The family I used to nanny for invited Mr. K and I over to dinner last week, and I volunteered to bring dessert. I wanted to make something somewhat whimsical that the boy’s might like as well. I decided on this chocolate cream pie recipe (with an OREO crust!), adapted from Gourmet, because, as my friends and family know, I am a sucker for all things chocolate.
If you’ve never made a cream pie before, this is a straightforward recipe to start with. Most cream pies have three separate components and this one is no different: a crust, filling (or pudding), and whipped topping. This decadent recipe will satisfy any chocolate lover. The rich OREO chocolate cookie crust pairs perfectly with the creamy pudding filling, and the coarse sea salt sprinkled on top not only prevents the pie from being too sweet, but deepens the flavor of the overall chocolate.
Variations & Substitutions
- Add 1 tbsp. of brandy or amaretto to the filling or crust to give it more complexity.
- Add 1 tsp. of instant coffee powder to the filling or crust to give it a deeper chocolate flavor.
- Make a gluten-free version by substituting gluten-free cookies in the crust.
- Add 1 tsp. of cinnamon and 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper to make a Mexican chocolate pie.
- Substitute 1 tsp. of almond extract in the whipped cream.
Expert Tips & Tricks
- Be patient when you cook the custard filling. You will see and feel when it becomes thick all of a sudden.
- If you only have semi-sweet chocolate on hand, I would recommend adjusting the sugar to 1/2 cup.
- This is a pretty forgiving recipe – I’ve made the filling using 1/2 almond milk and 1/2 heavy cream and it’s turned out great!
- The pie can be made and refrigerated (without the whipped cream) for up to 1 day ahead of time.
Chocolate Cream Pie Instructions
- Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Stir together crumbs, butter, sugar and salt and press on bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Bake until crisp, about 15 minutes, and cool on a rack.
- Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, salt and yolks in a large saucepan until combined well, then slowly add milk, whisking continuously. Bring to a boil over moderate heat, continue whisking, then reduce heat and simmer (continuing to whisk) for one minute. Filling will be thick.
- Force filling through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, then whisk in chocolate, butter and vanilla. Cover surface of filling with plastic wrap and cool completely, about 2 hours.
- Spoon filling into crust and chill pie, loosely covered, at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Just before serving, beat cream with sugar and vanilla in a bowl using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer until it just holds stiff peaks, then spoon on top of pie. Sprinkle chocolate shavings, chocolate chips or cocoa powder over whipped cream as garnish.
- Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of coarse sea salt over pie (optional).
This chocolate cream pie recipe is crunchy, creamy, rich, and decadent. It is made for chocolate lovers. And it’s beautiful enough to bring to your next gathering!
Enjoy your week, and feel free to drop me a line in the comments – I would love to hear if you try this recipe! Or tag me on Instagram @maryannehoekstra to let me know how it turned out! Also, if you are enjoying my blog, please consider recommending it to your friends. They can subscribe here.
More Dessert Recipe Ideas!
- Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake
- Strawberry Cornmeal Cake
- Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- No Bake Tahini Cheesecake
- The Best Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Chocolate Cream Pie
Ingredients
For crust
- 2 1/2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs (I scraped out the filling of OREOs and used the wafer cookies)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup sugar
- pinch of salt
For filling
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 large egg yolks
- 3 cups whole milk
- 7 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
For topping
- 1 cup chilled heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon confectioner's sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Stir together crumbs, butter, sugar and salt and press on bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Bake until crisp, about 15 minutes, and cool on a rack.
- Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, salt and yolks in a large saucepan until combined well, then slowly add milk, whisking continuously. Bring to a boil over moderate heat, continue whisking, then reduce heat and simmer (continuing to whisk) for one minute. Filling will be thick.
- Force filling through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, then whisk in chocolate, butter and vanilla. Cover surface of filling with plastic wrap and cool completely, about 2 hours.
- Spoon filling into crust and chill pie, loosely covered, at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Just before serving, beat cream with sugar and vanilla in a bowl using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer until it just holds stiff peaks, then spoon on top of pie. Sprinkle chocolate shavings, chocolate chips or cocoa powder over whipped cream as garnish.
- Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of coarse sea salt over pie (optional).
I love this pie! I have had chocolate pie before with chocolate pudding, but never with homemade chocolate filling! It was so good! I will definitely be making this again!
Thanks so much, Jeri! So happy to hear that you enjoyed it! 🙂
My two chocolate lovers absolutely love this pie! Excited to make this again. Such a huge hit here and very delicious!
Fantastic, Beth! Yes – this pie is made for chocolate lovers!
Yum! This chocolate filling sounds so good. This is going on the must try list.
Hooray, Jessie! If you like chocolate, you will love this pie.
It’s been a while I made a decent chocolate pie, so your recipe is really timely. Can’t wait to try it!
Let me know how it turns out, Dionne!
As a self proclaimed chocolate lover, this is my kinda pie! The amaretto in the crust suggestion is DELICIOUS!
Yay! And yes – you can’t go wrong with amaretto and chocolate. 🙂