The Delicious Old-Fashioned Pie That Became An Arkansas Staple

Arkansas has given the culinary world some interesting contributions, including cheese-stuffed hot dogs, but perhaps its most delicious is a dessert with a deceptive name: possum pie. There's no marsupial meat in this dish; instead, it's layered with chocolate custard and vanilla pudding (or cream cheese) with whipped cream and (often crushed) pecans on top. It's the most iconic dessert from this U.S. state and deserves to be celebrated beyond the borders of Arkansas.

You can find plenty of homemade versions, but it's also on a lot of restaurant menus, such as MJ's Tin Box Cafe in Mountainburg or Stoby's Restaurant in Russellville. The latter city lays claim to the dessert with a story that a now-defunct restaurant called Cagle's Mill was the first to serve it some 40 years ago. Russellville even celebrated all things possum pie in 2026 with its Possum Palooza festival.

Shockingly, the first possum pie recipe from a newspaper we found isn't from Arkansas, but rather Mississippi. In the October 19, 1981, edition of the Sun Herald, a Mrs. Shirley Ferguson of Biloxi shared a recipe for the pie that included all the classic ingredients. Still, Arkansas has staked its claim to possum pie, where it's a beloved treat.

Possum pie apparently got its name for the animal's habit of playing dead to fool predators. Likewise, when looking at possum pie, you can't see the hidden layers beneath. Not surprisingly, there are many slightly different homemade versions out there, starting with the crust. In most versions, you make the crust using flour, butter, crushed pecans, and brown sugar (basically a pecan sandy) and bake it before filling. We've also seen no-bake versions, including one from neighboring state Tennessee that uses a store-bought graham cracker crust with a layer of cream cheese filling and crushed pecans on the bottom.

Other differences include the vanilla layer being made with pudding, a cream cheese mixture, or even sour cream. Even the toppings can vary slightly, with either crushed pecans, pecan halves, or both, with the addition of chocolate shavings or chocolate chips. If you'd like to make your own, we have a shortcut version of possum pie. If you're ever in Arkansas, definitely try a slice from one of the many restaurants that specialize in possum pie.