Peppermint Ice Cream Mud Pie, with layers of chocolate and vanilla, is easy, fun and can be made ahead. It’s so pretty and perfect for dinner parties!Of the countless desserts I love, I seem to keep going back to my ice cream mud pie recipe whenever I host a dinner party. Yep, a mud pie.
I love making mud pies for dinner parties because they’re super easy and fun. They present beautifully and everyone loves them. Everyone! Oh, and you can make them well in advance.
Here’s the deal, I like to make a bunch of different things when we have people over, so some of them have to be kept simple. My Peppermint Ice Cream Mud Pie is indeed simple to put together. It’s essentially three layers of ice-cream and an Oreo cookie crust.
And as simple as it is to make, it tastes complex and amazing!
What is Mud Pie?
The name Mud Pie comes from Mississippi Mud Pie, which isn’t specifically an ice cream pie. I started calling my ice cream pies mud pies because that’s what my mom called them. Reason enough for me. 😉
So what is a Mississippi Mud Pie?
Though there are many variations, Mississippi mud pie is a very rich chocolate dessert typically that typically includes pudding, cake, biscuits, ice cream, whipped cream, marshmallows, and liqueur — all in a cookie crust.
So either my mom thought the ice cream and Oreo cookie crust were enough to merit the name mud pie, or she got it from someone else.
How far Ahead Can You Peppermint Ice Cream Mud Pie?
You can make Frozen Chocolate Peppermint Pie at least one day ahead of time. Imagine, your dessert for your dinner party being totally ready to serve a whole day before your guests arrive. Brilliant.
It will obviously keep for a long time because it’s frozen, but the fresher the better for a party, so I don’t usually make it more than two days ahead.
What are the Best Flavors of Ice Cream for Mud Pies?
You can choose any flavors of ice cream you like!
I have two favorite flavor combinations.
- Chocolate and Peppermint. When you make the Peppermint Ice Cream Pie, you’ll understand why.
- Chocolate and Coffee. Who can resist mocha?
- And McConnell’s is my brand of choice. My favorite flavors? Dark Chocolate Chips & Nibs, Turkish Coffee and Peppermint Stick.
- I almost always add vanilla in the mix. It goes with most other flavors and the additional layer is pretty.
(This is not a sponsored post, I just love McConnell’s and it’s my favorite for mud pies.)
Tips for making the perfect mud pie . . .
- Choose a very good quality of ice cream.
- Choose flavors that compliment each other, and that vary in color.
- Have the time and patience to wait until each layer of ice cream is 100% frozen before adding the next.
- Make sure the ice creams are the proper consistency — they should be soft but not at all melted when you add them to the pie.
- Gluten-free? You can use Glutino Chocolate Vanilla Creme Cookies or Gluten-Free Joe Joe’s from Trader Joes.
I really hope you try this Peppermint Ice Cream Mud Pie recipe and love it as much as my family and I do.
If you make it with other flavors, I would love to hear about your delicious creations. Please let me know.
You also might be interested in my Individual Mud Pies with Espresso Chocolate Sauce. 🙂

Peppermint Ice Cream Mud Pie, with layers of chocolate and vanilla, is easy, fun and can be made ahead. It's so pretty and perfect for dinner parties!
- approximately 40 Oreo cookies (or other band of chocolate sandwich cookies you like — gluten-free is okay too!)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 pint chocolate ice cream (I use McConnell's Dark Chocolate Chips & Nibs)
- 1 pint peppermint ice cream (I use McConnell's Peppermint Stick)
- 1 pint vanilla bean ice cream (I used McConnell's Vanilla Bean)
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Set the chocolate ice cream out to soften while you make the crust.
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To make the crust, use a food processor to finely grind the Oreos until they're smooth and without large cookie chunks. Pour the ground Oreos into a large mixing bowl and remove about 1 cup. From that 1 cup, remove 2 tablespoons, and set both aside. Then add the melted butter to what’s remaining in the mixing bowl and stir to combine.
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Add the butter-Oreo mixture to a 9 ½ inch pie plate. Using your hands, gently press the mixture to evenly coat the inside of the plate (bottom and all the way up the sides) to form the crust. It should be about ¼ inch thick. Put the plate in the freezer until firm, about 10 minutes.
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Spread the pint of vanilla ice-cream evenly on the crust. Use a small, flat- bottomed spreader to make the layer smooth. Sprinkle about half of the reserved 1 cup of Oreo crumbs evenly over the ice-cream and return the pie plate to the freezer for at least 40 minutes. After about 20 minutes of freezing time, set the peppermint ice-cream out to soften.
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Being sure the chocolate layer is frozen solid, spread the peppermint on top and sprinkle it evenly with the rest of the Oreo crumbs. Again, freeze for about 40 minutes and now set the vanilla ice-cream out to soften about 20 minutes in. Being sure the peppermint layer is frozen solid, spread the vanilla ice-cream on top and this time, followed by a sprinkling of the last 2 tablespoons of the Oreo crumbs.
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The pie should be kept in the freezer for at least 1 hour before serving, and for easier slicing, remove it from the freezer about 10 minutes before serving.
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Coco in the Kitchen says
What gorgeousness is this?!
I love it, Valentina. Perfect for late-night TV watching.
valentina says
oh yes it is! 🙂 Thank you xo
Deb|EastofEdenCooking says
Chocolate and mint are a favorite flavor pairing! This is a fabulous recipe, easy and with so much ice cream goodness!
valentina says
Thanks, Deb. I LOVE minty chocolatey desserts. 🙂
John / Kitchen Riffs says
I’m with Deb — chocolate and mint play together so nicely. A terrific pairing — one of my favorites. And speaking of terrific, this definitely is. Neat recipe — thanks.
valentina says
Thanks so much John! I’m with both of you. 😉 Enjoy!
Brian Jones says
Chocolate and mint really are such a great pairing, I usually don’t associate it with chilled or specifically frozen desserts though, but this sounds fantastic!
valentina says
Thanks so much, Brian. Hope you give it a go! 🙂
Ashima says
Definitely a “Oh-o pretty” mud pie! Love chocolate and mint pairing and the recipe is so simple.. I am sure you had all the mothers at Oreo! 🙂
Thanks for sharing
valentina says
I love that! Yes, Oreo is somewhat of a magical word, isn’t it? 😉
Jacqueline Meldrum says
After not thinking about or eating any for years, I saw a mississippi mud pie a few days ago and keep thinking about it. Now I see your recipe and looks amazing. It has to be a sign. Bookmarking this to try. Sharing it too!
valentina says
Yay! That makes me happy. Good timing. Hope you try this one and love it. 🙂
Camilla Hawkins says
I have never had a Mud Pie but now I’ve seen this I really want to try! Chocolate and mint are one of my favourite flavour combinations too!
valentina says
Camilla, I hope you try it! Even just for fun. 🙂
Danielle Wolter says
Such a delicious dessert. I drool a little bit when I think of how delicious and rich this might be. Totally an awesome dessert!
valentina says
Thanks, Danielle. I can’t help but agree (and drool a little too). 😉
David Dial says
I am all about a good mud pie! I must admit that I’m not familiar with mud pies with ice cream…but I love ice cream, so count me in! And the look of this mud pie with the 3 layers is stunning. No wonder they’re such a party favorite! And I’d definitely need to make this for a party or else I’d eat the whole thing by myself. Hah!
valentina says
Thank you, David. I made this pie a week ago for 4 guests, even with seconds, there was still a bit left for “breakfast.” Just a bit, so I was fairly safe. 😀
David says
I’ve never had a mud day pie! But anything with chocolate and mint gets my vote!
Lauren Vavala @ DeliciousLittleBites says
My oldest son is a chocolate mint fanatic – he would go crazy over this! Looks amazing!!
valentina says
Yay! Hope you flips for it like my boys do. 🙂
Sonal says
I have heard so much of this pie but never tried it. Your recipe sounds very doable and good! Will try it.
valentina says
I hope you do try it. Thank you!
Sara says
What a pie! I love the layers of flavors! I know this will be a big hit at our holiday table this year!
valentina says
Oh yay. Hope you love it!
linda spiker says
What a gorgeous dessert! Love the layered colors.
valentina says
Thanks so much!
Chichi says
O my!! This looks so yum. It must really taste amazing. Will definitely give this a try. Thanks for the recipe.
valentina says
Than YOU for checking it out. 🙂