Mississippi Mud Pie

Author & Photographer: Megan Hanson

This Mississippi Mud-Pie is the epitome of rustic charm for those of us who don’t have the patience for piping frosting and rolling fondant. It consists of a graham cracker crust, fudgy chocolate cake, chocolate custard, and topped with a mountain of whipped cream. These four layers offer contrasting textures of crunchy, fudgy, creamy, and light. A Mississippi Mud-Pie means many different things to different people so feel free to make your own improvisations and substitutions; it will always end up delicious. I made this pie for my roommate's birthday and it was a major hit. Make this for the chocolate-lover in your life! 

Adapted from: Mississippi Mud Pie

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Prep Time: 20 min

Inactive/Rest Time: 4 hours

Cook Time: 40 mins

Total: 5 hours

Yield: 16 servings

Ingredients:

Graham Cracker Crust:

About 15 whole graham crackers

¼ cup granulated sugar

½ tsp kosher salt

8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Brownie Cake:

8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 bittersweet chocolate chips

⅓ cup brown sugar

⅓ cup cocoa powder

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

¾ tsp kosher salt

3 large eggs, separated

½ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup all-purpose flour

Chocolate Custard:

¾ cup bittersweet chocolate chips

2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces

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½ cup granulated sugar

¼ tsp kosher salt

¼ cup cocoa powder

¼ cup cornstarch

2 cups whole milk

4 large egg yolks

Whipped cream:

1 ½ cups cold heavy cream

Instructions

Graham Cracker Crust:

  1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. 

  2. In a food processor, pulse the graham crackers to fine crumbs or place the graham crackers in a plastic bag and crush them by hand.

  3. Mix the graham cracker crumbs with the sugar, salt and butter, and toss until evenly moistened. Add the crumb mixture into a 9-inch springform pan. Use your fingers to press the crumbs into a thin, even layer on the bottom of the pan and at least 2 inches up its sides. 

  4. Bake the crust until just set, about 10 minutes.

  5. Remove the crust and increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Brownie Cake:

  1. Melt together the butter and chocolate in the microwave, using short 10-15 second increments. 

  2. Whisk in the brown sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract and salt. Let cool slightly, then whisk in the 3 large egg yolks.

  3. In a large bowl, beat the remaining 3 large egg whites with an electric mixer on medium until foamy (about 30 seconds).

  4. While mixing, gradually add the granulated sugar in a steady stream. Increase the mixer speed to high and continue to beat until you have stiff peaks, about 3 minutes. 

  5. Using a large rubber spatula, fold the egg-white mixture evenly into the chocolate mixture. 

  6. Sift the flour evenly over the chocolate mixture and fold it in. 

  7. Transfer the batter to the prepared crust and smooth the top. 

  8. Bake until a crust has formed over the top, the center is just set and a toothpick inserted 1 inch away from the edges comes out with moist crumbs attached (30 to 35 minutes.) The center of the cake, under the crust, should still be very moist and fudgy. Be careful not to overbake. 

  9. Let the cake cool completely (at least 90 minutes.)

Chocolate Custard

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  1. Set the chocolate and butter in a medium bowl.

  2. Place a fine-mesh sieve over the bowl and set it aside. 

  3. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, salt, cocoa powder, and cornstarch. 

  4. Add the milk, little by little, while whisking to incorporate it fully. Whisk in the egg yolks. 

  5. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it has thickened and just come to a low boil. Continue to cook the custard, whisking, for another minute, then immediately pour it into the sieve, pushing it through with a small spatula. 

  6. Let the custard stand for 1 minute, then whisk it together with the butter and chocolate until smooth. Pour the custard over the cooled cake. Cover the custard with plastic wrap or wax paper and press it gently into the surface of the custard. Chill until the custard has set completely (at least 4 hours and up to overnight.)

Whipped Cream

  1. Just before serving, remove the ring from the springform pan base and transfer pie to a serving plate. 

  2. Whip the cream to soft peaks and spoon high dollops over the top of the pie, leaving about a 1-inch border.

Note: The whipped cream will only last 3-4 days in the fridge. But skipping this layer will allow it to last about 1 week.

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RecipesMelanie WangRecipeComment