Grasshopper Pie

Looking for a St. Patrick’s Day dessert as clever as the Irish? Try my Grasshopper Pie! This minty, chocolatey, boozy pie is made with only a few ingredients and simple, detailed instructions. You don’t need to be blessed with the luck of a four-leaf clover to nail this recipe!

This is one for my chocolate mint lovers out there. It can be a polarizing combination, but today I am shining a big bright light on it. Oreo cookie crust, a creamy, festive filling made with mint liqueur AND chocolate liqueur, then let all your creativity flow into decorating the top.

Don’t let the booze scare you away, however! Below I have instructions for making this pie without any alcohol. It’s still just as delicious! It just felt right to have a slightly buzzed dessert to serve for St. Patrick’s day, you know?

Ingredients

Click the “Jump to the Recipe” button at the top of the recipe or scroll down to the recipe card to get full ingredient amounts and recipe instructions. Below is a section for extra detail and substitutes. Keep reading for tips, tricks, storage instructions, and more!

• Oreos – Whole cookies, creme and all, for the crust. You can use different flavored Oreos if you want.
• Butter – Unsalted is best. Oreos are made with some salt, so salted butter might take it over the edge.
• Marshmallows – If you don’t have a scale to weigh them out, make sure you grab large marshmallows so you can count out exactly 30. If you do, great! Any size will work.
• Cream – You’ll need half & half (10%MF) and heavy whipping cream (30-35%MF). I f you can’t find half & half, anything from 3% – 18% will work.
• Liqueur – Both crème de menthe and crème de cacao.
• Food coloring – I could only find clear crème de menthe, so I added some drops of green food coloring to get the color I wanted. You can add more or less; create the intensity of green that you want!

How to make grasshopper pie

1. Blend the crust: Preheat the oven to 350F Add the cookies to a food processor and pulse until they become fine crumbs. Pour in the melted butter and blend just until combined.
2. Bake the crust: Press the crust into a 9″ pie plate. Bake for 10 minutes, then allow the crust to completely cool at room temperature as you prepare the filling.
3. Melt the marshmallows: Add the marshmallows and half & half to a saucepan over medium heat. Melt the marshmallows, stirring often, for 5-10 minutes or until completely smooth. Use a spatula to stir and scrape down the sides of the pot as needed.
4. Add the flavor: Cover the pot with plastic wrap and transfer it to the fridge. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes, or until the mixture is about room temperature.* Whisk in the creme de menthe, creme de cacao until completely smooth.
5. Whipped cream: Add 1 cup of the heavy whipping cream to a mixing bowl and beat until stiff peaks form. Use a spatula to scrape the marshmallow mixture from the saucepan into the mixing bowl. Gently fold everything together until well combined and smooth.
6. Coloring: Add 8-12 drops of green food coloring and fold into the mixture. If your creme de menthe is green and you’re happy with the color of the mixture, you can leave the food coloring out.
7. Set: Pour the mixture into the pie dish, smooth out the top, and cover with plastic wrap. Allow it to set in the fridge for 6-8 hours. Optional: decorate the pie with whipped cream, fresh mint, and oreo cookies before slicing and serving.

How to make alcohol-free grasshopper pie

While the flavor of this pie comes completely from liqueur, it is possible to make it completely kid-friendly.

• Substitute crème de menthe with 1 tbsp mint extract.
• Substitute crème de cacao with 2 tsp chocolate extract.

These substitutes are also great if you have either of the extracts at home and you’d rather not buy an entire bottle of liqueur for one recipe.

How to store grasshopper pie

I like to keep my pie in its pie dish, covered with plastic wrap or bees wrap, to store leftovers. Store in the fridge and keep for 3-4 days. If you make the pie ahead, while not completely necessary, I find it’s best to decorate it the day I want to serve.

I don’t suggest keeping your grasshopper pie in the freezer. Freezing, then thawing, will result in an odd texture and might even cause the pie to break down.

Tips for making perfect grasshopper pie

• The temperature of the marshmallow mixture is important. I kept a close eye on it and felt it with my finger to make sure it was cooled down enough. If it’s still warm, it will melt the whipped cream and the pie will not set properly
• If you’ve cooled the marshmallow mixture too much and it’s too stiff, don’t worry! Return the pot to the stove over medium heat and stir constantly until it has thinned out a little bit without getting warm.
• I ended up using 10 drops of green food coloring to get this nice, pastel green color. This amount will completely depend on the brand you’re using and how vibrant you’d like the color to turn out.
• Make sure you give your pie enough time to set! I always err on the side of caution with these types of pies. Your best bet is to start a day ahead and let it set overnight.
• These fresh baby mint leaves were not just beautiful as decoration, but they tasted AMAZING on the pie. I would highly recommend them.

How to use up those bottles of liqueur

Why don’t stores sell these liqueurs in 12 oz bottles? I’ll never know. Regardless, they don’t have to sit and collect dust! Here are a couple treats you can have once in a while to clear out those bottles:

Grasshopper cocktail

1. Optional: fill one shallow dish with water, and another with granulated sugar. Dip the rim of a martini dish first in the water, then dip it to generously coat in the sugar.
2. Add 1 oz crème de menthe, 1 oz crème de cacao, and 1 oz cream (ideally 10%-18%MF) to a cocktail shaker with a few ice cubes.
3. Top the cocktail shaker and give it a gentle swirl to mix the ingredients. Strain it into the martini glass and enjoy!

Chocolate & mint morning mood booster

Okay… I don’t know if this is actually a thing, but it’s what I’ve been doing once or twice during the week to use up these bottles. REGARDLESS; it’s delicious.

1. Brew a double espresso or extra strong coffee and pour over a glass of ice.
2. Stir 1/2 oz crème de menthe, 1 oz crème de cacao, and 1 oz coffee cream (18%MF) into the glass.

Check out these sweet treats:

• Mint Chocolate Pudding Cookies
• Red Velvet French Toast
• Orange Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing
• Easy 3 Ingredient Fudge
• Crème Brûlée Donuts

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