Luscious chocolate pudding, lightly sweetened whipped cream and a buttery pie crust made up this homemade chocolate cream pie.
Cream pies are utterly dreamy. From the soft and sweet pie crust (that has a nice crunch on the edges), to the rich, smooth fillings, to any tantalizing toppings… they really aim to satisfy. I fell in love with chocolate cream pie as a child going to Marie Callender’s. It was so full of amazing chocolate, and the whipped cream ratio was always piled high and spot on. This homemade chocolate cream pie was created with that pie in the back of my mind. My signature pie crust was used in this recipe, and I cooked up a sweet and simple chocolate filling to complement it (that’s sure to show up in other desserts because it’s incredible). I topped it with a hearty mound of slightly sweetened whipped cream, and shaved some dark chocolate over the top. It stayed fresh in the refrigerator for days, and we snuck little tastes pretty much all day long!
What you’ll need to make this homemade chocolate cream pie:
All-purpose flour
Salt
Salted butter
Granulated sugar
Cold water
Milk (whole or 2%)
Eggs
Cornstarch
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
Pure vanilla extract
Dark chocolate chips
Heavy cream
Powdered sugar
The Pie Crust
I absolutely love a good sweet and buttery pie crust. This pie crust uses only five ingredients: flour, salt, salted butter, sugar, and cold water. It comes together quite quickly in a standing mixer, and then it is blind baked and cooled before the filling is added. Blind baking, or pre-baking, is the process of baking the crust without the filling inside. You will want to use some manner of pie weights to ensure that crust bottom doesn’t puff up while baking. You can find an array of ceramic pie weights online, or simply use dried beans or uncooked rice. Line your crust with parchment and fill the center with the weights. Bake as directed and allow the crust to cool completely before filling.
The Chocolate Filling
This filling is DIVINE. I spooned so many “testings” into my mouth during the baking process that I was ever so slightly worried that I might not have enough filling for the crust! It is made of whole milk, granulated sugar, a large egg + four additional egg yolks, cornstarch, salted butter, pure vanilla, and unsweetened cocoa powder + dark chocolate chips for the ultimate chocolate flavor. You can absolutely make more and consume it solely as a pudding. It’s dreamy simply enjoyed with a large dollop of whipped cream on top! You can also turn it into a mousse (that’s coming soon), or use it as the base for a decadent chocolate trifle (also on the docket, stay tuned).
The Toppings
I kept this pie relatively simply with lightly sweetened whipped cream + dark chocolate shavings. You can add some extra chocolate pizazz by topping this pie with chocolate curls (I have a great tutorial in this Dark Chocolate Tart Recipe with Chocolate Curls), or crush your favorite candy bar up and top it with that (Snickers or Kit Kat would be pretty great!). Get creative and make this pie your own.
The Dietary Substitutions
I love providing gluten and dairy-free substitutions so that those with alternate dietary needs can enjoy my recipes to their fullest! These are subs that I have either used and continue to stock in my own home, or that have come highly recommended from others. I want your baking experience to be the best it can be, and avoiding gluten or dairy shouldn’t hinder that process in the slightest.
As always, here is a list of tried and true dietary substitutes, so that you can enjoy this recipe without the additions of gluten or dairy:
Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Baking Flour is a wonderful all-purpose sub, and it’s cup for cup, so use the same measurements as you would all-purpose flour.
Miyokos butter is a plant based brick that closely resembles dairy butter not only in its look, but its taste as well. It melts, browns, and spreads just like real butter, and truly is a fantastic substitute in this recipe. Use it as a 1:1 ratio sub, same as the flour, so the recipe measurements will not change.
Enjoy Life makes a dairy free, vegan, and allergen friendly dark chocolate chip that would work great in this recipe.
Silk Dairy-Free Heavy Cream is a great option for the whipped topping.
I hope you adore this creamy, dreamy pie! It was truly a blast to create, and I plan to keep playing with other flavors to bring you many more pies in the near future!
PS: If you are a fan of rustic hand pies, try my Fresh Peach Galette. 🍑
XO,
Heather
Homemade Chocolate Cream Pie
Ingredients
- FOR THE CRUST:
- 2 Cups All Purpose Flour
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- ⅔ Cup Salted Butter, cold and cut into cubes
- 3 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar
- 5-6 Tablespoons Cold Water
- FOR THE FILLING:
- 2 ½ Cups Milk, whole or 2%
- 1 ¼ Cups Granulated Sugar
- 1 Large Egg + 4 Large Egg Yolks
- ¼ Cup Cornstarch
- ¼ Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, Dutch processed preferred
- ¼ Cup Salted Butter
- 2 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
- ⅔ Cup Dark Chocolate Chips
- FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM:
- 1 ½ Cups Heavy Cream
- 2 Tablespoons Powdered Sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°. You will be using a 9” pie pan for the recipe. To make the crust: Place flour into a mixing bowl with the sugar, and add the paddle attachment to your mixer. Give the flour and sugar a quick mix. Slowly add the butter cube by cube, and mix on low until it forms a wet-sand-like consistency. Alternatively you can use a pastry cutter and cut the butter into the flour + sugar mixture. Add the salt, mix. Add the cold water one tablespoon at a time. Dough is ready when it is firm and not sticky. Press dough into the pie pan, and blind bake by lining with parchment paper and filling the crust with pie weighs, dry beans, or rice. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until crust is slightly golden and cooked through. Allowed to cool completely before filling.
- To make the filling: In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and cocoa powder on medium to high heat. Whisk until combined and mixture becomes hot + just begins to steam, about 2-4 minutes. In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the granulated sugar, egg plus egg yolks, and cornstarch. Whisk until fully combined, about 30 seconds. Slowly pour ⅓ of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture, ensuring that you are careful and do not splatter on yourself. Whisk to combine. Add another third of the milk, and whisk again to combine. Finally, add the remainder of the milk and whisk well. Gently pour the mixture back into the saucepan and whisk on medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until mixture thickens. Be cautious as pudding can splatter and it is hot. If it starts to bubble up too much, simply remove it from the heat and continue to whisk.
- Immediately pour the mixture into a medium sized bowl and add the butter, vanilla, and chocolate chips. Whisk to fully combine, ensuring all chips are melted and pudding is smooth. Place plastic wrap over the bowl, allowing it to touch the top of the pudding. This will keep it from forming a film. Refrigerate until cold, 2-3 hours or overnight. If you are assembling the pie the next day simply cover the pie crust overnight.
- To make the whipped cream and assemble the pie: With a hand mixer or a standing mixer, beat the heavy cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form, about 60 to 90 seconds. Whisk the cold pudding until it is smooth, about 20 seconds. Pour the pudding into the pie crust and spoon it around until it is evenly filling the crust. Top with the whipped cream and chocolate shavings, if desired. Serve immediately.Store any leftover pie in the refrigerator for up to five days. Enjoy!
Leigh
I look forward to making it!
Karen
Soooo delicious and easy to make! I've been trying for 10 years to make a chocolate pie for my husband that was like his mother's. She is gone and never wrote down her recipe. He said this is what he remembers hers tasting like! Heather's Home Bakery for the WIN!!!
Heather Templeton
Thank you so much Karen! Your comment absolutely made my day, and I am so glad that you and your husband loved the pie! 🙂