Mississippi mud pie is a classic chocolate lover’s dessert. This recipe has a fudgy, brownie-like layer piled high with whipped cream and wrapped inside a thick Oreo crust. Every bite is rich and decadent!

The more chocolate, the better, right? If you love chocolate desserts like this one, be sure to give my chocolate mousse cake a try, too.

A slice of Mississippi mud pie lifted from a plate with a cake server.

I’ve realized that when it comes to Mississippi (who else still does the “M-I-SS-I-SS-I-PP-I” thing to spell it?!), they do comfort food really well. Whether it’s savory, like a Mississippi pot roast, or sweet and decadent, like this Mississippi mud pie – it’s always done right!

My Mississippi mud pie recipe has a thick and fudgy chocolate filling that’s as dark and muddy as the river in its name. Topped with whipped cream and set inside an Oreo cookie crust, it’s a totally crave-worthy dessert. Especially if you’re as chocolate-obsessed as yours truly!

Why You’ll Love This Mississippi Mud Pie

Extra chocolatey. A mud pie is the perfect dessert for chocolate fans. The chocolate filling in this pie is like the softest, fudgiest brownie you’ve ever had in your life. Every bite is irresistibly moist, tender, and wrapped up in fluffy whipped topping.
Easy. You’ll find all sorts of Mississippi mud pie recipes out there, some more complicated than others. I’ve found that even when I keep it simple, this mud pie turns out just as decadent with just 30 minutes of hands-on time.
Make-ahead-friendly. You can make this chocolate pie in two parts, between the filling and the topping. If you have an occasion coming up, prepare and bake the chocolate pie a day or two ahead. It’ll be ready for the whipped cream topping whenever you serve it.

A slice of chocolate pie garnished with chocolate shavings and served on a white plate.

Why Is It Called Mississippi Mud Pie?

A Mississippi mud pie is a classic chocolate pie recipe. It’s made with a brownie-like base, sometimes with chocolate custard and/or chocolate sauce layered in a chocolate cookie crust. The gooey layers look a lot like the muddy banks of the Mississippi River, hence the name.

I like to keep my mud pie simple and cut straight to the good stuff: a chocolatey “mud” layer topped with fluffy whipped cream, all the way.

Ingredients for Mississippi mud pie with text labels overlaying each ingredient.

What You’ll Need

Here’s a short overview of the ingredients you’ll need to make the best Mississippi mud pie. Have a scroll to the recipe card below the post for a printable list with the full amounts.

Oreo Crust – I make an easy Oreo cookie crust by blending Oreo cookies and melted butter. You can also buy ready-made Oreo crumbs and whisk them with the butter instead.
Butter – Along with the butter you’ll need to make the crust, you’ll need a stick of butter for the mud pie filling. Cut the butter into cubes beforehand.
Chocolate – I like to chop up a square of Baker’s unsweetened chocolate. You can also use semi-sweet or dark chocolate, as long as it’s good quality melting chocolate.
Dry Ingredients – You’ll need flour, sugar, and a pinch of salt.
Corn Syrup – Corn syrup does a fun trick in baking, where it keeps the sugars from crystalizing and becoming hard. Adding a little corn syrup to brownies and cookies keeps them super tender. It works the same way for the chocolate layer in this mud pie.
Eggs and Vanilla – Make sure to use pure vanilla extract.
Garnishes – Top this mud pie with chocolate shavings, crumbled Oreos, or even a drizzle of chocolate ganache or fudge sauce. It’s also fine to skip the garnishes if you’d like.

How to Make Mississippi Mud Pie

My mud pie recipe doesn’t require any fancy equipment besides a food processor for the crust. Even then, you can always add the Oreo cookies to a sturdy freezer bag instead and go at it with a rolling pin. As long as they’re crushed up finely, you’re good to go. The rest of this pie comes together in a few easy steps.

Overhead view of chocolate filling being poured into an Oreo crust in a round cake pan. — Prepare the crust and filling.

Overhead view of baked chocolate filling inside an Oreo crust in a round cake pan. — Prepare the crust and filling.

Prepare the Oreo crust. First things first, process your Oreos and melted butter in a blender. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9” springform pan. After that, you’ll par-bake the crust for 10 minutes at 375ºF.
Make the filling. To make your pie filling, melt butter and chocolate in a saucepan. Stir in flour, salt, and sugar, followed by corn syrup and vanilla. Lastly, mix in the eggs.
Bake. Pour the chocolate mixture into your prepared crust. Bake at 375ºF for 30 minutes. It’ll come out with a glossy, crackly top, similar to a fudgy brownie.
Finish with whipped cream. Let the pie cool completely, then spread a thick layer of whipped cream over the top (use homemade or store-bought). I like to garnish my mud pie with chocolate shavings. Then, slice and serve!

A whole Mississippi mud pie garnished with chocolate shavings inside an Oreo crust on a white plate.

Tips & Variations

Substitute the Oreos. In place of Oreo cookies, you can make the crust with chocolate wafers or chocolate graham crackers.
Let the chocolate layer cool completely. You’ll need to wait (usually about 2 hours) for the brownie layer to cool to room temperature before you can add the whipped cream. Adding the whipped topping to a warm filling can cause it to melt.
Make the whipped cream from scratch. I include my easy homemade whipped cream recipe as the topping for this pie. All it takes is 3 ingredients. Sure, you can still use store-bought whipped cream or Cool Whip in a hurry. Once you’ve tried homemade, though, it’s hard to go back.

A slice of mud pie on a white plate with a forkful cut from the end.

Proper Storage

Refrigerate. Store Mississippi mud pie covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. The whipped cream will start to soften a little after a while, but it’ll still taste delicious.
Freeze. If you’re planning to freeze your mud pie, I recommend leaving off the whipped cream until you’re ready to serve it. Bake the brownie base as directed, and let it cool completely. Wrap the whole pan in a double layer of plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost in the fridge before adding the topping.