Layers of Carrot Cake Oreo truffle filling, sweetened cream cheese filling, whipped cream, and a border of delicious carrot cake all in a sweet Golden Oreo crust!
Nothing screams Easter quite like a deliciously moist slice of carrot cake slathered in rich cream cheese frosting. Of course, I’m the kind of person that could enjoy carrot cake ALL year round. There’s just something so comforting about this classic Easter dessert, and it’s impossible for me not to devour at least 2 or 3 slices when it’s served at any gathering.
Funnily enough, I used to hate carrot cake as a kid. I always referred to it as “old lady cake” since it always seemed to be served at old lady birthday parties. Also, most kids aren’t usually fond of cakes that have anything to do with vegetables. Go figure.
Luckily, it didn’t take me long to finally “see the light” and to appreciate the decadence of this beloved cake. From Carrot Cake Blondies, to Carrot Cake Cupcakes, to Carrot Cake Trifles, to good ol’ Classic Carrot Cake, I’ve definitely created my fair share of carrot cake recipes on this blog. However, there was one dessert I hadn’t tackled yet…PIE.
Carrot Cake Cream Pie, that is…
Did you know that you could have your cake, and eat your pie too?!
To say that I’m obsessed with this pie would be an understatement. I am HEAD OVER HEELS IN LOVE with this pie. In fact, I think I might be PieSexual. (Is that a thing? Because it should be.)
This pie has EVERYTHING–a yummy Golden Oreo cookie crust, Carrot Cake Oreo truffle filling, sweet cream cheese filling, fluffy whipped cream, and most importantly, delicious cubes of carrot cake. A slice of this baby is truly a meal in itself.
Inspiration for this beauty actually came from my Funfetti Cream Pie. I wanted to make a Carrot Cake Pie, but I wasn’t sure how to incorporate the cake aspect into a pie. Then I remembered my Funfetti Cream Pie which had a border of Funfetti cake all around the top of the pie. Not only did it look impressive, but it was BEYOND heavenly. I knew a carrot cake version would be just as phenomenal.
While there are a few different components to this pie, I guarantee it’s SO worth it. To begin, I made the carrot cake first so that it had enough time to bake and cool. It’s pretty much your standard carrot cake recipe, but without the nuts (which will be added later) and raisins. If you want to add raisins though, go right ahead! With so much going on in this pie, I just decided to keep the carrot cake simple.
In comparison to most classic carrot cake recipes, this one is actually pretty healthy. For one thing, it gets a lot of its moistness from carrots and Greek yogurt–no sour cream. And another thing, it only contains a couple of tablespoons of coconut oil, which is pretty good for a carrot cake. One important thing to note, is that you MUST use freshly-grated carrots. Don’t shortcut it with the store-bought carrot shreds which are dry AF. You NEED that extra moisture AND natural sweetness, which is only possible with fresh carrots.
While the carrot cake is baking, it’s time to tackle the pie! The crust is an easy peasy cookie crumb crust made with crushed Golden Oreos and melted butter. This is pressed into a pie dish, then sent to the freezer to set up while the Oreo truffle layer is made.
These Carrot Cake Oreos have actually been out for a while, and THANKFULLY they’re not just limited edition. They’re a permanent addition to the Oreo lineup, and they’re AMAZING. Lucky for you, there will be some Carrot Cake Oreos leftover to munch on since not all of it goes into the pie. However, you’re definitely gonna wish you bought an extra package once you bite into one and get that perfect hit of cinnamon-spiced cookie with tangy cream filling. They’re incredibly addictive!
The Carrot Cake Oreo truffle filling is just as easy as the crust. Just crush up the Oreos, add some cream cheese, and mix until combined. Spread the filling into the crust, then pop it back into the freezer while you make the cream filling.
Everyone knows that carrot cake isn’t complete without its all-important counterpart–cream cheese frosting. While I would’ve loved to just add a thick layer of rich cream cheese frosting to this pie, I instead opted for a much lighter, fluffier cream cheese filling. Once again, the filling comes together in minutes. First, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla are beaten together until smooth and creamy. Then heavy cream is whipped in to lighten everything up. That’s it! Spread this dreamy creamy filling on top of the truffle layer, then top it all off with a layer of freshly-whipped cream.
Now it’s time for the fun part–the carrot cake border! Once the carrot cake has completely cooled, it’s sliced into small dice-sized cubes, which are then evenly placed around the border of the pie.
To finish things off, toasted chopped walnuts are sprinkled on top, which add the most wonderful contrasting crunch to the pie! Mind you, the walnuts are optional if you have an allergy.
The caramel drizzle, on the other hand, is NOT optional…
Carrot Cake Cream Pie
Ingredients
Carrot Cake:
- ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- Dash nutmeg
- Dash ground ginger
- Dash ground cloves
- 3 ounces freshly-grated carrots*
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 2 Tablespoons coconut oil melted to liquid form
Crust:
- 2 cups crushed Golden Oreos**
- 4 Tablespoons butter melted
Truffle Layer:
- 18 Carrot Cake Oreos
- 4 ounces cream cheese
Cream Filling Layer:
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1 ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup heavy cream
Whipped Cream:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
To Finish:
- ½ cup chopped toasted walnuts optional
- Caramel topping***
Instructions
Make the Carrot Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a 6-inch cake pan with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Toss in the grated carrots until evenly coated; set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the sugar, egg, Greek yogurt, and vanilla, and mix on high until thoroughly incorporated, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on low, slowly drizzle in the coconut oil. Pour this mixture into the flour-carrot mixture and use a rubber spatula to gently fold everything together.
- Pour batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few crumbs attached. Remove cake from the oven and allow to cool completely.
Make the Crust:
- In a large mixing bowl, use a fork to combine the crushed Oreos with the melted butter. Press mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Chill crust in freezer while you work on the truffle layer.
Make the Truffle Layer:
- In a food processor, pulse the Carrot Cake Oreos until broken into fine crumbs. Add the cream cheese and continue pulsing until well blended. Spread truffle filling evenly into the crust. Return to the freezer.
Make the Cream Filling Layer:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla together until smooth and combined.
- Switch out the paddle attachment for the whisk attachment. With the mixer on low speed, slowly stream in the heavy cream. Once all the cream has been added, turn the mixer up to high and continue beating until fluffy. Spread mixture on top of the truffle layer, then return to freezer.
Make the Whipped Cream:
- Return the mixing bowl and whisk attachment to the mixer (no need to wash them). To the bowl, add the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla. Beat on high until light and fluffy. Spread whipped cream on top of the cream filling.
- Cut the cooled carrot cake into cubes, then place them evenly around the border of the pie. Refrigerate pie for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
To Finish:
- Sprinkle the chopped nuts on top of the pie. Cut into slices, and serve with a drizzle of caramel sauce on top. Pie will stay fresh, covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.