Chocolate Pie Recipe
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If you’re looking for a homemade chocolate pie recipe that’s rich, silky, and made completely from scratch, well this one’s for you. No box-mixes or shortcuts, I’ll show you how to make a smooth, homemade chocolate pudding topped with a cloud of fresh whipped cream. It’s also a great make-ahead option that’s even better the next day. Recipe includes a how-to video!
Classic Chocolate Pie (From Scratch, No Box Mix!)
A true classic, I feel a good chocolate pie recipe is often overshadowed by holiday heavy-hitters like my pumpkin pie and my pecan pie recipe. But one bite, and you’ll wonder how anyone could overlook this masterpiece. It’s everything a great pie should be: rich, silky, decadent with a sliceable texture somewhere between a custard and a pudding.
Why This Chocolate Pie Recipe WORKS
- No box mixes or shortcuts. I’m sharing all my tips and tricks to make a real, indulgent and homemade chocolate pudding filling from scratch, and also link to my (favorite) flaky, buttery and homemade pie crust. When it’s done chilling, I suggest you take it a step further and serve with a dollop of homemade whipped cream!
- Sets perfectly so it’s sliceable (not scoopable!). The secret’s in just the right ratio of cream to milk, cooking low and slow until the filling til perfectly thickened, and chilling the pie for several hours to overnight.
- Real chocolate, not just cocoa. Melted chocolate adds body, stability, depth, and silky, melt-in-your-mouth finish that you just can’t get from cocoa powder.
- Perfect for making in advance. The pie will need to chill in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours before serving, making this an ideal dessert to prep a day ahead of time (I love doing this for Thanksgiving!).
Ingredients
- Chocolate. Opt for dark chocolate (my favorite, I love the slightly more bitter notes of a 60% or even 72% bar) or semisweet (for a sweeter pie). While chocolate chips will work in a pinch, for best flavor and texture I recommend using a quality chopped chocolate bar.
- Granulated sugar. This not only serves as a sweetener, but it also melts as the pudding filling cooks, ultimately thickening the pie and contributing to its silky smooth and sliceable texture.
- Cornstarch. While many chocolate pie recipes use flour as a thickener, cornstarch thickens without the pasty heaviness you can sometimes get from flour.
- Eggs. You’ll need five egg yolks for this recipe. Save the whites to make meringues, Oreo cake, a few batches of candied pecans, or put them towards an angel food cake!
- Milk & heavy cream. A blend of whole milk and richer, thicker cream 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.
- Butter. I use unsalted butter and add salt separately. We’ll add this along with the chocolate after cooking; it adds the final finishing touch and contributes to a glossy consistency and smooth texture.
This is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full chocolate pie recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Chocolate Pie
I recommend prepping all of your ingredients before you move over to the stovetop–things move pretty quickly after cooking! Chop your chocolate and butter, measure your vanilla, and place your strainer in your heatproof bowl before you even turn on the stove.
- Step 1: Cook the filling. Add the dry ingredients to a heavy-bottomed saucepan and whisk until combined. Whisk together the egg yolks, milk, and cream in a separate liquid measuring cup, then slowly pour into your cornstarch mixture. Whisk again until you have a smooth, lump-free consistency. Cook over medium heat, whisking frequently, until thickened.
- Step 2: Add the butter, chocolate, and vanilla. Remove from heat and whisk in the chocolate, butter, and vanilla until you have a smooth, glossy chocolate mixture.
- Step 3: Pour into the (cooled) crust. Pour the custard through a fine mesh strainer into a heatproof bowl. This will catch any lumps or any tiny bits of egg, ensuring your chocolate pie is smooth! After straining, pour the filling into your prepared crust.
- Step 4: Cover and chill. Smooth the top of your pie with the back of a spoon or spatula, then press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface (this prevents a skin from forming). Place in the fridge to chill for at least 6 hours before topping with whipped cream and serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
While both are incredibly rich and chocolatey (and even use similar ingredients), they’re actually quite different desserts. Traditional chocolate pie is thickened on the stovetop with egg yolks and cornstarch (or, sometimes, flour) and the resulting custard has a dense but creamy pudding-like texture. Alternatively, French silk pie has a lighter, silkier texture thanks to the fact it’s made with heavy cream that’s been whipped to stiff peaks. French silk pie is also often made with raw eggs, but in my French silk pie recipe I cook them so you can enjoy without worry.
Unfortunately I don’t recommend it. The chocolate pudding filling doesn’t always thaw nicely and can end up watery or grainy. I recommend keeping the pie refrigerated and enjoying within 3 days of preparing.
Tips & Troubleshooting
- Don’t rush it. Cooking the filling takes time. 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 or banana pudding). Have patience!
- Do use a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Or at least don’t use a thin, flimsy one. The thicker bottom helps keep the filling from over-heating and allows you to gently cook the eggs for a perfectly thick, silky, chocolate pie filling. I linked to one of the pans I often use in the recipe card, or an enameled cast iron saucepan is another good choice.
- Mise en place. Prepare/measure all of your ingredients before you begin. Have your heatproof bowl and fine mesh strainer ready to go. Once the chocolate pie filling thickens, you need to move quickly so the filling doesn’t overcook, so be ready!
- If your filling is too runny. It just needs more time to cook! Keep whisking until the mixture is thickened and starts to bubble. Exactly how long this takes will vary from kitchen to kitchen, but if it’s been over 15 minutes and nothing is happening, it’s OK and even advisable to turn up your heat a little bit!
- If your filling turned grainy or is too thick. Unfortunately the filling was likely cooked too much or on a heat that was too high, causing the eggs to cook. Next time keep the heat lower and stir frequently to keep the chocolate pie filling from getting too hot.
- Crust options. I love my classic pie crust, but you can swap this for a sourdough pie crust or make things easier with a graham cracker crust or an Oreo crust. 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!
More Indulgent Chocolate Recipes
Check out my full collection of pie recipes for more incredible slices!
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! Watch my step-by-step pie recipe below 💜
Chocolate Pie Recipe (Blue Ribbon Winner!)
Equipment
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
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.Storing
Cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I don’t recommend freezing, as the filling can turn grainy or watery once it thaws.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
This looks fantastic—can thus be made using graham cracker crust? And can it be made in a 10” pie crust?
Hi Marcy! The graham cracker crust will work just fine. It will also work in a 10 in pie pan the pie will just be a bit thinner. 🙂
Want to make this pie – but in mini/individual pies. Has anyone tried it? Any suggestions Sam? How many mini pies would your pie crust make? I love that pie crust recipe!! Any guess how many mini pies you would get from the pie filling? Thanks!!
Hi, Tracy! So glad that you enjoyed the recipe and crust. I honestly have not tried to make this recipe into mini pies so depending on the size of your pan/muffins will depend on how many you get. If you try it, I’d love to know how many you were able to get out of the recipe. 🙂
My grandma and I found this recipe in 2019 and it’s our FAVORITE! Every few months we have some occasion to make this for and it never disappoints! Everyone who tries a piece just raves about it. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe <3
I am SO happy to hear this, Brittany! Thank you so much for using my recipe, it means so much to me! Happy Thanksgiving! <3
This recipe was so wonderful. The pie is every bit as delicious as heavens are. The cream is wonderfully rich, decadent, soft and creamy. Also this is the easies pie crust recipe that I ever tried and it’s so good!!!!
Mine didn’t set as nicely as yours but it was amazing nonetheless.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Sara! 🙂
This by far is my favorite chocolate pie recipe. I have also taken the base recipe, omitted the chocolate and instead put in 1- 1 1/2 cups of toasted coconut and about 1/2 cup toasted coconut on top for decoration. I get this version of the pie requested more than the chocolate..but everyone loves both.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Valerie! I would love to add some toasted coconut on top but my husband would be very unhappy with me if I did.
Could you show me what kind of sieve you ran this through? Mine has a wonderful taste but has bumps in it and it’s too thick to go through my regular strainer. Please help or give me some options for not getting the bumps in the first place. Thank you!
Hi Heather! I have actually linked to the exact strainer that I use in the “Recommended Equipment” section just below the ingredients in the recipe card. I hope that helps!
I have made this pie twice during the pandemic. My wife and I both love it and we are not big dessert eaters. I did cut the sugar a little and used 70% because of us not having a sweet tooth. If you follow the recipe, it is FLAWLESS.
I am so glad everyone enjoys it so much, James! 🙂
Hello,
Is it possible to put the pie in the freezer to help it to set faster? Or will that affect the consistency of the pie?
Thank you so much for your help!
TF
Hi Tara! For best results and texture it’s best to keep it in the refrigerator. Freezing it runs the risk of altering the consistency.
This is the second year I’ve made this pie for my sisters birthday. It’s so easy and what a beautiful pie!
I want to express my gratitude for all your hard work creating this website. It is my new “Go to” site. I’m learning to bake from scratch for the first time and I’m 61 years old. The videos make it so easy. And I love that you supply both the weights and measures for all your recipes.
Thank you,
Tami
Thank you so much, Tami! I’m glad you enjoy everything. It’s nice to hear that the videos are so helpful. 🙂
This filling has a lovely texture. I used dark chocolate chips and I think that made it too sweet. I also only had 2% milk and it still thickened perfectly. I would probably cut the sugar down to just 1 cup in the future for us. But I’m not sure if it was just too sweet because of the chocolate chips instead of bakers chocolate bar.
Hmmm I wonder if your chocolate did add a little extra sweetness here. Dark chocolate chips tend to run a little light than the bars I use.
Just made this tonight- two issues. My filling looks really dark and dense while yours looks lighter and fluffier. Did i do something wrong? Yours looks “moussie” lol! If that makes sense.
Also mine seems to have little pools of oil, from butter i guess but what did i do wrong there? Rigjt now its in cooling stage.
Thanks for recipe. 🙂
Hi Liz! Hmm what kind of chocolate did you use, if you used a different kind then maybe that could cause it to be darker? If there’s some butter pooling that could happen if the butter isn’t thoroughly mixed. If it’s just a little bit I think you’ll be fine, though!
You are the sweetest for responding so quickly. Thank you. I used Ghirardeli bar 72%. I mean yeah, thats pretty dark. Well we loved it anyway. It spent the nigh in the fridge and the little pools of oil solidified but nothing a little time on top of the stove didnt fix. I was excited that this was our first time making pudding from scratch. Loved it! Gonna try this one again! 🙂 Happy Thanksgiving!
I’m glad you were still able to enjoy it. 🙂
I tried this recipe twice and both times it did not thicken. What am i doing wrong?
Hi Stephanie! Just want to check that no substitutions were made? If not then it just needs to be cooked longer (conversely, as noted in the recipe if you heat the mixture too fast that can also keep it from thickening). Different stoves vary and it might simply take more time on your stovetop.
This pie was so amazing! The entire family was ooh-ing and ahh-ing over it. 🙂
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Casie! 🙂
How far in advance could I put whipped cream on the pie? I’m taking this to my parent’s house for dinner. Could I put whipped cream on right before I leave my house for dinner? It would be a few hours until the pie is eaten. I can’t really take all of the whipped cream ingredients and piping stuff with me. Thanks!
Hi Amy! A few hours in advance will be totally fine. Enjoy! 🙂
I tend to keep cacao powder (not chocolate bars) on hand; would this work with cacao powder? If so, what measurements and when would you add it? Thanks!
Hi Ashley! It would require several alterations to be made and without having tried it I can’t say for sure exactly what they would need to be. 🙁
Love this pie, amazing!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Werner! 🙂
I made this pie last week and followed the recipe exactly as written. It was magnificent! All of my family in Texas want me to make it for them when I visit. My wife and I are not sweet eaters, so I made it with 70% cacao and will probably cut the sugar to 1 1/4 cup when making it for us, but leave it as is when sharing. Didn’t have a piping bag and didn’t really want to take the time to cut a baggy, so just used a spoon to apply the whipped cream. Dollops work great!! Thanks for the recipe!
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, James! 🙂
Great!!!!