This rich and creamy no bake chocolate pie with an oreo cookie crust will satisfy any chocolate craving. The chocolate cookie crust pairs perfectly with the creamy and silky 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. Crunchy, creamy, decadent, and beautiful enough to bring to your next gathering!
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This decadent chocolate cream pie recipe is for all of my fellow chocolate lovers.
If you’ve never made a no bake chocolate cream pie before, this is a straightforward and easy recipe to start with. Most cream pies (or pudding pies) have three separate components and this one is no different: a crust, filling (or pudding), and whipped cream topping.
For more no-bake pie recipes, try my caramel cheesecake pie and black forest cherry pie!
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⭐️ Why This Chocolate Pie Is The Best
- Rich and creamy silky pudding filling with a crunchy chocolaty crust
- Perfect for chocolate lovers
- Easy no bake chocolate pie recipe and no special equipment needed
- Make in advance: Prep it up to 24 hours ahead of time, and make the whipped cream topping right before serving.
- Makes a beautiful presentation for a special occasion
- Freezer-friendly cream pie
🍫 Ingredient Notes
- Chocolate cookie crumbs - You can use chocolate wafer cookies or whole oreos with the filling and all!
- Cornstarch - This is key to help thicken our chocolate pudding.
- Whole milk - This is a pretty forgiving chilled pie recipe - I've made the filling using ½ almond milk and ½ heavy cream and it's turned out great.
- Bittersweet chocolate - If you only have semi-sweet or milk chocolate on hand, I would recommend adjusting the sugar to ½ cup.
📖 Pie Variations & Substitutions
- Graham cracker crust: Substitute crushed graham crackers for the chocolate cookies, and follow the recipe instructions to make a homemade graham cracker crust.
- Peppermint: Garnish your dark chocolate cream pie with chopped peppermint bark for a minty chocolate pie.
- Add complexity: Add 1 teaspoon of instant coffee powder to the filling or crust to give it a deeper chocolate flavor.
- Make it gluten-free: Substitute gluten-free chocolate cookies in the crust.
- Mexican chocolate: Add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper to make a Mexican chocolate pie.
- Store-bought whipped topping. Skip the homemade whipped cream and use your favorite brand of whipped topping.
- Coconut: Garnish your pie with crumbled chocolate coconut macaroons for a chocolate-coconut extravaganza!
🔪 How To Make Chocolate Cream Pie
Stir together crumbs, butter, sugar and salt and press on bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Chill until ready to fill (at least 30 minutes).
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 pudding through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, then whisk in chocolate, butter and vanilla. Cover surface with plastic wrap and cool completely, about 2 hours.
Spoon chocolate pudding into crust and chill pie, loosely covered, at least 6 hours or overnight.
Just before serving, beat heavy cream with sugar and vanilla in a bowl using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer until stiff peaks form, then spoon on top of pie. Sprinkle chocolate shavings, chocolate chips or cocoa powder over whipped cream as garnish.
👩🏼🍳 Expert Tips
- How to store: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- How to freeze: Wrap individual slices in foil and place in a freezer safe bag. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw, place in fridge overnight.
- Be patient when you cook the chocolate pudding. You will see and feel when it becomes thick all of a sudden.
- Place plastic wrap directly onto pudding when refrigerating. This prevents it from developing a skin.
- Use a food processor to turn your chocolate cookies into crumbs. Pulse for 1-2 minutes, until crumbs are formed.
- Make in advance: The pie can be made and refrigerated (without the whipped cream) for up to 1 day ahead of time.
💬 Frequently Asked Questions
In this recipe, we use egg yolks and cornstarch to thicken our pie filling.
Chilled chocolate pie will last up to 4 days (covered) in the refrigerator.
Most likely, you didn't cook your chocolate filling long enough for it to thicken and become viscous. Just be patient, and you will notice when it becomes nice and thick.
French Silk Pie is traditionally made with a regular pie crust and a lighter, mousse-like chocolate filling. Mississippie Mud Pie, on the other hand, is made with a chocolate crust (often with a brownie-like bottom), a chocolate cream filling, and topped with whipped cream and nuts.
🥧 More Pie Recipes
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No Bake Chocolate Pie Recipe
Equipment
- 1 large saucepan
- 1 Stand mixer or electric hand-mixer
Ingredients
For the chocolate cookie crust
- 2 ½ cups chocolate cookie crumbs (I used oreo cookies with the filling scraped out)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup sugar
- pinch of salt
For the chocolate pudding filling
- ⅔ cup sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 large egg yolks
- 3 cups whole milk
- 7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
For the whipped cream topping
- 1 cup chilled heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon confectioner's sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the cookie crust
- Stir together crumbs, butter, sugar and salt and press on bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Chill until ready to fill (at least 30 minutes).
Make the chocolate pudding filling
- 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 pudding through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, then whisk in chocolate, butter and vanilla. Cover surface with plastic wrap and cool completely, about 2 hours.
- Spoon pudding into crust and chill pie, loosely covered, at least 6 hours or overnight.
Make the whipped cream topping
- 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 ½ teaspoon of coarse sea salt over pie (optional).
Notes
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- How to store: Cover pie and keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
-
- How to freeze: Wrap individual slices in foil and place in a freezer safe bag. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw, place in fridge overnight.
-
- Be patient when you cook the chocolate pudding. You will see and feel when it becomes thick all of a sudden.
-
- Place plastic wrap directly onto pudding when refrigerating. This prevents it from developing a skin.
Jeri
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!
Gastronotherapy
Thanks so much, Jeri! So happy to hear that you enjoyed it! 🙂
Beth
My two chocolate lovers absolutely love this pie! Excited to make this again. Such a huge hit here and very delicious!
Gastronotherapy
Fantastic, Beth! Yes - this pie is made for chocolate lovers!
Louise Simon
Hello , I haven't tried this recipe. But it is exactly the same one I learned quite a few years back. The only difference , was if you wasn't going to make a meringue for your pie. You just used 2 large eggs , instead of 4 egg yolks. The recipe makes a 12 " pie.I made a coconut crust for my pies, which is pretty tasty also. If you want to make coconut crust , use same amount of everything but sugar and salt. Bake at 350 watching so the coconut don't burn . Let cool completely before adding pudding .
The only thing that would make this crust better would be to add chocolate to it. My oh my , so awesome.!
Jessie
Yum! This chocolate filling sounds so good. This is going on the must try list.
Gastronotherapy
Hooray, Jessie! If you like chocolate, you will love this pie.
Dionne
It's been a while I made a decent chocolate pie, so your recipe is really timely. Can't wait to try it!
Gastronotherapy
Let me know how it turns out, Dionne!
Gina
As a self proclaimed chocolate lover, this is my kinda pie! The amaretto in the crust suggestion is DELICIOUS!
Gastronotherapy
Yay! And yes - you can't go wrong with amaretto and chocolate. 🙂
Loretta
Can you use Dark Chocolate (instead)
MaryAnne
Hi Loretta, yes, dark chocolate can be used in place of bittersweet chocolate. I hope you give it a try!
Barb Haner
A great recipe for this hot weather we are having. The pics look scrumptious!
MaryAnne
Thank you! This is a great no bake pie for summer weather! 😍
Louise Simon
Sorry , it makes a 10 inch pie not 12.