stock photo of the DQ Pumpkin Pie Blizzard
At first I was REALLY dreading the end of summer….as that usually means “snow” is on it’s way soon. It wouldn’t be so bad if it was the “oh-so-pretty 1 inch dusting of snow” of the ground…but we usually end up getting the 2 foot high drifts that seem to linger around for a couple of months…which also means = shovelling (lots of shovelling). But then Dairy Queen reminded me of one of the things that makes fall & winter a little more bearable…nummy Fall flavors, more specifically, PUMPKIN PIE. Now, I’m not a pie person, but if I were to eat any it HAS to be Pumpkin or Pecan (and I’ll only eat the Pecan Pie I make, so really that leaves Pumpkin).
So the Flavor of the Month at DQ happens to be Pumpkin Pie…and it’s good, really good. I don’t usually eat blizzards, but I had a BOGO Free coupon, so I couldn’t resist. And as with all other restaurant favorites I wanted to come up with an at-home version, as that’s much easier on my pocketbook!
stock photo of Libby’s Pumpkin Pie Mix
Make sure you get Pumpkin Pie MIX, as that already has sugar and spices in it and tastes way different then normal canned pumpkin.
So here it is, amazingly easy and just as tasty as the DQ version in my opinion. The only difference is that I used graham cracker crust for garnish, the DQ version has sort of a “pie crust cookie” garnish.
Recipe for 1 small-ish Blizzard:
- scant 1/4 cup of canned Pumpkin Pie MIX
- 2 large scoops of vanilla ice cream
- graham cracker crust pieces (recipe below)
- cool whip or whipped cream
Easy Graham Cracker crust (enough for about 4 small blizzards):
- 6 graham cracker squares
- 1 TBLS butter
- 1 TBLS sugar
Directions:
For the Graham Cracker crust:
- Place graham crackers in a ziploc bag and crush using rolling pin, set aside.
- Place butter in a small bowl and melt in microwave, then mix in the sugar.
- Now pour the graham cracker crumbs into the butter bowl, but do NOT throw away the bag. Mix the crumbs and butter together really well, then carefully pour the crumbs BACK INTO the ziploc bag.
- Press out the extra air, seal the bag, and press the crumbs into a “sheet”. Place in freezer until needed.
For the blizzard:
- simply place the pumpkin pie mix into the bottom of a heavy cup or glass, add in the 2 large scoops of ice cream, and carefully start mixing it all together (it’s easier if the ice cream is slightly soft, I leave mine on the counter for a minute before scooping).
- Once it is mixed well, garnish with broken pieces of the graham cracker crust and some whipped cream.
Choosing Simplicity 