This vegan grasshopper pie is a vintage frozen mint pie made with Creme de Menthe liquor in a chocolate cookie crumb crust. If you like mint and chocolate together, you'll love this pie! It's kind of like vegan mint chocolate chip ice cream in pie form. How can you go wrong with that?
Jump to:
Grasshopper pie was popular in the 60s and 70s in the US. If you're over the age of 40, you may have vague memories of it at summer picnics from your childhood. It's a light and fluffy frozen pie with a hint of mint and a chocolate crust.
I wanted to make something green for St. Patricks Day and remembered my grandmother's grasshopper pie recipe. I had to swap out nearly every ingredient to make it vegan, but it still worked and the result was an amazingly delicious minty pie that my family loved!
🧾 INGREDIENTS AND SUBSTITUTIONS
For the chocolate crumb crust
- Chocolate Cookies - for the pie crust. You can use Oreos, and thin mints, or any other vegan chocolate cookie. (Use gluten-free cookies for a gluten-free pie).
- Vegan Butter - to hold the cookie crust together. You can also use coconut oil instead if you prefer. (I like to use my homemade vegan butter.)
For the mint pie filling
- Aquafaba - this is the liquid from a can of chickpeas. It can be whipped up similar to egg whites into a meringue-like mixture. I use this as a replacement for marshmallows and whipped cream in a traditional grasshopper pie.
- Cream of tartar - for acidity to help the aquafaba whip up and hold its fluffiness.
- Powdered Sugar - for sweetness. You can also use granulated sugar, but powdered sugar keeps it fluffier. (Organic powdered sugar is vegan.)
- Creme de Menthe - for the green color and minty taste. You can also use mint extract instead, for an alcohol-free pie.
- Vegan Cream Cheese - for creaminess and to give the pie structure. You can use store-bought or my homemade vegan cream cheese.
- Refined Coconut Oil - for richness and to give the pie structure. You can use unrefined coconut oil, but it will have a coconut taste.
- Chocolate Chips or Extra Cookie Crumbs - to sprinkle in and/or on the pie. (I used mini chocolate chips).
🥄 How to make the dairy-free grasshopper pie
Make the cookie crumb crust
- Place 20 chocolate cookies in a food processor and blend until they are crushed into tiny pieces. (You can also put them in a bag and hit them or roll a rolling pin over them until they are crushed).
- Mix 1/4 cup of melted vegan butter (or coconut oil) with the crushed sandwich cookies and then press the mixture to the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan or pie dish.
- Place in the refrigerator to cool while you make the filling.
Make the mint pie filling
- Pour 3/4 cup of aquafaba and 1/4 tsp of cream of tartar into a mixing bowl.
- Mix aquafaba with an electric mixer for 7 minutes, occasionally stopping to scrape the edges.
- Add 1 cup of powdered sugar a small amount at a time to the whipped aquafaba while mixing for another 2 minutes.
- After the aquafaba has been beaten for a total of 9 minutes, set the bowl of whipped aquafaba aside.
- Mix 2 cups of vegan cream cheese with 1/3 cup of creme de Menthe, and 1/3 cup of melted refined coconut oil in a separate bowl with an electric mixer.
- Slowly add 2 cups of powdered sugar to the cream cheese mixture 1/2 cup at a time beating again between each one.
- Pour the cream cheese mixture into the aqufaba mixture, sprinkle with chocolate chips or cookie crumbs and fold the mixture together with a spatula. Be careful not to over-stir or it will start to deflate. Just stir enough so that everything is incorporated.
- Pour the filling into the pie crust and smooth it out. (Top with some extra chocolate chips or cookie crumbs if you want).
- Freeze overnight or for at least 6 hours. Serve frozen.
👩🏻🍳 Pro Tips
- Make sure to beat the aquafaba for a total of 9 minutes. It will look like whipped cream after about 5 minutes, but the protein bond will not be strong enough to hold the air in the pie until it whips for a total of 9 minutes. You can do more, but don't do less.
- If your aquafaba is thin and runny out of the can, simmer it in a saucepan for 10 minutes then allow it to come back to room temperature before beating. This will make it more concentrated and fluff better.
- Use a pre-made chocolate graham cracker crust if you want to make it easier.
- You will need a large sharp knife to cut through the frozen pie crust. Push down firmly to cut through it when slicing.
- If you don't want to use alcohol, you can omit the Creme de Menthe and use 1 tsp of peppermint extract instead.
- It's delicious topped with vegan whipped cream or whipped cream frosting too! (Optional)
- Add a drop or two of green food coloring to make it greener if desired.
🌾 How do I make it gluten-free?
To make this pie gluten-free - simply replace the chocolate cookies with gluten-free cookies.
I hope this becomes a family favorite at your house like it is at ours! It's perfect for Christmas, St. Patrick's Day, or summer picnics!
If you love no-bake desserts, try my no-bake vegan cheesecake, vegan blueberry cheesecake, vegan key lime pie, or my vegan oreo cheesecake recipes.
✨ More recipes that use aquafaba
Love mint and chocolate together? You have to try my recipe for creme de menthe squares. They're a family favorite!
📌 Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!
📋 Vegan grasshopper pie recipe
Vegan Grasshopper Pie
A light and fluffy frozen mint pie in a chocolate crumb crust.
Servings: 10
Calories: 492kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
For the chocolate crumb crust
- 3 tbsp vegan butter (or coconut oil) melted
- 20 chocolate cookies
For the mint filling
- 3/4 cup aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas or white beans).
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup Creme de Menthe
- 2 cups vegan cream cheese (2 - 8 oz. packages of cream cheese)
- 1/3 cup refined coconut oil melted
- 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips or cookie crumbs (Mini chips work best)
Instructions
To make the cookie crumb crust
- Place 20 chocolate cookies in a food processor and blend until they are crushed into tiny pieces. (You can also put them in a bag and hit them or roll a rolling pin over them until they are crushed).
- Mix 1/4 cup of melted vegan butter (or coconut oil) with the crushed sandwich cookies and then press the mixture to the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan or pie dish.
- Place in the refrigerator to cool while you make the filling.
Make the mint pie filling
- Pour 3/4 cup of aquafaba and 1/4 tsp of cream of tartar into a mixing bowl.
- Mix with an electric mixer for 7 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape the edges.
- Add 1 cup of powdered sugar a small amount at a time to the whipped aquafaba while mixing for another 2 minutes.
- After the aquafaba has been beaten for a total of 9 minutes, set the bowl of whipped aquafaba aside.
- Mix 2 cups of vegan cream cheese with 1/3 cup of creme de Menthe, and 1/3 cup of melted refined coconut oil in a separate bowl with an electric mixer.
- Slowly add 2 cups of powdered sugar to the cream cheese mixture 1/2 cup at a time beating again between each one.
- Pour the cream cheese mixture into the aqufaba mixture, sprinkle with chocolate chips or cookie crumbs and fold the mixture together with a spatula. Be careful not to over-stir or it will start to deflate. Just stir enough so that everything is incorporated.
- Pour the filling into the pie crust and smooth it out. (Top with some extra chocolate chips or cookie crumbs if you want).
- Freeze overnight or for at least 6 hours. Serve frozen.
Notes
- If your aquafaba is thin and runny out of the can, simmer it in a saucepan for 10 minutes then allow it to come back to room temperature before beating. This will make it more concentrated and fluff better.
- Make sure to beat the aquafaba for a total of 9 minutes. It will look like whipped cream after about 5 minutes, but the protein bond will not be strong enough to hold the air in the pie until it whips for a total of 9 minutes. You can do more, but don't do less.
- Use a pre-made chocolate graham cracker crust if you want to make it easier.
- You will need a large sharp knife to cut through the frozen pie crust. Push down firmly to cut through it when slicing.
- If you don't want to use alcohol, you can omit the Creme de Menthe and use 1 tsp of peppermint extract instead.
- It's delicious topped with vegan whipped cream too! (Optional)
- Add a drop or two of green food coloring to make it greener if desired.
- To make this pie gluten-free - simply replace the chocolate cookies with gluten-free cookies.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 492kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 370mg | Potassium: 63mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 47g | Vitamin A: 160IU | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 2mg
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Click the stars above or leave a comment! I'd love to hear from you!
I forgot to ask if you use the whole Oreo cookie with icing or if you separate the layers and use just the cookie part?
You use the whole oreo cookie. 🙂
Can this be made a week ahead? I like most of your recipes that I’ve tried, but I won’t have time to make it close to the dinner.
I think that will work, just be sure that you cover it well and get it as air-tight as possible to avoid icy build-up on it. Enjoy!
Thank you, Monica, for both responses. I really want to try this because it looks SO tasty.
Thanks! I hope that you enjoy it, Mary Beth!
Monica, this pie is dynamite!! It is SO rich that I can eat only a tiny sliver, but I’m ready to sacrifice. 🤣 I thought you might like to know that I made it last Thursday and there is no sign of the pie frosting up in the freezer today (Tuesday). The next time I make it I will spray my pie pan (I don’t have a springform pan) because the crust freezes harder than the filling and was hard to get out of the pan. I also added a few splashes of peppermint extract and food colouring to make it mintier and greener. Perhaps my crème de menthe was too old and had lost its flavour. An excellent recipe. Thank you.
I'm so happy that the recipe worked well for you. Mary Beth!
instead of a mixer would a vitamix (strong blender) work?
Yes, it will. You may just have to stop and scrape the edges a few times. Enjoy! 🙂
This looks delicious! Can I use something instead of aquafaba? I usually cook my beans from dried after soaking and changing the water to avoid phytates.
You could probably use a store-bought vegan whipped cream instead, but I haven't tested it this way. Enjoy! 🙂
This was so good! Thanks for the recipe
You're welcome, Elena. I'm glad that you liked it. 🙂
Love that you used aquafaba!! I can't wait to make this for my sister's birthday, which happens to be the weekend before St. Patty's Day 🙂 I'll have to grab some Creme de Menthe. Do you have a preferred brand?
I’m seriously tempted to try this, but without the biscuit base. I’m thinking mini ice creams, which would be a lovely treat to end a meal.
A while back I made pavlova using the chick pea liquid and it worked very well. The taste was a bit sharpish but the toppings overcame that. It makes good meringues too.😀
It works well as ice cream too. I would only use a cup of cream cheese instead of 2 for the ice cream since it doesn't need to be as firm. Enjoy! 🙂
Thank you, I’ll try that and let you know how I get on.