This stunning dessert from the Momofuku Milk Bar is comprised of a graham cracker crust, mint cheesecake filling, a brownie layer and topped with toasted marshmallows and a mint glaze!
School is out! Can you believe it? Last week, we had our end of 5th grade celebrations and activities for Addie. It’s hard to fathom that we are now parents of a middle schooler. How did that happen? Wasn’t she just in diapers yesterday?
Last week was a flurry of activities. Not only did we have our 5th grade graduation, but it was also my husband’s birthday (on the same day). Then Sunday was Father’s Day. Naturally, I had to make sure I had the appropriate desserts to celebrate all of the things.
My husband picked out this grasshopper pie for his Father’s Day dessert. We saw it featured on one of the cooking documentaries on Netflix, so I happily obliged.
Surprisingly, this was one of the easier Milk Bar recipes I’ve attempted. The cakes, while beautiful, require a lot of components and time to assemble and chill. This grasshopper pie was done assembling (other than the drizzle) in less than an hour and a half.
I was thrilled that the pieces were fairly easy to cut, and that the graham cracker crust didn’t fall apart on me when I sliced into it (I hate it when graham cracker crusts crumble during slicing). The crust was firm enough to stay together but was still crunchy enough to add some texture.
My entire family adored the pie. I probably would eliminate the marshmallows the next time, since I didn’t think they added that much additional texture or flavor overall. Otherwise, this was another fantastic recipe from the Momofuku Milk Bar cookbook. Kudos to Christina Tosi for his imaginative desserts!
Husband’s rating: 4.5 out of 5
Addie’s rating: 4.5 out of 5
My rating: 4.5 rating: out of 5
Momofuku Milk Bar grasshopper pie
Ingredients
Graham cracker crust
- 1 and ½ cups (190 grams) graham cracker crumbs
- ¼ cup (20 grams) nonfat milk powder
- 2 Tablespoons (25 grams) granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon (3 grams) kosher salt
- 4 Tablespoons (½ stick or 55 grams) unsalted butter melted
- ¼ cup (55 grams) heavy cream
Mint cheesecake filling
- 2 ounces (60 grams) white chocolate chopped
- 2 Tablespoons (20 grams) grapeseed oil I used canola
- 2 and ½ ounces (75 grams) cream cheese softened
- 2 Tablespoons (20 grams) powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon (2 grams) peppermint extract
- ¼ teaspoon (1 gram) kosher salt
- 2 drops green food coloring
Brownie layer
- 4 and ½ ounces (125 grams) 72% dark chocolate chopped
- 6 Tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter cubed
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (40 grams) all-purpose flour
- 3 Tablespoons (25 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon (2 grams) kosher salt
- ½ cup (110 grams) heavy cream
Toppings
- 2 Tablespoons (20 grams) mini chocolate chips
- ½ cup (25 grams) mini marshmallows
Mint glaze
- 1 ounce (30 grams) white chocolate chopped
- 2 teaspoons 6 grams) grapeseed oil I used canola
- ⅛ teaspoon (½ gram) peppermint extract
- 1 drop green food coloring
Instructions
Make the crust
- In a medium sized bowl, mix together the graham cracker crumbs, mill powder, sugar and salt.
- In a measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together the melted butter and heavy cream until it is uniform. Pour this into your bowl with the dry ingredients and keep mixing until the crumbs look like wet sand. If you pinch some crumbs together, they should keep their shape. If the mixture is too dry, add a little bit more melted butter.
- Set ¼ of the graham cracker crumbs aside for later. Transfer the remaining wet crumbs to a standard pie plate and press it on the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Set aside.
Make the mint cheesecake filling
- In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt together the white chocolate and oil. Mix well until uniform and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl if using a handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar together on medium speed for about 2-3 minutes and until smooth. Make sure you scrape down the sides of the bowl before moving on to the next step.
- Turn the mixer to low and slowly add in the white chocolate mixture. Let the mixer run for 1-2 minutes or until the batter looks even. Scrape down the bowl again.
- Finally, add the peppermint extract, salt and green food coloring and mix until the filling is smooth. Set aside. NOTE: Do not make this component ahead of time.
Make the brownie layer
- In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt together the chocolate and butter. Heat in bursts of 20-30 seconds and mix in between until smooth.
- In the bowl of a clean stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl if using a handheld mixer, beat the eggs and sugar together on medium high speed for 3-4 minutes. The eggs should appear a pale yellow color.
- Turn the mixer down to low and add in the melted chocolate. Mix on medium speed for about 1 minute or until the mixture is smooth and uniform.
- Add in the flour, cocoa powder and salt and mix on low speed for another minute. Make sure there are no dry streaks. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add in the heavy cream and mix another 30-45 seconds or until no white streaks remain.
- Fold in the reserved ¼ cup of graham cracker crumbs. Set aside.
Assemble the pie
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Pour the mint cheesecake filling on top of your graham cracker crust.
- Pour the brownie batter on top of the cheesecake filling. Swirl it with a knife so it blends somewhat with the cheesecake layer.
- Sprinkle some mini chocolate chips around the center of the pie (but leave the exact center untouched). Add mini marshmallows around the edges of the pie.
- Bake in your preheated oven for 25 minutes. The brownie layer will still be jiggly but the marshmallows will start to toast and turn brown. The chocolate chips will look like they are on the verge of melting.
- Remove the pie from the oven and allow to cool completely. At this point, you can stick the pie in the refrigerator or freezer to speed it up if needed.
Make the glaze
- In a small microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup, melt together the white chocolate and oil together. Mix well until it is uniform. Add in the peppermint extract and food coloring and mix until smooth.
- Using a fork or small spatula, drizzle the glaze on top of the fully cooled pie. Transfer the pie back to the refrigerator to cool completely, about 15 minutes.
- Slice and serve.
Hi Eva! I would like to know what you thought of the graham cracker crust? The recipe for it is so different from the usual graham cracker crusts I have seen all my life. Do you feel it is remarkably different in taste and has wow factor? Do you think it can be pre-baked if I want to fill it with a cold filling?
I totally know how you feel. My children are growing up way too fast. Life is going away too fast.
Thanks!
Author
Hi Smita! I liked the graham cracker crust on this – it didn’t feel as… solid (?) as the typical graham cracker crust. When I make a classic graham cracker crust, it usually bakes up pretty hard and stays together in one piece. As a result, it’s hard to slice into in order to get a clean piece. If I recall, I don’t think I had this issue with the crust from this recipe. I’m sure you can pre-bake the crust and fill it with something else. While I haven’t tried it, it sounds like it would work. Thanks for reading my blog!
thank you Eva!
Hi, is the brownie layer supposed to be really fudged? I baked it until the marshmallows were brown (about 30 min) and the centre was still jiggly but it seemed a bit underbaked when we ate it. Just wondering what the texture is supposed to be. Thanks!
Author
Hi Chelsey – the brownie layer should be fudgy but not runny. I like my brownies a bit underbaked so they’re not dry, but they shouldn’t be too jiggly when you take them out of the oven (make sure the top looks set). It sounds like yours might have been slightly underbaked.
Hi there, I was wondering what is the size of the pan? I saw Christina Tosi making this in the Chef Show on Netflix and she used an aluminum pan, I reckon it’d be easier to cut the pie with it than my glass baking dish with high sides! Thanks!
Author
I used a glass baking dish with high sides. I think it’s a 9 inch diameter pie dish. 😄