Chocolate Cream Pie

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This Chocolate Cream Pie is so decadent and rich. With chocolate custard in the center and topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings, this dessert is perfect for any occasion.

If you love chocolate desserts, then you should try this Chocolate Pot De Creme or this Chocolate Creme Brulee.

Chocolate Cream Pie with custard, whipped cream, and chocolate shavings in a pie plate, one slice missing.

Table Of Contents

Recipe Details
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
Add-ins and Substitutions
How to Make Chocolate Cream Pie
Recipe Tips
FAQs
Serving Suggestions
Make This Recipe in Advance
More Delicious Chocolate Desserts!
Full Recipe Instructions

Recipe Details

I just love this Chocolate Cream Pie recipe. This dessert is so delicious and easy, and everyone loves when I serve it.

TASTE: Chocolaty flavor from the cookie crust and custard are complemented by the sweet cream of the topping. This is a rich, sweet treat.
TEXTURE: The Oreo cookie crust adds some crunch to this creamy, thick pie. The custard and cream are smooth as silk.
TIME: This recipe takes 31 minutes to prepare, with 12 hours of chill time.
EASE: Just follow my step-by-step instructions and images and this Chocolate Cream Pie will be a breeze to make.

What You’ll Need

Ingredients for Chocolate Cram Pie: Oreos, cornstarch, milk, egg yolks, cocoa powder, heavy cream, salt, sugar, butter, vanilla, and chocolate chips.

Ingredient Notes

Oreos- These will be used to make the cookie crust for this pie.
Unsalted butter- This is added to the crust to help the crumbs stick together.
Heavy cream- This rich ingredient adds the silky smoothness to the whipped cream topping.
Milk- This will be the liquid in the chocolate mousse center. Use whole milk or 2% for best results.
Chocolate chips- These will be melted down for the chocolate center of the pie. Semisweet chocolate is best.
Cocoa powder- This adds extra chocolaty flavor to the pie. Use Dutch-processed cocoa powder.
Egg yolks- These add richness and thickness to the chocolate center so it becomes a mousse-like custard.
Granulated sugar- This adds some sweetness to the chocolate center.
Cornstarch- This will thicken the chocolate custard even more so the pie can be sliced without it running.
Vanilla- For a touch of vanilla flavor.
Powdered sugar- This adds some sweetness to the whipped cream topping.
Salt- Just a pinch to accentuate the sweetness.

Add-ins and Substitutions

Substitute different chocolate- Besides semi-sweet chocolate, you can make this with white chocolate, milk chocolate, or dark chocolate chips.
Use another crust- Instead of an Oreo crust, you can use graham crackers, snickerdoodles, or any other crunchy cookie that you like.
Add mint- Make this a chocolate mint pie by adding some mint extract to the chocolate custard center.
Make it dairy-free- By substituting plant-based butter, coconut cream for the heavy cream, plant-based milk, and a dairy-free chocolate chip, you can make this dairy-free. If your cocoa powder has milk in it, then use cacao powder in its place.

How to Make Chocolate Cream Pie

Make the crust. In a food processor, add the Oreo cookies. Pulse on high until they turn into fine crumbs. Then pour in the melted butter and pulse a few more times until the butter is well incorporated into the cookie crumbs.
Bake. Now press the crumbs onto the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Then preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Pro Tip: If you don’t have a food processor, you can place the Oreos in a large ziplock bag and crush them with a rolling pin or meat mallet.

Steps to make Chocolate Cram Pie: crush the Oreos in a food processor, then add butter and press the mixture into a pie plate.

Make the chocolate center. Place a large saucepan over medium-high heat and add in the granulated sugar, cornstarch, Dutch-processed cocoa, and salt. Give it a quick whisk and then pour in the whole milk and egg yolks. Whisk until the mixture begins to thicken. This may take a few minutes. (Note: the cocoa is not pictured in the images above because I simply forgot to add it during that step. So don’t mind that little mistake of mine. 😉)

Steps to make Chocolate Cram Pie: make the custard by adding cornstarch, cocoa powder, and sugar to a pan, whisking, then adding in milk and egg yolks.

Add the chocolate chips. Once it’s thickened, whisk for another minute off the heat. Then add in the semisweet chocolate chips, unsalted butter, and vanilla extract. Whisk thoroughly to combine everything together.
Chill. Then pour the chocolate custard into the baked crust. Smooth it out and place a round-cut piece of parchment paper on top of the cream pie. Chill for about 12 hours, or overnight.
Make the cream. Now, make the whipped cream topping by beating the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract together in a bowl at high speed. Once it’s all whipped up, evenly spread it on top of the chocolate cream pie and enjoy!

Steps to make Chocolate Cram Pie: Add the chocolate chips and butter to the custard and then whisk until thickened before adding the custard to the crust and topping with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Recipe Tips

Crush the cookies by hand- If you don’t have a food processor, put the cookies into a freezer ziplock bag and crush them with a rolling pin or other hard tool until fine.
Cover the pie while it chills- Smooth the chocolate center out and place a round-cut piece of parchment paper on top of the cream pie. This keep it from forming a crust.
Chill for at least 12 hours- This is important for thickening the chocolate custard so that it is not runny and gels together.
Keep your kitchen mess-free- Place the bowl of whipped cream ingredients under a clean moist napkin on the bottom of your sink so that all the splatters stay contained.

FAQs

Why is my chocolate cream pie runny?

Your chocolate cream pie could be runny because you didn’t cook it long enough or chill it long enough. The custard needs to coagulate, so it should reach about 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Once done, it needs to be chilled for at least 12 hours to fully thicken.

How do you thicken chocolate pie filling?

The key to thick chocolate pie filling is cornstarch and egg yolks. Both of these ingredients give the custard a thick and creamy texture that is further thickened when they are cooked and then chilled.

slice of chocolate cream pie on a white plate

Serving Suggestions

Serve this delicious Chocolate Cream Pie after a special meal or as part of a dessert table. It tastes wonderful with cookies, coffee, or other sweet chocolate treats.

Main courses: Serve this after a meal of Pork Crown Roast, Braised Beef, One Pan Chicken and Potatoes, or Cast Iron Ribeye Steak.
Cookies: Pair this rich dessert with some cookies, such as Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies, Linzer Cookies with Raspberry Jam, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (VIDEO), or White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies.
Chocolate treats: Enjoy this Chocolate Cream Pie with Chocolate Pot De Creme, Chocolate Covered Dates, Chocolate Lava Cake (Video), or Mini Pavlova Recipe with Chocolate (VIDEO).
Beverages: Serve this with a Hot Chocolate, Iced Caramel Macchiato, or a Pumpkin Spice Latte.

Make This Recipe in Advance

Make ahead: You can make this pie the day before by making the crust and chocolate custard, then chilling them in the pie plate overnight. Just make the whipped cream and add it before serving.

Storing: Store any leftovers of this Chocolate Cream Pie in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container, for up to 4 days. The custard will start to thin as it sits.

Freeze: Because the custard does not freeze well, I advise only making what you can eat in a few days.

More Delicious Chocolate Desserts!

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Dina

Hi, I’m Dina, so glad you stopped by! I believe life is too short for bad coffee and boring meals. With my easy to follow step-by-step recipes, you’ll be surprised at how quickly a wholesome and delicious meal can come together. I hope you find something you enjoy!