Grasshopper Pie Recipe
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 (99 g) granulated sugar
- 2 cups (480 ml) heavy cream, divided
- Pinch salt
- ¼ cup (60 ml) green crème de menthe
- ¼ cup (60 ml) 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.
- 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.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
(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]
This is actually America’s test kitchens recipe. Pretty well word for word.
Fabulous! I used cookie crumbs, green food colouring and drizzled the whipping cream with melted chocolate and decorated it with mint leaves. It looked great yesterday LOL.
this is amazing, thanks finally got this.
looks so yummy and tasteful, can’t wait to try this.
Can I use dark Creme de cacao instead of light? Do you think it will alter the color dramatically?
Hi Angela, Yes you can use it but it will make a darker pie, as dark creme de cacao is brown, while light is completely clear.
A friend of the family gave us this recipe when I was in high school and I loooooved it. When I left for college I didn’t take it with me and when my parents downsized, the recipe was lost. I’ve literally spent 25 years trying to find a similar recipe…and this is it❤️ Thank you. An oldie but a goodie, for sure. 😊
hi, this is the first time I have seen mint flavor in pie recipe but me too an experimental kind so sure would try, this is the best thing is that you have suggested the substitute nonalcoholic version. Thanks for this recipe I have something new to try.
Neeti….https://www.bakingnfrosting.com/2020/04/chocolate-truffle-cake.html
I am excited to try this recipe but need to make the non alcoholic version…I suppose I must add green food coloring but I didn’t see a note about that in the recipe notes. Is this a correct assumption? Thank you!!
Hi Kristen, Yes you can add some drops of green food coloring!
The color is so pretty! Thank you for sharing the nice recipe.
Grasshopper Pie was a favorite treat throughout my childhood and brings back great memories. I can’t wait to try your version. Thanks for sharing this!
This pie is delicious!!! The Texture and flavors are so creamy and refreshing! Definitely a keeper!
This is delicious!
Love the color and the bottom.. great recipe, thanks for sharing!
It looks yummy and tasty i will try at home
I was excited about making this version since I am not a big fan of marshmallow creme or fluff. I followed the directions exactly but ran into some problems. Instead of being a a creamy filling it ended up being the consistency of Gummi Bears and a much darker green then what the picture shows. I have no idea why this happened but it was awful. After tasting a small piece I threw the rest away.
Do I use the cookie and cream or just the cookie?
Hi Isabella, The whole cookie, cream filling included!
Hi there,
I am a fiber artist who dyes wool and spinning fibers for making handspun yarn at Fiber Dyet. We contribute our fibers to a monthly box subscription called The Spinning Box, and this months theme is “My Favorite Recipe”. I have chosen your recipe for Grasshopper Pie and photo for my inspiration and I was wondering if it’s ok that I use your photo on my packaging for the fiber along with a link to your page?
Thanks so much,
Shanna
Hi Shanna, Thanks for reaching out! Could you shoot me an email about this? michelle@browneyedbaker.com
I made this pie for Easter three years ago and it has become a staple in our family dinner. I did however cut back slightly on the amount of liquor some family members found it a little strong, me personally thought it was perfect. I love to make this pie quick and delicious best of both worlds.
Just made this for a light NYE dinner party dessert – absolutely perfect, delicious and refreshing, and such a nice change from the marshmallow fluff recipes that, no matter how much alcohol you add, still taste like…fluff. Thank you! I’m going to try a summer version with vanilla creme sandwich cookies and raspberry liqueur.
@Michelle: I made a non-alcoholic version with milk, peppermint extract and green pepper mint syrup (total liquid = 1/2 cup). Worked very well, though the actual amount of alcohol per serving with the regular recipe is probably less than most mouth washes…
Is it possible to make a non-alcoholic version of this?
Hi Madelene, You would need to replace the alcohol with an equal amount of liquid since it is substantial, as well as add a mint and chocolate flavor. I haven’t played around with substitutions so I can’t recommend anything specific.
You can buy creme de menthe syrup that doesn’t have any alcohol in it. Sometimes I find it in the grocery but I have bought it at a liquor store as well.
This is the 3rd time making this recipe. My guests said it was the best pie they ever ate. I baked a ham with green bean casserole, it was a light dinner. Then I brought out this pie. A major hit. This is not the type of pie you serve after a spaghetti dinner. It’s refreshing in flavor but it’s quite filling as well. Goes great with a high protein dinner.
So…my wife likes mint and chocolate. I was hoping to make this for her last Xmas, but she had gestational diabetes while expecting and was under a strict low sugar low carb diet. Fast forward to now, and we have a new bouncing, baby boy adding to chaos with his 5 siblings. It is Mother’s Day, so I decided to make good on my threats of making this caloric disaster. In a word, “fantastic”! I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out perfectly. It was rich and flavorful, very retro in a good way. If this aging ‘Xer, geek can make this, anyone can. Only thing that went a little different was the part about getting the slop to set in the fridge. It took me closer to 40 minutes, but that could have been a difference with my fridge. The “wobbly” description was key and I let that guide my actions. I dunno where the comment about lack of flavor came from one of the reviewers, maybe they simply forgot to add the liqueurs? I followed the recipe exactly and it was plenty minty and chocolaty. Thanks for posting this bit of delcious nostalgia.
Thank you for sharing, I’m so glad you and your wife enjoyed this pie!
The crust is delicious. I made mine a little thicker and it came out really good. I didn’t think the pie filling was very flavorful, though. And I even added an extra 1/8 cup each of the creme de cacao and creme de menthe. I really like the consistency of the filling, but the flavor just wasn’t there for me. Next time I might change the proportion of gelatin mixture to whipped cream to see if I can get a tastier balance.
You could also use pistachio pudding, I think I have eaten it that way. I can’t wait to try this, it sounds so good.
My Mom always made grasshopper pies for Christmas. She never wrote down the recipe much to our distress because she’s had Alzheimer’s for the last 6 years. I’ve searched everywhere for what I could remember was in the pie and was overjoyed when I saw your recipe. I haven’t made it yet but by the ingredients it looks the same only she used regular graham crackers for the crust and put chocolate shavings on the top. I’ll let you know how it turns out. My daughter and I are so excited! Thanks!
Wow, I haven’t even chilled the pie yet and already I can tell just from tasting the filling that it’s going to be delicious! This recipe with egg yolks and gelatin is far superior than the other varieties I’ve made with marshmallow creme. I used plain Oreos instead of the mint kind, but other than that, I followed the directions exactly. I can’t wait for it to chill so hubby and I can dig in! Thanks for a great recipe!
wow……………wow…………wow…………..my goodness this is crazy will surprise my family and friends with this treat……….delicious looks gorgeous you just wanna eat it all the way
thanks
Hi, how did you achieve the cream swirls on top? Thanks.
Hi Lauren, I used a large decorating tip, I think maybe a 1M?
Oh my gosh…I was traveling on St. Patrick’s Day and missed this one. My grandmother, just smacked me on the head. This is the one she made in my childhood and I would dream of…we all thought it was great that it had booze it it. Of course, we didn’t know what booze meant, but it was a fun word to say. Thank you for sharing this!
we made this for our st pattys day dessert yesterday.. it was a crowd pleaser!!!
Oh I bet this pie is scrumptious, it sure wouldn’t last long at my house :)
I’ve never had grasshopper pie before, and this looks too pretty not to try out. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Oh, my! I remember this grasshopper pie in my childhood and dreamed that when I get married, I will have this for a cake :)
This post really grabbed me, because I am a pie maker and dog lover. Most all of my posts consist either pie, or my dog, or both : ) I love looking at your pictures of Einstein. I include WAY too many pictures of my dog Rainey, and I’m sure some people tire of them, but I figure oh well…if they do, they can pass through ; ) There are many dog lovers out there I’m sure, and if they aren’t, well then…they sure are missing something HUGE in their lives : ) : )
Einstein at the vet…OH.MY.GOSH!!! I have never seen such a thing in my life!! That is CLASSIC!! My love, Kama, was the most terrified dog at the vet, and my dog now, Rainey – she’ll tolerate going, but she sure doesn’t love it. Einstein…I have never. I can’t wait to show my husband when he gets home!!
Thank you, you just made my Friday!
I totally didn’t get this recipe yesterday, and believe me, I would’ve remembered it! It’s gorgeous and the beautiful green against that chocolatey crust is killing me. It looks so delicious!
How did I miss this recipe yesterday? Oh my gosh it looks incredible!!!
Oh my god, my Mom made this!!! One of my favorites!!!
Chocolate and peppermint is my favorite flavor combo…even more than chocolate and peanut butter! (Blasphemy I know!) So this sounds amaaaazing. And perfect for St. Pattys!
Now that pie is looking good!
Grasshopper Pie is my birthday request every year. Our family recipe uses marshmallows, and is just a bit easier, but I may have to try the mint oreos for the crust from now on.
So beautiful; light and airy but dense and rich, all in one! And yes, I remember Andes mints laying on the table as being a total highlight in life as a kid!
Wow, this looks sooo deliciously refreshing. I love chocolate and mint together but believe it or not have never had a grasshopper pie. Thank you for the recipe, will have to try it out soon:)
This looks delicious! And I’m a big fan of the blog–I’m making your Irish carbomb cupcakes this evening. But my inner math geek is distressed over the value of pi you wrote out… it’s 3.141592, not 29!
I’m so glad you said that! I didn’t want to be the geek to correct her, but it stood out to me, too! :-)
ummm … they make mint oreos? i must be living under a rock . … :)
Yep, and peanut butter! Be VERY CAREFUL with this information…if you’re anything like me, you will keep going back for “just one more” until they’re gone!
I love mint around this time of year!! Looks delicious. Happy Pi day!
What a fun & inventive way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day! I will have to make this for my sister — mint and chocolate chip are her favorite combination of flavors!
What a perfect grasshopper pie! So festive!
This looks so delicious!! I LOVE all things mint!
You are one smart cookie taking care of both Pi Day and St Patrick’s Day with one awesome pie! Chocolate and mint = pretty much the best flavor combo ever in my mind and somehow I’ve yet to make grasshopper pie. Will be happening soon for sure :)
Looks delicious! I like that you used mint Oreo’s!
I bought creme de menthe last year for brownies and haven’t used it since! This pie seems like a perfect opportunity to use some more of it :) It looks so light & fluffy!!!
I love grasshopper pie ice cream so I am sure I would love this pie! Thanks for making me drool…again. Haha, kidding love you Michelle! Might just have to whip one of these up for pi day!
I’ve been wanting to try this for so long – it sounds lovely!
Wow, this sounds so cool, rich and decadent! I love the flavors of mint and chocolate together and believe it or not, I have never had Grasshopper Pie! This looks like a great one to start with!!! :)