Dulce de Leche Ice Cream Pie

There’s no need to decide between ice cream and pie for dessert, especially today, on National Ice Cream Pie Day. Decadent and creamy, this modern ice cream pie can be made up to a week ahead, making it a great choice for preparing today and serving at a party this weekend.

 

 

Dulce de Leche Ice Cream Pie

 

For the crust:

4 1/2 cups (9 oz./280 g) vanilla or chocolate wafer cookies

1 Tbs. sugar

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 cup (4 oz./125 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

 

For the filling:

1 cup (7 oz./220 g) firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup (125 ml) half-and-half

4 Tbs. (2 oz./60 g) unsalted butter

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 Tbs. vanilla extract

2 pints (1 3/4 lb./880 g) dulce de leche ice cream, softened

1 2/3 cups (6 1/2 oz./ 200 g) pecans, toasted and chopped

 

Preheat an oven to 350°F (180°C).

 

To make the crust, in a food processor, pulse the cookies until fine crumbs form. Add the sugar and salt and pulse a few times to mix evenly. Add the melted butter and pulse until the texture resembles wet sand. Gently press the mixture evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch (23-cm) pie dish, pressing until compact.

 

Bake until the crust is golden brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

 

To make the filling, in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the brown sugar, half-and-half, butter and salt. Cook, whisking gently, until the sauce thickens, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the vanilla and cook for 1 minute longer. Transfer the caramel sauce to a small bowl and let cool to room temperature.

 

Spread 1 pint (14 oz./440 g) of the ice cream evenly over the crust. Freeze until almost firm, about 1 hour. Reserve 1/4 cup (60 ml) of the caramel sauce for drizzling and spread the rest evenly over the ice cream. Layer the pecans on top, reserving 1/4 cup (1 oz./30 g) of the pecans for garnish. Freeze until the caramel hardens, about 20 minutes. Spread the remaining 1 pint (14 oz./440 g) ice cream evenly over the caramel-pecan layer. Freeze until firm, about 1 hour.

 

Drizzle the reserved caramel sauce over the pie. Sprinkle the reserved pecans around the edges. Freeze
until ready to serve, up to 1 week. Serves 8 to 10.

 

 

 

For this and more than 35 other ideas for sweet and savory pies, check out
The Pie Cookbook, our all-inclusive guide to making pies by
the Williams-Sonoma Test Kitchen cooks.