It’s funny how memory works. My mom, for example, doesn’t remember this pie, even though my siblings and I consider it a highlight of childhood. Even when I sent her a snapshot of the finished frozen wonder, it didn’t bring forth the fact that she made it during the summer months for special occasions. I suppose it shouldn’t come as a surprise given how often my own kids recount memories that have completely slipped me by.
I recreated what’s come to be known as “junk food pie” several years ago from memory alone, which wasn’t difficult given its simplicity: A chocolate crust, vanilla ice cream with nuggets of chocolate-covered toffee, and a swipe of fudge sauce across the top. It’s an undeniably easy ice cream pie with chocolate crust that despite my mom’s momentary lapse, is pretty unforgettable.
Just Five Ingredients
I can’t understate how entry-level this pie is to make. It’s got just five ingredients and will take you 20 minutes start to finish, tops. Below I’ve got a step-by-step in photos to help you along the way. It’s worth noting that unlike most of my recipes, this one isn’t about being healthy or even healthy-ish. It is, however, delicious — the epitome of a crowd pleaser, a recipe to make and savor, then tuck away and look forward to again next summer.
Scale it up for a Crowd
Besides being easy to make, it’s also a darn flexible recipe. It serves six to eight, but can be scaled up for a bigger group. Here’s how:
- Use a 9×13-inch pan.
- Increase the amount of cookies and butter by 50 percent (that’s 30 cookies and 3 tablespoons butter).
- Press the crust just in the bottom of the pan, not up the sides.
- Double the amount of ice cream, chocolate/toffee, and fudge sauce (that’s 4 1/2 cups ice cream, 1 1/2 cups chocolate/toffee, and 2/3 cup fudge sauce.
- Figure it will serve about 12.
Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free-Friendly
Since one of my daughter has food sensitivities, we recently experimented with alternative ingredients so she could enjoy it, too. It worked like a dream with gluten-free sandwich cookies by Glutino, Coconut Bliss “ice cream”, coconut oil instead of butter, and dairy free chocolate.
Step-by-Step Easy Ice Cream Pie with Chocolate Crust
1.Gather your ingredients (everything you see below, plus 2 tablespoons of butter).
2. Pulverize cookies and butter in a food processor.
3. Press cookie crumbs into a pie pan to form a crust.
4. Chop the chocolate/toffee into bits. Try not to eat it all.
5. Stir the chocolate/toffee into softened vanilla ice cream.
6. Fill the crust with the ice cream, smoothing over the top.
7. Freeze until firm, then cover with fudge sauce and more chocolate/toffee bits. Freeze again until ready to serve.
For more crowd-pleasing desserts, you might like:
Eton Mess with Yogurt Whipped Cream
Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie from Real Mom Nutrition
Whole-Wheat Strawberry Shortcake (my recipe on Simply Recipes)
Easy Ice Cream Pie with Toffee Bits and Chocolate Crust
This was the ice cream pie my mom would bring out during the summer months when company came. It was always a huge hit and is now something I make for summer parties when I’m in the mood for something decadent and crazy good. It’s just five ingredients, requires no baking, and can be assembled and stashed in the freezer under 20 minutes. If you’re serving a larger crowd, you can do this in a 9×13-inch pan with these adjustments: For the crust, bump up the cookies and butter by 50 percent and press the crust just in the bottom of the pan, not up the sides. Double the rest of the ingredients for a dessert that will serve about 12.
Ingredients
- 3 cups vanilla ice cream (1 1/2 pints) (use dairy free “ice cream” for a DF version))
- 20 chocolate sandwich cookies, such as Newman Os or Oreos (use gluten-free sandwich cookies for a GF version)
- 2 tablespoons melted butter (use melted coconut oil for a DF version)
- 3/4 heaping cup chocolate toffee, such as Tcho, Heath, or Skors bars, chopped
- 1/3 cup chocolate fudge sauce or syrup (homemade or store-bought)
Instructions
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Take the ice cream out of the fridge to soften while you make the crust.
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Put the cookies into a food processor and run until they’re tiny crumbs. Drizzle the butter over the crumbs and run again to blend. Transfer to a standard pie pan and press firmly along the bottom and sides.
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Put the softened ice cream into a large bowl, add a heaping 1/2 cup of the chocolate toffee, and stir to combine. If the ice cream isn’t soft enough to stir, wait a few minutes and try again.
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Transfer the ice cream to the pie pan and spread to smooth the top. Stash in the freezer for 2 hours.
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Retrieve the pie from the freezer, drizzle the chocolate fudge over the ice cream, and use a rubber spatula to spread it across the top. Scatter the chocolate toffee bits over the pie. Freeze again until ready to serve.
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Cut it into wedges and serve.
