Easy Chocolate Pie Recipe - How to Make Chocolate Pie

The filling is rich, fudgy, and silky smooth.

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Whenever my husband, the one I call Marlboro Man, imagines chocolate pie—and he imagines it frequently, because it's one of his favorite chocolate desserts—he doesn't think of French silk pie or chocolate chiffon pie or chocolate chess pie or chocolate meringue pie or any other variation. He thinks of this one. This is just a good ol' basic, can't-go-wrong, everyone-loves-it, super-easy-to-make, been-around-forever pie recipe with a chocolate pudding filling, and my beloved could seriously eat a slice every day of his life and never get bored.

I could too, I might add.

And speaking of that: This pie is always one of those things that drives home to me the differences between Marlboro Man and me, and let me explain: In no universe would he ever, ever consider adorning his chocolate pie with anything. Not whipped cream, not meringue, not fruit, not nuts, not sauces… nothing. To him, that would mar the beautiful simplicity of this luscious dessert and he sees absolutely no logical reason for it. I, on the other hand, will keep adding stuff to the top of my chocolate pie until my fridge is empty, my pantry is cleaned out, and the cows come home. Differences make the world go 'round! Make this pie for your next family gathering, whether it's Thanksgiving, Christmas, or a birthday get-together. The most important part about making chocolate pie is that you eat leftovers for breakfast the next day. Don't listen to that last part.

What ingredients are in chocolate pie?

Aside from the crust, the filling is nothing more than chocolate pudding—a really good homemade chocolate pudding that's fudgy, rich, and silky smooth. It's made with sugar, a little cornstarch, whole milk, egg yolks, vanilla, butter, and the star of the show, bittersweet chocolate. You make the filling on your stovetop and pour it into the baked (and cooled) pie crust. Then it goes into the fridge to set up.

Can you use a store-bought pie crust?

You can't beat the flakiness of a homemade pie crust (I use the Perfect Pie Crust recipe sent to me by my friend, dear reader Sylvia), but if you're in a pinch, a store-bought crust works just fine. If you really want to go wild, you can even use an Oreo or graham cracker crust.

Is bittersweet chocolate the same as semisweet?

They aren't the same, but you can use semisweet chocolate in this pie. Bittersweet chocolate has around 70% cacao and semisweet has about 60%. Semisweet chocolate will make for a slightly sweeter pie. I've made this pie with both and it works just fine. I like the deeper flavor of bittersweet chocolate which is why I use it most often.

What size pie plate do you use for chocolate pie?

The filling makes enough for a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Deep-dish pie plates are about 2 to 2 1/2 inches deep whereas regular 9-inch pie plates have a depth of 1 1/2 inches. You can certainly use a regular ol' pie plate for this, but prepare to have some leftover filling. Just divide the pudding filling into some little ramekins or bowls and refrigerate it for dessert another day!

How long does chocolate pie last?

Chocolate pie lasts for about three days in the fridge, covered in plastic wrap—if it indeed lasts that long!

How do you thicken chocolate pie filling?

I add in a little cornstarch to help thicken up the filling. The egg yolks help give it structure, too! When you're making the filling, though, don't stop cooking it after six to eight minutes if it's not yet thick. Every stove is different! For some people and their stoves, it can take 20 minutes to thicken. Keep cooking it until the mixture is thick like pudding to avoid a soupy filling. You must also let it chill in the fridge for at least four hours before slicing. It needs time to completely cool and set up.

What can you use for topping on chocolate pie?

If you're like me and love toppings, whipped cream, fresh raspberries or strawberries, a drizzle of hot fudge sauce (or even caramel sauce), chopped pecans or walnuts would be divine! If you're like Ladd, nothing at all and that's okay, too.

Can you freeze chocolate pie?

Yes, chocolate pie can be frozen! Once it has chilled in the fridge, wrap the pie tightly in plastic, and place it in the freezer. It'll stay good for up to two months. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight before serving. Be sure to freeze the pie without any toppings.

sugar

cornstarch

salt

whole milk

egg yolks

bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

vanilla extract

butter

pie crust, baked and cooled (or can use Oreo or graham cracker crust)

Whipped cream, to serve

Now, the first step to making this homemade pie is to put a storebought frozen pie crust into the oven. Ha. At least that’s what I did. I was out of my frozen crusts and I didn’t feel like making one on the spot, so I used a storebought frozen one.

I am not ashamed.

Now, if you really want to impress your friends, forget about the pie crust and come close to burning it, as I did above.

They'll be amazed at your talent!

All of that's about to be forgotten, though, when you make this luscious pie filling, which is nothing more than chocolate pudding. (So consider this a chocolate pudding recipe, too!) Start by putting sugar into a saucepan…

With some cornstarch…

As a thickener.

Add a little salt (about a fourth a teaspoon; don't be thrown off by the 1/2 teaspoon measure you see here, as I only added half. Don't be like me)…

Stir it together gently—I say gently, because if you stir it violently or vigorously, you will create a cloud of cornstarch in your kitchen! And who needs that?!

Now, pour in some whole milk. Normally, I'd say "or you can use 2% or skim milk" but in this case, I absolutely, positively insist that you use whole milk! You must! It makes the pie creamier and gives it the texture it needs. You can always use the skim milk on your Wheaties tomorrow!

Sorry for being bossy.

Separate four eggs…

Pour in the yolks…

Then, stir it together and start heating it up over medium heat, stirring very gently but constantly.

The bubbles will calm down and it will start to heat up and thicken. This will seem to take forever at first…

But then, before you know it, it starts to bubble and boil! Right after it starts to boil and thicken, you need to remove it from the heat.

Oh! I forgot to tell you that way earlier, I grabbed some bittersweet chocolate…

And chopped it really finely.

(Note on the chocolate: I have tried this pie with cocoa powder, with semi-sweet chocolate, with unsweetened chocolate… and I prefer bittersweet. You can play around with different types of chocolate to see what you like.)

It's important to have the chocolate all chopped and ready ahead of time, because the second you pull the filling/pudding off the heat, you'll want to throw it right in…

With some vanilla…

And stir it around to start melting the chocolate, which will happen pretty much instantly because of how hot and lovely it is.

The final step, of course, is to add a little butter for silkiness, flavor, and richness…

And stir it until it melts. Again, this should only take about 4.2 seconds.

Pour it into the baked (and cooled!) pie shell…

Then smooth it out, lick whatever you use to smooth it, and pop the pie in the fridge (uncovered) for at least three to four hours. You want it to be totally cool and set!

This filling amount is enough for a deep-dish pie crust, so when I use a standard crust, I always have a little filling left over. So I just scoop it into little cups…

And stick those in the fridge. Ready-to-go pudding!

At long last! The pie is chilled and ready. And gorgeous. And seductive. And irresistible.

Just like Marlboro Man.

Heh heh.

(Sorry.)

Cut a nice, big wedge…

And, if you're serving it to my husband, just stick it on a plate.

Positively perfect pie!

If I'm eating it, though? Oh, how about some squirt whipped cream and a raspberry?

How about some chocolate syrup?

I actually forced myself to stop there, but I could have gone nuts (literally): Chopped pecans, chopped walnuts… and man, oh man, a drizzle of caramel sauce would be just decadent.

Make it today! It's the easiest pie ever! (Note that you could change it up and do an Oreo or graham cracker crust—totally delicious, too.)

Enjoy!

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