Fresh cherries in a cool, silky chocolate mousse with an Oreo cookie crust and a generous dusting of toasted coconut — sounds delicious, right? Dare I say the perfect desssert for your summer grill-outs? Sure, I’m biased, but I’d say yes and yes. This frozen chocolate-cherry mousse pie is just what you need.
Step-by-Step Instructions
If you'd like to simplify the recipe, you can certainly use a prebaked Oreo crust, but making your own is definitely worth it if you have a few minutes to spare. Simply ground up plenty of Oreos -- with that delicious white cream intact -- until they become fine crumbs and stir in melted butter. Press the crumb mixture into a pie plate, pop the crust into the oven and you're set.
The chocolate-cherry mousse pie filling requires a few more steps, but they're simple. To start, melt the chocolate and butter over simmering water. This keeps the chocolate from burning. Once the chocolate and butter melt, remove the bowl from the simmering water and allow to cool for a few minutes before beating in egg yolks. We definitely don't want chocolate scrambled eggs, so make sure the mixture isn't too hot before adding the yolk.
While the chocolate and butter mixture cools, go ahead and multitask by beating the cream and sugar in another bowl. Add the cherry juice and then the egg whites, and gently fold in this fluffy mixture with the chocolate and chopped cherries. Pour the mousse into the Oreo cookie crust, cover and freeze. And don't forget to add that toasted coconut before serving.
Tip: When you pit the cherries, wear a shirt you don't mind staining or drape an old towel over you. Pitting cherries gets messy, and that juice is tricky to remove.
Of course, chocolate, cherries and coconut obviously make for a winning flavor trio, but what really gets me about this pie is the texture. The frozen mousse manages to maintain an airy mouthfeel while coating your tastebuds with plenty of chocolatey, fruity goodness. Then, the Oreo cookie crust and toasted coconut come in to offer a crunchy contrast to keep it interesting.
Not only is this frozen mousse pie tasty but it’s also great for entertaining because you need to make it ahead of time. Sometimes those last few hours before company comes over can quickly turn into a hectic mess. For me, dessert is often the culprit. When I'm making a baked good, I generally like to prepare it so that it's as fresh as possible, which means I frequently find myself madly trying to decorate a couple dozen cupcakes at the last minute. That's never a good look.
But with this frozen mousse pie, I can make the crust and filling the night before, free up my schedule and take a load of stress of my shoulders. Don't get me wrong. I love playing hostess, but it usually comes with a few frantic moments. Any recipe that streamlines party day is OK by me.
Perfect Pairing
Along with a generous slice of pie, make sure you pour yourself a nice kriek, which is a Belgian-style cherry lambic. With a kriek, you amp up the cherry flavor, and the effervescent nature of krieks is a natural pairing with the frozen mousse's airy body. Alternatively, a coffee stout is delicious with this pie. Everyone knows coffee and chocolate make for a dreamy combination, but let's not forget how well cherries and coffee pair together.
However, if wine is your preferred libation, try a sparkling rosé. Many sparkling rosés are fruit-forward, which offers a nice complement to the cherry. Like a kriek, plenty of bubbles cascade through sparkling rosés, making for the perfect texture match with this pie.
For your next summer gathering, please put this frozen chocolate-cherry mousse pie on your dessert menu. I promise your life will not only be easier but also tastier. What's not to love about that? If you love this recipe, please let me a comment and don't forget to sign up for my newsletter.
Cheers!
Need More Fruity Desserts?
- Raspberry mojito pies
- Fresh strawberry-ginger cheesecake
- Strawberry and Nutella puff pastry tart
- Bourbon-peach clafoutis
- Mixed berry-custard pie
Frozen Chocolate-Cherry Mousse Pie
Ingredients
Oreo Crust
- 24 Oreos
- ¼ cup butter melted
Chocolate-Cherry Pie
- 8 ounces semisweet chocolate chopped
- 8 tablespoons butter sliced
- 3 large eggs separated
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 3 ounces cherry juice
- 1 ½ cups cherries fresh or frozen, chopped, pitted and stems removed
- ¼ cup coconut toasted
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, crush Oreos until they become fine crumbs. You can also place the Oreos in a plastic zip bag and crush with a rolling pin.
- In a bowl, mix Oreo crumbs with melted butter until damp. In a greased pie place, press the crumbs on the bottom and up the sides. Bake for 10 minutes and allow to cool.
- In a double boiler or bowl set over a pot of simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter while stirring frequently until smooth.
- Add the yolks and beat well with a hand mixer after each addition. Remove from heat.
- Using a different bowl, beat the egg whites until they reach the soft peak stage. Add 2 tablespoons of the sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
- In another bowl, beat the cream and sugar until it starts to thicken. Add the cherry juice and keep beating until it forms soft to medium peaks.
- Gently fold in the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Once the egg whites are fully incorporated, fold in the cherry whipped cream and stir in the chopped cherries.
- Pour into cooled Oreo crust. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for a few hours or overnight. Before serving, top with toasted coconut. Enjoy!
Notes
- If fresh cherries aren't available, you can use frozen cherries. Just thaw and drain excess moisture before using.
- Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Nutrition
Pamela says
I think I know what I'm making for Valentine's Day dessert now! YUM!
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
Perfect for the occasion!
Katie says
Made this for the family and it was a hit!
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
Yay! Love hearing that.
Toni says
This is SO good!! I love the flavors!
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
Thank you! Glad you love it.
Tammy says
This looks so beautiful! I LOVE chocolate mousse but I have never made my own. I cannot wait to try this ^_^
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
It's so simple! How you love it!
Pam says
I love anything that can be made ahead of time, and this sounds just divine! What a great combination of flavors.
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
Same here! Anything that makes entertaining easier!