Chocolate Mint Cream Pie
Rich and creamy chocolate pastry cream in a chocolate cookie crust, topped with fresh mint whipped cream and decadent chocolate curls. This Chocolate Mint Cream Pie is minty, chocolatey, and perfect for St. Patty’s Day!
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Chocolate cookie crust, creamy chocolate custard, and luscious minty whipped cream make up this mouthwatering Chocolate Mint Cream Pie. Starting with a store-bought chocolate cookie crust, this no-bake pie is made quick and simple. Homemade rich chocolate pastry cream fills the shell and perfectly compliments the light peppermint whipped cream on top. Then it’s all finished off with a mound of gorgeous chocolate curls. Whether you’re making this for a St. Patty’s Day treat or the chocolate mint lover in your life, you can’t go wrong with this one!
How to Make Chocolate Mint Cream Pie
- Make the chocolate pastry cream. First egg yolks, milk, and vanilla are whisked together. Then in a saucepan, sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and salt are combined. The milk mixture is slowly streamed into the dry ingredients while you continually whisk, to prevent lumps. The mixture cooks on the stove over low heat until it thickens, which typically takes about 10 minutes.
- Add the pastry cream to the crust. The chocolate pastry cream is strained and poured into a 9” chocolate cookie pie crust (I go for a store-bought one to save a little time). Press plastic wrap directly onto the top of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. The pie chills until completely cool, at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Make the mint whipped cream. Wait to start the whipped cream until after the pastry cream has fully chilled in the cookie crust. Whip together the heavy cream, powdered sugar, peppermint extract, and green food coloring until medium peaks form. This means that when you pull the whisk out of the whipped cream, it should have a defined shape but the peak will slightly curl over. It should be soft, fluffy, and perfectly minty green.
- Finish the pie. Top the chilled pie with the fresh whipped cream. I like to spread the whipped cream around the top with a small spatula or the back of a spoon to create a pretty wave pattern. Top with chocolate curls and enjoy right away!
Mint Cream Pie FAQs
What kind of chocolate is best for the pastry cream?
I like to use dark chocolate that contains around 60% cacao, in either a bar or high-quality callets or chips. You can use darker chocolate if you prefer a more bitter flavor but I find that the 60% is the perfect amount to balance out the sweetness of the pie. I do not recommend milk chocolate as that would make it overly sweet.
How far in advance can the pie be made?
You can make the chocolate pastry cream and add it to the pie shell (without the whipped cream) up to 2 days in advance. Once you make the whipped cream, I suggest serving the pie the same day since the whipped cream will start to deflate.
What is the best way to store it?
Store the pie in the fridge, with a piece of plastic wrap draped over or in an airtight container, for up to 2 days.
How To Make Chocolate Curls
You can make chocolate curls in many ways, but my favorite is with dark chocolate and a bit of coconut oil, melting them down to make your own chocolate bar. Melt the chocolate and coconut oil in the microwave stirring every 20 seconds, until the chocolate is fully melted. Pour the chocolate into a shallow rectangle or square container and freeze until set, about 10 minutes.
The amount of chocolate you need will depend on the size of your container. I like to make the chocolate bar about ½” thick and use a container that is 6” long so that you can make nice long curls. Then use a vegetable peeler and carefully peel the chocolate down one of the long sides that is ½” thick. 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
- Strain your pastry cream. For the smoothest, silkiest chocolate pastry cream, it’s always best to strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve after it comes off the heat. Anytime you’re cooking a custard or curd on the stove with eggs, it’s important to strain it to ensure you catch any bits of egg that may have curdled.
- Cook low and slow. When cooking a custard or pastry cream on the stove, it’s important to cook over low heat and allow it to heat up gradually. It can take some time so it takes a bit of patience but cooking too hot, too fast can curdle the eggs or burn the milk. Continually stirring the mixture while it’s cooking will also help prevent any cooked egg bits or burning.
- Enjoy right away. Fresh whipped cream does not last for long, even in the fridge so I recommend enjoying this pie the same day after making the whipped cream. It will still taste good but the whipped cream tends to wilt down and won’t be quite as fluffy. Fresh is most definitely best for this dessert!
More Chocolate Recipes You’ll Love
- Chocolate Custard Brioche Donuts
- Baileys Irish Cream Cheesecake Brownies
- Chocolate Pudding Cake
- Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese
- Chocolate Espresso Truffles
If you make this recipe and love it, be sure to leave a comment below. Happy baking!
Chocolate Mint Cream Pie
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Pastry Cream
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1½ cups (360mL) whole milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup (68g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (24g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 Tablespoons (20g) cornstarch
- pinch of salt
- 4 ounces dark chocolate*, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
For the Mint Whipped Cream
- 1½ cups (360mL) heavy cream
- ½ cup (60g) powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 drop leaf green gel food coloring, optional
For the Pie
- 1 (9”) chocolate cookie pie crust
- Chocolate curls or shavings, optional
Instructions
- Chocolate Pastry Cream: In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, milk, and vanilla. Sift the sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt into a medium saucepan. Slowly stream the milk mixture 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. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate and butter until both are completely melted and incorporated.
- Strain the chocolate pastry cream with a fine mesh sieve and pour into the chocolate cookie 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 2 hours.
- Mint 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, peppermint extract, and green food coloring. Whip until medium peaks form, the peak should be stable but curl slightly when you lift the whisk out of the bowl.
- Top the chilled pie with the mint whipped cream then finish with chocolate curls and enjoy!
