Chocolate Cream Pie
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With a cookie crust, silky chocolate pudding center and pillowy whipped cream topping, this pie is a chocolate lover’s dream.
My dad was a serious chocoholic, and this chocolate cream pie was his all-time favorite dessert. My son, Zach, took after my dad in the dessert department, and he has requested this pie every year for his birthday since he was a little boy. Needless to say, the pie is a family favorite and shows up in a lot of our family photos! With its chocolate cookie crust, silky chocolate pudding center, and pillowy whipped cream topping, it is truly a chocolate lover’s dream. Be sure to plan ahead because the filling needs at least eight hours to set up before serving.
Table of Contents
“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
Note: The crust was originally made with Nabisco chocolate wafers, but as of 2023, those cookies are no longer available. Oreo thins make a great substitute (and there’s no need to remove the filling).
Step-by-Step Instructions
In a medium bowl, mix together the cookie crumbs, sugar, and butter until evenly combined. Pour the crumbs into a pie pan.
Press the mixture firmly into a 9-inch pie pan (spread some of the crumbs up the sides first, making the crust just shy of 1/4-inch thick, then press the remaining crumbs onto the bottom; using the bottom of a measuring cup or glass to even out, if you like). Bake for 10 minutes until crisp. Let cool while you make 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 milk and egg yolks. Add the 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, 6-8 minutes. Immediately turn the heat down to a simmer and cook — whisking constantly, especially around the edges — for one more minute until thick. (The constant stirring and low heat prevents 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.)
Turn off the heat, then immediately add the chopped chocolate, butter and vanilla extract.
Whisk until smooth.
Pour the filling into the crust and smooth the top. Press a piece of saran wrap directly over surface of the filling to prevent a film from forming; chill in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight.
Up to three hours before serving, place the heavy cream in chilled 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.
Spoon the whipped cream over the filling.
Spread the whipped cream, leaving some of the chocolate filling showing around the edges. Sprinkle with the grated chocolate and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Photo by Our Salty Kitchen
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Chocolate Cream Pie
With a cookie crust, silky chocolate pudding center and pillowy whipped cream topping, this pie is a chocolate lover’s dream.
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1½ cups cookie crumbs from Oreo baking crumbs, Dewey’s Brownie Crisp Cookies, Oreo Thins (no need to remove the cream), or Nabisco Chocolate Wafers
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
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 375 degrees.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the cookie crumbs, sugar, and butter until evenly combined. Press the mixture firmly into a 9-inch pie pan (spread some of the crumbs up the sides first, making the crust just shy of ¼-inch thick, then press the remaining crumbs onto the bottom; use a the bottom of a measuring cup or glass to even out, if you like). Bake for 10 minutes until crisp. Let cool while you make the 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 milk and egg yolks. 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, 6-8 minutes. Immediately turn the heat down to a simmer and cook -- whisking constantly, especially around the edges -- for one more minute until thick. (The constant stirring and low heat prevents 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 evenly combined.
- Pour the filling into the crust and smooth the top. Press a piece of saran wrap directly over 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 chilled mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, whip on medium-low speed until the whisk or beaters begin to leave tracks in the cream. Add 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.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (10 servings)
- Calories: 663
- Fat: 43 g
- Saturated fat: 24 g
- Carbohydrates: 67 g
- Sugar: 49 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 9 g
- Sodium: 367 mg
- Cholesterol: 172 mg
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!
I just made this recipe for a special occasion and used Trader Joes peppermint sandwich cookies and cane sugar in the crust and it was super scrumptious.
The best chocolate cream pie recipe ever! So easy to make, it’s rich without being sickeningly rich like some chocolate pies. It looks beautiful in the end too. An all time favorite for us.
Jenn,
Can this be made in a 9”x13” pan for a crowd.
Hi Carla, I wouldn’t recommend it. Due to the texture, I think it would be challenging to serve. Sorry!
I love this recipe. I used one package of “Honey Maid” chocolate graham crackers and it was delicious. It was easier to find than chocolate wafers. This is just the right sweetness with the bitter/unsweetened chocolate and only a little sugar. I love sweets and this really was perfect as is. I’ve made this several times with other chocolate I had in the cupboard like semi-sweet etc, and the flavor wasn’t too different. I like the original blend best though. Thanks for a great recipe.
Hi!
If I wanted to make a vanilla pudding, would this recipe work with just omitting the chocolate pieces?
Thanks,
Jan
Unfortunately, not, You’d need to make too many other tweaks to the recipe to make it work. Sorry!
This is a really good pie. I was surprised that without sweetened chocolate the flavor was so delicious. I’ve made it several times. Yum!
The filling is creamy, chocolatey, delicious but a little too rich for us.
And sadly my crust didn’t turn out well. I couldn’t find Nabisco wafers but I found brownie thin wafers at Whole Foods. Thought it could work but it didn’t.
For those having trouble finding the chocolate wafers….I recently moved to a new state with new stores….I was in a panic until I found the chocolate wafers in the baking aisle, not the cookie aisle! So, making it again with no substitutions. Best chocolate pie ever!
What store had them in the baking aisle?? I just cannot find them anywhere. Jenn, could I use Oreo’s and take out the creme? I really need to figure this out, having a dinner party and my guests are in love with this pie. I hate to disappoint them.
No need to disappoint your guests. 🙂 You can use Oreos and remove the cream.
With the “thins” only — no need to remove the cream?
Correct!
I ended up with two smaller pies because I reused aluminum pie tins. What are your thoughts on freezing one of them without the whipping cream?
Hi Kristen, Unfortunately, this pie doesn’t freeze well — sorry!
Hi jenn
Is there a non dairy alternative I could use instead of the milk?
Hi Chaya, I haven’t tried this with a non-dairy alternative. There’s a lot of milk in the recipe, so I’d be a little concerned about the results. I would suggest looking for a tried and true chocolate pudding recipe made with a non-dairy alternative. You can use that as the filling.
Hi Jenn
This is my second time making this pie and it was incredible. The texture of the filling is PERFECT. I was wondering if I could take the custard part of the recipe and make it butterscotch? Do you think I could use butterscotch chips and decrease the sugar? Thoughts and thanks again!
Jennifer
Glad you liked it! Unfortunately, I don’t think it will translate well to a butterscotch pudding without a lot of tweaks. I’d suggest looking specifically for a butterscotch pudding recipe.
Hi Jenn, how are you?
I use many of your recipes and they are always perfect. I have made this pie before and as always, it is excellent!
I want to make it again today but realize I only have unsweetened cocoa bars and unsweetened cocoa powder. Is it possible to use only unsweetened cocoa and add more sugar?
Thank you for your time. Hope all is well.
Stay safe, Kelly
Hi Kelly, So glad you like the recipes! I wouldn’t recommend the changes you’re suggesting for this one — sorry!
Can you make this with a regular crust?
Sure, Pam. I think a regular pre-baked pie shell would be delicious here.
I made this pie for my fiancée’s birthday and it was amazing! He is a super chocolate lover. I couldn’t find the Nabisco wafers (tried three stores! haha) so I had to substitute for 28 oreos, but that was the only change. I’m sure I’ll be getting requests for this one again!
We all loved this pie! I used a nut crust and sugar substitute in the whipped cream and made the custard exactly as printed. I was wondering if using a sugar sub like powdered Swerve or xilytol in the custard would destroy the taste or texture. We have to watch our sugars here but would love to enjoy this pie more often.
Wow! Perfect chocolate cream pie…..ditto to all the previous comments, not to sweet, the blend of chocolate is just right. Thank you!
Making this tomorrow and wondered if I use Oreos instead how many cookies do I use (top and bottom parts w/out the cream)? I see 28 cookies are required but didn’t know if that was a total of 28 parts or 56 parts using both top and bottom of the Oreo cookie. Thanks!
Hi Kevan, You’ll need 28 parts. Hope that clarifies and you enjoy!
This is some excellent chocolate cream pie. Good quality and delicious! I’ve made it several times and it always comes out terrific. I’ve tried different kinds of chocolate, but the bittersweet is a must. Not too sweet and very good. Thanks for the recipe!
I made this last night for a family dinner and it was a huge hit! I could not find the 100% Cacao chocolate, so I bought 2 bars of the Ghirardelli 72% Cacao. The instructions for the filling and whipped cream were very good – I normally don’t make deserts and was afraid that I would screw up the filling, but it turned out perfectly! Thank you so much for this recipe – it’s a keeper!
I have 2% milk. Will that work here?
I don’t recommend it, Sarah. Sorry!
I made this on Saturday for Valentine’s day on Sunday and it was wonderful. My husband still is talking about the pie.
I followed the directions but had to add some additional wafers and butter to make a little more crust. I think my pie pan may have been a little larger.
How many days can you keep the pie in the refrigerator?
So glad it was a hit! It should keep nicely in the fridge for up to about 4 days.
We made this for St Valentine’s Day! It looked just like your picture, Jenn! I was so relieved and impressed! My family LOVED it and my husband said it was my best dessert ever! Wow! I still can’t believe you have taught me how to make choc “custard” from scratch, Jenn! I’ve never in my life been able to do it! This will be a repeat!
I halved this recipe and filled 6 mini graham cracker pie crusts. Halving the chocolate was easy with a digital kitchen scale, the pudding thickened in about 6 minutes and the hardest part is waiting the 8 hours/overnight for it to set. I’ve always been hesitant to use cornstarch, afraid of picking up the taste in the final product but it worked out great, no trace of chalkiness which just means I used it incorrectly in the past. The good part was licking the pot and the spoon – using good quality chocolate really takes this up a notch giving the pudding a deep chocolaty flavor without being overly sweet. No doubt this will be most excellent with fresh whipped cream and shaved chocolate but on its own it is pretty awesome.
This looks incredible but I need to make it 100% gluten-free. Do you have a substitute cookie I can use for the crust that will taste as good?
Hi Stefany, I’m not familiar with these cookies, but another reader commented “I used one box of Trader Joe’s Gluten-Free Jo Jo’s chocolate sandwich cookies. Since they tend to be crispier and more dry, I used two tablespoons more of butter when I made the crust.” Hope that helps!
Jenn, I’ve made your pie a few times now but I’ve always used Graham crackers for the crust. Today I plan to make it but I only have Oreo cookies. I plan to add just a bit of peppermint extract to the crust (over the holidays I found a premade crust with peppermint and nuts and used this pie filling. It was to die for, lol). If I use oreos can I leave the filling in and just omit the sugar? I would hate to waste all of that oreo filling. Please reply as soon as possible as I plan to get started in about 2 hrs time. Thanks!
Hi Tammie, Oreos would be fine here, but for the most predictable results, I’d remove the filling and use the sugar called for in the recipe. Hope that helps and that you enjoy!
Thanks so much for replying so quickly. Okay I’ll put in the extra work and save the filling for a side treat for my son, lol. All the best to you and yours….
Absolutely love this recipe so decadent and delicious!! This is my go to recipe for holiday dessert! My family and I love chocolate and this recipe!! 5 stars perfection!!
This recipe was intimidating to me the first time I made it, but I followed the recipe exactly and it was actually easy to do! The step by step photos are really helpful. Even the stated timing on cooking the milk and egg mixture was spot on. This pie is a family favorite now!
THE BEST! This is our favorite summer potluck dessert and it’s always a big hit. I cheat and use the Oreo crust that’s already done and it’s still amazing.
I have become a pie baker over the last ten years or so and have tried lots of recipes for various pies. This is my go to chocolate cream pie. On more than one occasion, I have received the response that it was the “best custard pie I have ever eaten”. The photo of your Dad accompanying the recipe is a very nice touch and adds flavor to the pie even before it is made.
Ron
I have never liked chocolate pie until I tried this recipe. It is delicious. The chocolate is very rich and not too sweet. I use a traditional pie crust instead of the chocolate crust. (Just personal preference.) So good!
This chocolate cream pie is probably one of the best desserts I’ve ever made. It has become a family tradition for Thanksgiving & Christmas for my family. The chocolate pudding filling is so decadent and delicious.
Followed recipe exactly and read reviews prior to making. Thought 1/2 tsp salt used in filling gave finished pie an overly salty taste. I used regular iodized table salt. Would omit or use 1/8 tsp next time.
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… 👍🏻