Chocolate Cream Pie
This luscious Chocolate Cream Pie is made with a buttery Oreo cookie crust, creamy, rich chocolate pudding, and topped with fresh whipped cream.
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Homemade Chocolate Cream Pie with a buttery Oreo cookie crust, rich and creamy chocolate pudding, and a thick layer of fresh whipped cream. It’s one of those desserts that looks fancy but is secretly so easy to put together. Whether you’re bringing it to a gathering or enjoying it at home, this pie will disappear fast!
How to Make Chocolate Cream Pie
- Make the pie crust. Grind the Oreo cookies in a food processor until they are crushed into fine crumbs. Add in melted butter and pulse until combined. Press the crust mixture firmly into the sides and bottom of a 9” pie pan. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Make the chocolate pudding. Combine sugar, sifted cocoa powder, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan. Add egg yolks, then slowly stream in milk gradually, a little at a time, while whisking to prevent lumps from forming. Pour the pudding into the pie crust. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly over the top of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming.
- Chill the pie. Allow the pie to chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, before adding the whipped cream. This allows the filling to cool and set up, and also gives the crust a chance to firm up.
- Make the whipped cream. Combine heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Start on low speed and gradually increase the speed to high as the cream thickens. Beat until medium-stiff peaks form, when the whipped cream holds its shape.
- Top the pie. Add the whipped cream to the top of the pie and spread it out evenly with a rubber spatula or a small metal offset spatula. Sprinkle chocolate curls all over the top, then serve and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
How should the pie be stored?
Once the whipped cream is added, the pie can be covered with plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container in the fridge. The pie is best enjoyed within the first day, because the crust will start to get soft, but it will still be fine for 2-3 days.
How far in advance can the pie be made?
The crust can be made a few days in advance and stored at room temperature, covered with plastic wrap. The chocolate pastry cream can be made and added to the pie crust up to one day in advance. The whipped cream should be added only up to a few hours before serving.
What is the best kind of chocolate to use?
I recommend using dark chocolate bars in the pudding and roughly chopping them to ensure they melt evenly. My favorite is Ghirardelli 60% dark chocolate bars. Dark chocolate callets will also work, but I would avoid using chocolate chips because they don’t melt as well for this.
How do I make the chocolate curls?
My simple way to create chocolate curls is to create a small, thick bar of chocolate and then use a vegetable peeler to shave off the chocolate. Combine 4 ounces of dark chocolate and about a teaspoon of coconut oil. Melt the chocolate and coconut oil in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, until the chocolate is fully melted. Pour the chocolate into a shallow rectangle or square container (I recommend a long, narrow container so your chocolate bar ends up being about ½” thick). Freeze until set, about 10 minutes.
Use a vegetable peeler and carefully peel the chocolate down one of the long sides. If the chocolate bar starts melting in your hand, pop it in the freezer for a few minutes. Top your pie with a mound of your beautiful chocolate curls! Leftover curls can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container.
Baking Tip: Weigh Your Ingredients!
I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients rather than using measuring cups because it is the most accurate way to bake. Weighing your ingredients will give you more consistent results with your recipes and a better success rate, every time. Using a scale also saves you dishes which means easier cleanup! I provide gram measurements in all my recipes and this is the scale I love to use.
Tips for the Best Cream Pie
- Cook low and slow. To prevent the pastry cream from burning and the egg yolks from curdling, keep the heat on low and heat it gradually. Also, whisk the mixture continuously while it’s over the heat to keep the mixture from sticking.
- Strain the pastry cream. For smooth pastry cream, be sure to strain it through a fine-mesh sieve immediately after melting the butter and chocolate and adding the vanilla. This will catch any lumps that may have formed, leaving you with a silky smooth pudding.
- Chill overnight. The pie crust filled with the pudding needs at least 4 hours to chill in the refrigerator. I recommend allowing the pie to chill overnight if possible because I find that it’s easier to cut.
- Add whipped cream before serving. Fresh whipped cream doesn’t last long before it starts to break down, so I recommend making this and adding it to the pie as close to serving as possible.
More Pies You’ll Love
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
- Mint Chocolate Cream Pie
- Double Layer Pumpkin Pie
- Chocolate Peppermint Pie
If you make this recipe and love it, be sure to leave a comment below. Happy baking!
Chocolate Cream Pie
Ingredients
For the Oreo Crust
For the Chocolate Pastry Cream
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (24g) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
- ¼ cup (32g) cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 large egg yolks
- 3 cups (720mL) whole milk
- 6 ounces (170g) dark chocolate*, chopped
- 3 Tablespoons (42g) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Whipped Cream
- 1½ cups (360mL) heavy cream
- ⅓ cup (45g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Topping
Instructions
- Oreo Cookie Crust: Add the Oreo cookies to a food processor and pulse to fine crumbs. Add in the melted butter and pulse until fully combined. Press the mixture into the bottom and sides of a 9” pie pan. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes, until it just starts to puff. Set aside to cool.
- Chocolate Pastry Cream: In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, sifted cocoa powder, cornstarch, and salt. Add the egg yolks. Slowly stream the milk into the dry ingredients, while continually whisking until fully combined and smooth.
- Cook the mixture on the stove over low heat while whisking continuously until the mixture thickens and starts to bubble, about 10 minutes. Allow the custard to boil for about 30 seconds.
- Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate and butter until both are completely melted and incorporated. Stir in the vanilla.
- Strain the chocolate pastry cream through a fine mesh sieve and pour into the pie crust. Smooth out the top evenly with a spatula. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the top of the pastry cream and refrigerate until completely cool, at least 4 hours but preferably overnight.
- Whipped Cream: Once the pie has chilled, make the whipped cream. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Whip until medium-stiff peaks form – the peak should be stable when you lift the whisk out of the bowl.
- Top the chilled pie with the whipped cream, then finish with chocolate curls or shavings if desired, and enjoy!
Notes
- *Chocolate: I recommend using a chocolate bar or callets that are around 60% cacao
- Storing: Store leftover pie in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container, for up to 3 days.
- Chocolate Curls: See the FAQ section in the blog post above on how to make chocolate curls.
