Oh my gosh, when summer hits and you need something totally refreshing but you absolutely *do not* want to turn on the oven? This is the recipe you beg your friends to make for you, but trust me, it’s so easy you won’t even mind making it yourself! I’m talking about the king of chilled desserts: the **Grasshopper Pie**. It’s this incredible mashup of deep chocolate crunch and bright, cool mint—it just sings.
This isn’t one of those sketchy recipes that looks good but falls apart when you slice it. Nope. This is my tried-and-true, rock-solid method. It comes together in under 20 minutes of actual work, and the filling chills up perfectly firm every single time. Honestly, if you can beat cream cheese, you can master this gorgeous, creamy, no-bake wonder. If you’re looking for more lightning-fast chilled treats, I have a whole rundown on how to avoid awful no-bake pies in just 4 hours chilling! Get ready for the obsession to start!
Why You Will Love This No-Bake Grasshopper Pie
Seriously, what’s not to adore about this stunning pie? It’s pure joy in a chocolate shell, and it basically makes itself. Get ready to fall head over heels for:
- It’s completely no-bake—no oven sweating required!
- The speed is incredible; active prep is done in minutes.
- That perfectly balanced, cool, rich mint chocolate flavor.
- The texture is unbelievably creamy and holds its slice shape beautifully.
For tons of other amazing desserts that skip the heat, check out my list of 4 exquisite no-bake cake recipes. They are lifesavers in the summer!
Essential Ingredients for the Perfect Grasshopper Pie
Okay, this recipe is fantastic because it uses ingredients you probably already have or can grab easily. Precision matters here, especially with anything involving cream cheese and butter, so make sure they are actually softened! You don’t want any little lumps ruining that gorgeous, smooth texture we’re aiming for.
We start with a pre-made 9-inch chocolate cookie crust. Don’t try to make your own unless you have an extra hour—the store-bought ones hold up perfectly for this no-bake filling.
For the creamy body, you’ll need a full package of cream cheese and half a cup of butter, both softened, naturally. We sweeten that up with one cup of powdered sugar—don’t substitute granulated sugar here, or it gets gritty!
Then comes the magic: one cup of heavy cream whipped up until it forms stiff peaks—this is what gives us that airy lift! A teaspoon of vanilla is necessary, but the real kicker is the flavoring. You need half a cup of that beautiful green **creme de menthe liqueur** and a quarter cup of chocolate syrup stirred right in. Measure that liqueur carefully—it’s potent!
Finally, save the whipped topping and some chocolate shavings for the top garnish. If you want some ideas on different creams perfect for fillings like this, I wrote about 4 cream recipes ideal for fillings that you might find interesting!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions for Your Grasshopper Pie
Listen, not everyone loves (or has on hand) the green liqueur, and that’s totally okay! If you need a non-alcoholic version of this mint chocolate pie, you can absolutely swap it out. Just use one teaspoon of pure mint extract paired with a few drops of green food coloring for that classic look. You’ll still get that wonderful mint flavor in your no-bake dessert!
Now, if you like your slice to stand up stiff as a board—especially on a really hot day—I have a little trick. This is something I learned messing around in the kitchen! Add one teaspoon of unflavored gelatin dissolved in two tablespoons of hot water right into the filling mix before you pour it into the crust. It makes the texture firmer without changing the taste one bit. It’s genius!
Step-by-Step Instructions to Make Grasshopper Pie
Alright, let’s get this wonderful, frosty pie into the crust! Since this is a no-bake dessert, the steps are super straightforward, but you need to treat the mixtures gently, especially when you start combining them. This is where we guarantee that silky-smooth texture and prevent the whole thing from collapsing later. If you need a super quick weeknight fix, remember my guide on easy 15-min no-bake pies!
Preparing the Cream Cheese Base
First things first: grab your mixer and cream together that softened cream cheese, the powdered sugar, and your softened butter. You need this stage to be perfect! Beat it until it looks absolutely baby-smooth. Seriously, run your spatula around the bowl a couple of times. If you have any lumps of cream cheese hiding in there, they will stay lumps in the final pie. We want zero lumps!
Folding and Flavoring the Grasshopper Pie Filling
While that’s smoothing out, you should have your heavy cream whipped up stiff in another bowl—you know, stiff peaks that hold their shape when you lift the whisk. Now for the critical part: you have to GENTLY fold the whipped cream into the cheese mixture. Use a big rubber spatula and cut down the middle, then sweep up the side. Do this slowly! We worked hard to get air into that cream, so we don’t want to deflate it.
Once that’s incorporated, pour in your green creme de menthe liqueur and the chocolate syrup. Fold just until the color is a lovely, consistent pale green. My personal check? I hold the bowl up to the light and make sure there are no streaks of white showing where the whipped cream hasn’t fully merged with the mint mixture. That means it’s ready to pour!
Chilling and Garnishing Your Grasshopper Pie
Pour that beautiful filling right into that waiting chocolate cookie crust. Now comes the hardest part: waiting. You must chill this pie for a minimum of four hours. I’m telling you, if you try to slice it at three hours, you’ll end up with a minty puddle on your plate! The chilling time is non-negotiable because it allows the fats and the optional gelatin to set up the structure that keeps your slices clean.
When it’s time to serve, just pile on that reserved whipped topping and shower the top with those gorgeous chocolate shavings. That contrast between the bright green, creamy filling and the dark chocolate topping is just stunning!
Tips for a Truly Perfect Grasshopper Pie
Even though this is easy, a couple of little tricks take this from good to absolutely show-stopping. First, if you need your cream cheese and butter softened *right now*, cut them into tiny little cubes and microwave them for about 10 seconds total. Just watch them—you want soft, not soup!
For those chocolate shavings on top? Don’t buy them! Grab a room-temperature chocolate bar, take a vegetable peeler, and shave strips right over the pie. They curl up beautifully and look professional. They add so much texture contrast!
Oh, and keep this recipe handy! Because I have so many wonderful old-school recipes just like this in my gramma’s best vintage dessert recipes collection; those tried-and-true methods never fail.
Serving Suggestions for Your Mint Chocolate Grasshopper Pie
Because this Grasshopper Pie is so rich and perfectly balanced between the cool mint and the dark chocolate, it pairs wonderfully with simple things. You don’t need a huge side dish to compete with that flavor profile!
When serving this decadent dessert, I always reach for a hot cup of strong black coffee. The bitterness of the coffee just cuts through the sweetness of the filling so perfectly. It’s a match made in heaven, honestly.
If you want to add something fresh, don’t overthink it. A handful of raspberries or sliced strawberries on the side gives a wonderful little tartness that brightens up every bite. They look so pretty next to that vibrant green, too!
For presentation right before serving, sometimes I skip the whipped topping and just sift a tiny bit of unsweetened cocoa powder over the top right before slicing. It gives it a more mature, sophisticated look. If you love decadent treats, you can browse more of my favorite decadent desserts right here!
Storage and Reheating Instructions for Grasshopper Pie
The best part about this Grasshopper Pie is what you *don’t* have to do—no reheating necessary! Since this is a glorious, chilled, no-bake dessert built on cream and cream cheese, we serve it cold, cold, cold. That glorious chill keeps the texture firm and refreshing, just like it should be.
Storage is super easy, but you need to be mindful of covering it well. Once the pie is totally set after that mandatory chilling time, pop it into the refrigerator immediately. I usually plan on keeping it covered tightly with plastic wrap. You want to make sure you don’t cover it directly on the whipped topping and shavings, though, or you’ll smoosh the pretty garnish!
If you need to cover the top layer, stick a couple of toothpicks into the filling around the edges and then drape the plastic wrap loosely over those posts. That keeps the wrap off the decorations!
Honestly, this pie tastes best within the first two days, but because of the high-fat content in the cream cheese and butter, it stays perfectly safe and delicious in the fridge for up to four days. If you happen to let it sit longer than that, the crust might start to get a little soggy from absorbing moisture from the filling, and nobody wants a soggy chocolate crust, right?
Frequently Asked Questions About Grasshopper Pie
I totally get it—when you’re making a chilled dessert like this, you have questions! It’s not like baking a regular cake where you can poke it and see. Here are the things people ask me most often about perfecting their **Grasshopper Pie**.
Can I make this Grasshopper Pie ahead of time?
Yes, absolutely! In fact, I think making it ahead is the secret weapon for any good host. You really want it to chill for those full four hours minimum so it sets up right. Since this is a **no-bake dessert**, the sweet spot is making it the day before you plan to serve it. If you wait much longer than 36 hours, the chocolate crust starts to get a little too moist from the filling weeping just a tiny bit. Cover it well, and it’s perfect!
Is Creme de Menthe necessary for the flavor of this mint chocolate pie?
That’s a great question! The creme de menthe liqueur is what gives this recipe its signature, deep, adult flavor. It’s slightly boozy and has such a concentrated mint taste that really balances the white sugar and chocolate. If you *have* to skip it for an alcohol-free dessert, the mint extract and food coloring substitution works just fine to get the color and the basic mint flavor, but I promise you lose that gorgeous complexity the liqueur brings. If you’re looking to see how other chilled wonders hold up over time, you might want to check out my post on avoiding awful no-bake pies in just 4 hours chilling!
Nutritional Estimates for This Grasshopper Pie
Alright, let’s talk numbers, even though when something tastes this good, I try not to think about it too much! Since this is a rich **mint chocolate pie** loaded with cream cheese, butter, and sugar, it definitely falls into the truly decadent dessert category. We aren’t kidding around here folks!
This information is based on dividing the whole recipe into 8 generous slices, and I always say you should take this with a grain of salt—pun intended! These are just estimates based on the standard versions of the ingredients listed. You know how much it changes if you dip into the topping supply while garnishing!
For comparison, if you’re tracking things, check out my thoughts on the surprising sugar content of fruits; it makes you appreciate the natural sweetness when it shows up!
Here’s the general breakdown for one slice of this amazing no-bake treat:
- Calories: 450
- Total Fat: 30g (Watch that Saturated Fat at 18g!)
- Total Carbohydrates: 40g (with 2g of Fiber)
- Protein: 5g
- Sugar: 35g (Yep, it’s a dessert!)
- Cholesterol: 90mg
The good news? It has zero Trans Fat, which is always a win when dealing with rich, chilled desserts. Enjoy every single bite!
Print
Grasshopper Pie
- Total Time: 4 hr 20 min
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A chilled, no-bake pie with a mint chocolate flavor and a cookie crust.
Ingredients
- 1 pre-made chocolate cookie crust (9 inch)
- 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup green creme de menthe liqueur
- 1/4 cup chocolate syrup
- 1/2 cup whipped topping (for garnish)
- Chocolate shavings (for garnish)
Instructions
- Beat the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and softened butter together until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form.
- Gently fold the whipped cream mixture into the cream cheese mixture.
- Stir in the green creme de menthe liqueur and chocolate syrup until the color is uniform.
- Pour the filling into the prepared chocolate cookie crust.
- Chill the pie in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or until firm.
- Before serving, top with whipped topping and chocolate shavings.
Notes
- You can substitute the liqueur with mint extract and a few drops of green food coloring for a non-alcoholic version.
- For a firmer texture, you can add 1 teaspoon of unflavored gelatin dissolved in 2 tablespoons of hot water to the filling mixture before chilling.
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 0 min
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No-Bake
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 35g
- Sodium: 250mg
- Fat: 30g
- Saturated Fat: 18g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 90mg
Keywords: Grasshopper Pie, mint chocolate pie, no-bake dessert, creme de menthe, chocolate crust