Chocolate Cream Pie
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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
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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.
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I forgot to leave a rating when I commented. Simply perfect.
This is a delicious pie filling. It holds up beautifully when cut but is so soft and light that it is delightful in the mouth. It would also make a great pudding. Very easy to make.
I would like to do this in an 11″spring form pan. Do you think the pie will hold its shape once the sides are removed? Also, do you think I will need to adjust the amount of filling for the larger pan-maybe 1-1/2Xs? Please advise. thank you
Yes I think it will work and I would definitely increase ingredients by 1.5. Please LMK how it turns out. 🙂
I tried to adjust the ingredients as you suggested. I usually love your recipes but this one didn’t work. It tasted great but I could never get it to fully thicken. I left in in the fridge longer since there was more liquid- but as some others described it was like soup. I ended up making another dessert but using this recipes crust. Delicious as was the chocolate “soup”. I’m not sure what I did wrong but may try again with the proper size pan.
Could I add Orange liqueur to the recipe to make it a chocolate orange pie? Or would the liqueur change the consistency?
Hi Mila, you could get away with adding a bit of orange liqueur to the recipe. I’d suggest replacing the vanilla extract with it and then adding an additional tablespoon. Hope that helps and that you enjoy!
Thanks so much Jenn! I’m trying this for Christmas. I’ll let you know how it goes. Happy holidays!
WOW! Unbelievably delicious! My main oven broke the night before a family party so I only had the drawer oven to work with. I made this pie and it was a runaway hit! Ages 8-80 went nuts over this pie. Foolproof and perfectly balanced ! Thank you for saving our party Jenn and for another absolute winner of a recipe. Only recommendation is to process the wafers an extra long time and alone before adding butter and sugar for the crust. Make this now and your guests and family will go crazy!
Thank you, Jenn Segal! This was phenomenal! This pie is very filling (especially after a Thanksgiving meal), so I would recommend serving small portions. A plus–doing so would yield more pieces. Highly recommend this recipe.
I made this for my husband who loves chocolate. I usually use jello pudding mix but wanted to do something special for Christmas and thought you couldn’t go wrong with Ghiradelli chocolate. The chocolate crust was very good but my husband said the filling was too bitter for his taste. A little disappointing since I’ve always been happy with all the recipes I’ve tried on this site.
This turned out like soup. Do not recommend.
Maybe your measurements were off? I’ve made this several times and it’s been perfect every time. I actually served one last night and got rave reviews.
Same here. If followed to the letter, it will come out perfectly. Recommend freezing the first two hours then transferring to fridge. The person who had a soupy interior may not have cooled long enough or allowed the filling to thicken enough. Cook the entire 8 minutes, ensure it is bubbling and whisk constantly. It had to be fairly thick…like smooth applesauce.
Hi Jenn
I am making this chocolate pie and was going to use your pie crust recipe instead of the cookie crust. Do you think this would work? If so, how would I bake the crust?
Thanks,
Sandy
Sure, Sandy, that would work and I’d just bake the crust according to the directions in the pie crust recipe. Please LMK how it turns out!
Planning to make this for Thanksgiving, however did not not notice it took whole milk – have 2% and extra heavy cream – have you ever upped the fat of the 2% with cream – if so what would be the ratio. I live in the boonies and will not have a chance to get to the store in time. Also, close on time Wednesday evening – can I bake the crust a day or two ahead and then do the filling the night before? Thanks in advance, and as always I appreciate your recipes and always check them 1st!! Never disappointed 😊
Hi Evelyn, I have made my own whole milk in a pinch – just combine half milk/half cream. And it’s perfectly fine to make the crust a day or two in advance. Hope that helps and Happy Thanksgiving!
I plan to make this pie for Thanksgiving. When I shopped for ingredients, I was able to find the Nabisco wafers at my local Safeway (northern California). It took me several trips up and down the cookie aisle, as they were not where I expected them to be. There was an entire section of Nabisco products (where all the Oreos were), but I found these all by themselves with some random other brands. My advice is to keep looking if you can’t find them by the Oreos. I was so excited I almost bought all the packages they had!