Mud Pie

Mouthwatering Mud Pie made with a decadent Oreo cookie crust, a layer of ice cream followed by a homemade layer of chocolate custard with a hint of coffee, and topped with whipped cream is the best frozen chocolate pie!

Why this recipe is so great:

• Incredibly decadent. This dessert goes by many names: Mississippi Mud Pie, Chocolate Pie, Frozen Chocolate Pie, Oreo Mud Pie. The one thing all of these have in common is layer upon layer of chocolate goodness. A small sliver is all you need!
• Coffee flavored! The addition of espresso powder in the chocolate custard layer adds just the right amount of coffee flavor to enhance the chocolate. You can vary this amount based on preference. You can also add more coffee flavor depending on the ice cream you choose.
• Perfect any time of year. This Mud Pie doubles as the perfect summer dessert since it’s frozen as well as a fantastic holiday dessert that will get devoured at Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Ingredients needed for crust:

Exact quantities are listed in the recipe card below, but here is a summary.

• Oreo cookies – you will crush the cookies and the filling
• Butter – to bind the cookie crumbs
• Chocolate – melted chocolate keeps the crust from falling apart when you cut it

How to make a chocolate cookie crust:

Detailed step by step instructions are listed in the recipe card below, but here is a summary.

1. Pulse: Run the Oreos through the food processor until all you have left are fine crumbs.
2. Add melted butter: Pour the butter onto the crumb mixture and pulse the processor a few times to combine.
3. Stir in chocolate: The secret to a perfectly sliced chocolate cookie crust is to stir in melted chocolate. It acts as the ultimate binder to hold the crust together.
4. Set: Dump the cookie crumb mixture into a pie dish and press into an evenly thick layer.

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Add the ice cream layer:

This mud pie has two filling layers. The first is ice cream and the second is a homemade chocolate custard.

1. Soften ice cream: You don’t want the ice cream to be melted, but it’s easy to spread when it’s a bit soft. Fill the cookie pie crust about half full with the ice cream.
2. Freeze: Stick the pie back into the freezer.

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Ingredients needed for chocolate custard:

This custard layer is sort of a cross between a pudding and a custard-based ice cream.

• Heavy cream and whole milk
• Cornstarch for thickening
• Granulated sugar
• Egg yolks
• Chocolate
• Vanilla extract
• Espresso powder – you can omit or reduce if you don’t want a coffee flavor

How to make the chocolate custard:

Detailed step by step instructions are listed in the recipe card below, but here is a summary.

1. Temper egg: Combine the heavy cream, most of the milk, sugar and salt in a sauce pan and heat until it just starts to bubble. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks with the cornstarch and remaining milk in a separate bowl. Temper the egg by adding one ladle of scalded cream to the yolk mixture while continuously whisking. This warms the egg yolks without cooking them.
2. Thicken: The tempered egg mixture is added to the cream mixture and gently heated. This helps thicken the mixture. Then, it’s removed from the heat and the chocolate, vanilla, and espresso powder are stirred in. The chocolate custard is then allowed to cool and will eventually have a similar thickness to pudding.
3. Add to pie: Pull the ice cream pie out of the freezer and top with the cooled chocolate custard. Return pie to freezer to allow it to set.

Meanwhile, make the whipped cream!

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Recipe tips for perfect results:

• Chocolate layers: You can make this mud pie exactly as the recipe was written and it will turn out. Alternatively, you can skip the chocolate custard layer and double the ice cream, or you can skip the ice cream and double the chocolate custard layer. It just depends on the complexity of the chocolate flavors you desire!
• Ice cream flavors: you can really use any kind of ice cream you prefer. If you want to stick to it being a Mud Pie or Frozen Chocolate Pie, choose an ice cream with a chocolate base. If you want to use something like mint chip, chocolate chip, strawberry, pistachio – it’s all fair game. Just make sure it either goes with the flavor of coffee, or you omit the espresso powder from the custard layer.
• When to add whipped cream: You can either top the pie just before serving, or you can add the whipped cream whenever and freeze the pie with the whipped cream on top.
• How to serve: Remove pie from freezer 15-30 minutes prior to serving so that it can soften. You don’t want the ice cream to melt, but it is easier to slice if it has slightly thawed. To make clean slices, use a large sharp knife dipping in a glass of boiling water and wiped clean before each slice.

Other favorite chocolate dessert recipes:

If I have one weakness, it has to be chocolate. If you’ve got a craving, be sure to check out these other favorite chocolate recipes!

• Chocolate Cake
• Homemade Chocolate Cupcakes
• Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Five Minute Microwave Fudge
• German Chocolate Cake
• Flourless Chocolate Cake

If you’ve made this or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out. I love hearing from my readers!

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