Turtle Ice Cream Pie

This is a sponsored post by Hudsonville Ice Cream, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible!

I’ve always loved the classic combination of caramel, chocolate, and pecan flavors in turtle candies. So I created an easy, no-bake turtle ice cream pie recipe that combines all those flavors into a much larger dessert. It’s sweet, it’s salty, it’s creamy, and it’s crunchy. The base is a pretzel pie crust; the filling is Hudsonville’s Limited Edition Crispy Caramel Candy Bar ice cream; and the topping is a rich, chocolate ganache. Of course, I decorated the pie with whipped cream and pecans.

You’re probably familiar with graham cracker pie crusts and cookie crumb pie crusts, but you may have never heard of a pretzel pie crust. It’s the same concept as the other two crumb crusts but with pretzels! I pulverized whole pretzels to create crumbs in a food processor and then mixed the crumbs with melted butter and brown sugar. If you don’t have access to a food processor, you can certainly put the pretzels in a zip-top bag and crush them with a rolling pin. You want the crumbs to be pretty small so the crust holds together well. It should feel like wet sand, and you should be able to pinch it together. If it’s too dry, add another tablespoon of melted butter and test it again. 

The pie filling is Hudsonville’s Limited Edition Crispy Caramel Candy Bar ice cream. The vanilla ice cream base is loaded with ribbons of caramel and thick fudge ribbons with chocolate-covered rice crisps. It’s a Limited Edition flavor, so you’ll want to grab it before it’s gone for the season. I recommend softening the ice cream by moving it to the refrigerator about 20-30 minutes before filling your pie shell. I used half a carton for my 9-inch pie plate, but the amount you use may vary depending on the size of your dish. After filling your pie with ice cream, make sure you put it back in the freezer.

The chocolate ganache is like a hot fudge sauce, but it’s 10 times better. And it’s incredibly easy to make! Just heat the heavy cream in the microwave (or on the stove) until it steams. For me, this was about 90 seconds in the microwave. Then pour the heavy cream over your chocolate and let it sit for 2 to 3 minutes. The chocolate will soften and melt. Slowly stir the mixture until it’s combined, and then add the corn syrup, vanilla, and salt. Why corn syrup? It makes the ganache shiny! Once the ganache is cool to touch, remove the pie from the freezer and pour the ganache over the ice cream. Then place the pie right back in the freezer. 

The hardest part of this entire recipe is waiting for the pie to set up. I had to wait 4 hours until my pie was firm enough to cut. 

Once it’s ready, decorate it with whipped cream and toasted pecan pieces. I always prefer homemade whipped cream because I think it tastes infinitely better than canned.

The contrast of a crunchy, salty pretzel crust with ultra creamy Limited Edition Crispy Caramel Candy Bar ice cream and rich, smooth chocolate ganache makes for the perfect combination of flavors and textures. Check out this Scoop Locator tool to find Hudsonville’s Limited Edition Crispy Caramel Candy Bar ice cream at a store near you!

Turtle Ice Cream Pie

Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients

For the crust

• 1 1/2 cups (180 grams) pretzels
• 8 Tablespoons (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted
• 3 Tablespoons (40 grams) brown sugar)

For the filling

• 1/2 carton Hudsonville Limited Edition Crispy Caramel Candy Bar ice cream

For the ganache

• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon corn syrup
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

For the whipped cream

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup (30 grams) powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping

• 1/4 cup (33 grams) toasted pecans, chopped

Directions

For the crust

1. Combine pretzels, butter, and brown sugar in food processor.
2. Pulverize until mixture resembles wet sand. Add 1 Tablespoon additional butter if mixture is too dry.
3. Press mixture into bottom and up side of greased 9-inch pie dish.

For the filling

1. Spoon 1/2 carton Limited Edition Crispy Caramel Candy Bar ice cream into pie crust and smooth top.
2. Place in freezer.

For the ganache

1. Heat heavy cream until it's steaming (in microwave or on stove).
2. Pour over chocolate and let sit for 3 minutes.
3. Stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is spoon.
4. Stir in corn syrup, vanilla extract, and salt.
5. Allow ganache to sit until it is no longer hot to touch.
6. Remove pie from freezer and pour ganache over pie. Return pie to freezer.

For the whipped cream

1. Using wire whisk attachment on stand mixer or hand-held mixer, beat heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form.
2. Remove pie from freezer and either pipe or spread whipped cream on top of pie.
3. Sprinkle pecan pieces on top and return pie to freezer.
4. Allow pie to set up in freezer for at least 2 hours before serving.