The Forgotten Pie Your Grandparents Ate In The Mid-1900s

Here's the thing — so many retro food trends deserve a comeback for good reason — whether it's the vintage dishes your grandparents made all of the time, or fun, quirky appetizers that mimic nostalgic 1950s food revivals. There's no denying that one dish that should be added to this ongoing list of almost-forgotten-about items is the illustrious Grasshopper pie. Before you assume your grandparents were chomping down a dessert made with insects, you should know that the name "Grasshopper" connotes a flavor profile of creamy mint and chocolate. 

I can personally attest that the "grasshopper" flavor was indeed popular. After all, my great grandma lived through almost the entirety of the 1900s, and her favorite drink — you guessed it – a refreshing Grasshopper cocktail recipe, which gets its taste from three ingredients: creme de menthe (sweet mint flavor), creme de cacao (a rich chocolate taste), and heavy cream. With a cocktail this decadently lush, it was only a matter of time before this flavor combo made its way into other desserts, hence the creation of a Grasshopper pie, which hit peak popularity in the 1960s. 

To get this yummy flavor combo into a pie, make a crust from crushed chocolate wafer cookies (think Oreos) and butter to impart the dark, bittersweet notes. The filling is where the mint flavor shines, and the ingredients that curate this iconic taste blend of chocolate and mint. Combine  creme de menthe and creme de cacao with melted marshmallows (which contain gelatin to stabilize the filling). It's a good idea to chill the pie crust before you add the filling to minimize the risk of your filling splitting.

The final touch to filling — fold in freshly whipped cream (which you could shortcut by buying Cool Whip) and a few drops of green food coloring to get the vibrant hue and form a light, fluffy, delish mixture that gets dumped into the pressed crust before chilling. It's a good idea to set your marshmallow mix in the fridge for around 15 minutes or so to really chill and not melt your cream. Looks like your grandparents were on to something because each bite delivers the snap of the buttery yet cocoa-crusted crust with cooling, airy vanilla-mint flavors. After all, combining booze with pie always sounds like a good idea — especially a no-bake, chocolate affair. 

Maybe you love the flavor combination, but a no-bake pie isn't your thing. If so, use the flavors as inspiration and create other desserts. For example, replace some of the water that's called for in brownie mix with the two liqueurs, and stir in some chopped Andes Mints to create Grasshopper-style brownies loaded with complementary flavor. Or honor past times (and this classic pie's flavors) by coming up with a drink that pays homage to a 50s diner with a Grasshopper milkshake that sports rich vanilla ice cream, cooling peppermint extract, and crushed dark chocolately Oreo cookies. If you're feeling frisky, splash in some of the previously mentioned liquers for a spiked version.