This grasshopper pie is a tasty chocolate-mint frozen dessert inspired by the classic after dinner cocktail drink. It’s typically served in the spring for St. Patrick’s Day or Easter and is named after its green color.
The recipe is very straightforward with about only 15 minutes of hands-on prep time and no baking required.
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What is Grasshopper Pie?
Grasshopper pie is a green-colored, mint-flavored, no-bake dessert named after the Grasshopper cocktail. The grasshopper cocktail is typically prepared using crème de menthe liqueur.
In my version of this recipe, I use peppermint extract and mint Oreo cookies to make it a non-alcoholic treat with a similar fresh flavor. It is common to use marshmallows in the preparation of the classic but this version is made without marshmallows, using cream cheese instead and to me it tastes even better.
Grasshopper Pie Ingredients
- Oreo baking crumbs - you can substitute with chocolate cookie crumbs
- brick cream cheese - to soften the cheese you can place it in a bowl in the microwave for 20 seconds or place the package in warm water for about 20 minutes
- green food coloring - the liquid kind works good for this recipe
- whipped topping - such as Cool Whip or you can whip your own
- mint Oreo cookies - or regular Oreos if you can't find the mint type
*See recipe card for full ingredients and amounts.
Substitutes
I know the mint Oreos can be difficult to find at times. If you can’t find them yourself, you can use regular Oreos instead.
Another fun substitute for the mint Oreo cookies for the filling of the cake would be thin mint cookies or something similar. This obviously depends on your individual preference so feel free to experiment!
Same goes for the Oreo baking crumbs; chocolate baking crumbs are a good substitute.
Pro Tip: If I can't find mint Oreos and I'm making this for St. Patrick's Day, one of my tricks is to 'paint' green food coloring onto the white parts of the regular Oreo cookies with a food decorating brush.
How to Make it
- Prepare the crust. Combine the baking crumbs with the butter. Press the mixture into a 9” pie plate with a fork. Set aside.
- Make the pie filling. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. Beat in the sweetened condensed milk, until smooth. Add the food coloring and peppermint extract and mix well. Crumble 12 of the cookies and fold them into the cream cheese mixture. Fold in the whipped topping.
- Freeze. Spoon the cream cheese mixture into the prepared crust. Cover and freeze until firm, for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Serve. Crumble the remaining 4 cookies on top of the pie. Slice and serve!
Tips
- Thaw the whipped cream: If using a pre-frozen whipped topping like Cool Whip, be sure to thaw it in the refrigerator first or you'll have a difficult time blending it into the cream cheese mixture.
- Don't over-fold. Try not to over-fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese because this will actually start to deflate it and the end result won't be as fluffy.
- Garnish. You could garnish your pie with a mint sprig in addition to the crushed cookies to make it more aesthetically pleasing. You might even want to top it with peppermint flavored whipped cream to be extra festive.
Storage
This grasshopper pie is an easy option for any event because you can prepare it ahead of time and it can stay frozen until you are ready to serve. For long-time storage, place the pie dish in a large freezer bag. It is best if eaten within 3 months of freezing.
❤️Related St. Patrick's Day Recipes to Consider
I make this Mint Grasshopper Pie Recipe every St. Patrick's Day for my family and they look forward to it every year. If you tried it or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. And please share the recipe!
📋Recipe
Grasshopper Pie
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups Oreo baking crumbs - or chocolate cookie crumbs
- ¼ cup butter - melted
- 8 ounces cream cheese - softened
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk - one can
- 20 drops green food coloring
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 16 mint Oreo cookies - or regular Oreos
- 2 cups whipped topping - such as Cool Whip
Instructions
- To prepare the crust: Combine the baking crumbs with the butter. Press the mixture into a 9” pie plate with a fork. Set aside.1 ¼ cups Oreo baking crumbs, ¼ cup butter
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. Beat in the sweetened condensed milk, until smooth.8 ounces cream cheese
- Add the food coloring and peppermint extract and mix well.20 drops green food coloring, 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- Crumble 12 of the cookies. Fold them into the cream cheese mixture.
- Fold in the whipped topping.2 cups whipped topping
- Spoon the cream cheese mixture into the prepared crust. Cover and freeze until firm, for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Crumble the remaining 4 cookies on top of the pie. Slice and serve!
Equipment
Notes
- Storage: Keep the dessert frozen for up to 3 months. Place the pie dish in a large freezer bag.
- You can use a 9” ceramic or glass pie dish or simply purchase a disposable tin pie pan from any grocery store.
- To soften the cream cheese you can place it in a bowl in the microwave for 20 seconds or place the package in warm water for about 20 minutes.
- If you can’t find mint Oreos you can use regular Oreos instead. Same goes for the Oreo baking crumbs; chocolate baking crumbs are a good substitute.
- If I can't find mint Oreos and I'm making this for St. Patrick's Day, one of my tricks is to 'paint' green food coloring onto the white parts of the regular Oreo cookies with a food decorating brush.
- Another fun substitute for the mint Oreo cookies for the filling of the cake would be thin mint cookies or something similar.
- Try not to over-fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese because this will actually start to deflate it and the end result won't be as fluffy.
- If using a frozen whipped cream like Cool Whip, make sure you thaw it in the fridge first.
Nutrition
Nutrition information on In the Kitch is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may not include toppings and/or sauces.
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