Mississippi Mud Pie

If you've ever looked at a chocolate pie and thought to yourself, "I wish this had more chocolate," then Mississippi Mud Pie is for you. With four mouthwatering layers (including the crust), three of them are chocolate: A crunchy Oreo crust is topped with fudgy brownie, then creamy chocolate pudding, then sweet whipped cream (and we garnish with more chocolate sandwich cookies for good measure). Here’s everything you need to know about making this indulgent dessert.

Why Is It Called Mississippi Mud Pie?

There are many different versions of Mississippi Mud Pie—some have a graham cracker crust, some include nuts in the brownie layer, and others still replace the whipped cream layer with ice cream or meringue.

That said, it’s not totally clear where the name comes from, though two things are generally believed to be true: The pie originated in Mississippi, and its name comes from the fact that out of the oven, the first layer looks like the muddy banks of the Mississippi River.

Mississippi Mud Pie Layers

Our Mississippi Mud Pie has three layers on top of the Oreo cookie crust:

Brownie Layer

The first layer is the brownie layer. To give it a super rich chocolate flavor, we use 64% semisweet chocolate, which is the highest cacao content you can get before it technically becomes dark chocolate. Besides the chocolate, the remaining brownie ingredients are all baking pantry staples. 

Pudding Layer

On top of the dense, fudgy brownie is the light, creamy chocolate pudding. Feel free to just whip up a package of instant chocolate pudding, though we recommend adding instant espresso and vanilla extract to give it more depth of flavor. Plus, using half-and-half instead of milk helps it set more firmly.

Cream Layer

A homemade, sweetened whipped cream topping is what takes this dessert over the top. Make sure to use “heavy,” “whipping,” or “heavy whipping” cream—anything with a lower fat content won’t whip up as well. 

How To Make Mississippi Mud Pie Ahead of Time

One of the beauties of this layered dessert is that you can make the lower layers ahead of time—which is helpful, considering there’s cooling and setting time required. You can start preparing your Mississippi Mud Pie up to four days before you’re planning to serve it.

Start by baking the crust and brownie layer; they can sit, covered, at room temperature for a day or two by themselves. Once you add the pudding layer, transfer the pie to the refrigerator; it can stay there, loosely covered, for another day or two. Then make and add the whipped cream layer the day you plan to enjoy the pie.

How To Serve Mississippi Mud Pie

Serve your Mississippi Mud Pie chilled to ensure that all the layers stay set and perfect for slicing. We like to top ours with chopped Oreos, but feel free to garnish with chocolate chips, chocolate shavings or a dusting of cocoa powder.

Editorial contributions by Alyssa Sybertz.