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This classic Hula Pie has an Oreo cookie crust, filled with coconut ice cream, and topped with a frozen fudge topping. It tastes just like the original from Duke’s without the expensive flight to Hawaii!
5 Star Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“This was crazy good! I made it for dessert on Sunday and there was not one bite left” – April
“Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe! Will surely have this again! It’s really easy to make and it tasted so delicious! Highly recommended!” – Allyssa
“This was so delicious. My husband loved it and wants me to make it again soon.” – Ashley
From Hawaii to Your Kitchen
When I lived in Hawaii, my roommates and I would take the bus to Waikiki just to eat at Duke’s and share a big ol’ slice of Hula Pie. It is the classic favorite dessert choice at Duke’s. It was totally worth the trek across the island just for one bite!
Now that I live back on the mainland, Hula Pie is a bit more difficult to come by. But all you need are a few delectable ingredients and a little patience, and you’ll have the famous hula pie in your home. This copycat recipe is as close as it gets to the original when a vacation to Hawaii just isn’t in the cards.
This Hula Pie goes perfect with other mouth-watering Hawaiian dishes such as our Huli Huli Chicken, Hawaiian Teriyaki Beef, a side of Spam Musubi, or the classic Hawaiian Plate Lunch.
🩷 Erica
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Oreo Pie Crust – see notes below.
- French Vanilla Ice Cream – a gallon of your favorite vanilla ice cream will work. The original pie recipe calls for macadamia nut ice cream but it’s difficult to find. Vanilla ice cream, chocolate ice cream, and coffee ice cream are all good substitutions.
- Coconut extract – about two teaspoons.
- Macadamia nuts – coarsely chopped.
- Fudge topping – about two cups, see notes below.
- Whipped cream – A delicious topping for this pie.
- Fudge topping – a layer of cool chocolate fudge on top, plus a few extra drizzles, to taste.
- Macadamia nuts – toasted macadamia nuts for garnish.
How to Make Duke’s Hula Pie
- Prepare the crust – Make your Oreo pie crust and place it in the freezer to set.
- Soften the ice cream – Let the ice cream sit out for 10–15 minutes until it’s soft (but not melted). Mix in a stand mixer on low until smooth and creamy, then stir in coconut extract and 1 cup of macadamia nuts.
- Shape the dome – Line a medium mixing bowl (smaller than your crust) with plastic wrap and cooking spray. Scoop in the ice cream mixture, cover, and freeze overnight.
- Assemble the pie – Remove both the crust and frozen ice cream dome. Place the dome upside down into the crust, peel off the plastic wrap, and press gently into place.
- Add the fudge layer – Spread 2 cups of soft (not hot) fudge topping evenly over the ice cream dome. Freeze again until the fudge firms up, about 1 hour.
- Finish and serve – Slice with a warm knife and top each piece with whipped cream, hot fudge, and the remaining macadamia nuts.
The Original Hula Pie
Hula Pie actually originated at Kimo’s restaurant in Hawaii but it probably is more widely known for being a dessert at Duke’s. Its real name is “Kimo’s Original Hula Pie Recipe” and it is even labeled as such on the menu at Duke’s. Hula Pie has become a fan-favorite around the world and people come from far and wide just to try a slice! You can buy Hula Pie at any Duke’s restaurant.
Duke’s has three locations in Hawaii and also three in California. Or stop by any of Duke’s sister restaurants: Kimo’s, Keoki’s Paradise, Hula Grill, Sunnyside Restaurant and Lodge, Leilani’s on the Beach, and Jake’s del Mar. For an entire list of restaurants and exact locations, visit the Duke’s Restaurants website.
Macadamia Nut Ice Cream
Macadamia nut ice cream can be tricky to find, especially on the mainland, but it is key for this recipe. I haven’t had much luck finding my favorite macadamia nut ice cream so instead I make my own macadamia nut ice cream for Hula Pie. The easiest way to make a DIY macadamia nut ice cream is to make a vanilla ice cream mixture with macadamia nuts and coconut flavoring.
Chocolate Cookie Crust
For this recipe, you can go the easy route with a store-bought pie shell, or take a few extra minutes to whip up a homemade chocolate cookie crust. Personally, I love the homemade version because it feels closer to the original Hula Pie at Duke’s. All you need are about 25 Oreo cookies (filling and all!). Pulse them in a food processor, stir in ¼ cup melted butter, then press the mixture into a 9-inch pie pan. Pop it in the freezer, and you’re done—simple as that!
Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce
You can totally use store-bought fudge for this recipe, but if you’ve got a few extra minutes, I highly recommend making our homemade hot fudge sauce. It’s a family recipe we’ve loved for over 25 years, and it has that rich, fudgy flavor the jarred stuff just can’t quite match. To get it nice and spreadable for this pie, just stir in ½ cup heavy cream and 2 tablespoons butter. Trust me—once you try it, you’ll never want Hula Pie without it!
Frequently Asked Questions
I’ve never had a macadamia nut ice cream that didn’t have a hint of coconut in it , so this recipe is no exception. Of course you can leave it out if you prefer.
The cheapest place I have found macadamia nuts on the mainland is at Winco in the bulk bins. We were able to find them for a great price. You can also find them at Trader Joe’s. I also saw a container of Mauna Loa macadamia nuts at Walmart recently.
See recipe notes below. I use a deep, large bowl to freeze the ice cream mixture into perfect positioning. You can make any shape you like!
Make sure the pie is frozen solid before spreading on the fudge, and freeze again immediately after covering. That way the fudge firms up in place.
Yes, but Oreo crust is truer to the original. A graham crust will taste great, just with a slightly different flavor.
Absolutely. Just let the ice cream soften enough that you can stir in the coconut extract and macadamia nuts by hand before shaping.
More Pie Recipes
A slice of pie just hits the spot after a meal. We have so many delicious pies to choose from. Try a new pie tonight for your family!
READ MORE: 33+ Easy Dessert Ideas
For me, one bite of Hula Pie brings back memories of Waikiki sunsets and sweet, carefree days in Hawaii. Now you can create those moments right at home (no plane ticket required)! If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear how it went! Be sure to leave a star rating and a comment, with any feedback or suggestions to share with other readers. 🌺🍫🥥🍨
Duke’s Hula Pie (Copycat Recipe)
Video
Ingredients
- 1 (9-inch) OREO pie crust, frozen , store-bought or homemade
- 1 gallon French vanilla ice cream
- 2 teaspoon Coconut extract
- 1 ¼ cup coarsely chopped macadamia nuts, divided
- 3 cups fudge topping (store-bought or homemade), divided
- whipped cream, for topping
Instructions
- Prepare Oreo pie crust and place in the freezer.
- Remove ice cream from the freezer and allow it to soften for 10-15 minutes. You do not want it to melt, so keep a close eye on it.
- When the ice cream has softened, place it in a stand mixer bowl fitted with the dough hook attachment. Turn the mixer to low and mix the ice cream until it reaches a thick frozen yogurt consistency. Add coconut extract and 1 cup macadamia nuts. Mix for another minute.
- Find a mixing bowl where the rim will easily fit inside the pie crust. If using a 9-inch pie crust, find a bowl where the rim is less than 9 inches. You will be placing the bowl upside down inside the crust after it's frozen.
- Line the bowl with plastic wrap, spray with cooking spray, and scoop ice cream into the bowl. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap and freeze overnight.
- Remove ice cream and crust from the freezer. Remove the cover from the ice cream bowl. Carefully place the bowl upside down in the crust. Pull the plastic wrap down until the ice cream settles onto the crust. Remove the bowl and plastic wrap from the ice cream.
- Spoon 2 cups of fudge topping over the ice cream dome. Do not heat the fudge; you don't want it to melt the ice cream. If you must heat it to soften, do it for only a few seconds, until soft enough to remove from the container. Spread fudge evenly until the ice cream is covered in fudge. Freeze again until fudge becomes firm, about 1 hour.
- Remove from the freezer and cut into slices using a warm knife. Top each slice with whipped cream, the remaining 1 cup hot fudge (it's okay for this fudge to be hot), and the remaining ¼ cup macadamia nuts.
Equipment
- Kitchenaid Mixer
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Any suggestions on keeping.the fudge from dripping from the ice cream dome? The ice cream was hard, fudge sauce room temp (68) but I had a.hard time stopping the fudge sauce from sliding off.
The fudge can be tricky. Try letting it sit in the fridge until it is cold but still scoop-able. What kind of fudge sauce did you use?
If you’ve been to Dukes, then you’re likely familiar with Chili Water. Any idea how to make their version?
Yay!! Thanks for sharing!! This pie is amazing & to be able to make it at home, makes it even better!! Can’t get enough!
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe! Will surely have this again! It’s really easy to make and it tasted so delicious! Highly recommended!
This was so delicious. My husband loved it and wants me to make it again soon.
I’ve never heard of this pie but what’s not to love?! So decadent and delicious, what a treat!
Question- do you use salted or unsalted macadamia nuts?
I usually use unsalted, but I think salted would be okay.
Hi!
I’ve made this twice now and can’t figure out how to stop the fudge from sliding down the sides. I’m not even heating it! Please help!
Oh no! The pie has to be extremely well-frozen for the fudge to stick. What kind of fudge are you using?
I’m also having this problem. :/ I even use Erica’s recommended family fudge recipe and chill it in the fridge for several hours. Otherwise, great recipe!
This pie looks so amazing, you were so lucky to have been able to buy a slice whenever! Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Oh yum! Could definitely use a little slice of Hawaii at home right about now. I love that homemade hot fudge sauce over the top.
I love the info in this recipe. It sounds amazing!
Going to a Hawaiian Luau. Can’t wait to let my friends try this pie. Love the flavors. Had trouble keeping the fudge from sliding down the ice cream so I gave it a drizzled appearance. Any suggestions for the next time would be helpful. Definitely will make again.
Thanks
Getting the fudge to exactly the right temperature is tricky, but it is key to the fudge staying on top. Next time, try freezing the ice cream for longer and then heat the fudge just barely enough to get it out of the container, but not so much that it melts the ice cream. So glad you like the pie!
Wow! This looks so decadent! Definitely an impressive dessert to make & serve. 🙂
This was crazy good! I made it for dessert on Sunday and there was not one bite left
Made this for a birthday party. Everyone loved it. Did not use the coconut extract. Made the homemade fudge, super yummy. Hard to cover the pie cause fudge so thick. I would make this again.
Out of this world delicious. My husband and I could not stop “taste testing” the ice cream after blending in macadamia nuts and coconut extract. COVID-19 delayed our annual Oahu trip to visit family, and this was the perfect staycation dessert. You nailed this recipe. I cannot wait to make it again it. In case it’s helpful, we used 2 & 1/3 tubs of Breyers French Vanilla–whatever was on sale. 🙂
I just made this for my pricipal’s surprise birthday party on Friday. She goes to Maui every Christmas and raves about this pie. The ice cream and fudge both tasted yummy. I. Can’t. Wait.
I’m so excited to see how she thinks it compares!
“It tastes like suntan lotion. You know when you’re putting it on, not when it gets in your mouth.” “It’s not as good as the original because there isn’t any ocean or sand here!” I think it was a hit!! The homemade fudge sauce is the bomb. I am never buying store bought sauce again.
Too much coconut extract…I would suggest only half, if any at all.
Tried the special homemade fudge, which was delicious! … I only used half of what was made and on the final product it was too hard and thick so it kinda ruined it, I couldn’t even cut the pie.
All in all it was good but not nearly as good as the real thing.
Oh no– did you let it sit our for a little bit before cutting? The fudge should soften a little.
The exact same thing happened to me! The fudge recipe is amazing, but it didn’t handle being spooned onto my dome of ice cream well. It almost immediately hardened, which made it impossible to spread around while looking neat. We ended up having huge globs of thick fudge. Next time, I will just dollop fudge on each slice before it is served, see how that goes!
Overall AMAZING recipe! Loved the ice cream. We even had the hula plate we bought from Duke’s and sporks—we went all the way!
Are you sure it’s not a half gallon of ice cream? I used a half gallon and it’s just right I can’t imagine using a whole gallon, the pie would be 2 feet high
Yes, it is a full gallon to make a full pie– just like how they make it at Duke’s. However, if you want to make a smaller batch and have an extra-thick chocolate layer, you can do that too!
Since returning from Hawaii in August, where we enjoyed the infamous Hula Pie dessert at Dukes, all other dessert options on offer at our local Restaurants in Australia have lacked to impress us.
So I’ll definitely be giving this a try so we can get our Hula Pie fix!
This pie looks so delicious. Something new to try this holiday season. Thanks for sharing
We just moved from Hawaii…can’t wait to try this
Lucky!!!! You have definitely got to hit up Duke’s… SO GOOD!
Wow ! Looks and sounds easy enough. I will have to make this forsure.