Chocolate Cream Pie Recipe (Easy)

easy chocolate cream pie recipe with oreo crust on a white plate.

5 from 20 votes

Chocolate Cream Pie Recipe (Easy)

I've had a lot of ho-hum chocolate cream pies in my time, I don't know about you. This easy recipe redeems them all. An Oreo or Graham cracker crust, a rich and creamy double chocolate pudding, topped with sweetened whipped cream and chocolate curls. This is The One. The only chocolate pie you will ever need, forever and ever amen! It has the PERFECT texture thanks to a special technique you may not have used before.

Prep Time37

Cook Time10

Chill time4

Total Time4 47

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 682kcal

Author: The Food Charlatan

Ingredients

For the Oreo crust (see notes for graham cracker crust)

25 Oreos
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup butter melted (half stick)

For the chocolate pudding

1 large egg
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups whole milk
6 tablspoons heavy cream
8 ounces high quality semi sweet chocolate (I love using two Ghirardelli 4 oz chocolate bars)
3 tablespoons butter chopped
1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

For the chocolate curls

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon shortening butter, coconut oil, or vegetable oil can be substituted

For the whipped cream

1 and 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

CRUST DECISION TIME: do you want Oreo, Graham, or regular pastry pie crust? If you want a pastry crust, see my How to Make Flaky Pie Crust post, then follow the instructions for How to Blind Bake a Pie Crust.
Graham cracker crust instructions are in the recipe notes!
Oreo crust: Add 25 Oreos and 1/8 teaspoon salt to a food processor. Pulse until the cookies have turned to fine crumbs. Add 1/4 cup melted butter and pulse again. (Or, crush Oreos with a rolling pin in a ziplock. Then melt butter in a bowl and add the Oreo crumbs to it, stirring well.)
Scrape the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch pie pan. I like to use a drinking glass or a measuring cup to press the mixture into the corners. Make sure the crust around the edge goes up all the way to the top of the pie pan. Press the back of a spoon around the corners of the crust, you want a rounded edge, not a square edge.
Bake the crust at 350 for 10 minutes. Let cool while you make the filling. (You can also skip baking entirely and just chill the crust in the fridge/freezer for 30 minutes. I much prefer a baked crust, it is crispier and more flavorful.)
Make the chocolate pudding: Add 1 large egg and 4 large egg yolks to a 3-quart saucepan that is not on the stove. We're just using it like a bowl for now. Add 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar.
Use a hand mixer to beat the eggs and sugar together for 1 minute, until the mixture is fluffy and has turned a light yellow color.
Add 1 cup whole milk and beat again with the hand mixer until bubbly.
Add the dry ingredients: 3 tablespoons cocoa powder, 3 tablespoons cornstarch, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Carefully beat with the hand mixer on low speed, trying to minimize the cloud of cocoa powder. Beat until the mixture is frothy and all the cocoa is incorporated.
Meanwhile, add 2 cups whole milk and 6 tablespoons cream to a glass measuring cup (or bowl with a spout.) Heat in the microwave for about 2 minutes. The mixture should be very hot and bubbling on the top.
With the beater on low speed, add the hot milk to the egg mixture, pouring slowly. If a skin has formed on top of the milk, you don't need to scrape it in. (usually it ends up sticking to the dish you're pouring from). Continue beating until frothy. (keep the mixer handy)
Move the saucepan to a burner on your stove and turn the heat to medium. Use a whisk to continue stirring the mixture over the heat. I love flat whisks best of all because you can get in the corners of the saucepan.
Cook the mixture over medium heat for about 8-10 minutes. You need to stick around and stir at least every 30 seconds for the first few minutes, and then toward the end, stir constantly with the whisk. The pudding is done right when it starts to bubble, and when the whisk leaves marks when dragged across the surface. Remove from heat immediately and keep whisking when you can.
Meanwhile, break up the two 4-ounce semi sweet chocolate bars into pieces, and chop 3 tablespoons of butter. When the pudding is off-heat, add the semi sweet chocolate, chopped butter, and 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla. Whisk until smooth.
Bust out that hand mixer one more time, no need to wash the beaters. Beat the finished pudding for about 1 minute. Don't skip this step! It gives the pudding a light, airy texture that totally makes this pie!
Pour the beaten pudding into the cooled pie crust. You might think it won't all fit, but keep scraping, you will be surprised. Add the final drops to the center of the pie. If you think one more drop of pudding will absolutely overflow the pie, then scrape the remainder into a small bowl for yourself and devour immediately. You won't be sorry.
Press plastic wrap directly on top of the pudding right away, or you risk a film or skin forming on the top. Refrigerate the pie for at least 4 hours, or overnight is best.
Make chocolate curls.* Add 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips and 1 teaspoon shortening to a small bowl. Microwave in 30 second intervals until almost melted, then stir until smooth. Use an offset spatula to spread the chocolate in a very thin layer on a large baking sheet. Freeze for 5 minutes until the chocolate is hardened, then let rest at room temperature for 1-2 minutes.
Scrape the chocolate into curls using an upside down metal spatula, or any flat metal kitchen tool. When the chocolate is the right temperature, it will curl. If it is just coming off in shards, it's too cold. Wait a minute for it to warm up. If the chocolate you scrape is limp, it's too soft. You can always put it back in the freezer if you need to. Gather the chocolate curls and store in the freezer until you are ready to serve your pie.
Make the whipped cream. Chill your bowl and whisk attachment (or beaters) in the fridge for a few minutes if you have time.
Add 1 and 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream to the chilled bowl and beat on high speed. Add 1/3 cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt.
Beat for 1-3 minutes, depending on how powerful your mixer is. Keep an eye on it and don't walk away. Over beaten whipped cream is so sad (I accidentally do this all the time). You want to stop beating when your whipped cream is still very smooth. You should be able to hold a beater horizontally and the whipped cream stays up. Don't beat it so much that you can see air bubbles. It should not look textured. Spread the whipped cream over the chilled pudding, spreading not quite to the edges so that the chocolate pudding is still visible.
Decorate the whipped cream with chocolate curls and serve immediately!
This pie freezes very well before adding the whipped cream. Store well-sealed in the freezer for up to 2 months. Let thaw completely in the fridge, then top with whipped cream and chocolate curls and serve!

Notes

*If you don't want to make chocolate curls (it's easy, but I get it, sometimes it's just one more thing) then buy a chocolate bar (dark, semi sweet, whatever you like) and use a vegetable peeler to shave off chocolate from the edge. Sprinkle these pieces over your pie. Voila!

Graham Cracker Crust

2 & 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (1 and 1/2 packages, about 13.5 full crackers)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
7 tablespoons butter, melted

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Crush 13.5 full size sheets of graham crackers in a food processor until fine, to make 2 and 1/4 cups.(You can also add the graham crackers to a ziplock and crush with a rolling pin.)

2. Add 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt to the food processor (or add it all to a bowl and combine). Add 7 tablespoons melted butter to the food processor and pulse to combine throughly, scraping the sides. (or add butter to the bowl and combine.)

3. Press the graham mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch pie pan. I like to use a drinking glass or a measuring cup to press the graham mixture into the corners. Make sure the crust around the edge goes up all the way to the top of the pie pan.

4. Bake the crust at 350 for 10 minutes. Let cool while you make the filling. (You can also skip baking entirely and just chill the crust in the fridge/freezer for 30 minutes. I much prefer a baked crust, it is crispier and more flavorful.)

Nutrition