Old-Fashioned Shortcut Possum Pie Recipe

In the wide world of no-bake desserts, Arkansas' possum pie is a sleeper hit. It is a fabulous sweet treat with silky layers of cream cheese, chocolate mousse, and whipped topping all contained in a pecan shortbread crust. That silly name? Eyebrow-raising, granted. No possums were harmed in the making of this pie. It's a cute twist on the phrase "playing possum"; the whipped topping-covered pie is a deception, with that fluffy, creamy coating concealing the layers hidden beneath.

This was my first foray into possum pie territory. I am a fan of the no-bake pies and no-bake desserts in general, especially during the warmer months. Alas, I don't want to completely deceive you either (guilty of playing possum, myself). There is a "baked" portion to this recipe: the homemade shortbread crust. The rest of the pie, I promise, does not require cooking.

The concealed layers are fantastically easy to make. I included a couple of culinary shortcuts to make up for the homemade crust. The cream cheese layer is really straightforward, vanilla-sweet with a touch of that telltale cream cheese sharpness. The chocolate layer is a mousse hack I stumbled upon by accident — I combined store-bought chocolate pudding mix, dark cocoa powder, and heavy cream for a thick, fluffy mousse-like finish.

For the crust, you'll need shelled pecan halves, granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, cold salted butter, and cold water. For the cream cheese layer, you'll need softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla extract. For the chocolate layer, you'll need a package of chocolate pudding mix, unsweetened dark cocoa powder, and heavy cream. For topping and decorating the pie, you'll need whipped topping and some additional pecan halves.

Spritz a pie pan with cooking spray.

To make the crust, place the pecan halves and granulated sugar in the bowl of a food processor.

Pulse until the pecans are finely chopped.

Add the flour to the food processor and pulse to combine.

Add the cold butter and pulse until pea-sized crumbs form.

Add 1 tablespoon cold water and pulse until the mixture loosely combines. The crust mixture should hold together when pressed.

Transfer the crust mixture to the prepared pie pan.

Press the crust mixture into the bottom and sides of the pan. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Once chilled, remove the crust from the oven and dock it with a fork.

Place the crust in the oven and bake it for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden. Remove and set it aside to cool completely on a wire rack.

Once the crust has cooled, make the cream cheese filling by placing the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla in a large bowl.

Whisk to combine the filling.

Transfer the cream cheese filling to the cooled crust.

Spread the filling out evenly, cover, and refrigerate while you prepare the chocolate filling.

To make the chocolate filling, place the pudding mix, cocoa powder, and heavy cream in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.

Gently whisk to combine and gradually increase the speed until the mixture is thick and fluffy. If the mixture is too thick, add a tablespoon of milk to thin it.

Spoon the chocolate filling over the cream cheese layer.

Spread the chocolate filling out evenly, cover, and refrigerate 10 to 12 hours to set.

Once set, remove the pie from the refrigerator, and top with whipped topping.

Spread the whipped topping out evenly and decorate with pecan halves before slicing and serving.

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I love this hack for making easy-peasy chocolate mousse: No need for heavy whipping or folding. With a few spins of the whisk, you'll have a thick and fluffy mousse. The only downside I've found with this style of chocolate mousse is that it can come out super thick. No big deal. Just add a little whole milk or half-and-half to thin it slightly. I also appreciate how this mousse doesn't melt or run if left out at room temperature for a few minutes. Since this is a chilled dessert, we are most often serving this in the spring or summer — warm weather and mousse do not always mix. You should still keep it chilled before and after serving, but you won't need to worry about your pie melting as quickly.

Being that this mousse is super easy to make, you can also experiment with different flavoring options. A little flaky sea salt added to the mix or a glug of fruity liqueur would really enhance and elevate your possum pie flavor. You can also make your own homemade chocolate mousse by folding ganache into sweetened egg white meringue. Or, you can whip heavy cream with powdered sugar and cocoa powder for a very airy layer.

Shortbread is a simple combination of flour, butter, and sugar. The trick is to have the ingredients at a cooler temperature, which keeps the butter stable while making our dough and keeps the dough from overspreading when baking. This cold-butter and cold-water treatment also aids in creating that coveted cookie-crust texture. Since we are also introducing pecans into this recipe, that little bit of cold water allows our dough to be pliable and less crumbly. Pulse the ingredients in your food processor, but don't blend them completely. We are looking for pea-sized buttery bits. After you've crafted and pressed the dough into your pie pan, make sure to refrigerate it before docking and baking to maintain that buttery structure and stability.

If making a homemade shortbread crust from scratch sounds like too much work, you can absolutely use something completely different. You can use store-bought pie crust, either a flour-based pie crust or a graham cracker crust. You can also make your own cookie crust using a combination of crushed pecan sandies and melted butter.

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