Mississippi Mud Pie Recipe

Name: Mississippi Mud Pie
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 4 h 10 min
Yield: 10 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 250 g chocolate sandwich biscuits, finely crushed; 60 g butter, melted; 115 g butter, for the filling; 100 g dark chocolate, chopped; 3 eggs; 200 g caster sugar; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 30 g cocoa powder; 40 g plain flour; ¼ tsp fine salt; 80 g pecans, roughly chopped; 250 ml double cream; 2 tbsp icing sugar; 30 g dark chocolate, shaved, to decorate

Why This Mississippi Mud Pie Recipe Works

Mississippi mud pie is the chocolate lover's dessert of the American South, named for the dark, thick, sticky mud of the Mississippi River banks, which the filling is meant to resemble. It has a crunchy chocolate cookie crust, a deep, dense, fudgy filling somewhere between a brownie and a chocolate pudding, and a heap of whipped cream on top. The exact origins are hard to pin down, but the pie has been a menu fixture in Southern restaurants since at least the 1970s, and it exists in many forms, some with layers of ice cream and some baked like this one. The baked version is made with a mixture of melted butter and dark chocolate, eggs, sugar, a little cocoa and flour, and chopped pecans for crunch, poured into a crust and baked until set at the edges but still gooey in the middle. Underbaking is the point: the centre should wobble slightly when it comes out and set as it cools, giving the pie its soft, fudgy texture. The cookie crust is easy, since chocolate sandwich biscuits are crushed, filling and all, and mixed with melted butter, without any need to roll pastry. Topped with lightly sweetened cream and chocolate shavings, the pie is rich, so cut small slices and serve it cold, with strong black coffee to balance the sweetness.

How to Make Mississippi Mud Pie

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Heat the oven to 175°C / 350°F (155°C / 310°F fan). Mix the crushed biscuits with the 60 g of melted butter and press firmly into a 23 cm pie tin, up the sides. Bake for 8 minutes, then cool slightly.
Melt the 115 g of butter and the chopped chocolate together in a saucepan over low heat, stirring, until smooth. Take off the heat and cool for 5 minutes.
Whisk the eggs, caster sugar and vanilla into the chocolate mixture until smooth and glossy. Sift in the cocoa, flour and salt and stir until just combined, then fold in the pecans.
Pour the filling into the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the edges are set and the centre still wobbles slightly.
Cool completely, then chill for at least 3 hours, until set.
Whip the cream with the icing sugar to soft peaks. Spread over the pie and scatter with the chocolate shavings.

Tips for Making Mississippi Mud Pie

Take the pie out while the middle still wobbles. It continues to set as it cools, and an overbaked pie turns dry and cakey instead of fudgy.
Cool the melted chocolate and butter before you whisk in the eggs. If the mixture is too hot, the eggs cook and you will have flecks in the filling.
Use a sharp knife dipped in hot water for clean slices. Wipe it between cuts.

Common Substitutions & Variations

Double cream won't whip if you swap it, but for the cooking itself, full-fat crème fraîche or a lower-fat single cream works in its place.

What to Serve with Mississippi Mud Pie

Strong black coffee
Vanilla ice cream
Fresh raspberries

Storing & Reheating Mississippi Mud Pie

Keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days. Serve cold or at room temperature. The pie without the cream topping freezes for 2 months.

Mississippi Mud Pie FAQ: Common Questions

How long does Mississippi Mud Pie take to make?

About 1 hour 10 minutes of hands-on work — 30 minutes of preparation and 40 minutes of cooking — plus 3 hours of Cooling and chilling, so allow 4 hours 10 minutes from start to finish. The recipe serves 10.

What are the key tips for making Mississippi Mud Pie?

Take the pie out while the middle still wobbles. It continues to set as it cools, and an overbaked pie turns dry and cakey instead of fudgy. Cool the melted chocolate and butter before you whisk in the eggs. If the mixture is too hot, the eggs cook and you will have flecks in the filling. Use a sharp knife dipped in hot water for clean slices. Wipe it between cuts.

What should I serve with Mississippi Mud Pie?

Strong black coffee; Vanilla ice cream; Fresh raspberries.

Can Mississippi Mud Pie be made ahead or frozen?

Keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days. Serve cold or at room temperature. The pie without the cream topping freezes for 2 months.

Is Mississippi Mud Pie suitable for a special diet?

This recipe is vegetarian. Those labels are checked against the ingredient list, so a dish is only marked when nothing in it contradicts the claim.

How many calories are in Mississippi Mud Pie?

About 636 kcal per serving, with 6 g protein, 54 g carbohydrate and 44 g fat. The figures are calculated from the ingredient list and are an estimate.

Mississippi Mud Pie Nutrition

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.

636Calories

6gProtein

54gCarbs

44gFat

4gFibre

39gSugar

180mgSodium

Vegetarian

Mississippi Mud Pie

How to Make Mississippi Mud Pie

Tips for Making Mississippi Mud Pie

Common Substitutions & Variations

What to Serve with Mississippi Mud Pie

Storing & Reheating Mississippi Mud Pie

Mississippi Mud Pie FAQ: Common Questions

Mississippi Mud Pie Nutrition

Reader Reviews

Cooked this? Leave a review

How to Make Mississippi Mud Pie

Tips for Making Mississippi Mud Pie

Common Substitutions & Variations

What to Serve with Mississippi Mud Pie

Storing & Reheating Mississippi Mud Pie

Mississippi Mud Pie FAQ: Common Questions

Mississippi Mud Pie Nutrition

Reader Reviews

Cooked this? Leave a review

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