Arkansas Possum Pie is a creamy, layered chocolate and cream cheese pie in a pecan shortbread crust that is sure to please!
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I just had to include this hilariously named Arkansas favorite as part of my American Eats series. Not only is it incredibly popular and found all over the state of Arkansas, but my curiosity was immediately piqued by the name possum pie.
As soon as I saw this on a list of popular Arkansas recipes I was simultaneously repulsed and intrigued. Did it really have possum in it? Do people really eat roadkill in the South?
Truthfully, I was both relieved and a little disappointed to find out that possum pie is NOT a savory meat pie made with actual possum after all, but rather a delicious dessert recipe with a sandy pecan shortbread crust and layers of cream cheese, chocolate pudding, and sweetened whipped cream.
One theory behind the unusual and shocking name is that possum pie is so-named for pretending to be something that it’s not – in this case hiding the chocolate filling underneath a layer of whipped cream.
Another theory is that it’s just called possum pie because of it’s similar coloring to the only marsupial in North America. Possum pie is sometimes called by other names as well, like Chocolate Layer Pie, Chocolate Lush, or Four Layer Delight.
No matter what you call it, it’s a delicious dessert for anybody who loves chocolate cream pies! And really, I think my favorite part might be the pecan shortbread crust that tastes more like a pecan sandies cookie than a pie crust.
For some other amazing Southern inspired pies, be sure to try my Classic Southern Pecan Pie, Old-Fashioned Banana Cream Pie, Kentucky Chocolate Walnut Pie or Key Lime Pie!
What You’ll Need
- All-purpose flour
- Sugar – You’ll need some brown sugar for the crust, granulated sugar for the filling, and powdered sugar for the whipped cream topping.
- Pecans
- Cream Cheese
- Salted Butter
- Egg Yolks
- Cocoa Powder
- Vanilla extract
- Milk
- Heavy Cream
- Cornstarch
- Salt
- Milk Chocolate – For decorating the top of the pie.
How to Make Arkansas Possum Pie
Almost every recipe I found for possum pie called for boxed chocolate pudding mixes and Cool Whip topping. So I thought I would share a version of possum pie that is made from scratch, since homemade tastes so much better and making pudding from scratch really isn’t hard at all!
- Make the easy pie crust by combining flour, butter, chopped pecans, and brown sugar in a bowl, then pressing into a pie plate (affiliate link) and baking for 15 minutes.
- Whisk together some sugar, flour, cocoa powder, and cornstarch in a medium saucepan, then whisk some egg yolks and milk together in a separate bowl and add it to the saucepan.
- Cook the chocolate pudding over medium heat for about 7-10 minutes until it starts to bubble and thicken, stirring frequently. Then remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Transfer to a large bowl and cover with a piece of plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface of the pudding. Let cool before adding it on top of the cream cheese layer. It doesn’t have to be completely cooled and cold, but it shouldn’t be too hot or it will melt into the cream cheese layer and you won’t get the nice distinct lines between the layers.
- Beat cream cheese with powdered sugar and a little heavy cream until creamy and smooth.
- Spread the cream cheese layer into the bottom of the cooled crust. Then add the chocolate pudding layer and cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming.
- Chill for 4 hours until set, then remove the plastic wrap and spread sweetened whipped cream over the top. Sprinkle with a few chopped pecans and shaved chocolate to decorate.
More Easy Homemade Cream Pie Recipes
- Red, White, and Blueberry Cream Pie
- Easy Coconut Cream Pie From Scratch
- Old-Fashioned Banana Cream Pie
- Easy Blueberry Custard Pie
- Strawberry Pretzel Icebox Pie
- Chocolate Pudding Pie
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Arkansas Possum Pie Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Pecan Shortbread Crust
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup salted butter
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup pecans chopped
Pudding Layer
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Pinch of salt
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 Tablespoons salted butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Layer
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Whipped Cream Topping
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1-2 Tablespoons chopped pecans for decoration
- grated chocolate for decoration
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Melt the butter, then combine the butter, flour, brown sugar and pecans by stirring with a fork. Press into the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate (affiliate link).1 cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup salted butter, ¼ cup brown sugar, ¾ cup pecans
- Bake for about 15-20 minutes, just until the crust begins to brown around the edges. Remove from oven and cool completely.
Chocolate Layer
- Combine the sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, flour, and salt in a medium saucepan and whisk well.1 cup granulated sugar, ⅓ cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder, 3 Tablespoons cornstarch, 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour, Pinch of salt
- In a separate bowl, combine the egg yolks and milk and whisk well, then add to the sugar and cocoa powder mixture in the sauce pan, whisking to combine.3 egg yolks, 2 cups whole milk
- Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until pudding begins to thicken and bubble, about 7-10 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the butter and vanilla, stirring just until the butter is melted and combined. Transfer the chocolate pudding to a shallow bowl and cover with a plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming, then refrigerate for 30 minutes to help the filling cool down.2 Tablespoons salted butter, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- When the filling has mostly cooled down, remove the plastic wrap and stir, then spread over the cream cheese layer. Cover the pie with plastic wrap, then refrigerate for 4 hours until set.
Cream Cheese Filling
- In a medium bowl, mix the cream cheese, powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla extract using a hand mixer until smooth. Spread over bottom of the cooled pecan pie crust.8 ounces cream cheese, ½ cup heavy whipping cream, 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Whipped Cream Topping
- Beat the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla using a hand mixer until whipped cream forms and holds it's shape when the beaters are removed. Spread the whipped cream over the top of the chocolate pudding layer and sprinkle with a handful of chopped pecans and chocolate shavings before slicing and serving.2 cups heavy cream, ½ cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1-2 Tablespoons chopped pecans, grated chocolate
Notes
Nutrition
More States I Have Visited in my American Eats Series
Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • New Jersey • New York • Oregon • Puerto Rico • South Carolina • South Dakota • Texas • Utah • Wisconsin
I’m a terrible cook but this was very easy and delicious! Thank you for sharing a recipe even i couldn’t mess up.
Oh I am sure you’re a great cook! I am glad you enjoyed the pie. It’s a good one and pretty hard to mess up 😉
was wondering if you could leave out the pecans and maybe a different crust but will try this recipe then figure it out
Yes, you could absolutely leave out the pecans. Or just do a graham cracker or Oreo crust with the same fillings.
Was a huge Thanksgiving hit!
I followed this recipe to the tee and the pudding part never set. I let it sit overnight and it still wasn’t set. I did put the pudding on the pie and the whip cream and let it set again in freezer and it was absolute soup. Delish but soup!
It seems that the ingredients as listed are not correct for the steps to complete the different layers, not a big problem if you’re a better cook than I am. I was assembling the ingredients for the whipped cream topping and when I went st the step # 1 for the whipped cream topping and there is no mention of using the 8 oz of cream cheese. I con only suggest that you get all the ingredients and just move to the individual steps. Waiting on the finished pie looks good.
Oh yes, sorry. The cream cheese ingredient was listed in the whipped topping section. I moved it to the cream cheese layer. It should all be fixed now. Thanks!
I’ve not eaten it yet but the sample I had was really rich!
The steps to make this pie are off! I figured it out but if you’re not a seasoned baker you’d be up the creek without a paddle.
I’d say the ingredients fir the last step are way off! So I just put cool-whip and grated chocolate on top.!
I’ll check back after I eat a bite. It’s getting married right now! LOL BON APETIT
Can I freeze this pie?
Yes, you can freeze it for up to 2-3 months. Just wrap it well with plastic wrap so it doesn’t get freezer burn and let it thaw completely in the fridge overnight, then on the counter for an hour or so before enjoying. The texture will change slightly but generally it should be pretty good.
The crust was very difficult to cut but did have good flavor. The cream cheese layer was good.
The pudding was watery & extremely sweet. The whipped topping was incorrectly listed with only 2 Tablespoons of whipping cream & no amount of vanilla.
Truly a disaster!!