Chocolate Cream Pie

Get the chocolate fix of your dreams with this luscious and easy-to-make Chocolate Cream Pie! What’s not to love about velvety smooth chocolate cream filling encased in a crispy pie dough shell and topped with sweetened whipped cream!?!? P.S. Use store-bought pie crust and whipped cream topping to make this one of the easiest pies ever. Or try our 3-Ingredient Pie Crust and Homemade Whipped Cream for more of a challenge!

What Is Chocolate Cream Pie?

Chocolate cream pie is a chocolate-based custard that’s thickened with eggs. The custard can be layered in a cookie crust (like the one in our Coconut Cream Pie Bars) or a traditional pie crust that’s baked ahead of time to prevent the dreaded soggy bottom. Chocolate Cream Pie is topped with whipped cream or meringue and can be garnished with fresh raspberries, mint, or a sprinkle of chocolate shavings.

How To Serve Chocolate Cream Pie

If serving on a hot day, the whipped cream topping tends to melt and pool all over your chocolate custard. At these times, it’s best to top the pie with Meringue or Stabilized Whipped Cream. Whipped cream in a pressurized can holds up well, too. If you’re using Homemade Whipped Cream, top each slice with whipped cream as you serve. Or pipe the cream and freeze the pie. It will thaw quickly as you serve. Shaved chocolate is a wonderful and economical choice for garnish. If it’s in your budget, fresh raspberries and mint also make an incredible garnish. 

How To Store Chocolate Cream Pie

Because this pie refrigerates and freezes beautifully, it’s a perfect make-ahead dessert. Fill the crust with the custard, place plastic wrap or parchment paper directly on the surface, wrap in aluminum, and refrigerate until set. Then, freeze for up to 3 months. If making ahead, it’s best to freeze the pie and thaw just before serving. It will keep in the fridge for up to 2 days; then, the crust begins to get soggy.

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Chocolate Cream Pie

This chocolate cream pie recipe features a silky chocolate cream filling, flakey pie crust, and a fluffy whipped cream topping. 

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Total Cost $10.57 recipe / $1.32 serving

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Chill Time 4 hours hours

Total Time 5 hours hours

Servings 8 slices

Calories 552kcal

Author Monti – Budget Bytes

Ingredients

• 3 cups whole milk $0.75
• 1 cup granulated sugar $0.36
• 3 large eggs, beaten $0.40
• 3 Tbsp cornstarch $0.15
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder $0.38
• 3 Tbsp salted butter $0.37
• 2 4oz. bars semi-sweet baking chocolate, finely chopped $4.98
• 1 pie crust $1.40
• 2 cups whipped cream $0.89

Instructions

• Preheat the oven according to the pie crust directions. Poke the bottom of your pie crust a few times with a fork to create steam vents. Add a sheet of parchment paper and weigh down the parchment with about 2 cups of dry beans or pie weights. Cover the edge of the pie crust with foil or pie ring so it doesn't scorch.
• Follow package directions and bake until crispy and golden. Remove weights and allow the crust to cool.
• While the crust blind bakes set a large saucepan over medium heat. Add 2 cups of the milk and the sugar to a saucepot and stir until combined. Bring this mixture slowly to a boil, stirring occasionally so none of the milk scalds.
• In the meantime, in a small bowl, mix the remaining 1 cup of milk, the beaten eggs, cornstarch, and cocoa powder until smooth.
• Once the milk boils, take it off the heat. Then add 1/4 cup of the milk mixture to the egg mixture and stir. Add another 1/4 cup of the milk mixture to the egg mixture and stir.
• Put the milk back on medium heat and add the warm egg mixture to it, whisking non-stop until the mixture thickens into a pudding-like consistency.
• Once the mixture thickens, take it off the heat and whisk in the finely chopped semi-sweet chocolate.
• Add the butter and whisk until smooth. Pass the chocolate filling through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl.
• Spray a piece of plastic wrap large enough to cover the bowl with cooking spray, then top the surface of the chocolate filling with the plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour or until cool.
• Once the filling has cooled, remove the plastic wrap and reserve. Pour the chocolate filling into the baked pie shell. Reuse the plastic wrap and place it directly on the surface of the filling. Chill the pie for an additional 3 hours.
• Top the chocolate cream pie with whipped cream topping, slice, serve, and enjoy.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 552kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 30g | Sodium: 203mg | Fiber: 4g

How to Make Chocolate Cream Pie – Step by Step Photos

Preheat the oven according to the pie crust directions. Poke the bottom of a pie crust a few times with a fork to create steam vents. Add a sheet of parchment paper and weigh down the parchment with about 2 cups of dry beans or pie weights. Cover the edge of the pie crust with a foil ring or pie ring so it doesn’t scorch. Follow package directions and bake until crispy and golden. Remove weights and allow the crust to cool.

While the crust blind bakes set a large saucepan over medium heat. Add 2 cups milk and 1 cup of sugar and stir until combined. Bring this mixture slowly to a boil, stirring occasionally so none of the milk scalds.

In the meantime, in a small bowl, mix the remaining 1 cup of milk, 3 large beaten eggs, 3 tablespoons of cornstarch, and 1/3 cup cocoa powder until smooth.

Once the milk boils, take it off the heat. Then add 1/4 cup of the milk mixture to the egg mixture and stir. Add another 1/4 cup of the milk mixture to the egg mixture and stir. 

Put the milk back on medium heat and add the warm egg mixture to it, whisking non-stop until the mixture thickens into a pudding-like consistency.

The thickened chocolate mixture should look like this.

Once the mixture thickens, take it off the heat and whisk in the 2 bars of finely chopped semi-sweet chocolate.

Add 3 tablespoons of butter. Whisk until smooth.

Pass the chocolate filling through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl.

Spray a piece of plastic wrap large enough to cover the bowl with cooking spray, then top the surface of the chocolate filling with the plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour or until cool. 

Once the filling has cooled, remove the plastic wrap and reserve. Pour the chocolate filling into the baked pie shell. Reuse the plastic wrap and place it directly on the surface of the filling. Chill the pie for an additional 3 hours.

Top with whipped cream topping, slice into eight pieces, and enjoy!

More Chocolate Dessert Recipes

Super Fudgy Homemade Brownies

$3.93 recipe / $0.44 serving

The Best Chocolate Mug Cake

$0.30 each

Texas Sheet Cake

$11.27 recipe / $0.75 serving

Chocolate Molasses Cookies

$6.50 recipe / $0.27 each

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