Summer Is Calling

We are deep into the dog days of summer, and as we’ve said before that tends to mean “we all scream for ice cream”…or in this case, ice cream pie!

There could hardly be an easier or more simple and delicious, no bake, summer dessert. Everyone loves ice cream. This pie is no exception and can be modified to your liking. This is much more of a method than a recipe. Ours is gluten free but it could also be made dairy free or nut free as your needs dictate. Here is how we made this pie:

Crust:
1 1/2-2 cups cookie crumbs (we used gluten free chocolate chip cookies)
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 sugar

Filling and topping:
3 pints ice cream (we used chocolate and vanilla)
1/2 cup fudge sauce (you could use Nutella instead)
1/4 cup caramel sauce
Pecans for garnish (you can also use almonds, or walnuts, or peanuts)
Whipped cream

Grind cookies into crumbs in a food processor then add in the sugar and butter and blend well. Press crumbs into a pie plate and refrigerator for 15 minutes to chill.

While the crust is chilling, allow ice cream to soften for 5-10 minutes. The ice cream should be soft enough to spread fairly easily but definitely not runny. Fill the chilled crust with ice cream, one or two or more flavors as you choose. Top with softened fudge sauce to within about 1″ of the edge of the pie. Drizzle with caramel sauce. Top with pecans or nuts of your choice. Decorate the edge of the pie with whipped cream rosettes. You can either whip your own cream with a bit of sugar and vanilla and use a pastry bag and decorative tip to make them or use Ready Whip or other canned whipped cream to make your rosettes.

Freeze your pie for at least 4 hours or up to overnight. Take the pie out of the freezer for 10 minutes before serving to allow it to soften enough to cut easily.

If you have an allergy to dairy, use dairy free ice cream or sorbet, and use dairy free whipped cream. If you have an allergy to nuts you can use sprinkles instead of nuts for your garnish. You can make this pie according to your needs and tastes. But make this pie! After all, summer is calling 🙂