Satisfy your sweet tooth with a slice of no bake vegan grasshopper pie. Made with chocolate and mint, this dairy-free version of the classic dessert contains good-for-you ingredients like walnuts and avocados, but no one will know unless you tell them. It can be frozen for a cool, ice cream like dessert. Serve it on St. Patrick’s Day, Pi Day, or any time you’re craving a sweet treat. This easy recipe is vegan and gluten-free.
St. Patrick’s Day Dessert
A few weeks ago, I was looking for inspriation for a new St. Patrick’s Day recipe, so I hit up Google to see what it would give me. Grasshopper pie came up a few times, which I thought was a little strange, because there’s nothing Irish about it. I’ve noticed that people often include mint desserts in St. Patrick’s Day round-ups, even thought they’re not traditional recipes. They’re usually green, so I guess that counts on this emerald-tinted holiday.
With Pi Day (that’s 3.14 for you non-math geeks out there) coming up right before St. Paddy’s, I thought it would be fun to make a vegan version of the classic dessert. It can be served to celebrate either day—or both! If this recipe looks vaguely familiar, it’s because I based it on my Chocolate Mousse Pie.
What is Grasshopper Pie?
Grasshopper pie is a no bake pie that’s made with a chocolate cookie crust and a fluffy mint filling. Traditionally, it’s made with whipping cream, marshmallows, and crème de menthe along with a little green food coloring. It’s bright green, which is why it’s named after a green-hued insect.
Vegan Grasshopper Pie
The ingredients in this vegan version don’t resemember the classic version’s at all, but all of the flavor is still there. The crust is made with walnuts, dates, and cocoa powder, and the filling consists of avocados, coconut milk, and mint extract. I’ve thrown in spinach for its green color, rather than relying on artifically coloring. Since spinach has a mild flavor, I can guarantee you that no one will know it’s there.
How to make Vegan Grasshopper Pie
This pie is super easy to make, and it doesn’t require an oven!
- First you make the crust but pulising the walnuts, dates, cocoa powder, and salt together in a food processor. It should look crumbly.
- Then you press the mixture into your pie plate.
- Next you mix all of the filling ingredients together until it’s smooth and creamy. It can be done in a blender or food processor, but I’ve found that a blender works best to break up the spinach. It whips up in seconds in my Blendtec,
- Then you pour the filling into the crust. You can smooth it down with a spoon or spatula.
- You should pop your pie into the fridge for a few hours to let it set before slicing and serving it.
How to Serve Your Grasshopper Pie
You can top your pie with Vanilla Cashew Cream, mint leaves, a sprinkle of cocoa powder, and a handful of cacao nibs, or you can serve it as-is. It can be served straight from the freezer, for an ice cream like treat.
Grasshopper pie is kind of fluffy in nature, so your slices aren’t going to hold together perfectly. Don’t worry – they’ll still be super delicious!
Coconut Milk
When working with coconut milk, make sure you get the full-fat version. The reduced fat type is too watery for this recipe.
Coconut milk can separate in the can, so I like to pulse it my blender for a few seconds to mix it all together.
Chilled coconut milk whips up fluffier that it would at room temperature, so you should place it in the fridge for a few hours before making this pie. If you forget, you can pop it in the freezer while you’re making the crust.
Medjool Dates
Medjool dates work better than other types in this pie, because they’re larger and chewier, with more of a caramel flavor. They’re softer, so they lend themselves well to raw dessert recipes like this one.
If you can’t find medjools, you can use deglet noors, but I would recommend soaking them for about 20 minutes to soften them up. Since deglets are smaller, you may need two or three more to get the crust to stick together.
How to Store Your Pie
Wrap your pie tightly with plastic wrap or store in an air-tight container. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.
Vegan Grasshopper Pie
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups raw walnuts
- 12 medjool dates
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Filling
- 3 ripe avocados peeled and pitted, coarsely chopped, and lightly mashed
- 1 cup full fat coconut milk chilled
- 1 cup spinach packed
- ¾ cup maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons mint extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Garnish optional
- 1 cup Vanilla Cashew Cream
- Cacao nibs
- Mint leaves
Instructions
Make the Crust
- Place all of the crust ingredients into a food processor fitted with an s-blade. Process until the mixture looks crumbly, like cookie crumbs and sticks together when pressed.
- Press the mixture into a 9-inch pie pan or tart pan, forming a crust.
Make the Filling
- Place all of the filling ingredients in a blender food processor fitted with an s-blade and process until smooth and creamy. This may take a few minutes, and you may need to stop and scrape down the side once or twice. Taste the mixture for sweetness. If it’s too bitter, add a little more maple syrup, a tablespoon at a time. Keep in mind that the filling will get sweeter as it chills. If you like your pie super minty, add another teaspoon of mint extract.
- Pour the filling into the pie crust.
- Chill for at least 2 hours before serving. Serve topped with Vanilla Cashew Cream, cacao nibs, and mint leaves, if using.
Notes
nik
I made this recipe for a holiday dinner and it turned out amazing. Only question is how do you keep the mint layer so bright and vibrant?... Mine turned a brownish color which ended up being find because it was covered by the cashew cream, but is there a trick I am missing?
Dianne
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! You can add a little bit of lemon or lime juice to prevent browning.