Here is Grandma’s favorite Grasshopper Pie. Her version is made with marshmallows in the filling (skip the gelatin!) and an Oreo cookie crust. A classic!
My grandmother on my dad’s side, had an amazing sweet tooth.
How that woman could eat as many jelly-filled donuts as she did and still live to 97, I’ll never know!
A Simple (and Simplified) Grasshopper Pie
One of her favorite pies to make for us was grasshopper pie, a chilled minty green pie with an Oreo cookie crust. I haven’t found her recipe, but my father patched one together from many he found online that turns out a pie just like the one she used to make.
Many grasshopper pie recipes are quite elaborate and call for gelatin, egg yolks, egg whites, etc. In this recipe, we use marshmallows, instead of the eggs and gelatin.
A Make-Ahead Pie
Make this pie at least three hours ahead of when you plan to serve it. It needs this time in the freezer to completely set and firm up. You can also keep it frozen for a few days, but cover the frozen pie loosely with aluminum foil to protect it.
Leftovers can be kept frozen for at least a week, but can start to develop freezer burn or pick up odd flavors from the freezer if stored for longer periods.
Check out These Other Classic Pies
- Lemon Icebox Pie
- Mint Chocolate Cream Pie
- Fresh Strawberry Pie
- Lemon Meringue Pie
- Coconut Banana Cream Pie
P.S. Also try this classic Grasshopper Cocktail for another minty-chocolate treat!
Grasshopper Pie Recipe
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 30 minutes
- Freezing time: 3 hours
- Yield: Serves 8
Ingredients
- 30 Oreo cookies (60 halves), fillings discarded, cookies crushed fine
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 24 large marshmallows
- 1/4 cup creme de menthe liqueur
- 2 tablespoons white creme de cacao
- A drop or two of green food dye, optional
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- Chocolate shavings to top, optional
Special equipment:
- 10-inch pie dish
Method
1 Make Oreo cookie crust: Preheat oven to 425°F. In a bowl, mix crushed Oreo cookie halves and 6 tablespoons of the butter. A small handful of the crumbs should hold together when you squeeze it in your fist. If it crumbles apart, add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it holds together
Pat into bottom and up sides of 10 inch pie dish. Press firmly with the bottom of a cup to tamp down and compact the crust into the pie dish.
Bake in oven for 5 to 10 minutes; remove from oven and cool completely.
Once cooled, place in freezer to chill.
2 Make marshmallow mixture: In saucepan over medium heat, warm the milk until steaming, but not boiling. Add the marshmallows and stir gently until the marshmallows have melted.
Remove the pan from heat and cool to room temperature, then chill in the fridge until cool to the touch. If you want, you can speed up the cooling process by setting the pan in an ice water bath. (If the mixture is room temperature or warmer, it has a tendency to break when you add the remaining ingredients.)
3 Mix in the liquors and whipped cream: Add creme de menthe and creme de cacao to the cooled marshmallow mixture, and mix well. Add a drop or two of green food dye if desired.
With a hand mixer or a stand mixer, whip the the cream until it forms stiff peaks. Fold the whipped cream into the milk and marshmallow mixture in three separate additions. Continue folding and gently mixing until no more streaks of white remain.
3 Pour into chilled pie shell. Freeze for at least 3 hours or overnight.
Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and sprinkle with chocolate shavings, if desired.
