Chocolate Cream Pie is made with a flaky homemade pie crust, thick from-scratch chocolate custard, and a generous layer of homemade whipped cream (chocolate shavings encouraged)! It’s the perfect Easter dessert!
On a cream pie kick? Keep the dessert train rolling with Banana Cream Pie, Grasshopper Ice Cream Pie, and Easy Coconut Cream Pie recipe next.
Chocolate Cream Pie is what I make when I want a dessert that slices into clean wedges and tastes like real chocolate, not boxed pudding!
You get a flaky crust, a thick cocoa custard, and melted dark chocolate stirred in at the end for that deeper, fudgier finish.
I don’t bother tempering eggs for this one. I whisk the whole filling together cold right in the saucepan, then cook it over medium heat while whisking constantly until it turns thick and glossy (yes, I’m a bit of a rebel, and it saves a step)!
Top it with homemade whipped cream right before serving and it’s an easy win for dinner guests, holidays, or any night you want dessert to feel a little more special!
What others are saying:
“Loved it! Was perfect, I primarily made it for my grandson who can’t have red dye. For whatever reason the all the packaged puddings I looked at did! This was so much better and not anymore difficult to make. Thanks!” Pam
Chocolate Cream Pie ingredients:
- Pie crust: I used my homemade pie crust for this recipe, but you can use a store-bought pie crust, too!
- Milk: Whole milk will give the creamiest texture and richest flavor, but you can use 2% or even 1% if you want to. It will still set up fine, it just won’t be quite as rich.
- Eggs: Use whole eggs or swap the whole eggs for twice the amount of yolks.
- Cocoa: Use unsweetened cocoa powder!
- Chocolate: You can use milk chocolate or dark chocolate bars! Don’t use chocolate chips since they don’t melt as smoothly.
- Homemade whipped cream: Make my homemade whipped cream to go on top!
How to make Chocolate Cream Pie:
This Chocolate Cream Pie is super easy to make and turns out perfect every time! Scroll down to the recipe card for complete instructions.
- Prep the pie dough and prick with a fork.
- Weigh it down with pie weights or beans and bake until golden.
- Whisk filling ingredients together in a saucepan and cook until thickened.
- Stir in the chopped chocolate until melted.
- Strain through a fine mesh sieve.
- Pour into the crust and press parchment on top.
Tips for the perfect Chocolate Cream Pie:
- Pie weights help most: Weights (or dried beans) do the best job preventing shrinkage, you’ll just remove them partway through to brown the bottom.
- Docking is the easy backup: Fork holes help release steam, but they don’t prevent shrinking as well as weights.
- Whisk constantly: Custard thickens fast near the end, so you’ll need to constantly whisk it!
- Chill time matters: If you cut it early, you’ll get chocolate soup instead of neat slices, so plan for at least 6 to 8 hours (overnight is even better).
How to store this pie:
Store Chocolate Cream Pie covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
For more stability, you can whip the cream and add it closer to serving, but it’s still great assembled and chilled!
Freezing isn’t my first choice here since custard can change texture after thawing, but you can freeze the baked crust separately if you want to prep ahead.
Chocolate Cream Pie
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
Pie Pastry
- 1¼ cup all-purpose flour, (162g)
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter,, cold
- 3-4 tablespoons cold water
Chocolate Pie Filling
- 2 cups whole milk
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup granulated sugar, (100g)
- 3 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- ⅔ cup chopped dark chocolate, (100g)
Whipped Cream
- ½ cup whipping cream
- 1-2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Chocolate shavings, optional
Instructions
Pie Pastry
- In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, and salt.
- Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or fork, until you see pea-sized chunks of butter remaining.
- Gradually add the water, stirring each time, until you can press the dough together.
- Shape the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or freeze for 30 minutes, until chilled.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Roll out the pastry so that it is slightly larger than a 9″ pie plate.
- Press into a pie plate and up the sides. (Try to get as high up the sides as you can because the pie crust may shrink when it bakes.) Fold the excess pastry over and tuck it underneath to form a thick edge, crimping or decorating as desired.
- Use a fork to poke the bottom and the sides all over to help prevent puffing. Place a piece of parchment into the pie crust and weigh it down with pie weights or dried beans. (This will prevent shrinking.)
- Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the edges are light golden brown. If desired, remove the pie weights and bake for 5 to 6 minutes to brown the bottom.
- Set aside to cool while you make the filling (at least 10 minutes).
Chocolate Pie Filling
- In a large saucepan off the heat, whisk together the milk, cream, sugar, eggs, cornstarch, and cocoa powder, until smooth.
- Cook the filling over medium heat, whisking constantly, until very thick, scraping the sides as necessary to ensure there are no lumps, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add the chocolate, stirring, until completely melted.
- Place a fine mesh sieve over a medium bowl and strain the chocolate filling to remove any lumps.
- Pour into the prepared pie crust. Press a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap onto the top of the filling to prevent a film from forming.
- Let chill in the refrigerator for at least 6 to 8 hours or overnight.
Whipped Cream
- In a medium bowl, combine the cream, sugar, and vanilla.
- Beat with an electric mixer on high, until stiff peaks form.
- Remove the parchment paper and spread the whipped cream over the chilled pie. Top with chocolate shavings, if desired.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Tag @thereciperebelVariations and Substitutions
- Different crust: Use a graham cracker crust or Oreo crust for a fun twist.
- Flavor extracts: Stir in mint, almond, or coconut extract after the custard thickens.
- Peanut butter swirl: Stir in a spoonful or two of smooth peanut butter after thickening.
- Chocolate banana: Stir sliced bananas into the custard before pouring into the crust.
- Gluten-free option: Use a gluten-free pie crust and double-check your other ingredients are labeled gluten-free.
Pam says
Loved it! Was perfect, I primarily made it for my grandson who can’t have red dye. For whatever reason the all the packaged puddings I looked at did! This was so much better and not anymore difficult to make. Thanks!
The Recipe Rebel says
Glad to hear Pam, thank you!
Michelle says
Would merengue work well instead of the whipped cream? If so, do you hand a fail proof merengue recipe?
Rebecca says
Hi! I’m making this tomorrow. I usually buy large eggs so do I need an extra whole egg or maybe just an extra yolk?
Kathy says
I’ve made this pie three times. Added 4 Tbsps cornstarch instead of three. 2 whole eggs and two egg yokes instead of 3 whole eggs . It was perfect each and every time.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Kathy! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Hailey says
Hi Ashley! I was wondering if you could mix dark chocolate with milk chocolate (for the added in chocolate). I was worried using all dark chocolate it would taste bitter. What do you recommend?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Hailey, I love the flavor of this pie with the dark chocolate, but you could use a mix.
Mary says
Can I use unsweetened chocolate chips instead of dark chocolate?
Ashley Fehr says
Absolutely
Julie says
Omgosh!!!!!! Perfection!!!! Love this recipe!!!!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Julie, so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this review!
Marilyn sheronovich says
Ashley I have made ur pie twice. Unfortunately both times it came out runny. I used 1/3 c. Cornstarch. The flavor is so good. What can I do to fix it?
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Marilyn! I’m sorry to hear that. I’m going to make one this weekend to make sure the recipe is the best it can be. The only reasons I could think that it would come out that way would be a low fat milk or cream used, smaller eggs, or no chocolate added. Could any of these be the issue?
Marilyn Sheronovich says
Ashely I used whole milk, extra large eggs and Hershey cocoa powder.
Ashley Fehr says
Can you tell me what kind of chocolate you used?
Marilyn Sheronovich says
Hershey’s cocoa powder
Ashley Fehr says
Yes but there is also chocolate in the recipe which is important for the setting of the pie. I did retest this recipe on the weekend and found that it worked flawlessly, but I do have some tips for you. I think the only thing that could go wrong if the recipe is followed is that the filling isn’t cooked long enough. Be sure to cook it, always stirring, until it is very thick, then add in the chocolate to melt.
Larry says
Hi…Your links for French Silk Pie and Peanut Butter Pie come up with Coconut Pie recipe.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks for letting me know!