No Bake Grasshopper Pie That's Cooler and Creamier Than the Diner Version — in 20 Minutes
This no bake Grasshopper Pie layers a creamy mint-chocolate filling over a crunchy Oreo crust. The secret is folding the whipped cream gently to keep it light, and chilling it for a full 4 hours. It sets up perfectly, slices cleanly, and tastes like a fancy ice cream parlor dessert without turning on the oven.
Equipment
- 9-inch pie dish (deep dish recommended)
- Food processor
- Electric Mixer
- Rubber spatula
- Vegetable peeler
Ingredients
Crust
- 25 cookies Oreo cookies regular, not double stuff
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup green crème de menthe
- 1/4 cup white crème de cacao
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream cold
- green food coloring optional
Garnish
- chocolate shavings or curls for garnish
Instructions
- Make the crust: Crush the Oreos in a food processor until they're fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse until it looks like wet sand. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom and up the sides of your pie dish. I use the flat bottom of a measuring cup to get it really compact. Pop it in the fridge to set while you make the filling.
- Start the filling: In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with the powdered sugar until it's smooth and completely lump-free. This takes about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides halfway through.
- Add the flavor: Mix in the crème de menthe, crème de cacao, and vanilla extract until combined. If you're using food coloring, add it now. The mixture will be thin — don't worry, it'll thicken up.
- Whip the cream: In your chilled bowl, whip the heavy cream on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. You're looking for peaks that stand straight up when you lift the beater. Be careful not to over-whip, or you'll end up with butter. One time I got distracted and ended up with sweet butter. It still tasted good, but the pie was dense.
- Fold gently: Take a big spoonful of whipped cream and stir it into the cream cheese mixture to lighten it up. Then, add the rest of the whipped cream. Use your spatula to fold it in — cut down through the center, scrape along the bottom, and bring it up and over. Turn the bowl as you go. Stop as soon as you don't see white streaks. Over-mixing deflates the air you just whipped in.
- Fill the crust: Spoon the filling into the chilled Oreo crust. Spread it out evenly with your spatula. Give the dish a couple of gentle taps on the counter to settle any air pockets.
- Chill and set: Cover the pie lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight. Overnight is genuinely better — the flavors meld and the texture gets creamier.
- Garnish and serve: Before serving, scatter chocolate shavings over the top. I use a vegetable peeler on a dark chocolate bar to get those pretty curls. Slice with a sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry for clean cuts.
Notes
- Don't skip cooling the base: If your cream cheese mixture is warm when you add the whipped cream, it will deflate instantly. I know it's an extra step, but popping the mixture in the fridge for 15 minutes while you wash the dishes saves the whole pie.
- Use a deep dish pie plate: This filling is generous. A standard shallow pie dish might leave you with leftover filling. A deep dish gives you those towering, bakery-style slices.
- Dip your knife in hot water: This is the number one trick for clean slices. Run your knife under hot water, dry it off, make one cut, then repeat. The slice comes out perfectly intact every time.
- Taste the filling before adding the food coloring: The crème de menthe gives a natural pale green tint. I often skip the extra coloring entirely, and it looks lovely and natural.