Frozen Pink Squirrel Pie is my no-bake freezer pie inspired by the retro Pink Squirrel cocktail. It’s creamy, pale pink, almond-kissed, and softly chocolatey ~ a fun summer dessert with a little cocktail-party edge.
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You won’t find my frozen pink squirrel pie anywhere else on the internet, until, of course, the copycats start to roll out. But you saw the original here first, and make sure to bookmark it ~ the creamy texture and soft almond/cocoa flavor is one of a kind delicious.
What makes this frozen cocktail pie work
🩷 A FROZEN PIE WITH A CREAMY TEXTURE: The base is a combination of cream cheese and whipped cream, with the addition of a little sweetened condensed milk. This combo freezes frosty and firm, but not icy.
🩷 THE SPIRITS: just a touch of alcohol so the flavor comes through, but the ABV is minimal!
🩷 IT’S NO BAKE/MAKE AHEAD: let the freezer do all the work.
🩷THE CRUST: the graham cracker crust is left purposely loose and crumbly for a nice textural contrast to the creamy pie.
🩷 VERSATILITY: you can actually enjoy this pie frozen or chilled, your choice.
What is a Pink Squirrel?
A Pink Squirrel is a retro dessert cocktail made with crème de noyaux, white crème de cacao, and cream. It has old school Wisconsin supper club roots and was born at Bryant’s Cocktail Lounge in Milwaukee in the 1940s. It’s part of the family of creamy after-dinner drinks that includes Grasshoppers and Brandy Alexanders.
The magic ingredient in my pink squirrel pie is crème de noyaux, a rosy almond-flavored liqueur traditionally made from stone fruit kernels ~ apricot, peach, or cherry pits.
Pink Squirrel Pie ingredient notes
THE LIQUEURS: the white crème de cacao and crème de noyaux can be found in liquor stores ~ the cheap stuff is fine for this dessert. If you find you love the combination you can splurge on the good stuff later.
THE CREAM CHEESE: use brick style, whipped cream cheese won’t give you the correct texture.
THE CRUMBS: you can absolutely use a different cookie or cracker for the crumb crust, but I’d keep it simple. Nilla Wafers would be a good choice.
You asked
Can I make Pink Squirrel Pie alcohol-free?
- Yes, you’ll want to add 1–2 Tbsp white chocolate powder plus 1/2 tsp almond extract plus a tiny drop pink food coloring. Regular cocoa powder won’t work, it will dull the color of the filling.
Can I use amaretto instead of crème de noyaux?
- Yes. Amaretto gives a similar almond flavor, but it won’t give the pie that classic pink color, so you’ll need a tiny drop of pink or red food coloring.
Should I use white or dark crème de cacao?
- Be sure to use the white (clear) version!
Can I make this without sweetened condensed milk?
- Yes. Replace the 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk with 1/3–1/2 cup powdered sugar + 2 Tbsp heavy cream. The pie will still freeze well, but the texture will be a little lighter and less creamy.
Sue’s Take
I love ice cream cocktails, so this frozen pink squirrel pie has already got a head start with me. We knew the texture was going to be lovely because we based the recipe on our first frozen cocktail pie, the frozen mudslide pie. But we were all surprised by the unusual flavor. It’s not often I come across a flavor I’ve never had before ~ if you’re an almond lover you’ll want to try it.
*Note that while the flavors come through beautifully, each slice contains just a tiny splash of liqueur.
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Frozen Pink Squirrel Pie
Equipment
- 9" pie plate
- electric beaters
- food processor optional
Ingredients
Graham cracker crust
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs, about 10-11 full graham crackers
- 4 Tbsp melted butter
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- pinch salt, omit this if you use salted butter
Pie filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese, brick style
- 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 3 Tbsp crème de noyaux
- 2 Tbsp white crème de cacao
- 1/4 tsp almond extract
- pinch salt
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
Topping, optional
- sweetened whipped cream, or whipped topping
- grated nutmeg
Instructions
- Toss the graham cracker crumbs with the melted butter, sugar, and salt, if using. Mix well until all of the crumbs are evenly saturated.
- Gently press the crumbs into your 9" pie plate, patting down to get an even surface on the bottom and up the sides. Press it in firmly. Set aside.
- I mix the filling in my food processor, but you can use electric beaters if you prefer. Load the bowl with all the filling ingredients except the heavy cream.
- Process until smooth and well combined. You may need to scrape down the sides to get everything evenly incorporated.
- In a separate bowl whip the cup of heavy cream to firm peaks. Combine the whipped cream with the cream cheese mixture, folding gently until everything is combined and there are no white streaks left.
- Spoon the filling into the pie crust and spread out. Freeze, uncovered, until firm. Then lightly wrap in plastic and continue freezing for 6 hours or overnight.
- If you are adding the whipped cream topping, pipe or dollop it onto the pie and dust with grated nutmeg an hour or two before serving and place back in the freezer. Alternatively you can just garnish each slice as you serve it.
- Let the pie sit on the counter for 10-15 minutes before slicing. Serve with whipped cream and grated nutmeg.
Notes
Nutrition
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