This vanilla ice cream pie is my favorite summer recipe! A wonderful oat and pumpkin seed crust is filled with creamy vanilla ice cream and topped with fresh strawberries and blueberries. This recipe is so easy, and also works for gluten free and dairy free diets.
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Need a quick dessert for end of summer? I’ve got you covered. This will be a huge hit at any BBQ or Labor Day weekend.
- Easy. While this recipe isn’t exactly fast because it requires some freezing, it is super easy to put together. Grind up the crust in a food processor, bake it, then fill with your favorite ice cream. That’s IT!
- Food Allergy Friendly. This ice cream pie is free of the top allergens if you use a dairy free alternative for butter and ice cream. The crust is automatically gluten free. Just be sure to buy certified gluten free oats. Finally this recipe is nut free.
- Delicious. You can’t beat the combination of fresh berries with vanilla ice cream, but the crust just takes this recipe over the top. It’s so good!
Ingredients
For the crust:
Rolled Oats or Oat Flour - You can use quick cooking oats, regular rolled oats, or oat flour for this recipe. If using oat flour, there’s no need for the extra step to pulse it till finely ground.
Butter or Pressed Oil - For this recipe you can use regular butter, Earth Balance Pressed Oils (dairy free), or coconut oil.
Pumpkin Seeds - I buy these at Trader Joe’s (they’re such a great deal!) but any unsalted, shelled pumpkin seeds aka pepitas will work for this recipe.
For the filling:
Vanilla Ice Cream - Seriously, that’s it. My favorites are Haagen Dazs Vanilla, McConnell’s Vanilla, or Coconut Bliss (for dairy free). All three have great ingredients if following a migraine diet. If you’re looking for dairy free and haven’t re-introduced coconut, you may want to go with the Oatly Vanilla.
Fresh Berries - I used a combination of strawberries and blueberries, but use whatever you love. Even peaches would work great here! Cherries and blueberries would make a great low histamine combination.
How to Make an Ice Cream Pie
- Begin with the crust. If using regular oats or quick cooking oats, pulse them in the food processor till it resembles a “flour” texture. It can have a few chunks here and there, but still powdery.
- Add in the pumpkin seeds and pulse till it’s a very crumbly texture. Then add in the brown sugar, salt, and melted butter or oil and pulse till fully incorporated and crumbly. (Step 1)
- Using a 9” pie plate, press the crust into the plate as packed as possible. The crust should stick together pretty well. If you find it to be too crumbly, you can add more melted butter or oil, but be sure to really press it together before trying that. Bake for 7-8 minutes until lightly browned and fragrant. Cover with a plastic wrap and place into the freezer for 1 hour. (Step 2)
- Meanwhile, pull the ice cream out of the freezer and place in the fridge for that hour.
- Take the softened ice cream out of the fridge and spoon it into the pie crust, spreading evenly as best you can. Cover with plastic wrap and place back into the freezer for another hour. (Step 3)
- Meanwhile, heat fresh berries in a small pan or pot over medium low heat, stirring often with a wooden spoon for about 10 minutes until the juices form a nice, thick, coating on your spoon. Place the berry mixture into the fridge to cool down. (Step 4)
- Spoon the berry mixture over the frozen pie just before serving.
Recipe Tips
- If you have extra leftover “crust”, just save it in a small bowl. It’s really great over ice cream as a “crumble” of sorts.
- Don’t soften the ice cream on the counter. It defrosts more evenly and will be super creamy if you do it in the fridge. Defrosting on the counter creates ice crystals.
- If you do not intend to finish the pie, either top each slice individually with the fruit, or remove it before refreezing. The fruit is not as good if it gets frozen on top.
- Pie too hard? Microwave it for 10-20 seconds to get it slightly melted.
More Summer Desserts
For more delicious summer desserts like this berry vanilla ice cream pie, check out these recipes.
If you make this, tag me #thedizzycook or @thedizzycook on Facebook and Instagram. And if you love the recipe, please leave a review below! Follow along on my Pinterest for more great recipes.
Vanilla Ice Cream Pie
Ingredients
- 1¼ cup rolled oats or quick cooking oats
- ¾ cup unsalted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup melted butter, coconut oil, or dairy free alternative.
- 28oz vanilla ice cream (I use 2 small Haagen Dazs or Coconut Bliss for DF)
- 1 pound fresh berries (strawberries, blueberries)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place oats into a food processor and pulse a few times till forming an oat flour. Add in pumpkin seeds and pulse another 6-10x until they're broken up into tiny pieces. Add sugar, salt and melted butter or oil (just microwave to melt), and pulse another 5 or until the mixture is crumbly but beginning to form more shaped clumps.
- Press the mixture into a 9 inch pie plate and make sure it's really pressed well so it sticks together. Bake for 7-8 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant. Allow it to cool a bit and then cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, pull out the ice cream and place in the fridge to soften (yes the fridge, not the counter).
- Fill the pie crust with the softened ice cream, spreading it around to the edges with a spoon...or finger. Cover and freeze another 30 minutes to an hour.
- Meanwhile wash and dry the berries and slice any larger pieces. Add to a medium sized pan over medium low heat, stirring often. The juices will start to release and thicken as they cook down - about 7 minutes. Place the berry mixture in the fridge to cool.
- Place the berries on top of the ice cream pie and serve! If not eating the whole pie, serve berries on top individually, or remove them before freezing again. (They're better kept in the fridge.)
Notes
- To make this dairy free, use Earth Balance Pressed Oil or coconut oil and Coconut Bliss or Oatly ice cream.
- For gluten free, double check your oats are certified.
- Do not defrost your ice cream on the counter unless you like ice crystals.
- This ice cream pie stores well, just remove the berries if re-freezing or place them on each individual serving.
Lisa Punelli says
Love this dessert!!! Allergic to dairy, so used the Cosmic Bliss and it was SO good!! My fiance had the idea to make mini bites, so we made them in mini muffin tins for our 4th of July party and they were a hit! The fruit topping is to die for. As always, Alicia, you knocked it out of the park.
Margi says
This was a hit at a family afternoon tea my fella and I recently hosted. I am by no means a baker and was terrified planning this day, as several family members require a gluten and dairy-free option. This recipe was the perfect choice. It looks gorgeous and tastes yummy. We’ll definitely make it again.
Jessica Thomas says
Absolutely amazing! This is such an amazing pudding I love it! Made it for work as we have lots of people with migraine and they couldn't have the other cakes I made for a bake sale. Went down a treat! I will definitely be making this again this summer!