Chef notes
I love this dish because it's easy and elegant. No one wants to turn on their ovens in the summer, so this no-bake dessert is a real crowd-pleaser.
Technique tip: Allow ice cream to soften at room temp for at least 20 minutes so that you can spread it evenly in your pie crust.
Ingredients
- 2 pints vanilla ice cream
- 1 store-bought or homemade graham cracker pie crust (homemade recipe below)
- 1-2 cups assorted berries of your choice, for decorating
- 1½ cups graham crackers, crushed into fine crumbs
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Preparation
1.Pull your ice cream out of the freezer and set on countertop so that it can begin to soften- about 20 minutes.
2.If using a store-bought pie crust, skip to step 3. To make your own pie crust, first crush the graham crackers. You can use a food processor or do this by hand. If you're using a food processor, pulse the graham crackers until you get fine crumbs. To crush them by hand, place the crackers in a heavy-duty plastic bag. Seal the bag and gently break up graham crackers with a rolling pin until it is broken down into fine crumbs.
3.Mix the crushed graham crackers with butter and granulated sugar together in your large bowl or food processor. Transfer crumb mixture to pie plate and press firmly into place along the bottom and up the sides of your dish.
4.When the crust is even and compact, gently cover with plastic wrap and chill in the freezer for 15 to 30 minutes or in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours before using.
5.After the pie crust has chilled, scoop out your ice cream and smooth out into an even layer.
6.Next, decorate the top of your pie with berries. You can arrange them in a beautiful pattern or just dump them in — up to you!
7.Chill your pie in the freezer for up to 8 hours or overnight. Slice and serve! One note: If you have leftovers of this pie, be sure to put it right back into the freezer so it doesn't melt and fall apart.
