5 from 20 votes

Chocolate Icebox Pie

Name: Chocolate Icebox Pie
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 380 min
Ingredients: 1 Oreo Crust ((Click link for recipe) prepare in a 9 ½" pie pan (place in refrigerator after assembling -- do not bake)); 16 oz cream cheese softened; 8 oz dark or semisweet chocolate¹ (chopped into small pieces); 1 ½ cups heavy cream (divided ); ¾ tsp of instant coffee (optional); 1 cup powdered sugar (divided ); ⅓ cup sour cream; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; Additional homemade whipped cream (for topping, if desired. You would only need ¼ or ½ of a batch.)

By Sam MerrittUpdated Apr 22, 2022

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49 Comments

Servings: 10 slices

6 hrs 20 mins

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This Chocolate Icebox Pie is incredible any time of the year but it’s especially nice in the hot summer months — you can make it without ever turning on your oven! A rich and creamy whipped chocolate filling served in a crisp chocolatey Oreo Crust!

Slice of chocolate icebox pie on white plate

Chocolate Icebox Pie

I actually developed the recipe for this Chocolate Icebox Pie over a year ago and am pretty embarrassed that I’m just now getting around to sharing it with you.

A big part of the hold-up was that I didn’t know what to actually call it. It’s not quite a no-bake cheesecake, certainly not a pudding, and I already have a popular classic Chocolate Pie that’s made very differently, so that’s not it either.

So, for the past year, I’ve just been keeping this one to myself while it sat in a nameless limbo. Well, not quite to myself. I’ve made it dozens of times and it’s actually become one of my family’s favorite no bake desserts. I’m not sure who first referred to it as an Icebox Pie, but the name stuck. It’s appropriate, too, as the whole pie can be made without an oven and needs a refrigerator (/icebox?) to firm up.

Making an Oreo Crust for Chocolate Icebox Pie

This chocolate icebox pie tastes like a light and airy cross between cheesecake and chocolate truffles. The texture is creamy and light, thanks to a generous amount of homemade whipped cream that we’ll be folding into the rich chocolate batter.

You’ll dirty a few dishes making this one but I promise it’s worth it.

How to make Chocolate Icebox Pie: Spreading filling into prepared pie crust

Tips for Making Chocolate Icebox Pie

A store-bought pre-made Oreo crust will be too small to hold all of the filling that this pie makes, and you will have leftover filling if you opt to use one of those.
To make the chocolate portion of this icebox pie, you need to make a simple chocolate ganache. It’s simple enough, but make sure you only heat the chocolate and cream in short bursts and stir well in between. Otherwise you could seize your chocolate, leaving you with a lumpy, unusable mess.
This recipe calls for 3/4 teaspoon of instant coffee (stirred in with the chocolate). It’s optional, but please note that adding it will not make your icebox pie taste like coffee. It deepens and enhances the chocolate flavor, instead.
I recommend an electric mixer for this recipe. You will need to whip up some homemade whipped cream (which helps give the pie its light and airy texture) and doing this by hand is possible, but takes forever.
If you’re a real chocoholic, substitute the whipped cream topping for chocolate whipped cream instead!
I chill this pie in the refrigerator, but it can be kept in the freezer for a frozen Chocolate Icebox Pie instead, if you prefer.

Overall, this is really a pretty simple pie. While you could take some shortcuts (using store-bought whipped cream instead of homemade, using a pre-made crust, etc.), it’s the homemade touches that really put this recipe over the top.

Creamy slice of chocolate icebox pie on white plate, topped with whipped cream

Enjoy!

Other Recipes You Might Like:

Be sure to check out my Chocolate Icebox Pie video at the bottom of the recipe! If you enjoy watching, make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel where I’ve already uploaded over 100 recipe videos that you can watch for free!

5 from 20 votes

Chocolate Icebox Pie

This Chocolate Icebox Pie is incredible any time of the year but it's especially nice in the hot summer months -- you can make it without ever turning on your oven!

Be sure to check out the how-to VIDEO just below the recipe!

Prep: 20

Chilling Time: 6

Total: 6 20

Servings: slices

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Ingredients

▢ 1 Oreo Crust , (Click link for recipe) prepare in a 9 ½" pie pan (place in refrigerator after assembling -- do not bake)
▢ 16 oz (450 g) cream cheese softened
▢ 8 oz dark or semisweet chocolate¹, chopped into small pieces
▢ 1 ½ cups (355 ml) heavy cream, divided
▢ ¾ tsp of instant coffee, optional
▢ 1 cup (150 g) powdered sugar, divided
▢ ⅓ cup (75 g) sour cream
▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
▢ Additional homemade whipped cream, for topping, if desired. You would only need ¼ or ½ of a batch.

Instructions

Combine chopped chocolate or chocolate chips and ½ cup (118ml) of heavy cream in a large microwave-safe bowl. Transfer to the microwave and heat in 20-25 second increments, stirring well in between, until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is smooth.²
8 oz dark or semisweet chocolate¹
Once chocolate is melted, stir in instant coffee, if using. Set aside and allow chocolate mixture to cool for at least 25 minutes or until no longer warm to the touch.
¾ tsp of instant coffee
Meanwhile, prepare your whipped cream. Combine remaining 1 cup (236ml) heavy cream and ¼ cup (38g) powdered sugar in a clean, medium-sized bowl and use an electric mixer to beat to stiff peaks (until mixture is thick and fluffy and resembles Cool Whip). Set aside.
1 ½ cups (355 ml) heavy cream, 1 cup (150 g) powdered sugar
Place your cream cheese in a large bowl and pour cooled ganache over top. Use electric mixer to stir together until well combined and smooth and creamy.
16 oz (450 g) cream cheese softened
Add remaining ¾ cup powdered sugar (112g), sour cream, and vanilla extract and stir until completely combined.
⅓ cup (75 g) sour cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Add whipped cream that you prepared in step 3 to the bowl and use a spatula to fold in by hand until all ingredients are well incorporated.
Spread filling into chilled Oreo crust, using a spatula to smooth the top.
1 Oreo Crust
Transfer pie to refrigerator and allow to chill for 6 hours or overnight.
Slice, serve, and enjoy! If desired top with additional whipped cream.
Additional homemade whipped cream

Notes

¹You can use chopped chocolate bars or chocolate chips, either will work fine. ²Always heat the chocolate in small bursts and stir well in between. If you heat it for too long or skip the stirring you might end up seizing your chocolate, rendering it unusable.