I used my coffee chip ice cream recipe for the pie pictured above and even served the ice cream pie a la mode!
“…Amen”. Oh I’m sorry, I just had to say a quick prayer after eating another slice of this pie because it is so sinfully delicious. I have made it no secret that my favorite flavor combo is coffee and chocolate, a dessert that combines the two with ice cream: Sign me up! As if that was not enough reason to love this pie, the added bonus is that the crust is my favorite cookie, Oreo, and my favorite ice cream flavor, coffee, is the filling. If this pie were not already named after the frothy, caffeinated beverage, I would have probably started a petition to have it named after me. Since that role has already been filled, I will just stick to being this dessert’s #1 fan. If you are looking for a grown up version of the ice cream cake you had as a child, look no further, and has the simplest process to put it together.
I will always remember the first time I ever tried my first slice of cappuccino pie. My boyfriend—now husband—and I were seniors in high school and had just started dating. While driving back from dinner one night, we were stopped at an intersection, and he remarked that the restaurant we were stopped by had the most amazing cappuccino pie, and asked if I would like to try it. I think you could see my ears perk up from the next car over. He got the hint and on went the blinker! We pulled into the restaurant, and little did I know, the boy who would become my life’s staple introduced me to one of my dessert staples. I adore both of them—and could eat one of them with a spoon. Like any good recipe does, this recipe has options. You want to make your own ice cream for the filling? Go for it. I linked my recipe for coffee chip ice cream here. If you want to buy a quart of your favorite coffee ice cream, that’s great too. This is a pie that is eager to please.
Ingredients
Crust:
25 Oreo cookies, yielding 2 cups of crumb
1/2 tsp. espresso powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
5 tbsp. melted butter
Filing:
1 quart of coffee ice cream, softened
or if you want to make your own: click here! Just make sure you have a quart of it!
Topping:
2 cups of heavy cream
2 tbsp. of lemon juice (okay your eyebrows might be raising at this one, but hear me out. Traditionally speaking, when espresso is served in an Italian restaurant, it is served with a lemon rind that you are supposed to rub around the rim of the espresso cup and put into the drink, to cut the bitterness. I thought this addition would be a fun nod to that! It also helps cut through some of the milk fat and brightens the flavor!)
1-2 tbsp. of powdered sugar, depending on how sweet you like your whipped cream
Method
For the crust:
Preheat oven to 350.
In a food processor, pulse Oreos, espresso powder, and salt until Oreos are a fine crumb. Pulse and stream butter in. Mix should look and feel like wet sand.
Press into a pie dish with a measuring cup, I find the 1/3 of a cup works best, and work to make the crust even.
Bake for 6-8 minutes.
Take out and let cool.
For the filling:
If you’re making your own ice cream, now is the time to bust out that ice cream maker! Your ice cream mixture can harden in your pie dish once it is done being mixed.
If you’re going the premade route, put your ice cream on the counter to soften for 30 minutes or until spreadable.
Fill pie dish with ice cream and place into freezer to set. About 30 minutes.
For the topping:
Combine heavy cream, lemon, and sugar into a bowl and beat until stiff peaks form.
Top pie with cream mixture.
Place back into freezer to harden for 4 hours.
Pie can be stored in the freezer. To slice, run some hot water over a knife to make cutting easier! Or you can just stand in your kitchen, in your jammies, with a spoon just enjoying the whole thing yourself. No judgement.