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    Home ยป Recipes ยป Pies

    Chocolate Pie

    November 4, 2021 Updated November 14, 2023 BySam 313 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
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    collage of chocolate pie, top image of close up of slice of chocolate pie, bottom image of single slice with bite taken out

    A classic Chocolate Pie made with a buttery, flaky crust, real chocolate pudding, and fresh whipped cream. This recipe is entirely homemade and takes only 30 minutes to prep before chilling. This recipe includes a how-to video–keep scrolling to watch!

    slice of chocolate pie topped with whipped cream on white plate with fork

    Classic Chocolate Pie–No Box Mix Necessary!

    A true classic, chocolate pie is often overshadowed by more well-known pies, like pumpkin pie and key lime pie. It’s decadent and rich, essentially thickened chocolate pudding over pie crust, and it’s a refreshing alternative to other chocolate desserts. In fact, it’s my personal favorite pie on the blog!

    My version of this chocolate pie recipe requires absolutely no box mixes or pre-made ingredients. You’re going to make everything from scratch, from the (super easy!) pie crust to the filling, and when it’s done chilling, I suggest you serve it with a dollop of homemade whipped cream.

    I initially shared this chocolate pudding pie recipe a few years ago and it’s been one of my most popular recipes ever since, for good reason. I thought it was about due for a refresh with new photos and a video tutorial (in the recipe card!). Try it out for yourself this pie season and let me know what you think!

    What You Need

    overhead view of white marble countertop neatly covered with with ingredients for making chocolate pie

    Today’s ingredients are pretty standard, but let’s go over a few of them.

    • Sugar. Granulated sugar not only serves as a sweetener, but it also melts as the pudding filling cooks and helps ultimately thicken the pie and contributes to its silky smooth texture.
    • Cornstarch. Many recipes call for flour to thicken their chocolate pie, but I prefer to use cornstarch, which results in a smoother mouthfeel and better consistency overall. 
    • Eggs. You’ll need five egg yolks for this recipe. If you’d rather not toss out your egg whites, save them to make my meringues, Oreo cake, or put them towards an angel food cake!
    • Milk & Heavy Cream. A blend of whole milk and richer, thicker cream results is another contributor to a silky smooth yet sturdy pie. Stick with whole milk and heavy cream, double cream, or heavy whipping cream for this recipe. My original chocolate pie recipe called for slightly less cream and slightly more milk, but I’ve adjusted these amounts slightly for a sturdier, more slice-able pie.
    • Chocolate. I prefer to use a 60% cacao dark chocolate baking bar. Semisweet chocolate will also work, but the pie won’t have quite the depth of chocolate flavor. I do not recommend unsweetened chocolate, which will make your chocolate pie too bitter. Many people have asked me if they can use cocoa powder instead of a chocolate bar. I haven’t tried this myself, but I know it would take several other tweaks to work. I suggest you stick with the recipe as written for best results!
    • Butter. Use unsalted butter since we add salt in ourselves. The butter is added at the end along with the chocolate and adds the final finishing touch, glossy consistency and smooth texture.
    • Vanilla. If you have a batch of your own homemade vanilla extract, now is a great time to use it!

    SAM’S TIP: Do yourself a favor and have all of your ingredients prepped and ready to go before you move over to the stovetop, because things move pretty quickly after cooking. I recommend you chop your chocolate and butter, measure your vanilla, and place your strainer in your heatproof bowl before you even turn on the stove.

    Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!

    How to Make Chocolate Pie

    Collage of four photos showing how to make the filling for chocolate pie
    1. Whisk together dry ingredients in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Keep in mind a cheap, thin saucepan can cause your ingredients to cook unevenly and leave you with a runny chocolate pie filling!
    2. Combine egg yolks, milk, and cream separately and slowly pour into your dry ingredients until you have a smooth, lump-free mixture.
    3. Whisk frequently while mixture cooks and slowly thickens. Do yourself a favor and have patience and do not crank up the heat!
    4. Immediately stir in chocolate, butter, and vanilla until you have a smooth, glossy chocolate mixture.

    SAM’S TIP: Do not crank up your heat to speed up the cooking process! The sugar needs to melt slowly so that the pie sets properly, and cooking it too fast will end up cooking your eggs (similar to what can happen to pastry cream). Have patience! How long this process takes depends on your particular stove and pan. 

    collage of two photos showing chocolate filling being poured into a pie crust to make chocolate pie
    1. Pour through a fine mesh strainer into a heat-proof bowl. This will catch any lumps or any teeny tiny bits of egg that might have cooked (if you didn’t get all of the egg white proteins when you divided your whites and yolks, you will catch them here!)and will ensure your chocolate pie is smooth! While you could skip the bowl and pour the filling directly into your pie crust, I find it’s much easier to rest the strainer on the bowl and just do it this way, despite the extra dirty dish!
    2. Pour chocolate filling into prepared crust and cover with clear wrap, which will keep a skin from forming (and keep any odors from your fridge from getting to your pie!

    All that’s left to do now is wait! The pie will need to chill in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours, making this a great dessert for preparing a day in advance.

    side view of silky smooth chocolate pie topped with whipped cream sitting on white plate

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Why is my chocolate pie runny?

    This can happen for several reasons: if the cooking process was rushed, if the filling wasn’t carefully watched and stirred frequently, the filling was overcooked, the stovetop heat was too high, or if the pie isn’t given enough time to chill. Any ingredient substitutions could also result in a runny chocolate pie. To prevent this, make sure you go slow, stir often, keep a watchful eye, and always chill for at least six hours before serving.

    Does chocolate pie need to be refrigerated?

    Yes! This pie needs to be refrigerated before and after serving. It will last for about a week in the fridge. I recommend covering tightly to keep the pie from absorbing any odors from other foods in your refrigerator.

    Can I use a graham cracker crust instead?

    While I typically serve this pie in a traditional pie crust, it would also be great on my graham cracker crust or my Oreo crust! Simply prepare the crust and let it sit while you make the filling, then follow the recipe as instructed. If you like a crispier crust, you can always bake the crust it and let it cool before filling.
    Note that if you are using a store-bought crust, the filling may not all fit in and you may have some filling left over. Just enjoy it with a spoon!

    Slice of chocolate pie and fork with bite sitting on white plate

    Enjoy!

    More Recipes You Might Like

    • Banana Cream Pie
    • Chocolate Cheesecake
    • Coconut Cream Pie
    • Peanut Butter Pie

    Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook

    slice of chocolate pie topped with whipped cream on white plate with fork

    Chocolate Pie

    A classic chocolate pie made with a buttery, flaky crust, real chocolate pudding, and fresh whipped cream. This recipe is entirely homemade and takes only 30 minutes to prep before chilling.
    Be sure to check out the how-to video below before beginning!
    4.97 from 104 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Chilling Time: 6 hours hours
    Total Time: 6 hours hours 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 10 slices
    Calories: 532kcal
    Author: Sam Merritt

    Ingredients

    • 1 prepared (baked) 9" pie crust click the link for my homemade recipe, see note 1
    • 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
    • 5 Tablespoons (40 g) cornstarch
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 5 large egg yolks² (see note 2 for recipes that you can make with your leftover egg whites)
    • 2 cups (473 ml) whole milk
    • 1 cup (236 ml) heavy cream
    • 6 oz (170 g) dark chocolate bar³ finely chopped
    • 4 Tablespoons (56.5 g) unsalted butter cut into pieces
    • 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 batch homemade whipped cream for topping. Optional but recommended. click the link for my recipe

    Recommended Equipment

    • Saucepan
    • Fine Mesh Strainer

    Instructions

    • In a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk together sugar, cornstarch and salt.
      1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar, 5 Tablespoons (40 g) cornstarch, ¼ teaspoon salt
    • In a separate bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together egg yolks, milk, and heavy cream until well-combined and egg yolks are well broken up.
      5 large egg yolks², 2 cups (473 ml) whole milk, 1 cup (236 ml) heavy cream
    • While whisking the dry ingredients, drizzle the egg yolk mixture into the dry ingredients until completely combined.
    • Transfer saucepan to stovetop over medium heat and whisk frequently until ingredients begin to thicken⁴ (see note 4, this will take several minutes, do not crank up the heat or your filling may not thicken properly).  
    • Once mixture has thickened (it should have a pudding-like consistency) whisk constantly, remove from heat and immediately add chopped chocolate, butter, and vanilla extract. Stir until chocolate and butter are completely melted and mixture is smooth.
      6 oz (170 g) dark chocolate bar³, 4 Tablespoons (56.5 g) unsalted butter, 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • Pour pie filling through a fine mesh strainer into a medium-sized heatproof bowl.
    • Pour filling over prepared pie crust and place a piece of clear wrap or parchment paper directly against the surface of the chocolate to prevent a skin from forming on the surface of the pie as it cools. Allow to chill in the refrigerator at least 6 hours or overnight before slicing and serving.
      1 prepared (baked) 9" pie crust
    • Top with whipped cream just before serving. I like to use an Ateco 848 or Wilton 2D tip to decorate the pie slices in the photo, but a big mound of whipped cream right on top of the pie works just as well!
      1 batch homemade whipped cream

    Notes

    ¹Pie crust

    This recipe was written to be made with my prepared (blind-baked) homemade pie crust in a 9 or 9.5″ pie plate. You may instead make this recipe using my graham cracker crust or Oreo crust or use a store-bought crust but keep in mind they are often smaller and may not fit all of the filling. You can pour the excess into mini tart shells or just enjoy as a pudding. 

    ²Recommendations for leftover egg whites

    If you don’t want to waste your egg whites, store them in a clean, completely dry and grease-free container and use them to make meringue cookies, white cake, or coconut macaroons!

    ³Chocolate

    A 60 or 70% cacao bar works great and is my preference, I often use Ghirardelli which is available right next to the cocoa powder in the baking section. While chocolate chips will work in a pinch, I really recommend using a quality chocolate bar that you enjoy the taste of. Semisweet chocolate will yield a pie that’s sweeter and not as richly chocolate. I don’t recommend using unsweetened chocolate, which could make the pie too bitter. This recipe has not been tested using cocoa powder instead of chocolate. 

    ⁴Thickening the pie filling

    It’s important that you have patience for this step, slowly thickening over medium heat is key to allow the sugars to melt properly and the filling to thicken properly. The filling should be clearly thickened before moving on to the next step and should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon or spatula. I demonstrate this above in the post and in my video. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1slice | Calories: 532kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 152mg | Sodium: 215mg | Potassium: 256mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 812IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 121mg | Iron: 3mg

    Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

    Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Leslie

      March 21, 2025 at 7:08 pm

      5 stars
      I made this on Pi day and it is absolutely one of the best things Iโ€™ve ever eaten. Easy, silky smooth, and out of this world delicious. Made of course with your homemade pie crust! Definitely satisfies a craving for chocolate in the best way.

      Reply
    2. Jesse C

      March 19, 2025 at 2:39 am

      5 stars
      I love this recipe! I definitely plan on making this again. My boyfriend and I both enjoyed it quite a bit with your homemade whipped cream, and Iโ€™m excited to try your peanut butter pie as my next project.

      Reply
      • Casey @ Sugar Spun Run

        March 19, 2025 at 1:49 pm

        We’re so glad you both enjoyed it, Jesse! ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    3. Bridges

      November 08, 2024 at 1:28 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious and was not grainy at all, silky smooth.

      Reply
      • Robert W Hale

        November 22, 2024 at 6:08 pm

        Question, why don’t you temper the egg instead of mixing everything togethe?

        Reply
        • Sam

          November 25, 2024 at 12:14 pm

          Hi Robert! While you could temper eggs, I find the process to be annoying when it’s much easier to do it this way and you get the same results. ๐Ÿ™‚

    4. Emily Anne

      June 15, 2024 at 10:50 am

      Hi Sam!
      I just made this pie last night & this chocolate filling is to die for!!! Amazing!!
      But, my pie filling did not set up at all overnight sadly ๐Ÿ™ it is still a very runny pudding consistency. I think I let it cook on the stove for too long OR my cornstarch was not fresh enough? Do you know why this consistency stayed pudding & didnโ€™t thicken up at all please???

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        June 17, 2024 at 11:06 am

        We are SO sorry this happened Emily. That is so frustrating! We talk about a few reasons why this can happen in the FAQ section of the post–hopefully that helps you troubleshoot ๐Ÿ™

        Reply
    5. Ericwesley Sullivan

      January 14, 2024 at 5:52 am

      5 stars
      I think that it was so good on New Years that pass I loved it

      Reply
    6. Susan

      December 25, 2023 at 7:25 pm

      5 stars
      I made this Christmas morning for the first time to serve later that afternoon. I did blind bake the crust. Oh. My. It was fabulous. Thank you Sam. You never disappoint!

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        December 26, 2023 at 2:35 pm

        We are so happy you enjoyed it, Susan! This is one of our favorites ๐Ÿฅฐ

        Reply
    7. Sonya Teffertiller

      November 22, 2023 at 1:42 am

      Could you make a Meringue pie with this Chocolate pie recipe?

      Reply
      • Sam

        November 22, 2023 at 3:29 pm

        You could put a meringue on top of it. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    8. Elissa Stone

      November 20, 2023 at 3:11 pm

      5 stars
      My husband made your chocolate pie (I made your Graham cracker crust) and it was amazing! We used the Ghirardelli 60% cacao and it was just right. Thank you so much for a delicious dessert!

      Reply
    9. Chris

      November 08, 2023 at 9:32 pm

      5 stars
      How far in advance can this be made before thanksgiving? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Sam

        November 08, 2023 at 10:11 pm

        Hi Chris! I would say this pie is good for 4-5 days. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
      • Megan

        November 22, 2023 at 11:27 am

        5 stars
        I love this recipe! I’ve been making it since I found it 2 years ago its the absolute best. have you tried doubling it since pie crusts always come in a pack of 2 (I’m not brave enough to make my own haha)

        Reply
        • Sam

          November 22, 2023 at 3:21 pm

          Hi Megan! I have not tried doubling this, but I don’t think you’ll have any issues doing so. ๐Ÿ™‚

    10. Christine

      October 06, 2023 at 1:37 am

      5 stars
      Do you recommend weighing the sugar in this recipe?

      Reply
      • Sam

        October 09, 2023 at 9:01 pm

        Hi Christine! I always find it best to weigh your ingredients. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
        • Christine

          October 09, 2023 at 10:11 pm

          5 stars
          If the chocolate bar does not contain vanilla, do you recommend to add more vanilla extract to the pie?

        • Sam

          October 10, 2023 at 9:32 am

          Hi Christine! No that won’t be necessary.

    11. Brittanie Fromm

      September 23, 2023 at 9:03 pm

      Is this like a French Silk pie?

      Reply
      • Sam

        September 23, 2023 at 9:25 pm

        Hi Brittanie! Not quite, but I do have a French silk pie recipe you may be interested in ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
        • Nancy

          December 22, 2023 at 8:55 pm

          Can not locate pie crust recipe

        • Sam

          December 22, 2023 at 10:11 pm

          Here is the link to the pie crust. ๐Ÿ™‚

    12. Peggy

      June 27, 2023 at 5:45 pm

      5 stars
      I’ve made this pie so many times and everyone love it so much. It definitely is amazing. But I have a few friends that are diabetic, what would you recommend for Splenda substitute .
      I

      Reply
      • Sam

        June 28, 2023 at 9:14 pm

        I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed it so much, Peggy! Unfortunately, I am not very familiar with using splenda so I wouldn’t be able to advise. ๐Ÿ™

        Reply
    13. Elizabeth C.

      March 28, 2023 at 8:20 am

      5 stars
      This pie filling should come with a warning. ๐Ÿซ  loved it!! I usually try to take a pic and tag you in it, but it didnโ€™t make it that long!

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        March 28, 2023 at 5:01 pm

        ๐Ÿคฃ We’re so glad you loved it so much, Elizabeth!

        Reply
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    The author (Sam) in blue shirt holding donut Hi, I'm Sam! I'm dedicated to bringing you sweet, simple, and from-scratch dessert recipes. My life may or may not be controlled by my sweet tooth. Send help (or chocolate). Read more about me.

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