My BFF went to Hawaii over the holidays and came back raving about something called Hula Pie. Obviously, I had to figure out how to re-create this Hawaiian delight. I did change things up a little bit, using coffee ice cream instead of the original’s macadamia nut. But, I’m not going to lie, this pie is much more difficult than it looks. I went through four pies until I got the intended outcome. Where were the challenges? They’re all included in the printable recipe at the bottom of the page, but just so you’re fully informed where the pitfalls lie in what looks like a fairly simple recipe.
Hula Pie Good-to-Knows
1. Be sure to fully cool the Oreo crust after you bake it. This might be no-duh, but I was in a rush on the first test of this and my crust wasn’t fully cooled. I ended up with a giant puddle of ice cream in the freezer because the crust warmed the ice cream and caused it to melt. No bueno. Letting it cool on the counter and then sticking it in the freezer for an hour will help you avoid that mess.
2. The dome: that mountainous dome shape is an important aspect of the original. Granted, you could cut the ice cream in half and make this a flat pie, which would simplify everything. But I was committed to replicating the original and was determined to figure out the dome. The second attempt of this pie, once I had a properly cooled crust, I had softened the ice cream too much before filing the crust, so it didn’t get the height. The trick is to soften the ice cream enough to manipulate it, but make sure it’s still pretty well frozen. As you’ll see in the video, I pile it and then smush it. That worked best.
3. The ganache: because of the dome shape, it’s important that the ganache adhere to the ice cream. However, the second that ice cream even remotely starts to melt, the ganache will slide off. So, be sure to freeze the ice cream in the crust for at least 8 hours or overnight. Then, use Hershey’s hot fudge topping (I tested several other brands and theirs was the right consistency and flavor), though don’t heat it. Open the jar and have your spatula at the ready. Then pull the pie out of the freezer, quickly apply the fudge and throw it quickly back into the freezer. Don’t try to make it perfect, don’t take too much time spreading it. Get it on there and get it back in the freezer asap.
Want to watch my hands make this 12 hour pie in 2 minutes?
Yes, the video makes it look easy. Like I said, watch out for the pitfalls.
Fortunately, even the non-pretty versions of this test yielded incredibly delicious results. The coffee is a must for any Frappuccino fans.
[tasty-recipe id=”6791″]
*This recipe is adapted from the original at Kimo’s in Maui, HI.
