According to Southern Living, possum pie is one of the most popular desserts in Arkansas. Possum pie is a cold, creamy pie that has a pecan shortbread pie crust, a cheesecake filling, chocolate pudding and homemade whipped cream on top. Sounds fabulous, right?
To make this creamy chocolate pie recipe you will need pecans, sugar, flour, salt, butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, cocoa powder, cornstarch, milk and an egg. The pie does take a little time to make because each layer needs to be cooled, but it is so worth it. Garnish the top with cocoa powder, grated chocolate or chopped nuts.
Serve this pie at your holiday gatherings or for dessert after dinner any night of the week. It's also delicious with a cup of coffee or hot tea.
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Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 1 hour plus time to chill
Cook Time: 10 to 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes plus time to chill
Servings: 12
Ingredients
Crust
- 1/3 cup pecan halves, toasted
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- large pinch of salt
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
- 1 tablespoon ice water
Cream Cheese Filling
- 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- pinch of salt
Chocolate Pudding
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- large pinch of salt
- 2 1/4 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Helpful Products
- Food Processor
- Pie Weights
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Whisk
- Saucepot
- Rubber Spatula
- Mixing Bowl
- Aluminum Foil
- Wooden Spoon
- Pie Plate
- Plastic Wrap
Recipe Notes
- You could also top the pie with chopped pecans or walnuts.
- For a prettier presentation, pipe the whipped cream onto the top of the pie using a cake decorating bag or plastic food storage bag with the tip cut off.
- Make sure the butter and cream cheese are at room temperature before making the pie.
- Store the pie covered in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Here's how to make it:
- To make the crust, put the pecans and sugar into a food processor. Pulse until ground. Add the flour and salt. Pulse again. Add the butter and pulse until crumbly. Add the water and pulse until the mixture holds together. Pour the mixture into a buttered deep dish 9-inch pie plate and press onto the bottom and up the sides. Prick the crust with a fork and place it in the freeze for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, add pie weights or dried beans onto the crust and bake in a preheated 375-degree F oven until golden, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove and cool.
- To make the cream cheese layer, put all the ingredients into a mixing bowl. Stir together until combined and smooth. Spread onto the bottom of the cooled crust. Place in the refrigerator.
- To make the chocolate pudding, stir together the sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch and salt in a saucepot. Whisk in the milk, cream and egg until smooth. Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla. Whisk until thickened, about 1 minute. Cool completely, then spoon the pudding over the cream cheese layer. Cover the pie with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 6 hours.
- Right before serving, beat the whipped cream ingredients together until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Spoon the whipped cream over the top of the pie. Dust with cocoa powder or top with grated chocolate.
Nutrition Facts Per Serving
Calories: 875
Total Fat: 75.7g
Saturated Fat: 46.4g
Cholesterol: 240mg
Sodium: 526mg
Total Carbohydrate: 30.3g
Dietary Fiber: 1.8g
Total Sugars: 16.6g
Protein: 9.1g
Vitamin D: 61mcg
Calcium: 130mg
Iron: 2mg
Potassium: 212mg
Recipe cooking times, nutritional information and servings are approximate and provided for your convenience. However, 30Seconds is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe, nor may you have the same results because of variations in ingredients, temperatures, altitude, errors, omissions or cooking/baking abilities. This recipe has been analyzed by VeryWellFit. However, any nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and it is up to the individual to ascertain accuracy. To ensure image quality, we may occasionally use stock photography.
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