This easy grasshopper ice cream pie is perfection in a summer dessert. It is one of the easiest and most refreshing summer desserts as well!

On trip out West years ago, my two oldest boys (then ages 6 and 4) spent literally every waking minute of the four weeks catching grasshoppers. I’m not kidding. Every waking minute.

I tried not to show my revulsion at this pastime and continually reminded myself that since I have been blessed with four boys, I will probably see my share of grasshopper catching over the years. (Throwing them at mom is absolutely not allowed. It has been tried. And forbidden.)

A slice of pie with a mint ice cream base, chocolate middle, and whipped cream and chocolate curls on top.

At last count before we headed out of town, they had amassed at least 178 of the critters and begged us to let them bring them home.

We convinced them that sure enough, Wisconsin also has grasshoppers and that the 178 little pets wouldn’t fare so well on the 26 hour drive back.

In honor of their mourning over the lost friends, I made them this Grasshopper Ice Cream Pie. They were thrilled. I mean, literally jumping around shouting things like “Let’s tell daddy it really has grasshoppers in it!” and “You are the best mom EVER!”

I’ll take that. Especially since this is probably the easiest dessert I’ve thrown together in years. And it was so delicious, I hid the last piece in the freezer and snuck into my closet to eat it after lunch.

The ultra-buttery cookie crust turns almost cake-like in the freezer and what can go wrong with two decadent flavors of ice cream stacked on top of each other, smothered in whipped cream and garnished with the most adorable Andes mint curls you’ve ever seen? Nothing, I tell you. Nothing.

It is perfection in a summer dessert.

I’m well on my way to convincing the charges that they would much rather eat grasshopper pie than catch grasshoppers.

Yeah, like that’s going to work. But it’s worth a try.

A mint and chocolate ice cream pie with a big piece taken out.

One Year Ago: Foil Packet Chicken with Snow Peas and Carrots
Two Years Ago: Fusilli alla Caprese

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Grasshopper Ice Cream Pie

4.80 stars (15 ratings)

Ingredients

Crust:

  • 2 cups finely crushed chocolate cookie crumbs, i.e. chocolate teddy grahams, chocolate graham crackers, Nabisco famous wafers, etc.
  • 5 tablespoons butter, melted

Pie:

  • 1 quart green mint chocolate chip ice cream
  • 1 quart chocolate ice cream

Garnish:

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
  • 10 rectangle Andes mints

Instructions 

  • Combine the crushed cookie crumbs and the butter together in a medium bowl until the cookie crumbs are well-moistened and the mixture looks and feels like wet sand. Press the crumbs into a 9- or 10-inch springform pan and refrigerate or freeze until set (about 30 minutes).
  • While the crust is in the refrigerator, take out the mint chocolate chip ice cream and let it sit at room temperature for 15-ish minutes to soften up a bit. Scoop the softened ice cream into a medium bowl (you can use the same one as the cookie crumbs, if you like!) and stir the ice cream until it is smooth. You don’t want it overly melted here – just try to stir it all up so it is easy spreadable but is still cold and icy. Spread the ice cream over the cookie crust in an even layer. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm, at least an hour.
  • Follow the same step above with the chocolate ice cream and spread it on top of the mint chocolate chip ice cream (make sure the mint ice cream is thoroughly frozen so the layers don’t mix). Once the chocolate ice cream has been spread evenly, again cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 1-2 hours (or tightly covered up to a three days).
  • When you are ready to serve the pie, whip the heavy cream into stiff peaks with the powdered sugar. To make the Andes mint curls, microwave one mint for five seconds on 20 or 30% power (this was adequate in my microwave but keep in mind that each microwave can cook hotter or cooler so test accordingly). Hold the mint nestled in a paper towel with one long thin edge exposed above the top of the paper towel. Take a vegetable peeler and gently shave off curls from the long, thin edge. Repeat this process until you have the desired amount of curls to garnish with (I shaved the curls early in the day and kept them on a plate in the freezer until I was ready to use them).
  • Unmold the grasshopper pie from the springform pan and pile the whipped cream on top of the ice cream. Spread in large dollops over the top of the pie. Sprinkle with the curls. Cut the pie into slices and serve immediately. If you are planning to have leftovers, serve the whipped cream on each piece separately instead of the whole pie, as the whipped cream doesn’t fare as well being frozen on top of the pie for a long period of time.
Serving: 1 Serving, Calories: 797kcal, Carbohydrates: 84g, Protein: 11g, Fat: 49g, Saturated Fat: 29g, Cholesterol: 152mg, Sodium: 452mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 65g

Recipe Source: adapted and expounded upon from Cook’s Country