No trip planned to the tropics? No problem! It’s easy to make your own copycat Hula Pie at home when you can’t travel to Hawaii! Just like the classic, this delicious dessert has an Oreo cookie crust with a dome of ice cream piled inside, drizzled with chocolate sauce, topped with toasted macadamia nuts, and finished with whip cream.
Duke’s Hula Pie Copycat Recipe
Our recipe for Hula Pie is made to mimic the famous ice cream pie from Hawaii. It contains the classic sweet, nutty tastes and creamy, crunchy textures as the original, complete with the tall dome of ice cream sitting on top of the cookie crust. Let the chocolate layer drip down like lava and decorate the outer edge with a swaying hula skirt of Cool Whip. Now start snacking with your Hula Pie spork!
What Is Hula Pie
The original Hula Pie recipe was developed by Duke at Kimo’s restaurant on Maui and called “what the sailors swam ashore for in Old Lahaina Town.” It’s made with macadamia nut ice cream piled high on a chocolate cookie crust, topped with chocolate fudge sauce, whipped cream, and more macadamia nuts.
Hula Pie Ingredients
- Oreo cookies with filling: You can use the name brand or a generic version sandwich cookie to create your no-bake chocolate cookie crust. Although if you’re feeling lazy, you can buy a pre-made pie crust!
- Salted butter
- Vanilla ice cream: The original Hula pie recipe calls for macadamia nut ice cream but many stores do not carry it. Vanilla Ice Cream, chocolate ice cream, and coffee ice cream are all good substitutes.
- Macadamia nuts: If you have a tree nut allergy, chopped pecans, Brazil nuts, and almonds will work in this dessert as a swap for macadamia nuts.
- Hot fudge sauce: You can use your favorite brand of store-bought chocolate fudge sauce, make your own hot fudge topping, or even use my homemade chocolate magic shell.
- Canned whipped topping: You can also use thawed whipped topping, like Cool Whip, or make your own homemade whipped cream.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Hula Pie
- Create The Crust: Crush the Oreo cookies into fine crumbs and mix with melted butter. Press the mixture into the bottom of a pie plate and place in the freezer to set.
- Make The Ice Cream Mixture: Mix together the softened ice cream with the chopped macadamia nuts. Spoon the ice cream into a plastic-lined bowl. Cover and freeze for 4-6 hours or until firm.
- Assemble: Lift the ice cream out of the bowl and place the flat side over the crust. Drizzle with chocolate sauce and sprinkle macadamia nuts over the top. Garnish the outer edge of the pie with whipped topping.
- Serve: Serve immediately and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
Serve your slices with an additional drizzle of chocolate sauce and sprinkle some more macadamia nuts on top. While it’s meant for sharing with more than a few friends, I find that I eat more than my fair share!
Remember, Hula Pie tends to melt quickly, so it’s best served immediately after slicing. If you’re serving it at a gathering or party, consider keeping it in the freezer until just before serving, and slice it as needed to prevent it from melting too quickly.
Tips & Variations
- Crush Your Cookies: You can do this in a food processor or by placing the cookies in a zip-top bag and crushing them with a rolling pin or the smooth side of a meat mallet.
- Soften The Scoops: Take the vanilla ice cream out of the freezer and allow it to soften for about 10-15 minutes until it’s easy to scoop but not melted. I used one 48-ounce and half of another 48-ounce container of vanilla ice cream for this recipe.
- Begin With The Bowl: You will need a 2 to 2½-quart mixing bowl with a rim that will easily fit inside the pie plate. Line the inside of the mixing bowl with plastic wrap. Be sure there is a generous amount of overhang to help lift the ice cream out of the bowl. Also, be sure the plastic wrap fits snuggly to the inside of the bowl with no air pockets. Lightly spray the inside of the plastic wrap with non-stick cooking spray.
- Adjust the Temperature Before You Top: If your kitchen is particularly warm, you may need to place the ice cream base back in the freezer before you drizzle the chocolate sauce. This will help prevent the sauce from sliding off the top of the slice.
Proper Storage
- To Store: Store leftovers in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Common Questions
Once the ice cream is firm, first remove the plastic wrap over the top of the bowl. Next, grab the edges of the plastic wrap that is lining the inside of the bowl under the ice cream. Gently pull up on the plastic wrap to lift the ice cream out of the bowl.
These desserts are similar and are often considered cousins. While they both contain a crunchy crust, ice cream, and gooey sauce, the difference lies in the layer of ice cream. A mud pie is made so that the ice cream (or pudding as found in my Mississippi Mud Pie) looks like waves of Lahaina. A hula pie has a mound of ice cream stacked on the crust.
Other Easy Ice Cream Recipes
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Hula Pie
Ingredients
- 18 Oreo cookies with filling or generic version
- 5 tablespoons salted butter melted and cooled
- 96 ounces (2 containers) vanilla ice cream
- ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons chopped macadamia nuts (divided into ¾ cup and 2 tablespoons) for garnish
- ½ cup hot fudge chocolate sauce
- Canned whipped topping or thawed whipped topping like Cool Whip
Instructions
- Crush the Oreo cookies into fine crumbs. You can do this in a food processor or by placing the cookies in a zip-top bag and crushing them with a rolling pin or the smooth side of a meat mallet.18 Oreo cookies with filling
- Mix the crushed cookies with melted butter until well combined.5 tablespoons salted butter
- Firmly press the buttered crumbs into the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate to form the crust. Place the crust in the freezer to set while you prepare the other layers.
- Take the vanilla ice cream out of the freezer and allow it to soften for about 10-15 minutes until it’s easy to scoop but not melted. (I used one 48-ounce and half of another 48-ounce container of vanilla ice cream)96 ounces (2 containers) vanilla ice cream
- Add the ice cream to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Mix the softened vanilla ice cream with ¾ cup of chopped macadamia nuts. (Reserve the rest for topping)¾ cup + 2 tablespoons chopped macadamia nuts
- You will need a 2 to 2½-quart mixing bowl with a rim that will easily fit inside the pie plate. (When assembling the pie, you will be lifting the ice cream out of the bowl to cover the cookie crust with the frozen dome of ice cream) Line the inside of the mixing bowl with plastic wrap. Be sure there is a generous amount of overhang to help lift the ice cream out of the bowl. Also, be sure the plastic wrap fits snuggly to the inside of the bowl with no air pockets. Lightly spray the inside of the plastic wrap with non-stick cooking spray.
- Spoon the ice cream mixture into the plastic-lined bowl. Cover the ice cream with plastic wrap and place the bowl in the freezer for 4-6 hours or until firm.
- Once the ice cream is firm, remove the plastic wrap over the top of the bowl. Next, grab the edges of the plastic wrap that is lining the inside of the bowl under the ice cream. Gently pull up on the plastic wrap to lift the ice cream out of the bowl.
- Align the flat side of the ice cream over the crust. Peel back the plastic wrap. (If your kitchen is particularly warm, you may need to place the ice cream base back in the freezer before you drizzle the chocolate sauce)
- Drizzle the chocolate sauce over the mounded ice cream and sprinkle the remaining chopped macadamia nuts over the top. Garnish the outer edge of the pie with the canned whipped topping. (You can substitute thawed whipped topping for the canned whipped topping. You can pipe the thawed whipped topping just as you would garnish with the canned whipped topping) Serve immediately.½ cup hot fudge chocolate sauce, Canned whipped topping
Jenn’s Notes
- To Store: Store leftovers in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- Crush Your Cookies: You can do this in a food processor or by placing the cookies in a zip-top bag and crushing them with a rolling pin or the smooth side of a meat mallet.
- Soften The Scoops: Take the vanilla ice cream out of the freezer and allow it to soften for about 10-15 minutes until it’s easy to scoop but not melted. I used one 48-ounce and half of another 48-ounce container of vanilla ice cream for this recipe.
- Begin With The Bowl: You will need a 2 to 2½-quart mixing bowl with a rim that will easily fit inside the pie plate. Line the inside of the mixing bowl with plastic wrap. Be sure there is a generous amount of overhang to help lift the ice cream out of the bowl. Also, be sure the plastic wrap fits snuggly to the inside of the bowl with no air pockets. Lightly spray the inside of the plastic wrap with non-stick cooking spray.
- Adjust the Temperature Before You Top: If your kitchen is particularly warm, you may need to place the ice cream base back in the freezer before you drizzle the chocolate sauce. This will help prevent the sauce from sliding off the top of the slice.
