The name of this pie is likely to either repulse or excite your young eater. Anticipate an “EWWW GRASSHOPPERS?” or “COOL, GRASSHOPPERS!” Regardless, this recipe will be sure to engage them.
Please assure your child that no insects were harmed in the making of this pie. However, the earliest records of grasshopper pie are from 1904, and grasshoppers were indeed in that 100-year-old recipe!
Luckily, today’s Grasshopper Pie is full of mint and chocolate, not critters. Traditionally, this pie is crafted with the alcoholic beverage, crème de menthe (adults, feel free to email us for this recipe). But we figured that kids would likely enjoy the minty and chocolatey goodness too. This recipe has all the flavor and none of the alcohol.
The mint is what makes a grasshopper slice the perfect companion to a mug of hot chocolate while sitting next to a roasting fire.
Ingredients
24 chocolate covered mint cookies (like Thin Mints!)
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 teaspoon mint extract
15 drops green food coloring
8 ounces whipped topping (a small container of Cool Whip)
Instructions
Crush the chocolate mint cookies. You can do this by placing the cookies in a plastic Ziploc bag and using a rolling pin to crush them, or you can place them in a food processor and pulse them to get them to the desired consistency. You don’t want crumbs, you still want small pieces of the cookies.
In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese until fluffy with a hand mixer. Pour in the sweetened condensed milk and mix until smooth.
Add in 1/2 teaspoon mint extract and about 15 drops of food coloring (depending on how green you want it. Mix until the mint extract and food coloring are incorporated evenly throughout the cream cheese mixture. The color should be the same throughout the mixture.
Add about 3⁄4 of the crushed chocolate mint cookies into the cream cheese mixture, and stir until evenly distributed. Fold in the whipped top- ping and stir until all ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
Spoon the filling into the chocolate cookie crust pie shell. Cover the pie and place in the freezer on a flat surface and freeze overnight.
The next day remove the pie from the freezer and let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving. Add more crushed chocolate mint cookies on the top of the pie just before serving.