My Drumstick Ice Cream Pie is inspired by one of summer’s most memorable treats, with a crushed sugar cone crust piled high with lots of ice cream, topped with a homemade Magic Shell and dusted with crushed nuts!
Who doesn’t love a Drumstick? That ice cream cone topped with chocolate and crushed nuts with a hidden layer of chocolate at the bottom of the cone is one of the joys of summer and I’ve turned it into a no-bake pie!
How to layer up your Drumstick Pie
Step 1. The crust is made just like a graham cracker crust but instead of graham crackers you use — you guessed it — ice cream cones. Crush them up, add a little melted butter, and you’ve got yourself a unique pie crust. This is genius but it’s only the beginning!
Step 2. I spread a layer of ganache over the top of the crust to mimic that heavenly core of chocolate deep down inside a Drumstick cone.
Step 3. Then comes the ice cream, vanilla if you want to be authentic, but you might try coffee, chocolate chip, peanut butter…
Step 4. A final coating of Homemade Magic Shell, and a sprinkle of nuts is all it needs. I swapped walnuts for the traditional peanuts because I love them, but you do you.
This pie has all the charm of a classic Drumstick ice cream cone, and then some.
tips for slicing a Drumstick ice cream pie
*Note: Some of you had trouble slicing through the chocolate topping, so I’ve updated the recipe to be thinner and more slice-able. (Frankly I love it when the topping shatters a bit, that’s part of the fun!)
- Let your pie sit out for a few minutes before attempting to cut.
- Use a sharp knife dipped in very hot water (and quickly dried off) before each slice. The heat of the knife will slice cleaning through the chocolate shell.
- If you’re entertaining and want a neater presentation, you could add the final chocolate shell AFTER cutting the pie. Drizzle it over the top of each slice and add the chopped nuts just before serving, the chocolate will harden instantly and give you the same effect.
Drumstick Ice Cream Pie
Ingredients
crust
- 12 sugar cones, not cake cones or waffle cones
- 6 Tbsp butter, melted
ganache
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
ice cream
- 1 quart vanilla ice cream
topping
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
- 6 Tbsp refined coconut oil
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Put the cones in a food processor and process until they are finely ground. You should end up with somewhere around 1 1/2 cups of crumbs.
- Mix the crumbs with the melted butter in a medium sized mixing bowl, tossing as you add the butter, until they are completely mixed.
- Lightly spray a 9 inch pie plate and gently but firmly press the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides. Put the crust in the freezer while you make the ganache.
- Heat the cream in a saucepan over medium-high heat, until it just comes to a simmer. Take off the heat and add the chocolate. Let it sit for 5 minutes, then stir until smooth. Let it cool slightly, then pour into the cold crust, and push it up the sides a little bit. Put back in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- Take the ice cream out and set it on the counter for about 10-15 minutes to soften. Then spoon it into the cold pie shell and smooth it out. Fill the shell and mount it slightly. You may not need the whole 1 1/2 quarts. Put the pie back in the freezer until the ice cream is hardened.
- To make the chocolate topping melt the chocolate and the coconut oil in the microwave — heat for 45 seconds, then stir. Heat in small 15 second intervals if necessary, stirring in between to melt completely.
- Pour the chocolate over the ice cream to cover completely. Immediately sprinkle the nuts over the surface before the chocolate hardens. Put the pie back in the freezer until you are ready to serve.
- Remove the cake a few minutes ahead of time to make cutting easier.
- Alternative method: Do not coat the pie with the chocolate topping ahead of time. Cut the ice cream in slices, and then, just before serving, coat with the chocolate shell.
Notes
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- *Note: Some of you had trouble slicing through the chocolate topping, so I’ve updated the topping recipe to be thinner and more slice-able.
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- I very much liked the ice cream cone crust, you do taste the flavor quite clearly, so I think it’s worth buying the cones. I used one package of 12 Joy sugar cones.
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- You can buy Magic Shell in a bottle if you like for convenience.
Nutrition
My husband is standing over my shoulder asking when am I going to make this? Can I make it now? For heavens sake it’s nearly 11pm! Got to get my hands on cones first!
haha, that’s so great, that happens here, too — better get those cones 🙂
I can see my daughter wanting this for a birthday cake!!!!
I’d love it for a birthday cake!
The top was so thick and hard when I tried to cut through it the slightly melted ice cream just turned to a runny mess. I used 2 cups melted choc w/ the coconut oil. The chocolate topping was like trying to eat a solid choc. Easter Bunny haha Not sure I will try this again. I welcome your advice
I’ve updated the recipe to address that issue, the topping is now thinner and more sliceable. You can also drizzle it rather than spread it, if that appeals to you.
Can I make this two days ahead?
Yes, but you may want to take it out a little bit ahead of time to allow it to soften slightly before serving.
I doubled the recipe and made this in a 9×13 pan. I put the topping into a large plastic measuring cup and poured it onto the ice cream in kind of a checkerboard pattern. I’m hoping that will make it easier to cut into squares! I’ll let you know how it goes! I’m feeding it to a large group tomorrow!
That’s interesting, I think the looser topping will make it easier to cut. The crust gets quite hard, too, on frozen pies, and I’ve recently heard a tip to immerse just the base of the pan in a sink of hot water very briefly to soften it for easier cutting.
I am having trouble making the ganache. It was very runny and never got thick. Maybe it’s because I used half and half instead of heavy cream, although many people on the net say it’s ok to do that. I tried adding 1/2 tbl of butter to see if that might help it set up, but it didn’t. So I just poured it onto the crust and stuck it back in the freezer…fingers crossed! Also, I plan on serving hot fudge sauce and nuts on the side instead of using or making the magic shell stuff. I think it tastes better.
Yes, half and half won’t make a thick ganache, you really do need the heavy cream!
I got the ingredients for this and plan on making it for a Father’s Day dessert, since I don’t feel like baking anything. I will use full-fat coconut milk instead instead of the heavy cream. Also, I’m thinking of drizzling some of the chocolate on the top so it can look pretty and harden, but save the rest for drizzling before serving. Thanks for the recipe!