This Mud Pie was the first dessert I took to my husband’s parents’ house for family dinner and let me tell you what it was a huge hit! 10 years later and they still ask me to make it. In fact, my nieces request it for their birthdays! It’s so good, easy to make, and the ingredients are easy to find.

We love this dessert in my home and it’s on repeat throughout the year. We love it as a simple dessert during the summertime, on birthdays, or even for holidays. It will work for all occasions, and everyone will love it.

What is Mud Pie?

When people hear the name of the dessert, they always question me on it. I know the name sounds interesting, but it really is a good dessert with delicious ingredients.

It’s a chilled dessert but not to be confused with the Mississippi Mud Pie, which is a chocolate baked pie. This dessert is a no-bake dessert made from pudding, cream cheese, and whipped cream.

Ingredients needed

Flour
Butter
Cream cheese – room temperature
Powdered sugar
Whipped cream
Instant vanilla pudding
Instant chocolate pudding
Milk

My preference is always to make homemade whipped cream, but you can always buy it premade from the store, I think they call it whipped topping or something like that.

How To Make Mud Pie Dessert

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Blend together flour and margarine for crust. Pat into a 9 X 13 pan.
Bake for 20 min.
Let cool completely.
Cream together room temperature cream cheese and sugar.
Add in 1/2 of the whipped cream. Blend well.
Spread carefully on cooled crust to make the first layer.
Mix together both packages of pudding and the milk. Let set.
Put over the first layer, spreading evenly.
Spread remaining whipped cream on top of pudding mixture.
Refrigerate overnight.
Serves 12-15 people.

Variations

There are a few variations you can do with this dessert. It’s wonderful as is but you can switch things up a bit. Here are some flavor combinations to use for the pudding instead of the chocolate with vanilla.

Vanilla with cookies and cream
Peanut butter with chocolate
Chocolate with chocolate
Vanilla with butterscotch
Mint with chocolate
White chocolate with white chocolate (top with berries after! YUM)
Funfetti pudding with vanilla and top with oreos

Have fun with it. There are so many things you can do with this dessert.

FAQs

Can you Freeze Mud Pie?
Yes! It should last up to 3 months in the freezer.

How long will it last in the fridge?
About 3-4 days.

How far in advance can you make it?
If you freeze it, you can prepare it months in advance. My favorite way to make it is the night before and then it sets up nicely before serving it the next day.

Can I use cook ‘n serve pudding instead of instant?
No. Use instant pudding for best results.

Can I use frozen whipped topping instead of homemade whipped cream?
Yes. They are interchangeable.

Do I have to wait for the crust to cool before layering the other layers?
Yes. If the crust is still warm, it will melt the cream cheese, and it won’t set right.

Can I use granulated sugar instead of powdered sugar?
No. The texture would be off, and you’d notice the granules in the dessert.

What size pan works best?
I use a 9X13 for this dessert and I would say it’s the best. However, you could probably split it up between two 8X8 if you really wanted to but it’s best with a 9X13.

Can I make and serve it the day of, or does it have to be refrigerated overnight?
You can make it the day of, but I would have it set in the fridge for at least 4 hours or more.

Toppings

I don’t typically add any toppings to my dessert; it really is good just as it. However, you can make it fun by adding variety of toppings. Here are some options:

Mint chocolate chips
Crushed oreos
Hot fudge drizzle
Caramel
Shaved chocolate
Toasted pecans
Fresh berries
Crushed chocolate candies

Mud Pie Dessert

This dessert is an easy dessert to make and it’s one you can take most anywhere and have people devour it. I’d love to hear if you made it!

If you’re looking for a good dessert/breakfast idea, these are my family’s favorite! I have some opinionated kids, and they always tell me these are the best!

Thanks for being here, in this space with me. It brings me so much joy providing for my family (even though I hate cooking) and to be able to help others do the same just fills me with joy.

Let’s be friends! You can find me on Insta, TikTok or YouTube.

Simply Heidi

Hey guys! I’m Heidi, a homeschooling mama who is also trying to learn to cook from scratch while also trying to satiate the book dragon in me. I’m so excited that you’re here! Whether it’s homeschool, cooking from scratch or here for the books, I’m beyond grateful to have you here in my little space on the internet.