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Peppermint Pie ~ light and fluffy, simple and sweet, with all the flavors of the holiday season!
Place the entire 9 ounce package (minus one or two) of chocolate wafer cookies in the food processor.
Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie place lightly greased with Pam. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 7-8 minutes. Allow the crust to cool to room temperature while preparing the filling.
Place the peppermints in a large Ziploc bag. I took mine out to the garage and used a hammer to crush them on the concrete floor. Crush extra for the garnish.
The filling is made from heavy whipping cream, unflavored gelatin, cool water, crushed peppermints and peppermint extract.
Sprinkle the gelatin over 1/4 cup cold water and set aside.
Allow the mixture to soften while preparing the filling.
In a small saucepan add 1/2 cup whipping cream.
Add the crushed peppermints to the heavy whipping cream and cook on low heat until the candy melts.
If you crushed the candy into small pieces this will not take long. This candy turned the cream a bright pink color. If using Bob’s brand peppermint it may turn a brownish-pink color. This is fine too. Once the candy is melted, add the gelatin mixture and peppermint extract and stir to combine. Cool this mixture until room temperature but be sure to watch it carefully. You don’t want it to become set like Jell-O.
In a separate bowl, beat 1 1/2 cups of heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form.
Gently fold the mixtures together until almost completely blended.
Pour the filling into the cooled chocolate crust and spread evenly.
Refrigerate until set (about two hours). Decorate the top of the pie with additional whipped cream and crush peppermints if desired. (Wrapping paper optional 🙂
A pepperminty fresh taste without sugar overload which seems strange since it’s covered in crushed candy!
This is a photogenic pie so I took advantage of the daylight to play with the camera.
Thanks for PINNING!
Peppermint Pie Recipe
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 9 ounces chocolate graham crackers or crisp chocolate cookies
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
For the filling:
- 1 (25-ounce) package plain gelatin (about 2 ¼ teaspoons)
- ¼ cup cold water
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream divided
- 1 cup crushed soft peppermint candy plus extra for garnish
For the garnish:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ⅓ cup sifted powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla or peppermint extract
- Crushed peppermint
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Add the chocolate cookies and granulated sugar to a food processor and pulse until crushed to a fine crumb. Add the melted butter and pulse until mixed. Spray a 9-inch pie plate with Pam. Gently press the crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate. Bake for 7-8 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature.
- In a small bowl sprinkle gelatin over the cold water and set aside to soften. Measure ½ cup whipping cream in a small saucepan. Add 1 heaping cup of the crushed peppermint candy. Cook over low heat until all the candy is melted. Remove from the heat and add the softened gelatin and peppermint extract. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Don't allow the mixture to cool too long and become set.
- Beat 1 ½ cups of heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the peppermint mixture into the whipped cream until almost blended. Spread the filling into the pie crust and refrigerate until set - about 2 hours.
- Garnish with additional sweetened whipped cream and crushed peppermints as desired. The extra crushed peppermint adds a good sweet crunch to this pie without making it overly sweet. Garnish away!
Recipe Notes
- (adapted from a recipe by Paula Dean)
Nutrition
Peggy
Nabisco no longer makes Famous Chocolate Wafers, unfortunately. They were a very popular item.
Tricia Buice
I was so upset when they stopped making these Peggy. I’ll update the recipe. Thanks!
Charles Chamberlain
This recipe should be the standard for this dessert, which my mother made way back in the late1930’s. She called it a “company dessert”. I got to grind up the peppermint candy canes off the Christmas tree in the old cast iron meat grinder. She only made this for New Year’s. Today I use the food processor. The difference in the recipes is that we use hard Star Brite peppermints , and skip the cooking part. Subtle differences.
Tricia Buice
Thanks Charles. Happy Holidays!
Susan
I really want this pie to turn out like the one in your picture. I’m making this for Christmas. Can you please let me know if you added red food coloring to your peppermint mixture because in the picture where you added the peppermint mixture to the whipped cream, it is dark red, but in the previous picture when it was melting, it was more pink. If red food coloring was used, please include the amount and type (gel or liquid). Thanks so much! Hope mine turns out as pretty as your pie.
Tricia Buice
Hi Susan. No I did not add any food color. I would have added it to the directions if I had. One of the pictures shows the peppermints still melting. The one where it’s being poured into the whipped cream shows the cream and candy mixture after it was fully melted. If you don’t think it is pink enough, feel free to add a drop or two of gel food color. Enjoy!
Susan
Did you add red food coloring to the peppermint mixture because your photo of the peppermint mixture when added to the whipped cream is very dark red compared to the previous picture of the melted candy in the cream which is more pink? If so, please include type of food coloring (gel or liquid) and amount of red food coloring you used in the recipe. Thank you.
Tricia Buice
Hi Susan. No I did not. The color came from the peppermint candy. Enjoy!
Debbie Hopwood
I was wondering if you can make this ahead of time and freeze until Christmas?
Tricia Buice
Hi Debbie. I think it would freeze very well. Enjoy!
gretchen garners
thanks so much! great recipe, just what i was looking for and i enjoyed your writing style as well. you’ve inspired me ?
Tricia Buice
Thanks Gretchen!