With an amazing mashup of flavors and textures, this Mississippi Mud Pie has layers that cascade together to create a chocolate rainbow. Named for the murky waters of that famous river flowing through the center of the country, this pie is one everyone can get behind.

Mississippi mud pie with five different layers of chocolate.

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Chocolate lovers unite! Featuring five different layers of chocolate, this Mississippi Mud Pie is sure to impress. This towering pie starts with a chocolate cookie crust and cascades up with a baked flourless chocolate pecan cake, salted mocha ganache, milk chocolate pudding, and finally, topped off with chocolate whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

What is a Mississippi Mud Pie

The exact origins of the Mississippi Mud Pie are a bit... cloudy, like the river water. Where and when it was invented cannot be pinpointed. But, it has been reinvented from baker to baker over the years.

What exactly is in a Mississippi Mud Pie can vary depending on who is making it. However, what all mud pies have in common is that that the layers are meant to represent the murky mud of the Mississippi River.

The Mississippi Mud Pie is not to be confused with its sweet cousin, the Mississippi Mud Cake (a sheet cake made up of chocolate and marshmallows) or a Chocolate Dirt Cup. Though they're all quite chocolatey and delicious!

Let's Talk About Those Layers

The layers of this pie are absolutely stunning. But of course, layering a pie means there are multiple components to put together. I'm going to break down the layers for you. After you get the game plan, keep scrolling for ideas for how to make some components ahead of time to make this easier to put together.

Oreo Cookie Crumb Crust

An Oreo cookie crust is simple to put together and very delicious! Additionally, it adds a really nice textural component to the pie. It is the darkest chocolate flavor of the pie (thanks to the black cocoa that is used in Oreos).

Pecan Flourless Chocolate Cake

This dark chocolate flourless chocolate cake is so fudgy and rich. It's the perfect base layer for this pie. It's studded with pecans for an increased level of flavor, and for the bite, they add to the dense cake layer.

Salted Mocha Chocolate Ganache

This layer is the thinnest of them all, yet it really packs the biggest punch of flavor. The ganache includes added salt and espresso powder. Both of these additions zing the tastebuds and add nuance to the chocolate throughout the pie, helping to bring this pie next level. The ganache goes into the pie as the third layer, but keep in mind, some should be reserved and added to the whipped cream.

Milk Chocolate Pudding

As the layers increase in number, the cocoa level decreases in each chocolate layer. Switching from dark chocolate to milk chocolate in the pudding adds additional nuance and sweetness to the pie which helps balance it all out.

Stabilized Chocolate Whipped Cream

Finally, at last, the top layer is a stabilized whipped cream. It's stabilized with cream cheese which means it can be made ahead of time, and it makes it silky smooth. A small amount of the ganache should be reserved, to be added to the whipped cream, which sums up the perfect hint of chocolate to the cream.

How to Make it Ahead of Time

There is no way of getting around it-- there are a lot of components of this pie! Put this one in the project category; but also in the well-worth-it category, too. The good news is that some of these components can be broken down into steps and done ahead of time. And, the whole thing can be made up to two days ahead of time!

Prepare the crust: This can be done up to 2 days in advance.
Bake the flourless cake: This can be done up to 2 days in advance.
Make the ganache: This can be done up to 5 days in advance. You'll have to warm it back up though before pouring it on top of the flourless cake layer or adding it to the whipped cream.
Make the chocolate pudding: The pudding can be made up to 2 days ahead of time.
Whip the cream: The cream is stabilized so it can be made up to 2 days ahead of time. It may need a quick mix with a hand whisk the further ahead it is made.
Assemble the pie: The entire pie can be assembled 1-2 days in advance, so long as all the layers are freshly made. It can last up to 2 days, but to be safe, leave the cream off until you are ready to serve in case it needs a brief whisk.

Can it be Frozen?

Kind of? This pie is best served as is. However, in a pinch (as in, you've got leftover pie)--it can be frozen.

The pudding is the issue with freezing here, as pudding can weep a bit after it is frozen. Will this pie taste great after it has been frozen? Yes. But, will it be a perfect presentation as if it was made fresh? Not really. So use your judgment here.

Mississippi Mud Pie with chocolate shavings and pearls on top.

Dress it Up

Have fun with garnishing this pie! Let the chocolate lover in you take over! You can leave the whipped cream as it is, or get creative. You can dress the pie with chocolate shavings, chocolate sprinkles, drizzle ganache over the top, or any combination of these to really make this Mississippi Mud Pie shine.

If you can find them, these crispy Chocolate Pearls by Callebaut are amazing on this pie. They add another textural component to the pie and of course, make the pie really pretty!

A slice of Mississippi mud pie with a bit taken out of it.

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I am so honored when you make a recipe from my site! If you make this Missippi Mud Pie, please leave a comment and a star rating with your experience! If you have any questions about this recipe, feel free to comment here, too!

Full Recipe

Mississippi Mud Pie

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With five different layers of chocolate, this towering pie is sure to impress. Featuring a chocolate cookie crust, then a pecan flourless chocolate cake, salted mocha ganache, milk chocolate pudding and finally finishing off with chocolate whipped cream, this pie is a masterpiece. Some of these components can be broken down into steps and done ahead of time. And the whole thing can be made up to two days ahead of time. Check into the post above for guidance on how far in advance to make the different layers.

Author: Kelli Avila
Prep Time: 00:20
Cook Time: 00:40
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 12-14 Slices
Category: Chocolate
Method: Bake

Ingredients

Oreo Cookie Crust:

2 cups (300 grams) oreo cookie crumbs (about 22 cookies)
4 tablespoons (55 grams) unsalted butter, melted (more as needed)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Flourless Chocolate Cake:

3 ounces (85 grams) chopped dark chocolate or high-quality semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 tablespoons (55 grams) unsalted butter, diced
2 tablespoons (24 grams) packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons (24 grams) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons (12 grams) natural cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon baking powder
Pinch kosher salt
2 large eggs
½ cup pecans, chopped

Salted Mocha Ganache:

⅔ cup (130 grams) chopped dark chocolate or high-quality semi-sweet chocolate chips
¼ teaspoon instant espresso powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup (115 grams) heavy cream

Milk Chocolate Pudding:

⅓ cup (70 grams) granulated sugar
3 tablespoons ( 21 grams) cornstarch
Pinch salt
2 large eggs
2 cups (455 grams) whole milk
5 ounces (140 grams) chopped milk chocolate or high-quality milk chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Whipped Cream:

2 tablespoons (30 grams) cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon (15 grams) granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
4 tablespoons salted mocha chocolate ganache (reserved)
1-½ cup (340 grams) heavy cream

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Instructions

Make the Crust:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF and place the rack in the center of the oven.
Mix together the cookie crumbs, butter, and sugar in a bowl. Pour the crumbs into a 9” deep-dish pie plate and start pressing the ingredients up the sides of the pie plate to form the edges first. Once the edges are formed work the crumbs down to evenly distribute into the bottom of the pie plate and pack it down into an even layer.
Bake in a preheated 350º for 15 minutes.

Make and Bake the Flourless Cake:

Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil on the stove. Add the dark chocolate and butter to a medium heatproof bowl and then set the bowl over the saucepan. Stir the chocolate with a rubber spatula until all of the mixture is melted.
Once melted, remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Whisk in the eggs vigorously until the batter has lightened and is very smooth. Fold in the pecans.
Transfer the flourless cake batter into the oreo crust. Smooth over the top. Bake at 350ºF for 20-25 minutes, or until the cake is set and the sheen on the chocolate has dulled.

Make the Mocha Ganache:

Add the dark chocolate, espresso powder, and salt to a heat-proof bowl.
Heat the cream in a small saucepan on the stovetop until just simmering around the edges.
Pour the cream over the chocolate, making sure the chocolate is completely submerged. Let the cream sit for 5-10 minutes without disturbing it.
Gently whisk the cream until it is fully combined and the result is a shiny, silky chocolate ganache.
Reserve ¼ cup of the ganache to make the whipped cream.
Pour the remaining ganache over the baked flourless cake. Smooth over the top.
Transfer the pie to chill in the refrigerator while you make the pudding.

Milk Chocolate Pudding:

Whisk together sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium pot. Whisk in the eggs until the mixture is smooth, and then the milk until fully combined. Add in the chopped chocolate.
Turn on the heat to medium and cook the mixture, whisking constantly to ensure no pudding sticks to the edges of the pans and burns. Cook until the pudding has completely thickened and large bubbles are forming and popping, about 6 minutes.
Remove from heat; immediately pour through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl, using a spatula to push all the pudding out while leaving behind any bits of cooked egg.
Whisk in the extract.
Pour the pudding on top of the chilled ganache layer of the pie and smooth over the top. Place a piece of parchment paper, or plastic wrap on top of the pudding if you do not want a “skin” to form. Let the pie cool down to room temperature before transferring to the refrigerator to chill for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Stabilized Cream and Final Assembly:

Add the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whip on medium speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed, until the mixture is fully combined and lightened.
Add reserved ganache and heavy cream and whip on medium speed until the cream has just reached stiff peaks, about 2 minutes. The cream can be made up to a day ahead of time.
When ready to serve, transfer the whipped cream to the chilled pudding layer, and evenly spread it on top of the pie.
Garnish the pie as desired, with chocolate pearls or chocolate shavings. Serve chilled.

Notes

Use chopped chocolate from a bar when possible. Or, use high-quality chocolate chips that don't have a lot of additives to them.

Use your favorite percentage of dark-chocolate here. Semi-sweet chocolate works fine as well.

Make sure to use a deep-dish pie plate for this recipe and do not try to bake this in a store-bought oreo cookie crust. The store-bought oreo pie crusts typically come in a small disposable pie tin and that will not fit this large pie. If you didn't have a deep-dish pie plate, a 8" or 9" springform pan could work instead.

To make gluten-free, use gluten-free Oreo cookies in the crust. The rest of the pie is naturally gluten-free.

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