Chocolate Cream Pie
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With a cookie crust, silky pudding center and pillowy whipped cream topping, this chocolate cream pie is a chocolate lover’s dream.
My son, Zach, is a serious chocoholic and has requested this chocolate cream pie for his birthday every year since he was a little boy. Naturally, the dessert has become a much-loved tradition and shows up in many of our family photos! With its Oreo cookie crust, silky chocolate pudding center, and pillowy whipped cream topping, the pie is truly a chocolate lover’s dream. Be sure to plan ahead because the filling needs at least eight hours to set before serving.
“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
- Oreo Cookies: Provide a rich, chocolatey base for the pie.
- Butter: Binds the cookie crumbs together for the crust and also adds richness and a smooth texture to the filling.
- Sugar: Sweetens the filling and is also added to the whipped cream topping.
- Cornstarch: Thickens the filling and gives it a creamy consistency.
- Egg Yolks: Add richness and help thicken the filling.
- Whole Milk: Creates a smooth, creamy texture for the filling.
- Bittersweet Chocolate: Adds deep, complex chocolate flavor to the filling and a decorative garnish to the top of the pie. Make sure to use best quality such as Ghirardelli.
- Unsweetened Chocolate: Intensifies the chocolate taste. Make sure to use best quality such as Ghirardelli.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances the flavor of the filling.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: Whips into a light, fluffy topping. Make sure the whipping cream is very cold.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Make the Crust
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, blend the Oreos and butter until the mixture is finely chopped and evenly moistened.
Firmly press the crumbs into a deep-dish 9-inch pie pan, starting by lining the sides to create a crust about 1/4-inch thick, then press the remaining mixture onto the bottom to form the base. Bake the crust for 5 to 6 minutes, or until slightly crisp, then allow it to cool completely before filling.
Step 2: 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 egg yolks and milk.
Add the milk mixture to the saucepan in a slow and steady stream.
Whisk until the mixture is smooth.
Cook over medium-high heat, whisking frequently, until the mixture starts to bubble and thicken, 6 to 8 minutes.
Immediately turn the heat down to a simmer and cook — whisking constantly, especially around the edges — for one minute more, until thick. (The constant stirring and low heat prevent 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 the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is evenly combined.
Pour the filling into the crust and smooth the top. Press a piece of saran wrap directly over the surface of the filling to prevent a film from forming; chill in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight.
Step 3: Make the Topping
Using an electric mixer, whip the heavy cream 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.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, the crust was originally made with Nabisco chocolate wafers, but as of 2023, those cookies are no longer available. I’ve tweaked the crust a bit to use Oreos, which also work beautifully.
Sure! The pie can be assembled, without the whipped topping, up to 1 day ahead of time. Store in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap. Wait until 3 hours prior to serving the pie to make the whipped cream.
If it’s grainy, that means it’s over-whipped and you’ll need to start over. When making whipped cream, the key is to avoid over-whipping it—whipped cream can go from perfectly silky and voluminous to grainy and curdled in an instant. You’re aiming for soft to medium peaks when the whisk is lifted out of the bowl. To avoid over-whipping, keep a close eye on it the whole time.
Video Tutorial
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Chocolate Cream Pie
With a cookie crust, silky pudding center and pillowy whipped cream topping, this chocolate cream pie is a chocolate lover’s dream.
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 24 Oreo cookies
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
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
- 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, best quality
- 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 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
- In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, blend the Oreos and butter until the mixture is finely chopped and evenly moistened. Firmly press the crumbs into a deep-dish 9-inch pie pan, starting by lining the sides to create a crust about ¼-inch thick, then press the remaining mixture onto the bottom to form the base. Use the bottom of a measuring cup or glass not only to flatten and even out the surface of the base but also to press against the sides, ensuring they are compact and uniform. To refine the top edge of your crust, position the side of your thumb or the edge of a measuring cup inside the crust's side wall, and with the index finger of your other hand, gently press down on the top edge. Gradually rotate the pie pan, maintaining this motion, to ensure a consistently neat and smooth edge around the entire perimeter. Bake the crust for 5 to 6 minutes, or until slightly crisp, then allow it to cool completely before 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 egg yolks and milk. 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 to 8 minutes. Immediately turn the heat down to a simmer and cook -- whisking constantly, especially around the edges -- for one minute more, until thick. (The constant stirring and low heat prevent 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 the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is evenly combined.
- Pour the filling into the crust and smooth the top. Press a piece of saran wrap directly over the 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 a 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. 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.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: The pie can be assembled, without the whipped topping, up to 1 day ahead of time. Store in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (10 servings)
- Calories: 541
- Fat: 34 g
- Saturated fat: 19 g
- Carbohydrates: 55 g
- Sugar: 40 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Sodium: 274 mg
- Cholesterol: 129 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 have made this pie for two different sets of neighbors, extended family and my own family with two small children. Everyone has raved about it with the best comment “This tastes like something you would buy from a bakery only better!” It’s rich but not too sweet, creamy and every chocolate lovers dream. Even those without a big sweet tooth will still love this pie. Thanks for the amazing recipe and turning me into a pastry chef!
Incredible, even without dairy milk! We have a severe allergy to milk and substituted oat milk and used a coconut whipped topping. We are thrilled with the dessert. Thank you Jenn!
Are you removing the Oreo filling, or using the cookies as is?
No need to remove the filling – leave the cookies as is. Enjoy!
I’ve made this in the past and it’s excellent, but I thought the recipe called for Nabisco Famous chocolate wafer cookies which are no longer available. I see the recipe now calls for Oreo cookies. Could I use chocolate graham crackers instead of Oreos? If so, would I need to increase the amount of butter in the crust?
Hi Mary, you’re right about the chocolate wafers. Unfortunately, I don’t think chocolate grahams would work as the Oreos contribute sugar to the crust.
I have made this many times and sometimes use chocolate graham crackers for this and it works well.
This pie is scrumptious! My family would rather I make this for Thanksgiving rather than pumpkin pie. Since the Nabisco wafers are no longer available, I found Oreo chocolate baking crumbs on Amazon. They come from Canada, so they take a little longer to be delivered. I love all your recipes—they always turn out great!
Best chocolate cream pie I ever had! I used chocolate animal cookies for the crust. Came out beautifully!!
Thanks again Jen for another wonderful recipe!
This was very, very good if you like chocolate pudding and whipped cream (it’s like a cross between a mousse and a pot de creme). I personally loved all of the textural contrasts with both the crust and the shaved chocolate. Ten out of ten.
I made your Chocolate Pie recipe and it was delicious. However, the consistency of the pie was different than what I was expecting.
I had thought the pie consistency would be similar to a chocolate pudding, so with a bit of wiggle and creamy texture. However, the texture of my pie was more similar to a Pot de Creme. It was delicious, but denser than a pudding.
Is this the intended consistency for this pie or did I make a mistake? I followed the ingredients list exactly, with the exception of the vanilla extract as I didn’t think it was needed. From a cooking perspective, I started out with medium heat on an electric stove, and after 10 minutes of no progress, I increased to Med-Hi and my total cook time was 20 minutes. Once it started to bubble, I counted down 60 seconds and removed it at that point.
Thank you.
Hi Jay, it doesn’t sound like you did anything wrong. The filling is supposed to be firmer than a pudding consistency as it needs to be firm enough to slice. Hope that clarifies!
My granddaughter and I made this pie for Christmas and her description was “amazing”. It was the first dessert to be eaten and with no leftovers.
Can you tell me how many ounces of cookies you use for this crust? I used the Dewey’s brownie crisp cookies for the crust and it was too crumbly so I am thinking the crumbs may not have been fine enough or I didn’t press the crust in firmly enough.
Hi Jackie, I believe it should be about 5.5 ounces. And glad everyone enjoyed the pie!
Can you make the filling two days in advance?
Sure, but I wouldn’t push it any longer than that.