Indulge in the ultimate chocolate lover’s dream with this irresistible Chocolate Cream Pie! With a smooth, creamy filling and a buttery, flaky crust, this dessert strikes the perfect balance between rich decadence and delightful simplicity. Topped with a cloud of fresh whipped cream and delicate chocolate shavings, every bite is a luxurious experience.
Homemade Chocolate Cream Pie Recipe
This is technically a no-bake recipe if you use a prepared pie crust. It has a stovetop chocolate filling but it will be chilled in the refrigerator before serving. It’s incredibly rich and bursting with chocolate flavor without being overly sweet. Make this pie for special occasions or as an easy dessert after Sunday dinner. The texture is silky smooth and almost like a thick custard. I promise this showstopping dessert will impress anyone you make it for — even kids!
Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Cream Pie
- Quick and easy to prepare. This is a simple cooked chocolate filling added to a prepared pie crust.
- Great for making ahead. You may make this pie ahead and store it in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Budget-friendly. The ingredients are inexpensive making this the perfect dessert for any size budget.
What You’ll Need
Below are all the components for the filling, toppings, and crust. I use store-bought crust for convenience, but homemade pie crust is yummy, too!
- Pie crust: You may use a store-bought 9-inch crust but I suggest this Homemade Pie Crust. It’s perfectly buttery and flaky without falling apart. Just prepare, bake, and cool the pie pan before you add the filling.
- Sugar: I keep it simple and use white sugar to sweeten the chocolate filling.
- Cornstarch: This is a great way to thicken the mixture without having a flour taste.
- Salt: A pinch of salt helps to enhance the chocolate flavor.
- Egg yolks: The egg yolks help with the structure and texture of the filling.
- Milk: Adding some milk helps to get the correct consistency. I highly recommend whole or 2% milk for this recipe.
- Semi-sweet chocolate: Any semi-sweet melting chocolate is great. I use a bar and chop it into smaller pieces, but chocolate chips can be used. Dark chocolate also works well here.
- Butter: This adds a glossy finish as well as fat to help the pudding set properly in the refrigerator.
- Vanilla: I add vanilla extract with the butter to balance the flavors of the pie.
- Whipped cream: This is optional, but I like to finish the pie with a layer of Homemade Whipped Cream and chocolate shavings to make it pretty.
How to Make Chocolate Cream Pie
Here are the instructions on how to make this rich and delicious chocolate cream pie recipe. Once you cook the filling, you only have to wait for it to chill and set. Then, it’s time to enjoy a slice!
- Combine the dry and wet ingredients. Add the cornstarch, sugar, salt, egg yolks, and milk to a medium saucepan and whisk until well combined.
- Add the chocolate. Stir in the chopped chocolate while the heat is still off.
- Heat and cook the pudding. Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook the pudding until it is thick and bubbling.
- Strain and add butter. Pour it through a fine mesh strainer and use a rubber spatula to push it through to remove any lumps. Then, stir in the butter and vanilla. Continue to mix until the melted butter is fully blended into the chocolate pudding filling.
- Add to the crust and chill. Transfer the mixture to the pie crust and spread it evenly. Cover the pie with plastic wrap and let it cool to room temperature. Then, place it in the refrigerator for a minimum of 3 hours to chill.
- Garnish and serve. Once the filling is set, add a layer of whipped cream on top and garnish it with chocolate shavings. Enjoy!
Tips for Success
- Stir the pudding often: Ensure the chocolate pudding mixture is stirred constantly as it cooks on the stove so it doesn’t stick to the bottom or burn.
- Add more garnishes: In addition to chocolate curls, a drizzle of caramel or fresh berries will give you a showstopping presentation.
- Bake the crust: When purchasing a prepared crust, ensure it has been blind-baked using pie weights. This is not only for health and safety, but it can also prevent it from becoming soggy.
- Swap Crusts: Try this chocolate pie with and Oreo Cookie crust or graham cracker crust.
Proper Storage
If stored correctly in an airtight container, this chocolate pie can last 5-6 days in the fridge and up to 1 month in the freezer.
If you want to bring this pie to a gathering, make sure it is nice and frozen. Then, place it in a cooler as you travel to keep it chilled—especially in the summer when it’s really hot outside.
More Pie Recipes to Try
- Strawberry Lemon Easy Chess Pie
- Lemon Meringue Pie
- Blueberry Cream Pie
- French Silk Pie
- Banana Cream Pie
- Twix Caramel Apple Pie
Chocolate Cream Pie
Ingredients
- 1 Pie Crust Prepared
- ¾ cup sugar granulated
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 Pinch salt
- 2 egg yolks
- 3 cups milk whole
- 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chopped (or dark chocolate)
- 4 tablespoons butter unsalted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups Whipped Cream optional
Instructions
- Whisk together cornstarch, sugar, and salt. Whisk in the egg yolks and milk until fully combined. Add in the chopped chocolate.
- Turn on the heat to medium and cook the mixture, whisking constantly, using a spatula, and scraping up any thickened pudding on the edges of the pan.
- Cook until the pudding has completely thickened and large bubbles are forming and popping, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat; immediately pour through a mesh strainer into a bowl, using a spatula to push all the pudding out so it’s extra smooth.
- Whisk in the butter and the extract until combined and fluffy. Pour the pudding into the prepared pie crust and smooth it over the top. Let cool at room temperature before chilling in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- Scoop whipped cream on top of the pie. Using a spatula, spread the cream evenly over the top of the pie. Garnish with additional pieces of chopped chocolate.Keep chilled until ready to serve.
Last Step:
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46 comments on “Chocolate Cream Pie”
My 17 year old grandson requested chocolate cream pie for his birthday dessert. My daughter asked if I would make an old fashioned one. This recipe was perfect, and so was his birthday pie! ☺️
Yay! Thanks Carol!
A very smooth tasty chocolate pie.
Thanks Bev!
This was so good! I had to add an extra bit of cornstarch to make it thicken up, but it was amazing. Topped it with whipped cream.
Thanks Carrie!
Just finished waiting for cool down, but the licking of the bowel was delicious. Thank you.
Thanks Sylvia!
Is the butter softened or melted before adding to the mixture?
Hi Maribeth. Softened or slightly melted will blend easiest with the chocolate.