Cold Brew Icebox Pie ~ with its deep dark chocolate crumb crust filled with a refreshing cold brew coffee cream, this easy no bake dessert is what summer dreams are made of.
you can’t go wrong with the combination of coffee and ice cream for the coolest summer dessert
I’m thrilled with how this easy no bake cold brew pie came out ~ I love my coffee desserts, and this didn’t disappoint. If you’re looking for a quick, no fuss recipe for a summer night, this is it. People love the cool, creamy coffee filling piled into that midnight chocolate crust.
the surprising secret to an easy icebox pie with the best texture
This recipe uses a small convenience (a package of instant pudding mix!) to great advantage ~ it gives the filling stability and a quick set without having to cook it on the stove or bake the pie, making this a true icebox dessert. Actual cold brew coffee, plus a boost from espresso powder, bring the fresh coffee flavor to the fore. The technique of adding strong natural flavors to a package of instant pudding is a useful one ~ the natural flavors disguise anything artificial and you get immediate thickening, it’s a win win. I used this same idea (only with vanilla) in my Strawberries and Cream Tart.
the rich chocolate crust makes this dessert
I made a quick deep chocolate crust using chocolate wafers, just crush them and toss with enough melted butter to hold them together. I love to keep a box or two of Famous Wafers hidden in the cupboard for just such an occasion. You could use another chocolate cookie, like Oreos, but the wafers make it extra special. The trick is keeping them away from foraging snackers. I’ve heard of cooks stashing a couple of packages in an emptied out All Bran box. Genius.
the total prep time for this icebox pie? 15 minutes!
The hardest part is waiting for the pie to chill. But unlike some other icebox pies you don’t have to wait long for this one…just a few hours should do it. Be aware, this is a soft set pie, if you want it faster or firmer, stick it in the freezer, but I like the softly chilled texture from the fridge best.
what kind of coffee to use in this cold brew icebox pie
I used Stumptown Cold Brew Coffee in my pie, I love keeping a bottle or two of that in the fridge for instant iced coffee breaks. But you can use regular cold coffee, or make your own cold brew. I boost the coffee flavor with a teaspoon of instant espresso which I keep in the cupboard at all times.
*recipe lightly adapted from The Domestic Rebel
Cold Brew Icebox Pie
Ingredients
crust
- 1 package Nabisco Famous Wafers
- 5 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
filling
- 3.4 ounce package Jello Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix, be sure to get the instant, not the cook and serve style
- 3/4 cup cold brew coffee
- 1 tsp instant espresso
- 1 cup cold heavy cream, divided
Instructions
- Crush the wafers in a food processor or with a rolling pin. Make sure to get them nice and fine.
- Toss with the melted butter until well blended. Reserve a few of the crumbs for garnish, and press the rest into a 9 inch regular pie shell (not a deep dish.) If your pie dish is on the small side you might not need all the crumbs. Refrigerate.
- Whip 1/2 cup of the cream and set aside.
- Blend the instant espresso into the remaining half cup of cream. Stir until the granules are completely dissolved, You my want to let it sit for a few minutes.
- Whisk the pudding mix with the cold brew and the coffee infused cream. Whisk for 2 minutes to allow it to thicken. Fold in the whipped cream until no streaks remain.
- Pour into the crust and smooth out the top. Refrigerate at least 3-4 hours before serving.
- Garnish with reserved crumbs.
Nutrition
Make this cold brew icebox pie your own ~
- Make it with a different crumb crust ~ use graham crackers, or another plain cookie for the crumbs. You’ll need about 1 1/2 cups crumbs.
- Make it mocha ~ use instant chocolate pudding instead of vanilla.
- Make it lower fat ~ use whole milk in place of half of the cream.
- Make it gluten free ~ use your favorite gluten free cookie or ground almonds in place of the chocolate wafers.
Recipe link: King Arthur “chocolate wafer cookies”. Sorry I couldn’t get the link to. Paste but if you can’t find the cookies referenced & want to make your own here is a recipe. KA did a post last summer about this cookie and many people said that Nabisco discontinued the cookie and they couldn’t find anything similar at the grocery store so KA recommended this. They have several no bake recipes that call for this cookie.
My birthday is Monday and I’m going to make this pie to celebrate- going to use Oreos. I like the KA espresso powder especially in your espresso chocolate chip cookies. I’m in 🌵so no bake recipes are necessary. I just love your blog emails and look forward to receiving your emails. Thank you for your hard work it provides delicious recipes
Chocolate wafers are none existent around here and oreos aren’t quite right. The Amazon link priced them at 24.99 :0. Could you publish a recipe for make your own chocolate wafers because they are used in alot of pie and cheesecake recipes.
Is the amount of liquid correct for 3 – 4oz boxes of instant pudding? I followed your recipe exactly and the mixture was very, very thick, even after I folded in the 1/2c whipped cream. You mention that this is a “soft set” pie….not mine. Flavor is great!
Hey Joanne ~ the recipe calls for a 3.4 ounce package (one package) of pudding, so that’s the problem! I hope you try it again.
Wow! This is absolutely fabulous! I made my own cold brew coffee after I saw the prices of the bottles in the store (yikes!). I also couldn’t find the chocolate wafers so I put a package of chocolate graham crackers through the food processor and ground them to crumbs. My hubby loves coffee ice cream and he thought this was finger, and bowl, licking good. His only comment is that he would like it a little colder and a little firmer so he put his in the freezer for a spell. Even after being frozen and thawed slightly it was delicious! This will be made over and over again at my house!
Going to make this week. Should I use sweetened or unsweetened cold brew??
I used unsweetened.
Do you freeze or refrigerate the remaining pie overnight?
Hi Sue, do you think I could make this and use the pumpkin spice ice box cake format with it instead of the pie format? Leslie
Mmmmmm, yes!