Chocolate Cream Pie
Chocolate Pie! So easy to make, with a buttery, flaky crust, a fluffy chocolate mousse filling, and plenty of sweet whipped cream. Rich yet so airy & light!
*This chocolate pie recipe originally published on November 16, 2017. I thought it was about time it was updated. So, I’ve re-shot the pics and added a video, and answers to some frequently asked questions. Hopefully, you’ll enjoy this chocolate cream pie as much as my family and I do!*
Welcome to a brand new week!
This week starts school for my family, so I’m trying to wean away from summer recipes. Sad face.
It’s easier said than done! I can’t help myself, I’m still all about those easy, no-bake desserts like mint chocolate chip ice cream, peanut butter bars, and no-bake cheesecake.
So today I thought it would be good to share a pie, which is perfect for summer OR fall. And to me, there is no better pie than a chocolate pie.
This chocolate pie recipe will knock your socks off.
The filling is light as air, yet has so much incredibly rich chocolate flavor.
It’s topped with fluffy, sweet whipped cream, and nestled into a flaky, buttery crust.
Pure decadence!
And best of all it is SO easy to make. The filling has just a few simple ingredients, and it all comes together in less than 15 minutes flat.
HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE PIE
To make this classic dessert, aka: French Silk Pie, you’ll only need a handful of basics:
- Pie Crust
- Chocolate Chips
- Water
- Cocoa (Natural, not Dutched)
- Sugar
- Salt
- Cream
- Vanilla
And for garnish we are going to add more whipped cream and a few chocolate shavings.
First you’ll need to pre-bake your pie crust. You can use store-bought crust or homemade. I prefer homemade of course. Here’s a link to the best recipe in all the land: Homemade Pie Crust.
While the crust cools, you can get going on your filling.
Place the chocolate chips, water, cocoa, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
Melt everything together (either in the microwave or over a double boiler), until smooth.
Then whip the cream until it holds stiff peaks.
Fold the cream into the chocolate mixture, along with the vanilla extract, until everything is well combined.
And transfer the filling to the pie crust.
Refrigerate the pie until the filling is set. This usually takes about 2 hours.
Just before serving, top the pie with swirls of sweet whipped cream, and garnish it with chocolate shavings.
So pretty!
VARIATIONS ON THIS CHOCOLATE PIE RECIPE
To me, this recipe is perfect as-is! But of course you can always play around and make it your own.
THE FILLING
This filling is airy yet so rich, with tons of chocolate flavor. But if you prefer more of a dense filling, check out this homemade chocolate pudding recipe: Homemade Chocolate Pudding.
THE TOPPING
If you’d rather have your chocolate pie with meringue, swap out the sweetened whipped cream for the topping on this Lemon Meringue Pie: Lemon Meringue Pie.
And for lots of tips on making meringue, check out this post: Meringue Cookies.
THE CRUST
You have lots of differect crust options! For what you see here, I used a classic flaky butter pie crust. But you could also go with a Chocolate Pie Crust, a Graham Cracker Crust, or an Oreo Pie Crust.
HOW TO STORE CHOCOLATE PIE
This pie can be left at room temperature for an hour or so, but any longer than that and it should really go into the fridge. It will become softer as it sits out, and if it’s a really warm day it might become a little too runny.
CAN YOU FREEZE CHOCOLATE PIE
I like to enjoy my chocolate pie chilled, but you could also do a frozen chocolate pie!
The texture would be similar to ice cream.
Just be sure to wrap it tightly before putting it into the freezer, so it doesn’t pick up any funny odors!
HOW LONG IS CHOCOLATE PIE GOOD FOR?
You can make this chocolate pie a day or two ahead if you’d like. Top with the whipped cream and garnish just before serving.
If you have any leftovers, they will keep in the fridge for around 5 days.
And it will last in the freezer (tightly wrapped) for a month or two.
- Peanut Butter Pie
- Grasshopper Mint Pie
- Banana Cream Pie
- Key Lime Pie
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Chocolate Pie
Ingredients
- 1/2 batch pie crust
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips, (about 1 1/3 cups)
- 1/3 cup (78.86 ml) water
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups (354.88 ml) heavy whipping cream,, whipped stiffly
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (236.59 ml) heavy cream,, whipped softly with 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- chocolate shavings*, (for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Roll out the pie crust to about 1 1/2 inches wider than the pie dish, fit it in, and roll and crimp the edge.
- Dock the bottom of the crust by piercing it a few times with a fork, then line it with parchment and weigh it down with dry beans or ceramic pie weights.
- Bake the crust until golden brown and crisp (about 30 to 35 minutes), and allow to cool completely before filling.
- Place the chocolate chips, water, cocoa, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl, and microwave in short, 30-second bursts, stirring after each interval until the mixture is melted and smooth (this can also be done over a double boiler).
- Fold in the whipped cream and vanilla extract.
- Transfer the filling to the pre-baked crust, and chill in the refrigerator until set (about 2 hours).
- Pipe swirls of sweetened whipped cream over the chocolate filling, then garnish with chocolate shavings.
I am not sure what went wrong. The chocolate/whipped cream filling didn’t have a smooth texture. Normally, I don’t use cocoa powder to make chocolate pies and that might of been the problem. I didn’t really think the cocoa powder was necessary. I will attempt this recipe again without the cocoa powder and see what happens.
Allie you are beautiful!! I thought you were Dallas Bryce Howard!! Pie looks amazing too! ?
Aw, thank you Ruth! I’ve heard that Bryce Dallas Howard comparison before and I take it as a huge compliment! Thanks for the sweet comment; God bless!
I’m  so glad you knew who I meant! ? Bryce Dallas!! Lol ?Â
this would be a crowd favorite!!!
There is SO MUCH to love about this chocolate cream pie! It’s sure to be a crowd-pleasing dessert!
The perfect amount of fillings, and oh my gosh it looks so good!
The perfect amount of chocolate!
If I make this on Thursday night, do you think it will still be good on Sunday? We are having guests arrive for Super Bowl and I do not want to bake while they are here.
I think that would work Sherry but I’d try to keep the components separate if you can. If the pie is filled the crust could get soggy and the whipped cream might deflate or weep. Is it possible for you to just assemble it the day of?
Made this as a New Year’s treat and love the filling, but my crust dough was way too dry and crumbly…used 6 tablespoons of ice water but still so dry? I’ll use the filling recipe again for sure!
So happy you liked the filling Kelly! You can add as much water as you need to get the crust to the proper consistency. Thanks so much for the feedback!
yes I love using Ghirardelli in baking! This chocolate cream pie looks TO DIE FOR
Thank you so much Kayle! It was sooo good!
Ghirardelli’s is my favorite chocolate to bake with! Yum!!
Mine too! Thanks so much Melissa!
Ok I am OBSESSED. This looks so delicious, and using a chocolate mousse instead of a regular ganache is such a great idea! Pinning for later!
So happy you like it Kelly! Thanks so much for pinning; hope you enjoy!