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Chocolate Cream Pie

A slice of chocolate cream pie.

5 from 15 reviews

Rich and decadent, a Classic Chocolate Cream Pie is what dreams are made of. Homemade dark chocolate pudding is topped with silky whipped cream and chocolate shavings and tucked inside of a sweet pie pastry. See the body of the post for more details about making this pie and the different pie crust options, as well as tips and tricks.

Ingredients

For Pastry:

  • 1-1/2 cups (180 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup (30 grams) powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter
  • 1 large egg

Dark Chocolate Pudding:

  • 3/4 cup (175 grams) granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup (30 grams) cornstarch
  • Pinch salt
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 3 cup (680 grams) whole milk
  • 8 ounces (230 grams) chopped dark chocolate 
  • 4 tablespoons (60 grams) unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For Stabilized Whipped Cream:

  • 2 tablespoons (30 grams) cream cheese, softened
  • 2 tablespoons (30 grams) granulated sugar (optional)
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
  • 1 cup (230 grams) heavy cream

Instructions

Prepare the Pastry:

  1. Add the flour, powdered sugar, and salt to the bowl of a food processor, and pulse until well combined. Add in the butter and pulse 5-7 times, or until the butter is broken down into tiny pebbles.
  2. With the motor running, add in the eggs and let the dough process until it forms together into a cohesive ball around the blade, about 1 minute.
  3. Transfer the dough to a flour-dusted work surface.
  4. Roll out the pie dough to an 11″ circle and line a 9” pie plate, crimp the edges as desired. Prick the bottom of the dough all over with a fork. Place the pie in the freezer while the oven preheats, at least 15 minutes.
  5. Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
  6. Once chilled, line the pie dough with a parchment round piece of paper and then add pie weights (or dry rice or beans or lentils), making sure to push pie weights to the edges.
  7. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and carefully remove the parchment and pie weights. Return to oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the pastry is fully cooked through. Set aside until ready to use.

Make the Pudding: 

  1. Whisk together cornstarch, sugar, and salt. Whisk in the egg yolks and milk until fully combined. Add in the chopped chocolate. Turn on the heat to medium and cook the mixture, whisking constantly, and occasionally taking a spatula and scraping up any thickened pudding in the edges of the pan. Cook until the pudding has completely thickened and large bubbles are forming and popping, about 8 minutes. 
  2. Remove from heat; immediately pour through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, using a spatula to push all the pudding out while leaving behind any bits of cooked egg. Whisk the butter and the extract into the pudding until fully combined.
  3. Pour the pudding into the prepared pie crust and smooth over the top. Let cool at room temperature before chilling in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Assemble the Pie:

  1. Make the whipped cream: To the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl halfway through for 2 minutes. Add heavy cream and beat on medium speed until the cream has reached soft stiff peaks, about 2 minutes more.
  2. Place whipped cream on top of the pie. Using an offset spatula spread the cream evenly on top of the pie. Garnish the pie with additional pieces of chopped chocolate.
  3. Serve immediately or keep chilled until ready to serve, up to 1 day.

Notes

Have a question or looking for tips? The text written above the recipe is always a great first place to start! There are always loads of explanations, tips and technical advice shared before the recipe.

Weighing your flour is the most accurate way to measure. If you aren't going to weigh it, make sure to spoon it into the cup, and then level it off. If you scoop the flour out with the measuring cup and then level, it could change the outcome of the final product.

Want a quicker option for a pie crust? An Oreo Crumb Crust works well here too.

Keywords: Chocolate Cream Pie