Mississippi Mud Pie – Chelsea’s Messy Apron

Mississippi Mud Pie is such a favorite for kids and adults alike! We start with a sweet chocolate cookie crust that is topped with hot fudge, coffee-flavored (or chocolate) ice cream, one more layer of fudge, and then creamy whipped topping to finish things off.

QUICK TIP

Our 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!

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 two things he requested first (and over and over again)? A classic Apple Pie and a Mississippi Mud Pie. Those are the two desserts he was raised on and they’ve now become tradition in our home. 

Over the years I’ve tweaked this mud pie making more and more of the layers from scratch (yum!) and he has declared this the ultimate Mississippi Mud Pie ice cream dessert! 

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 southernU.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 we’re bringing you our favorite version!

Why Do They Call It Mississippi Mud Pie?

Legend says the name is derived from the fudge in the pie which often looks similar to mud from the Mississippi River. That sounds like a pretty logical story to me!

What Is A Mississippi Mud Pie Made Of?

Again, there are all kinds of different ways to make this pie. Typically, the pie starts with a cookie crust and has a layer of chocolate pudding or ice cream, a fudge layer, and some kind of whipped cream topping. Here are the main components of our pie:

1. Oreo pie crust: We take our favorite Oreo® crust recipe to start this pie off right!
2. Hot fudge sauce: Next, we whip up our favorite homemade hot fudge sauce (I promise, it’s easy!) and spread half of the sauce on the Oreo crust.
3. Ice cream: Then we spread on the ice cream. See the “quick tip” box below.
4. More hot fudge sauce: On top of the ice cream, we add the rest of the hot fudge sauce.
5. Whipped cream: Finally, some fresh whipped cream goes on top. We like to finish things off with a couple more crushed-up Oreos — perfection!

QUICK TIP

Mississippi Mud Pie Ice Cream Notes: My husband swears that there is no other way to do mud pie than to use coffee-flavored ice cream (this one by Tillamook® is his favorite). That said, chocolate ice cream (or any complementary flavor to chocolate) will work great here. My personal favorite is this chocolate-mudslide ice cream!

How To Make Mississippi Mud Pie

The full recipe card is below, but here are our top tips for this recipe:

• Thoroughly crush the Oreos: If there are big pieces of cookie in the crust, it will still taste great, but the slices won’t cut out as nicely. I recommend a blender or food processor for even crushing.
• Don’t add hot butter to the crushed cookies: Let the butter cool slightly before mixing the two together to avoid a greasy crust.
• Let the pie stand for 5 minutes at room temperature before cutting and serving. Use a hot, sharp knife (run it under hot water, dry with a towel) to make cuts into the pie. Serve and promptly return any leftovers (covered tightly) to the freezer.
• Allow plenty of time. This pie requires a lot of back and forth in the freezer, time for the components (like the crust and hot fudge) to cool, and more time to fully set up — leave enough time so the process isn’t rushed.

More Frozen Desserts:

Mississippi Mud Pie

Mississippi Mud Pie is such a favorite for kids and adults alike! We start with a sweet chocolate cookie crust topped with hot fudge, coffee-flavored (or chocolate) ice cream, one more layer of fudge, and then creamy whipped topping to finish things off.

Mississippi Mud Pie

Mississippi Mud Pie is such a favorite for kids and adults alike! We start with a sweet chocolate cookie crust topped with hot fudge, coffee-flavored (or chocolate) ice cream, one more layer of fudge, and then creamy whipped topping to finish things off.

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

USMetric

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.

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Short-cut Mud Pie: To make an easier version here are the main short-cuts:

• 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).

Note 2: Ice cream: My husband swears that there is no other way to do mud pie than to use coffee-flavored ice cream (this one by Tillamook is his favorite). That said, chocolate ice cream (or any complementary flavor to chocolate) will work great here. My personal favorite is this chocolate-mudslide ice cream!
Note 3: Serving: If the pie is especially firm, let it stand for 5 minutes at room temperature before cutting and serving. Use a hot, sharp knife (run it under hot water, dry with a towel) to make cuts into the pie. This will take some muscle! 🙂

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 601kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 5.1g | Fat: 31g | Cholesterol: 138.7mg | Sodium: 486.2mg | Fiber: 1.1g | Sugar: 34g

We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed.