The Vintage Type Of Dessert Boomers Likely Remember From Childhood

It's bright green, sweet yet minty, and only a dessert your parents and grandparents fondly remember. Meet crème de menthe, or Grasshopper pie, a liqueur dessert that gives Boomers a bit of nostalgia. For nearly three decades (from the 1950s to the 1970s, when members of this generation were kids and young adults), it could be found in everything from milkshakes (the syrup variation) to bars.

But before the dessert there was the beverage: Crème de menthe liqueur originated in France in 1885, when pharmacist Émile Giffard created it as a cooling drink for hot days. Although it contains the word crème, there is no dairy present in the drink. In 1910, the liqueur was used as a star ingredient in the the Grasshopper cocktail, which was invented in New York by a New Orleans bar owner, who then brought the cocktail back to the Big Easy with him after winning second place in a competition with the recipe.

The Grasshopper is almost more dessert than cocktail — it's made from crème de menthe, crème de cacao, and cream, with the option of a brandy floater. Some more decadent versions use ice cream instead of cream, making it easy to see how the green liqueur found its way into more dessert recipes (like gelatins, parfaits, bars, whipped toppings) in the mid-20th century. One of the most famous is the Grasshopper pie, a no-bake recipe that features an Oreo crust and a marshmallow fluff filling flavored with the crème de menthe.

Crème de menthe desserts might be hard to come by now, but older generations have been reminiscing: One user on the Reddit r/OldRecipes shared, "The reason why we went through our grandma's recipe box — to find our mom's childhood favorite green "Grasshopper Pie"! Thought it was an interesting one to say the least!" On a Facebook post, one user shared fond memories of the dessert they would order at a restaurant in 1972, "Vanilla ice cream in a parfait bowl slathered in crème de menthe syrup...mmmmm"

Despite not being popular anymore, crème de menthe still has a place in modern food culture. For starters, it's naturally a great option for Christmas-time, both for flavor and color. Of course, the green also makes it a go-to option for coloring treats for St. Patrick's Day.

While some desserts with crème de menthe have an outdated feel, it's possible to modernize them. For example, this Grasshopper pie recipe uses a marshmallow filling, but you can elevate it with a custard-style filling made from eggs and cream. You could also switch things up and make Grasshopper pie dessert bars using cacao, butter, and flour for the chocolate base (instead of Oreos), and a quality dark chocolate for the top layer. The liqueur can even be easily incorporated into your existing favorite brownie recipe for a touch of minitness.