together the crushed cookies and melted butter, press into the pie plate, refrigerate briefly, then bake. Cool completely on a wire rack.
- Prepare the filling: The gelatin mixture requires a few different steps to complete. Once that’s done, refrigerate until it reaches the right consistency, stirring occasionally. Then beat the remaining heavy cream to stiff peaks and fold into the gelatin mixture to finish off your filling.
- Assemble your pie: Pour the filling into the cooled pie shell and smooth out the top.
- Chill and serve: Refrigerate until firm, then top with whipped cream and chocolate curls.
Recipe FAQs, Tips & Tricks:
- If you can’t find Cool Mint Oreos, you can use regular or homemade Oreos for the crust.
- Use a glass cup or measuring cup to press the crust into the bottom of the pie plate to make sure it’s tightly packed.
- Do I use the cookie and the cream filling, or just the cookie? You’ll want to use the whole Oreo to get the right consistency for the crust. Plus the mint filling in the cookie will add extra mint flavor to your grasshopper pie.
- No-bake version of the crust: You can make the crust no-bake as well. Increase the butter amount to ¼ cup and make sure the crust is fully chilled before adding your filling.
- Make-Ahead Crust: You can make the crust ahead of time (or several at once), then store them in the freezer for later use. If you’ll be storing for longer than a few days, cover with aluminum foil and then wrap the pie crust in plastic wrap. It should keep well frozen for 2 to 3 months.
- Because the filling is no-bake, there is no way to cook off the alcohol. Please keep this in mind if you plan to serve it to children or anyone who can’t have alcohol.
- To make a non-alcoholic version: Omit the creme de cacao and creme de menthe and replace with ½ teaspoon mint extract, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and ½ cup milk.
- Storage: Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Be sure to cover with plastic wrap to preserve flavor and keep it fresh.
- Freezing Instructions: This pie freezes well! Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months. You can slice and serve frozen, thaw in the refrigerator overnight, or allow to sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving.
If you’re looking for more tasty chocolate and mint combinations, try my No-Bake Mint Chocolate Chip Pie recipe, Grasshopper Chocolate Bark, and Grasshopper Brownies.
I hope you’ll put this on your menu for St. Patrick’s Day, a summer get-together, or Christmas! If you make it, I’d love if you would take a moment to stop back and share a review below. ENJOY! 😍
Grasshopper Pie Recipe
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 24 Cool Mint Oreo cookies crushed into crumbs
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled
For the Filling:
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups heavy cream divided
- Pinch salt
- ¼ cup green crème de menthe
- ¼ cup white crème de cacao
Instructions
-
Make the Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the Oreo cookie crumbs and the melted butter in a medium bowl and toss with a fork until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Transfer the crumbs to a 9-inch pie plate. Press the crumbs evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan, forming a crust. Refrigerate the lined pie plate for 20 minutes. Bake for 10 minutes, until the crust is fragrant and set. Cool completely on a wire rack.
-
Make the Filling: In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks until foamy, about 30 seconds. Stir together the gelatin, sugar, ½ cup of the heavy cream and the salt in a medium saucepan and let sit until the gelatin softens, about 5 minutes. Cook over medium heat until the gelatin dissolves and the mixture is very hot but not boiling, about 2 minutes. Whisking continuously, slowly drizzle the gelatin mixture into egg yolks. Return mixture to saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the crème de menthe and crème de cacao. Pour into a large bowl and refrigerate, stirring every 5 minutes or so, until it thickens to a wobbly consistency, about 20 minutes.
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Beat the remaining 1½ cups heavy cream on medium-high speed until it holds stiff peaks. Gently whisk 1 cup of the whipped cream into the gelatin mixture until completely incorporated. Using a rubber spatula, fold the remaining whipped cream into the gelatin mixture until no streaks of white remain. Scrape the mixture into the cooled pie shell, smooth the top, and refrigerate until firm, at least 6 hours or preferably overnight. Serve with whipped cream and topped with chocolate curls, if desired.
Notes
- If you can’t find Cool Mint Oreos, you can use regular or homemade Oreos for the crust.
- Use a glass cup or measuring cup to press the crust into the bottom of the pie plate to make sure it’s tightly packed.
- Do I use the cookie and the cream filling, or just the cookie? You’ll want to use the whole Oreo to get the right consistency for the crust. Plus the mint filling in the cookie will add extra mint flavor to your grasshopper pie.
- No-bake version of the crust: You can make the crust no-bake as well. Increase the butter amount to ¼ cup and make sure the crust is fully chilled before adding your filling.
- Make-Ahead Crust: You can make the crust ahead of time (or several at once), then store them in the freezer for later use. If you’ll be storing for longer than a few days, cover with aluminum foil and then wrap the pie crust in plastic wrap. It should keep well frozen for 2 to 3 months.
- Because the filling is no-bake, there is no way to cook off the alcohol. Please keep this in mind if you plan to serve it to children or anyone who can’t have alcohol.
- To make a non-alcoholic version: Omit the creme de cacao and creme de menthe and replace with ½ teaspoon mint extract, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and ½ cup milk.
- Storage: Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Be sure to cover with plastic wrap to preserve flavor and keep it fresh.
- Freezing Instructions: This pie freezes well! Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months. You can slice and serve frozen, thaw in the refrigerator overnight, or allow to sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
(Recipe adapted from Cook’s Country, originally seen on The Galley Gourmet)
Originally published in 2013, this has been updated to include new photos and more in-depth recipe instructions.
[photos by Dee of One Sarcastic Baker]
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