Description
This Candy Cane Pie is a festive, no-bake dessert featuring a crunchy Oreo cookie crust filled with a creamy peppermint-flavored filling and topped with whipped Cool Whip and crushed candy canes. Perfectly pink and refreshing, it’s an ideal treat for holiday celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
Crust
- 25 Oreo cookies
- 5 Tablespoons butter, melted
Filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 6 drops red gel food coloring
- 1 ½ teaspoons peppermint extract
- 16 ounces Cool Whip, slightly thawed
- 5 candy canes, crushed (divided)
Instructions
- Make the crust: Add the Oreo cookies to a food processor and pulse until the cookies are fine crumbles. Add the melted butter to the food processor and pulse again to create a mixture that looks like wet sand. Pour the Oreo mixture into a 9-inch pie pan and press it evenly onto the bottom and up the sides using the flat bottom of a cup or measuring cup. Place the crust in the refrigerator to chill while preparing the filling.
- Prepare the filling: In a large mixing bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat again to ensure a lump-free texture.
- Add color and flavor: Add the red gel food coloring and peppermint extract to the cream cheese mixture. Mix well until the pink color is evenly blended. Add a few more drops of food coloring if necessary to achieve the desired peppermint pink shade.
- Fold in Cool Whip and candy canes: Gently fold about half (8 ounces) of the Cool Whip into the cream cheese mixture using a rubber spatula. Then fold in half of the crushed candy canes.
- Assemble the pie: Remove the crust from the refrigerator and spread the pink filling evenly into the crust. Smooth the top and return the pie to the fridge for 1 hour to set.
- Add the topping: After chilling, gently spread the remaining Cool Whip over the top of the pie, creating a smooth white layer. Sprinkle the remaining crushed candy canes on top, then return the pie to the fridge for another hour to chill.
- Serve: Slice and serve the pie cold for a refreshing peppermint-flavored treat.
Notes
- Gel food coloring works best for vibrant color; if using liquid food coloring, you will need to use more to achieve the desired candy-cane pink color.
- Make sure the cream cheese is softened to room temperature for smooth mixing and no lumps.
- Crushing candy canes can be done by placing them in a sealed plastic bag and using a rolling pin or similar tool.
- For best results, keep the pie chilled until ready to serve to maintain its texture and flavor.
