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With a real food Chocolate “Oreo” Pie Crust, Ice Cream Mud Pie is decadent and incredibly delicious! Layers of Chocolate and Coffee (or Vanilla) ice cream are topped with Easy Chocolate Ganache, optional nuts, sea salt and optional chocolate chips.
If you wish, garnish the whole thing with Pourable Chocolate Sauce and whipped cream.
This recipe can just as easily be made with or without dairy. It’s Paleo, Keto, AIP, Vegan and Gluten-free, as well as no-bake and egg-free.
I grew up eating Ice Cream Mud Pies for my birthday each year (my mom used to buy them from Baskin-Robbins!), so this was a fun recipe for me to make for my family.
My husband confidently said it was the best ice cream pie he’d ever had.
I’ve never heard my 17-year-old son say so many emphatic phrases in a few minutes: “Oh wow. Mmm, hmmm.” And I can’t remember all the others, but he kept going on and on, so I finally laughed with joy. I know you’ll love it too.
Ingredients in Ice Cream Mud Pie Recipe
If you want to take any shortcuts with this recipe, you can certainly buy Keto, Paleo or AIP ice cream from the store. A good brand for Keto is Rebel, and a good brand for Paleo and AIP is Coconut Bliss.
You could also cut down a little time by: buying one pint … and making one batch of homemade ice cream.
Overall, this recipe feels pretty restful and super low stress to make (I mean, it’s ice cream after all, right?), but it does have a few components:
- Delicious, chocolatey “Oreo” Pie Crust, or for AIP and nut-free, Tiger Nut Flour Pie Crust
- 2 ice cream flavors: choose from Chocolate, Vanilla or Coffee (I give links to all of these recipes below in the Recipe card.)
- Chocolate Ganache — I have both Keto, Paleo AND AIP versions of this recipe for you below.
- Optional Pourable Chocolate Sauce for garnishing the cut pie with drizzles.
- Whipped Cream — Dairy OR non-dairy
- Various additional optional toppings: chocolate/carob chips, flakey sea salt and roasted nuts (not AIP)
How to make Ice Cream Mud Pie Recipe
- Start by making the easy no-bake Chocolate “Oreo” Pie Crust. If you’re AIP, make the Tiger Nut Flour Pie Crust instead. (This one bakes.)
- Choose your ice cream flavors. The most traditional flavors for mud pies are:
- Chocolate
- Coffee — To make coffee ice cream, just add 2 Tablespoons Organic Instant Coffee to the Vanilla Ice Cream recipe before freezing (delicious!!).
- and Vanilla. If you’re making both flavors from scratch, you’ll need to allow time for the ice cream freezing cylinder to chill between batches, depending on your ice cream maker … so start 2 days before you plan to serve.
- Make ice cream, and freeze each batch.
- To fill Crust, set the frozen ice cream in the fridge for 10 to 30 minutes so it’s nice and scoopable, without being too melty.
- Fill the Crust with layers of ice cream (described in more detail below in the Recipe).
- Make Chocolate Ganache. (Links to Keto/Paleo and AIP recipes in the Recipe card below.)
- Top Mud Pie with Ganache, and spread it out so it looks inviting.
- Garnish with optional: roasted nuts (not for AIP). I love hazelnuts best, but pecans are another good option, or whatever you like, even peanuts are fine for Keto. Also: mini chocolate chips or shaved chocolate (from a bar) and flakey sea salt. Whipped cream may be dusted with cocoa powder or some reserved crumbs from the crust.
- Add a drizzle of Pourable Chocolate Sauce for an additional garnish if you wish!
How to serve Ice Cream Mud Pie
Depending on the temperature of your freezer, allow a little time before serving to slice the pie.
Place Ice Cream Mud Pie in the fridge for up to 30 minutes before slicing. For warmer freezers, you may be able to just set the pie on the counter for 10 minutes, and then slice.
If you wish, drizzle chocolate sauce over individual pie slices and/or top with whipped cream when you serve.
How to store Ice Cream Mud Pie
I’ve started using fabric bowl covers to cover leftovers (find them here). These are much better than plastic wrap, and you can actually throw them in the washing machine on cold (line dry).
So … cover leftovers in pie plate, freeze, and enjoy pie within 5 to 7 days.
Ice Cream Mud Pie Recipe (Keto, Paleo, AIP, Vegan, Gluten-free)
Equipment
- ice cream maker (or use store-bought ice cream)
- large skillet (for the "Oreo" Crust) or oven (for the AIP/nut-free crust)
- pie plate
Ingredients
- 1 Keto Paleo Chocolate "Oreo" Pie Crust OR for AIP/nut-free, Tiger Nut Flour Pie Crust here
- 2 to 3 cups Chocolate Ice Cream with carob option for AIP
- 2 to 3 cups Coffee Ice Cream see note on this in Instructions below, or Vanilla Ice Cream
- 1 cup Keto & Paleo Chocolate Ganache or AIP version here
- ½ to ¾ cup roasted nuts omit for AIP (I like hazelnuts, pecans or walnuts best.)
- ⅓ to ½ cup mini chocolate chips
- 1 Tablespoon flakey sea salt
- Keto Paleo Pourable Chocolate Sauce optional for drizzling as the final garnish (omit for AIP)
- sweet whipped cream or Whipped Coconut Cream
- a little cocoa powder for dusting the whipped cream
Instructions
- Make Chocolate "Oreo" Pie Crust first (recipe here). If you're AIP or nut-free, make Tiger Nut Pie Crust instead (recipe here).
- Choose your ice cream flavors: Chocolate (with AIP Carob option), Vanilla or Coffee — To make coffee ice cream, just add 2 Tablespoons Organic Instant Coffee to the Vanilla Ice Cream recipe before freezing (delicious!!); whisk it in, then freeze as usual.
- If you're making both flavors from scratch, you'll need to allow time for the ice cream freezing cylinder to chill between batches (depending on your ice cream maker) ... so start 2 days before you plan to serve.
- Make ice cream, and freeze each batch. If you wish, with the crust made first, the fresh ice cream can be spread into the chilled shell as soon as it's done freezing. Return crust to the freezer until the second flavor of ice cream is ready. If you're using store bought, skip this process.
- To fill Crust with frozen ice cream, set ice cream in the fridge for 10 to 30 minutes so it's nice and scoopable, without being too melty.
- Fill the Pie Crust with layers: scoop 2 to 3 cups softened or freshly made ice cream into pie shell. Use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to spread the flavor around evenly. I like to put Chocolate Ice Cream in first, on the bottom, then Coffee or Vanilla. After first layer is smoothed out, freeze for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight, if you're waiting on your second flavor to freeze. Then repeat with second flavor, filling and smoothing the top. (In the photos for this recipe, I used 2 cups Chocolate Ice Cream and 3 cups Coffee Ice Cream.)
- Make Chocolate Ganache. Here's the Keto and Paleo recipe. Here's the AIP Ganache recipe (For the AIP recipe, the version with palm shortening is more ideal for this ice cream pie, because it's softer to cut through once frozen).
- Top Mud Pie with Ganache, and spread it out so it looks inviting. It will firm up as you spread it on frozen ice cream, so work a little quickly.
- Garnish with optional: roasted nuts (not for AIP). I love hazelnuts best, but pecans are another good option, or whatever you like, even peanuts are fine for Keto. Also: chocolate chips and sea salt. Whipped cream (or Whipped Coconut Cream) may be dusted with cocoa powder or some reserved crumbs from the crust.
- Add a drizzle of Pourable Chocolate Sauce for an additional garnish if you wish.
Nutrition
Find similar creamy Gluten-free pie recipes here:
Michele says
I would love to learn the Gaps version! Thank you for such amazing recipes!!
Megan says
Hi Michele, sure!! So for the crust, you’ll make a date-nut blend in the food processor, ideally with activated/sprouted nuts. Recipe ~ 3/4 cup each: walnuts or pecans AND dried unsweetened coconut, 6 medjool dates, 2 Tablespoons coconut oil, 1/4 teaspoon sea salt. Pulse just the nuts, coconut and salt until crumbly. Add the dates and oil, process again. Push the sticky mixture into 8″ pie plate or spring form plan lined with parchment. For your ice creams, you can use the same ones linked to in this recipe, and you’ll sweeten with honey. If you tolerate cocoa well enough, you can make the ganache, too, everything sweetened with honey. You can use butter, ghee or coconut oil, depending on your family’s needs. Top as usual with sprouted hazelnuts and sea salt, if tolerated. There’s also an almond flour GAPS crust here, if you prefer: https://eatbeautiful.net/2-gaps-diet-pie-crusts-almond-coconut-flour/ (I haven’t used it for an ice cream pie before, but probs fine.) There’s also a GAPS honey mint ice cream here, if you’d like: https://eatbeautiful.net/honey-mint-ice-cream-paleo-dairy-free/ Enjoy!! 🙂
Michele says
Megan, THANK YOU so very much for taking the time to respond and offer so much information! I am so appreciative!! Thank you for always sharing so many wonderful recipes!!
Megan says
You’re welcome, Michele! My pleasure. 🙂
tina says
OMG this ice cream mud pie is so decadent – love that it is also paleo and keto!
Jean Choi says
This is so decadent and amazing. The perfect summer treat!
Megan says
Thanks, Jean!
Dorothy says
I think I gained a few pounds looking at your pictures of this pie!! It would make a great Father’s day dessert! ?
Megan says
You’re right, great idea, and my husband loved this recipe so much. He said it was the best mud pie he’d ever had, which is pretty cute because we haven’t eaten an ice cream mud pie in years. He’s not usually super effusive about recipes. I did have fun taking photos of this pie. Thank you for your sweet comments! 🙂
Dorothy says
You’re welcome, your sweet recipe was an amazing dessert for Father’s Day!! Im hoping the abundance of fat helps with the sugar. This dessert is incredible, probably one of the richest desserts I’ve ever made, and more of an undertaking than I usually attempt. I had made carob ice cream earlier in the week to have with waffles, so I had leftover ice cream left over to use at the base. I used part almond flour and part walnut flour for the Oreo crust, which worked well. Vanilla was on the top, the ganache with carob, and the chocolate sauce with cacao. Chocolate chips, sea salt, and crispy pecans topped it. Scrumptious!! It was a man pleaser… I’m hoping there a slice left for me when I get home today!! ?
Megan says
I love the “man pleaser” description. 😉 That’s what I found too. So glad you enjoyed the recipe so much and that it fit the Father’s Day occasion! … and that you undertook all the components; yay! Yes, there better be a piece left for you after all your work! 🙂 Thanks, too, for sharing what you did, especially with the part walnut crust and the carob ganache! 🙂
Donny says
Wow. I’ll be bringing this to every party this summer!
Megan says
Ha, ha, great Donny! Thanks and hope you and everyone else loves it, kind of a sure thing! 😉
Mistie Charles says
Which ice cream (dairy or non-dairy, and which milk) was used for the slice of pie in the picture at the very beginning of the article?
Megan says
Hi Mistie, I made coffee ice cream from the non-dairy Paleo Vanilla Ice Cream recipe that I link to: https://eatbeautiful.net/paleo-vanilla-ice-cream/ The Coffee Ice Cream uses the Vanilla Ice Cream base and adds instant coffee to it. The chocolate is also non-dairy and coconut milk based. It’s the one I link to in the article/recipe as well: https://eatbeautiful.net/chocolate-ice-cream-paleo-vegan-keto-low-carb/ But I have also made this recipe using homemade ice cream made with local cream and with 1 layer of Coconut Bliss, and it turns out looking very similar.
ChihYu says
Beautiful to look at and so delicious to eat! What a fantastic Summer dessert!
Megan says
Thanks ChihYu! 🙂