Mississippi Mud Pie is a favorite for all ages! It features a sweet chocolate crust topped with hot fudge, coffee (or chocolate) ice cream, and creamy whipped topping.
Don’t want ice cream in the pie? Try this Chocolate Pudding Pie instead!
The Ultimate Mississippi Mud Pie
When I first met my husband, I begged him for dessert requests. We were in college, and I had an insatiable baking bug (ha! Still do!). The first two things he requested—time and again—were a classic apple pie and a Mississippi mud pie. Those desserts were his childhood favorites, and they’ve now become traditions in our home.
Over the years, I’ve tweaked the mud pie, making more layers from scratch (yum!), and he has declared this the ultimate Mississippi mud pie ice cream dessert!
Quick Tip
This recipe shares how to make each layer from scratch and also how to make it super quick using store-bought products — whatever you have time for!
What Is Mississippi Mud Pie?
The original Mississippi Mud Pie Recipe is a chocolate-based dessert pie said to have originated from the Mississippi–a southern U.S. state. It contains a gooey chocolate sauce a top a chocolate crust and usually is served with ice cream (either in the pie or on the side).
Over the years it has morphed and transformed into many different dessert variations. Today i’m bringing you my favorite version!
Ingredients In Mississippi Mud Pie
- Oreo pie crust: Make this Oreo® crust recipe to start this pie off right!
- Hot fudge sauce: Next, whip up the best homemade hot fudge sauce (I promise, it’s easy!) or use store bought.
- Ice cream: Then spread on the ice cream. See the “quick tip” box below.
- Whipped cream: Finally, some fresh whipped cream goes on top.I like to finish things off with a couple more crushed-up Oreos — perfection!
Quick Tip
My husband insists that mud pie must be made with coffee-flavored ice cream; this one by Tillamook® is his favorite. Chocolate ice cream or any complementary flavor works well, too. My personal favorite is this chocolate-mudslide ice cream!
Shortcuts
Mississippi Mud Pie Recipe: Quick-and-Easy Version
To make an easier version (which we have done successfully many times when in a time crunch!) here are the main short-cuts:
- Get a store-bought Oreo cookie crust (no need to bake it up beforehand — it’s ready to go!).
- Buy a jar of hot fudge sauce.
- Replace the from-scratch whipped cream topping with an 8-ounce container of frozen whipped topping (thawed fully before using).
How To Make Mississippi Mud Pie
- Crust: Preheat oven. Mix butter, cookie crumbs, and salt. Press into a pan and bake.
- Fudge: Melt butter with sugar, cocoa, cream, and salt in a pot. Stir in vanilla and cool to thicken.
- Assemble: Pour half the fudge into the crust and freeze. Scoop ice cream, smooth it out, and freeze again. Top with remaining fudge.
- Whipped Cream: Whip cream, sugar, vanilla, and salt together. Spread on top and add crushed Oreos if desired.
- Freeze: Freeze until solid (4-8 hours). Let sit for 5 minutes before slicing.
Tips For Success
- Crush Oreos well: Use a blender or food processor for even crumbs; big pieces can affect cutting.
- Cool the butter: Let it cool a bit before mixing to avoid a greasy crust.
- Rest the pie: Let it sit for 5 mins at room temp before slicing with a hot, sharp knife. Cover leftovers tightly and put them back in the freezer.
- Allow time: This pie needs several trips to the freezer and cooling time, so plan ahead to avoid rushing.
Storage
- Make sure to keep the pie in the freezer as much as possible while making it. If the ice cream gets too soft and melty, it tends to turn icy when re-frozen.
- Return leftovers to the freezer promptly, tightly covered.
- We like this pie best the same week it is made.
More Frozen Desserts:
- Brownie Ice Cream Bars with Samoa cookies
- Oreo Ice Cream Cake with hot fudge, cookies & cream ice cream, and an Oreo crust
- Strawberry Frozen Yogurt with a graham cracker crust
- Churro Ice Cream Sandwiches with a chocolate sauce
- Ice Cream Sandwich Cake with only four ingredients!
Mississippi Mud Pie
Equipment
- 9 to 9.5-inch pie dish (deep dish if possible)
Ingredients
Crust (OR Use a pre-made Oreo Cookie Crust — See Note 1)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1-3/4 cups Oreo cookie crumbs or other chocolate sandwich cookie (~24 cookies)
- Tiny pinch fine sea salt, optional
Fudge Layer (OR Use 1 Jar Hot Fudge Sauce)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
- 1/2 cup white, granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa recommended: Hershey's special dark cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
Final Layers
- 1 container (48 oz.) coffee fudge (or chocolate) ice cream (Note 2)
- 3/4 cup heavy cream (Note 2)
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- Tiny pinch of salt
- Optional: 2-3 Oreos for topping
Instructions
- OREO CRUST: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a pie pan with cooking spray. Melt 4 tbsp. butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Once melted, set aside to cool for 5 minutes. (Hot butter will cause a greasy crust.) In a blender or food processor, process the whole cookies (don't separate cookie from cream) until they are all fine crumbs (re-blend any large chunks). Measure to get a level 1 and 3/4 cups of crumbs and add to a large bowl. Add salt to the bowl. Use a spatula to scrape in every bit of butter and mix until well combined.
- FINISH CRUST: Empty the crumb mixture into the prepared pan. Using your fingers, press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan and then up the sides. Use the bottom of a flat 1-cup measuring cup to thoroughly compress the crumbs into a firm crust. Bake for 10 minutes then remove and set aside to fully cool.
- FUDGE: Meanwhile, prepare the fudge. Cut butter into 4 equal-sized slices and place in the bottom of a heavy-bottomed medium-sized pot. Place over medium heat and add in the 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, 1/2 cup heavy cream, and 1/8 tsp salt. Using a whisk, briskly mix until ingredients are combined and butter is fully melted. Remove from heat. Whisk in 1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract. Let stand to cool (it will thicken as it cools).
- ASSEMBLE PIE: Add 1/2 of the fudge mixture to the cooled pie crust, and gently coax along the bottom into one even layer. Freeze for 10 minutes. Then add scoops of ice cream, gently compressing into one solid compact layer — you should use the entire container of ice cream. Smooth the top with the back of a table knife and place in the freezer for 10 minutes. Remove the pie and spoon small amounts of the remaining fudge all over the top. Gently coax into an even layer — this takes some patience!
- WHIPPED CREAM: Use a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or a hand mixer) to combine the 3/4 cup heavy cream, 3 tbsp powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla, and a tiny pinch of salt. Whisk on high speed until you get soft peaks. Gently dollop the whipped cream and smooth into an even layer on top of the fudge layer. If desired, crush up 2-3 Oreos (I just break them up with my fingers) to garnish the top. Freeze until completely solid, about 4-8 hours and then cut and serve (Note 3). Promptly return any leftovers, covered tightly into the freezer.
Video
Recipe Notes
- Use a store-bought Oreo cookie crust (no need to bake it up beforehand — it’s ready to go!)
- Buy a jar of hot fudge sauce (~12 oz.)
- Replace the from-scratch whipped cream topping with an 8-ounce container of frozen whipped topping (fully thawed).
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
mY Family love mississippi mud pie
So happy to hear this! Enjoy!
I made this into individual pies. So good!!
That sounds amazing! So glad it was a hit! 🙂
What size pie plate did you use? Thank you.
Listed right under equipment 🙂 9 to 9.5-inch pie dish (deep dish if possible)
thanks, making it right now!
my second layer of fudge slid
right off of ice cream layer. What did I do wrong?
Is the fudge warm? It does take some patience and coaxing to spread, but if it’s sliding it’s probably too warm!
Looks very tasty. Thanks for the recipe. I will definitely try. My kids will love Mississippi mud pie.
Yay! Can’t wait to hear what you guys think! 🙂