Chocolate Cream Pie
This classic Chocolate Cream Pie recipe features a silky smooth chocolate filling topped with creamy whipped cream. Sprinkle some shaved chocolate on top, and you’ve got a delicious dessert to share!
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Robbie’s latest obsession is putting coins in his piggy bank. When he was first born, we got him a legit piggy bank (yes, shaped like a pig), and it sits on the dresser in his room. Whenever I’d come home with coins in my pocket (not often…I hardly use cash), I’d put them in his piggy bank.
Somewhere along the line, Robbie saw us putting the coins in his piggy bank, and now (in true toddler fashion) he always wants to do it himself. Well, we decided to make that work in our favor. Robbie, if you do a good job washing your hair tonight, then you can put a penny in the piggy bank. Worked like a charm! Robbie, if you clean up your books, you can put a penny in your piggy bank. I’ve never seen those books so straight! And that was the best 2 cents we ever spent!
Now I said I don’t keep coins around, but I do have an old jelly jar in the basement where I used to deposit my coins before the stork dropped Robbie off on our doorstep. And whenever I blind bake a pie crust, I always go get my coins. Why? Because coins are perfect for baking blind pie crusts!
What is blind baking?
What is blind baking?Baking a blind pie crust simply means baking the crust without any filling. This is done whenever you make cream pies where the filling itself isn’t baked. When blind baking a pie crust, you need to put weights in the center of the pie to keep the crust from puffing up too much. You can buy actual ceramic pie weights for this, and we sold them at a kitchenware store where I used to work. But there are far easier options instead of filling your kitchen drawers with more gadgets (or unitaskers as Laura calls ’em).
Dry beans work well as pie weights. Just keep the beans in a separate bag and reuse them again and again. But coins are actually one of my favorite options for pie weights. They’re heavier than beans, and chances are you have some extra coins in a piggy bank or in between your couch cushions. Just make sure to line the pie with parchment paper or foil. Coins are dirty, and you don’t want those touching your food!
Chocolate Cream Pie
Chocolate Cream PieSeeing as how the holidays are here, chocolate desserts make frequent appearances in our house. Oh, who am I kidding? Chocolate desserts make frequent appearances year-round in our house! But this Chocolate Cream Pie is a keeper of a recipe! November, December, February (Valentine’s Day!), May, September. It doesn’t matter. Pick a month. This Chocolate Cream Pie will be delicious!
The hardest part about making this Chocolate Cream Pie is whisking together the cream filling, and that’s not really that difficult. Plus, it’s worth the effort! The chocolate filling is silky smooth, and you’ll just want to keep going back in for another bite…and another bite…and another bite. I hope you enjoy this Chocolate Cream Pie as much as we do! If you make it at home, snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog). I love seeing your creations! Cheers, friends!
Looking for some more tasty pie recipes? Check these out!
Chocolate Cream Pie
Ingredients
- 1 batch pie dough homemade or storebought
- 12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate divided and chopped
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- ½ Tbsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 3 Tbsp cornstarch
- 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1½ tsp espresso powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 large egg yolks
- 2 cups whole milk
- {for garnish} whipped cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Working on a lightly floured surface, roll dough into 12” circle.
- Lay dough into a lightly greased 9” pie pan. Fold the extra dough over and crimp using two fingers.
- Place parchment paper or foil in pan and fill with dried beans or pie weights; bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove paper/foil and beans/weights. Continue baking for 4-6 more minutes, or until crust is golden brown. (Note: If edges begin to brown too quickly, cover just the edges with foil.) Remove crust from oven and let cool completely.
- Using a double-burner or a heatproof bowl set over a gently simmering saucepan of water, melt 2 oz. of the chocolate. Once melted, brush the bottom of the crust with chocolate.
- Chop 8 oz. of chocolate and place in a large mixing bowl. Add butter and vanilla; set bowl aside.
- Using a medium saucepan, add sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder, espresso powder (optional) and salt; whisk until well combined. Add heavy cream; stir until well combined. Finally, add egg yolks; stir until well combined.
- Place saucepan over medium heat and whisk in the milk. Bring mixture to a boil; let boil for 1 minute. Remove pan from heat and pour into mixing bowl with chocolate and butter; stir until chocolate has completely melted and mixture is smooth.
- While still hot, pour/press mixture through fine-meshed strainer into a clean bowl. Pour filling into pie pan and press plastic wrap directly to surface. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Chop the remaining 2 oz. of chocolate. Before serving, garnish pie with whipped cream and chopped chocolate.
It looks tasty!
Thanks so much, Alphe! 🙂
I always use my trusty dried beans for blind baking–I never realized I could use coins! That’s brilliant because I, too, have a jar of change that just sits around. Although I’m thinking I could promise Robbie a few pennies for his piggy bank if he’ll walk a couple slices of chocolate cream pie over to my house :). Chocolate cream pie is one of my very favorite desserts EVER!
Yes! I used to use dried beans, too, but over time they kinda got a little icky…so I trashed ’em. And now coins + foil is the way to go! On a related note, are you trying to bribe Robbie to bring you pie? I’m thinking your plan would work quite well! 🙂 That kid loves to put coins in his piggy bank…and it doesn’t matter whether they are pennies or quarters!
Hi David! I don’t know as I’ve ever turned down a piece of pie, but chocolate pie reminds me of my childhood. Jello and puddings were all the rage in the fifties. I like your tip about coating the bottom of the pie shell with chocolate, helps prevent soggy crust!!
Hey, I feel like jello and puddings are kinda making a come back! Maybe they’re a little different now than in the 50’s, but they’re totally acceptable…at least in my opinion! 🙂 And the chocolate coating on the bottom of this pie? So tasty! I hope you’re staying warm down there…I hear the south is getting hammered with a snowstorm. Sounds like the perfect weather for making soup (and pie…haha)!
Chocolate Cream is really the perfect pie! Simple and so delicious!
Love that Robbie is fixated on filling his piggy bank! 🙂 I’ve never considered using coins for blind baking!
I couldn’t agree more, Marissa! Chocolate Cream Pie is where it’s at! 🙂 It’s so easy and so darned tasty, too. And, yes, coins are a nice little trick for blind baking. Just make sure to put a layer of foil down first! I hope you had a great weekend, my friend!
I’m always up for a slice of chocolate cream pie! This pie looks awesome. So funny that you use coins to keep the crust baking right! And I love that the piggy bank is a fun thing (and useful parenting tool) for Robbie.. teaching him that hard work = money early on! 😉
Chocolate Cream Pie is so good! 🙂 And, yes, Robbie is totally motivated by his piggie bank these days. The funny thing is that it’s not the money, but rather the act of dropping the coins in the piggie bank that makes him happy! Thanks so much, Nicole! I hope your holidays are off to a great start!
2 cents for a tedious work? You’re cheap, David! I’ll tell Robbie that you’ve got that secret jelly jar, and he may want to confiscate all your coins (But of course I won’t tell if you send me a slice of this pie. Nope, I’m not blackmailing you – just simple networking!) Talking about baking a crust…I normally use beans, and they always perfectly work… except one funny story when I forgot to place some foil / parchment beetween the crust and beans so you can imagine what kind of crust did I get that day (Spoiler: it might have ended up in a trash bin).
I’m fairly certain that your “networking” also counts as blackmailing, Ben! Haha! But I’m ok with that. I’ll be glad to share a slice of this Chocolate Cream Pie with you…oh wait, I think I ate the last slice the other night. Oops. Hope you had a great weekend, my friend!
That is good that you are teaching Robbie to save money and it sounds like it is a ton of fun to put those coins in his piggy bank. I love chocolate. This chocolate cream pie would be right up my alley!!
Oh, Robbie is loving putting coins in his piggie bank! It’s not the actual money that motivates him (not yet, at least)…it’s the sheer act of dropping the coins into his piggie bank that gets him. Also, this pie really is a keeper, Dawn…so easy and so tasty! 🙂
Chocolate cream pie sounds wonderful, love the look of that silky smooth filling! Robbie is such a cutie, I am sure he’d go crazy if he’d see all those coins you are using for blind baking 🙂 At least you’d know where to find them if they disappear one day.
Oh, this chocolate cream pie is definitely one of my favorites, Miriam! And you make a good point about Robbie and the coins. That kid is starting to get into things. He just accidentally discovered one of his Christmas presents this year. (To be fair, I didn’t hide it very well…but I didn’t think he would go looking, either!)
Coins for blind baking? That’s new to me. I like it. I usually just use dried beans. What I also like is your delicious chocolate cream pie! I love how it’s got espresso in it. I could have this instead of my daily coffee/espresso fix. Scratch that, I could have this AS WELL AS my coffee. In fact with my coffee it would be the perfect addition. 🙂
I used to use dry beans for blind baking, too, Neil. But then the beans got a little icky after a while, and the coins are my new trick. Just make sure to put a layer of foil down first! And, yes, I highly recommend having a slice of this pie WITH a coffee…it’s a great combination. (Trust me. I’ve done that just a few times recently. Haha!)
I always use those pie weights or beans when blind baking and never thought about coins, but great idea! And how cute is it that Robbie wants to put money in his piggy bank? This pie looks divine, David! So creamy! I can only imagine how lovely this would be with a big cuppa coffee 🙂 Have a wonderful weekend ahead!
Pie weights work great for blind baking, but I don’t have any. I always used beans, but over time the beans get a little gross. Coins is my new way to go here! And, yes, a big mug of coffee goes quite well with a slice of this chocolate cream pie. Trust me. I speak from experience! 🙂
What a great idea to use coins for blind baking . Chocolate cream pie is definitely a favorite of mine. Yours looks delicious. Pinned!
Thank you so much, Gerlinde! Chocolate Cream Pie is a favorite around here, too, and the holidays are the perfect excuse to make it. 🙂 I hope you had a great weekend, my friend!
Oh my, this chocolate cream pie looks so creamy and rich! One of my all time favorites! Your crust came out so perfectly. I always have trouble with the crimped edge falling over unless the pie plate has a rim.
So cute how Robbie likes to put coins in his piggy bank! Your blog will be a very sweet journal of his childhood years!
This chocolate cream pie is totally creamy and rich…and perfect for the holidays! I totally know what you mean about the crimped edge of pies, too, Kelly. I just got lucky here. Haha! 🙂
And, yes, I realized the other day that this blog will be a fun way to chronicle Robbie’s adventures. I wonder if he’ll come back and read it once he gets older? Kinda cool!
You are the first person I’ve heard of that used coins for blind baking. But why not? They have a nice weight and would be perfect. This pie looks delicious. I love a great chocolate cream pie!
Coins totally work for blind baking! Just make sure to put a layer of foil down first…you never know where those coins have been. And, yes, this pie is quite tasty. It’s definitely a holiday favorite around here, and I suspect I might be making another one at some point during the season! 🙂 Thanks so much, Kathy!
Chocolate pie, yum! I love Chocolate cream pies and yours looks great. Perfect idea to use coins for a blind bake, I use my old cat eye marbles.
David, enjoy those nickel and dime payoffs to Robbie for chores just now, as the dollar amount grows rapidly for said payoffs as the years’ pass.
Ooo…marbles is an excellent choice for blind baking, too, Ron! I’ve never thought about that. But, then again, I don’t actually have any marbles. I had a bunch when I was a kid, but I have no idea what happened to them.
And you are right about the nickle and dime payoffs right now. Robbie is more interested in the act of putting the coins in his piggie bank than the actual value of the money…at least for now! 🙂
I love chocolate cream pie. And I also like having some use for my coins!
I hardly use coins at all anymore…except for baking! And also for bribing Robbie. 🙂 Haha. Hope you had a great weekend, Jeff!
Haha – way to go tricking… er, I meant teaching Robbie to wash his hair and put away his books! Robbie is in such a great age – though…. I’ve gotta say there are lots of great ages even after this! This sure does look silky smooth! I hate to say this but I usually buy store bought pie crusts – shame on me eh?! This looks so much better – and what a wonderful accompaniment to that luscious pie!
Hey now! I don’t think we’re really tricking Robbie…more like gently pushing him in a certain direction. Haha! I totally know what you mean about store crusts. They are a lot easier for sure, but the taste of homemade crusts really tips the scales for me! Thanks so much, Shashi!
This is brilliant. I’ve never seen this method, and have only used dry beans. Love it. But does Robbie know where his hard earned pennies are going? (Just kidding!) And of course the pie sound/looks delicious!
You are such a prolific recipe writer, David! I go away for a few days and you’ve put out a a multiple course meal. I admire your work.
Haha! Why thank you, Valentina. I try to make 1 extra post a week so that I can build up a little buffer for when things get hectic…like this past week. I was out curling Wed-Sun in western New York, and now we’re in talks to move to a new house (right around the corner). Ahh! I just want to sit on the couch and eat pie right now. 🙂
Yum! My favorite pie in the world for any time of the day! Yes..even breakfast! Looks so delectably delicious! That’s some chocolate love!! Pinning!
Hah! You know, normally I don’t do chocolate for breakfast…but this pie is really, really good. 🙂 Thanks so much for stopping by (and pinning), Kim! Cheers!
Hi David
Belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to You Laura & Robbie !
I have been looking for a dark n’ sweet chocolate pudding recipe for quite some time. This looks yummy minus espresso powder as it is not something I ever buy. For years my daddy always made chocolate cream pie at holidays using Royal brand dark n’ sweet chocolate pudding. Sadly they stopped making it and no other pudding mix compares
I shall give this a try How fine of mesh strainer are you using and do you have to smooch it thru the strainer? TIA
Happy Tuesday
Mar
Hey there, Mar! Happy belated New Year to you as well, my friend!
A good chocolate pudding is hard to beat, and I always find it amazing how easy it is to make. Sure, the box stuff is easy, too…but the homemade version tastes so much better! If you’re looking for a deep, dark chocolate flavor, then I would consider ordering some espresso powder. That stuff is magical when you want to get a deep chocolate flavor…and it doesn’t add a coffee flavor like you might think.
As far as a strainer, I’d say my strainer is ‘standard.’ It’s not too fine, but it’s certainly finer than say a pasta colander. You’ll need to gently push the pudding through the strainer…but that step is what makes it silky smooth! I hope you give this a shot. Let me know how it turns out if you do! Happy Tuesday right back at ya!
Hi David,
Just getting around to emails – I haven’t made the pie yet, but do plan on making it in near future
I Forgot to ask you what brand of espresso powder you use and it is for baking or kind you’d make coffee with. I don’t drink espresso, so I’m not familiar with it.
And, can you get espresso powder in decaf, or is their not much caffeine in the amount of E powder used ?
Have a great Sunday !!!
No worries at all, Mar! I’ve heard of folks using instant espresso for baking, but I haven’t had good success with that myself. (I tried it once, and it tasted gritty.) I personally use King Arthur Flour’s espresso powder, and it works really well. With that said, you can certainly omit it. The espresso powder does add another layer of depth to the chocolate flavor, but this pie will still be delicious without it! I don’t know much about the caffeine levels in it, though. At just 1.5 teaspoons in the whole recipe, I wouldn’t think the caffeine levels would be too high…but that’s just a guess on my end.
I hope you get a chance to make this pie soon! It’s delicious. And I hope you have a wonderful Sunday yourself!
Hi David – Hope you and your family are doing well !!
I finally did get some espresso powder, ordered it online, but need chips and whipping cream.
Just reading over recipe before finishing grocery list for week –
what is the purpose of brushing the baked crust with melted chips, does that help keep the crust from getting soggy ???
Thanks
Mar ………. Happy Memorial Day !!!
Hey Mar! Happy Memorial Day right back at ya! I’m excited that you got the espresso powder. It’ll last a while, and I like to use it in chocolate desserts (cakes, pies, etc.). As far as the brushing crust with melted chocolate, you nailed it! The chocolate creates a “barrier” that keeps the crust from getting soggy. Plus, it’s like a hidden gem when you slice into the pie and find that extra layer of chocolate. I hope you enjoy this one…it’s a great recipe for summer! 🙂 Talk to ya soon!