Old Fashioned Chocolate Cream Pie

The biggest risk with a homemade chocolate pie is pulling the filling off the stove too soon. I’ll show you exactly what a fully cooked filling looks like, not just how long to cook it. You only need 10 basic ingredients and 20 minutes of hands on prep. Then it chills overnight into clean, silky slices.

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This was SUCH a hit at Thanksgiving. It was gone before desserts had even started being served. I received so many compliments for it, and my family requested that I make 2 for Christmas!
-Kaitlyn

What Makes or Breaks This Chocolate Cream Pie

The biggest risk with this pie is undercooking the filling after the yolks go in. Looking thick isn’t enough. You want steady, slow bubbles across the whole surface, not just around the edges. That’s when the cornstarch has done its job.

But don’t overdo it once it’s thick. Hard whisking or a long boil after it sets can break down the starch and thin the filling back out. Whisk in the chocolate chips off the heat, then switch to a spatula once they’re mostly melted. Stir gently from there.

Then give it time. It needs at least 6 hours in the fridge, and overnight is safer. Slice it early and it slumps, even if you cooked it perfectly.

Use whole milk. Lower fat milk gives you a looser, less rich set, so this isn’t the pie to lighten up.

Old Fashioned Chocolate Pie Ingredients

You only need a pie crust and a short list of pantry staples for the filling. Weigh the sugar, cornstarch and chocolate chips if you can. The grams are in the recipe card.

• Pie crust: My homemade pie crust is my pick, but store bought works too. Either way it gets blind baked and cooled completely before the filling goes in.
• Whipped cream: I top this pie with homemade whipped cream. Store bought works too.

Pie Filling

• Granulated sugar: Sweetens the filling.
• Cornstarch: This is what thickens the filling. It needs the full 1 to 2 minute boil to do its job.
• Salt: A little balances the chocolate.
• Egg yolks: Yolks only. They get whisked into the milk before anything hits the heat.
• Whole milk: The base of the filling. Don’t swap in lower fat milk. It gives you a looser, less rich set.
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips: Whisked in off the heat, along with the butter and vanilla.
• Unsalted butter: Stirred in at the end for a smooth, silky filling.
• Vanilla extract: Goes in last with the chocolate and butter.

How to Make the Best Chocolate Pie Recipe

This chocolate pie filling recipe happens entirely on the stovetop. Sugar, cornstarch, salt, egg yolks and whole milk cook together, then the chocolate chips, butter and vanilla go in off the heat. No pie experience needed. If this is your first homemade chocolate pie recipe, start here.

Pie Crust

1. Make or prep pie crust. Follow our Homemade Pie Crust instructions to make a homemade crust. Once the crust is assembled and fluted in the pie pan, place it in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
2. Prep oven. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Rearrange the baking racks so you can put the pie on the bottom rack.
3. Prep crust. Use a fork to dock the bottom of the pie crust.
4. Weigh down crust. Line the crust with a large piece of parchment paper. Then use a few layers of aluminum foil to create a bowl shape that fits within the pie pan. Fill the foil with dried beans, rice or granulated sugar. This is to help weigh down the pie crust, preventing bubbles or shrinking. 
5. Pre-bake crust. Place the pie crust on the bottom rack and bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the pie crust from the oven and carefully remove the dried beans, rice or granulated sugar along with the foil and parchment paper. Return to the oven and bake for 5-20 minutes longer or until the crust is golden. A homemade pie crust seems to take longer, while a store bought pie crust seems to only take 5 more minutes. 
6. Cool pie crust. Allow the crust to cool completely before adding the filling. I usually like to blind bake the pie crust in advance.

Pie Filling

1. Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. In a medium pot, stir together the granulated sugar, cornstarch and salt. Set aside.
2. Combine wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and whole milk. Gradually whisk the milk mixture into the dry ingredients in the pot. 

3. Boil mixture. Set the heat to medium and whisk the mixture frequently until it comes to a full boil with large bubbles across the surface, about 6 to 7 minutes. Once boiling, keep whisking and let it boil for a full 1 to 2 minutes more. This extra time is what fully activates the cornstarch, so don’t skip it even if the mixture already looks thick. The filling is ready when it coats the back of a spoon and holds a line when you run your finger through it. Remove the pot from the heat.

4. Add remaining ingredients. Whisk in the chocolate chips, butter and vanilla extract. Use a spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of the pot, fully incorporating everything. Allow the mixture to cool for 10 minutes.

5. Add filling to crust. Pour the pie filling into a blind baked pie crust. Allow it to cool on the counter for 30 minutes. Cover the top of the pie filling with plastic wrap to prevent the pudding from developing a skin. Refrigerate the pie overnight, or at least 6 hours. Before serving, top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. 

Old Fashioned Chocolate Pie Recipe Variations

• Gluten free chocolate pie: Use my gluten free pie crust.
• Try a different crust: I like this pie best in a buttery pie crust. A graham cracker crust or Oreo pie crust works too.
• Want a no bake version? My chocolate pudding pie skips the stove entirely.

Easy Chocolate Pie Tips

• Stir often. Whisk frequently while the filling cooks so it stays smooth.
• Boil for the full time, not just until bubbling starts. Keep as is.
• Slice clean. Run your knife under warm water and wipe it with a wet paper towel between slices.

How to Serve Old Fashioned Chocolate Pie

My favorite way to serve this pie is with fresh whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

How to Store Homemade Chocolate Pie

Keep this pie covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. It has milk and egg yolks in the filling, so it can’t sit out.

Can You Freeze Chocolate Pie?

Yes. Wrap the pie tightly in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and label it with the date. Freeze it for up to 2 months. Thaw it in the fridge for 4 to 6 hours or overnight. Don’t thaw it on the counter or the texture suffers.

Easy Chocolate Pie Recipe FAQs

More Chocolate Recipes

• Chocolate Fudge
• Chocolate Cupcakes
• Chocolate Frosting
• Chocolate Chip Muffins

 More Thanksgiving Pies

• Chocolate Pudding Pie
• Turtle Pie
• Old Fashioned Pecan Pie
• Homemade Pumpkin Pie

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Old Fashioned Chocolate Cream Pie

By: Beth

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Chill Time: 6 hours hours

Total Time: 6 hours hours 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 12

Pin Rate Print

A homemade chocolate cream pie with a silky stovetop filling in a flaky crust. The filling sets firm when you boil it the full 1 to 2 minutes, so don't pull it off the heat at the first bubble.

Equipment

• Glass Pie Pan
• KitchenAid 9-Speed Mixer
• Glass Mixing Bowl
• Kitchen Scale
• My favorite spatula!

Ingredients

• ▢ Homemade Pie Crust
• ▢ or store bought pie crust
• ▢ Whipped Cream

Pie Filling

• ▢ ⅔ cup (133g) granulated sugar
• ▢ ⅓ cup (37g) cornstarch
• ▢ ½ tsp salt
• ▢ 4 egg yolks
• ▢ 3 cups (747g) whole milk
• ▢ 1 ¾ cups (298g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
• ▢ 2 Tbsp (29g) unsalted butter
• ▢ 2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions 

Pie Crust

• Follow our Homemade Pie Crust instructions to make a homemade crust. Once the crust is assembled and fluted in the pie pan, place it in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
  Homemade Pie Crust, or store bought pie crust
• Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Rearrange the baking racks so you can put the pie on the bottom rack.
• Use a fork to dock the bottom of the pie crust.
• Line the crust with a large piece of parchment paper. Then use a few layers of aluminum foil to create a bowl shape that fits within the pie pan. Fill the foil with dried beans, rice or granulated sugar. This is to help weigh down the pie crust, preventing bubbles or shrinking.
• Place the pie crust on the bottom rack and bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the pie crust from the oven and carefully remove the dried beans, rice or granulated sugar along with the foil and parchment paper. Return to the oven and bake for 5-20 minutes longer or until the crust is golden. A homemade pie crust seems to take longer, while a store bought pie crust seems to only take 5 more minutes.
• Allow the crust to cool completely before adding the filling. I usually like to blind bake the pie crust in advance,

Pie Filling

• In a medium pot, stir together the granulated sugar, cornstarch and salt. Set aside.
  ⅔ cup (133g) granulated sugar, ⅓ cup (37g) cornstarch, ½ tsp salt
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and whole milk. Gradually whisk the milk mixture into the dry ingredients in the pot.
  4 egg yolks, 3 cups (747g) whole milk
• Set the heat to medium, and whisk the mixture frequently, until it comes to a full boil with large bubbles across the surface, about 6-7 minutes. Once boiling, keep whisking and let it boil for a full 1-2 minutes more. This extra minute is what fully activates the cornstarch, so don't skip it even if the mixture already looks thick. The filling is ready when it coats the back of a spoon and holds a line when you run your finger through it. Remove the pot from the heat.
• Whisk in the chocolate chips, butter and vanilla extract. Once the chips are mostly melted, switch to a spatula and stir gently to scrape the bottom and sides of the pot, fully incorporating everything. Allow the mixture to cool for 10 minutes.
  1 ¾ cups (298g) semi-sweet chocolate chips, 2 Tbsp (29g) unsalted butter, 2 tsp vanilla extract
• Pour the pie filling into a blind baked pie crust. Allow it to cool on the counter for 30 minutes. Cover the top of the pie filling with plastic wrap to prevent the pudding from developing a skin. Refrigerate the pie overnight, or at least 6 hours. Before serving, top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.
  Whipped Cream

Last Step: I’d love to hear what you think. Leave a rating and comment here.

Notes

Gluten-Free: Use my gluten free pie crust. The filling is already gluten free.

To Store: Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

To Make Ahead: Make the whole pie up to 2 days ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. I recommend adding the whipped cream and chocolate shavings right before serving. You can also blind bake the crust in advance.

To Freeze: Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.

Show Nutrition InfoHide Nutrition Info

Nutrition

Calories: 415kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 79mg | Sodium: 185mg | Potassium: 307mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 261IU | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutrition Disclosure

All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.

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