Chocolate Cream Pie
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
With an Oreo crust and creamy chocolate filling, this chocolate cream pie recipe is tried and true—a longtime family favorite.
There aren’t many recipes in my family that are more of a tradition than this chocolate cream pie. My son, Zach—who’s now 22—has asked for it on his birthday every year since he was little, and at this point, we don’t even bother with cake—this pie is the main event. You can spot it in more family photos than I can count! With its Oreo cookie crust, silky chocolate pudding filling, and cloud of whipped cream on top, it’s the kind of dessert everyone looks forward to. Just be sure to plan ahead; the filling needs at least 8 hours in the fridge to set before serving.
“This was far and away the best chocolate pie that I’ve ever tasted (much less made).”
What You’ll Need To Make Chocolate Cream Pie
- Oreo cookies – Crushed to form the crust, they provide a rich, chocolatey base.
- Butter – Binds the crust and adds richness to both the crust and the filling.
- Sugar – Sweetens the filling and the whipped cream topping.
- Cornstarch – Thickens the filling and gives it a silky, pudding-like texture.
- Egg yolks & Whole Milk – The creamy, rich base of the chocolate filling.
- Bittersweet & unsweetened chocolate – For deep, complex chocolate flavor. Use good-quality chocolate (like Ghirardelli) for best results.
- Vanilla extract – Rounds out and enhances the chocolate flavor.
- Heavy whipping cream – Whips into a light, fluffy topping. Be sure it’s very cold for best volume.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step1: Make the crust. In a food processor, pulse the Oreos and melted butter until the mixture is finely ground and evenly moistened. Press the crumbs into a deep 9-inch pie pan—start with the sides so you get a nice, even edge (about ¼ inch thick), then press the rest into the bottom. Bake at 350°F for 5 to 6 minutes, just until the crust is slightly crisp. Let it cool completely before adding the filling.
Step 2: Make the chocolate filling. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. In a separate bowl or large measuring cup, whisk the egg yolks and milk, then slowly pour it into the saucepan while whisking. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking often (and scraping the bottom and sides), until it starts to bubble and thicken, 6 to 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook 1 minute more. Off the heat, whisk in the chopped chocolate, butter, and vanilla until smooth.
Step 3: Fill and chill. Pour the filling into the cooled crust and smooth the top. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming, then refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
Step 4: Finish the pie. Using an electric mixer, whip the cream on medium-low until it starts to thicken and the beaters leave tracks. Add the sugar and continue whipping until soft, silky peaks form. Spread the whipped cream over the chilled filling, leaving a bit of the chocolate showing around the edges. Sprinkle with grated chocolate and refrigerate until ready to serve. You can make the pie (without the whipped cream) up to a day ahead. Just wait until a few hours before serving to whip and top. Store covered in the fridge.
Video Tutorial
You May Also Like
Chocolate Cream Pie
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 24 Oreo cookies
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the Filling
- ⅔ cup sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 large egg yolks
- 3 cups whole milk
- 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, best quality such as Ghirardelli
- 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, best quality such as Ghirardelli
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Topping
- 1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, grated or shaved
Instructions
For the Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position.
- In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, blend the Oreos and butter until the mixture is finely chopped and evenly moistened. Firmly press the crumbs into a deep-dish 9-in (23-cm) pie pan, starting by lining the sides to create a crust about ¼-in (6-mm) thick, then press the remaining mixture onto the bottom to form the base. Use the bottom of a measuring cup or glass not only to flatten and even out the surface of the base but also to press against the sides, ensuring they are compact and uniform. To refine the top edge of your crust, position the side of your thumb or the edge of a measuring cup inside the crust's side wall, and with the index finger of your other hand, gently press down on the top edge. Gradually rotate the pie pan, maintaining this motion, to ensure a consistently neat and smooth edge around the entire perimeter. Bake the crust for 5 to 6 minutes, or until slightly crisp, then allow it to cool completely before filling.
For the Filling
- Combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a heavy medium saucepan. Whisk gently until combined.
- In a bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the egg yolks and milk. Add the milk mixture to the saucepan in a slow and steady stream, whisking until the mixture is smooth. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking frequently, until the mixture starts to bubble and thicken, 6 to 8 minutes. Immediately turn the heat down to a simmer and cook -- whisking constantly, especially around the edges -- for one minute more, until thick. (The constant stirring and low heat prevent the eggs from scrambling. Be sure to scrape the whisk against the bottom and edges of the pan where the mixture is more likely to overheat.) Off the heat, immediately add the chopped chocolate, butter, and vanilla extract; whisk until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is evenly combined.
- Pour the filling into the crust and smooth the top. Press a piece of saran wrap directly over the surface of the filling to prevent a film from forming; chill in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight.
For the Topping
- Up to 3 hours before serving, place the heavy cream in a mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, whip on medium-low speed until the whisk or beaters begin to leave tracks in the cream. Add the sugar and whip until the cream holds medium, silky peaks. Go slowly towards the end; if it gets grainy or curdled, you’ve gone too far. Spread the whipped cream over the filling, leaving some of the chocolate filling showing around the edges. Sprinkle with the grated chocolate and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
See more recipes:
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
This was a fantastic recipe to make, my question is does it need to chill for 8 hours? Will it (be soupy, if you will) if you cut the pie earlier?
Hi Jen, It does need 8 hours to set up; it will be difficult to slice if you rush it. Sorry!!
I let the pie sit in the freezer for 90 mins and then 3 hours in the fridge and the pie came out perfect!
So glad it worked out — thanks for reporting back!
Hi Jenn – I made this at thanksgiving and it was a HIT! However, I made it today with 1% milk and it’s a disaster. It looks like hot chocolate. I still poured it in the cookie shell & am hoping it thickens. I checked all the other ingredients and I included all of them. Any idea if this will thicken by tonight? I doubt you can respond since it’s Christmas Eve but – thought I’d try! Love ❤️ all your recipes!
Hi Karen, The filling should firm up somewhat in the fridge but, unfortunately, low fat milk may cause it to be a bit runny. If it’s too difficult to slice, you could scoop it into pretty glasses and call it something else…it should still taste delicious!
Thanks! Great idea!!
I have an 11” Emile Henry ceramic tart pan with a fluted edge. The pan is solid (i.e., the bottom does not release like a springform pan). Could I use this pan for this pie recipe? Would I need to double the recipe to have enough crust/ filling? Many thanks!
Hi Maureen, Yes, you can use it but I think you’d only need to make 1.5 times the recipe. Hope you enjoy!
How did it turn out? I’m in this exact situation-I think my “whole” milk was extremely thin!
Can you use almond milk instead of milk?
Hi Cathy, I haven’t tried this with almond milk. There’s a lot of milk in the recipe, so I’d be a little concerned about the results. Sorry!
How far in advance can I prepare this prior to serving? Can I refrigerate it (without the whip cream topping) for 2 days?
Sure, Andi, it keeps nicely, so 2 days ahead will work. Enjoy!
Hi Jenn, what percent chocolate do you recommend for the bittersweet chocolate? 60%? 70%? And what is your favorite brand to use?
Hi Lynn, I use 60% for the bittersweet and my favorite brand is Ghiradelli. Hope you enjoy!
Absolutely delicious and so easy. What I love about Jenn’s recipes is that I’m not nervous trying them for the first time if having someone over. It gets expensive testing recipes all the time! I trust her instincts and her recipes never disappoint.
Really want to make this pie. But don’t use cornstarch. Can I substitute tapioca for it.
Hi Carol, I’ve never used tapioca, but from what I read online, it looks like it’s doable but the quantity is a little different. You can read more here. Please keep in mind that I haven’t tried it myself. Hope that helps!
Arrowroot is generally a good substitute for cornstarch.
This pie was yummy. My only complaint is that the chocolate crust came out a bit too thick but still tasted good.
I agree, but otherwise the best chocolate cream pie EVER
I cooked the milk and egg mixture about 10 minutes because it was not at all thickening, but then I got nervous and decided to stop and add the chocolate. I realized it was still too runny and cooked it a few minutes more. I hope I didn’t ruin the pie. It’s in the fridge chilling. Will it still be edible? I don’t want to make my family sick. I’ve had a lot of success with your recipes!
Hi Anna, sorry you struggled with this a bit. While the mixture won’t get really thick on the stove, it should thicken up just a bit (enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon if you stick it in there). It does most of the thickening in the fridge. If it didn’t thicken in the fridge, is there a chance you forgot to add the cornstarch? (Regardless, it should not make your family sick.)
The filling did thicken in the fridge. Even though my technique was off, the pie turned out good. I’m not a huge fan of chocolate pie but my daughter says she loves it. We will make again. Thank you!
Glad it turned out well!
I normally never make desserts but I decided to try this as I have a lot of leftover chocolate. I modified it slightly in that I added bananas to the bottom of the pie shell before adding the chocolate over it. It was delicious, the chocolate was light not at all sweet and the addition of whipped cream just before serving added the right touch.
Oooh, you just gave me an idea. I want to use Biscoff cookies for the crust but I also want to add the spread into the pie as well. I thought about doing a few swirls but I can’t remember how quickly this begins to set. I think I’ll add a layer of Biscoff spread after pouring half of the pie filling in then add the rest. I know this pie isn’t as rich as it seems it’s going to be so adding the Biscoff layers will give it a nice balance. At least I’m hoping it will, lol. Thanks for sharing your idea… 👍🏻