To be honest, I’ve never been that big a fan of St. Patrick’s Day.
I can remember forgetting to wear green when I was in second or third grade and hoping no one would pinch me.
But, of course, I got pinched.
A lot.
Kids can be mean.
I can even remember intentionally wearing green and STILL getting pinched. Sigh.
Nonetheless, it’s St. Patrick’s Day today and I’m no longer an elementary schooler. Instead, I now have two sweet girls now in elementary school – one in kindergarten and one in second grade. And I get to spend this day with them since they’re off for Spring Break.
But you know what I can totally get on board with for St. Patrick’s Day?
Green foods, like mint and matcha.
And Pies. Obviously.
And peppermint whipped cream. Always peppermint cream.
Yep, I can sure get on board with those.
Okay okay and corned beef and cabbage, which I owe to St. Patrick’s Day, is like my all-time favorite comfort food.
Still though.
So, for the St. Patrick’s Day, I decided to embrace all the green-ness and festivities and make these adorbs mini grasshopper pies. Do you see the adorableness?
Plus any day I can get to make something in my cute little 4-oz. mason jars is a good day.
For the grasshopper pie crust, I essentially made an energy ball mixture and turned it into the crust (which means you could totally repurpose any leftovers or make the crust into energy balls any time as well).
I love combining dates, raw nuts, and cocoa powder in the food processor and using it in all sorts of ways, like these mini raspberry beet cheesecakes.
The grasshopper pie filling is made green using matcha powder, fresh mint, Coconut Dream non-dairy yogurt, and soaked raw cashews, all of which gives it a strong, cool flavor that is delicious and creamy, especially when combined with the sweet chocolate date crust and the peppermint whipped topping.
OMG yum.
These mini grasshopper pies are completely gluten free, vegan, and non dairy so most any one can enjoy them this St. Patrick’s Day. They also refrigerate pretty well for 2-3 days IF you find you have left-overs.
Mini Grasshopper Pies
If you’re like me and you avoid St. Patrick’s Day ‘cuz it’s just not your thing OR you can’t get enough green on the big day, I think you’ll love this healthy, non-dairy, and vegan sweet treat.
Mini Grasshopper Pies
These Mini Grasshopper Pies are a great and healthy sweet treat to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. They’re delicious, cool, and creamy plus vegan and nondairy!
Grasshopper Pie Crust:
- 1 1/2 cups whole almonds
- 1/4 cup dark cocoa powder
- 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup pitted dates
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
Grasshopper Pie Filling:
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 1 6-oz. container Coconut Dream plain non-dairy yogurt
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tsp matcha powder
- 1/2 cup packed fresh mint leaves
- 1/4 cup coconut oil (melted and cooled)
Whipped Peppermint Topping:
- 1 can coconut cream (chilled at least 2 hours)
- 2 tsp pure maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp peppermint extract
- chocolate shavings (for garnish)
- fresh mint (for garnish)
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Start by pouring boiling hot water over the raw cashews and letting set for one hour to soften.
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To make the crust, add the almonds, cocoa powder, dates, and sea salt into the bowl of a food processor and process until the almonds are finely ground.
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Add in the pure maple syrup and process again until the mixture clumps together.
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Divide this mixture among several 4-oz. jars or whatever sized mason jars you have. Try to pack the crust gently so it’s easier to eat later once it’s hardened some.
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To make the filling, add the drained soaked cashews into a kitchen blender, along with the pure maple syrup, Coconut Dream plain non-dairy yogurt, and melted coconut oil.
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Blend for 2-3 minutes until very smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender as needed.
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Add the fresh mint leaves and matcha powder to the blender and blend again until the mint is broken down into very tiny pieces.
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Place a fine mesh strainer over a large mixing bowl and pour in the filling from the blender.
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Use a silicon spatula or spoon to press the mixture through the strainer spatula, removing any pieces of mint leaves.
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Now, pour the filling into the jars over the crust.
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Place into the refrigerator and chill the jars until the filling is firm and set, about an hour.
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To make the whipped peppermint topping, remove the hardened coconut cream from a refrigerated can of full fat coconut milk, scraping the top creamy part into a large bowl.
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Add the pure maple syrup and peppermint extract and whip using a hand blender or stand mixer until the mixture holds soft peaks.
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Once the mint filling for the grasshopper pies are firm, remove from the refrigerator, and top each with a dollop of the peppermint whipped cream and some fresh chocolate shavings.
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