This easy chocolate pie recipe from The Pioneer Woman takes less than 15 minutes of hands-on time. It’s an old-fashioned chocolate pudding pie in a buttery pie crust that’s creamy, chocolatey, and so delicious.
Chocolate Pie
Oh my goodness, Ree Drummond’s chocolate pie is amazing! The chocolate filling is rich and creamy. The texture reminds me of something between chocolate pudding and soft fudge. It’s not overly sweet, and I love that it’s made with basic pantry staples.
It tastes so much like my Grandma’s chocolate pie. I love easy from scratch recipes like this that are so flavorful.
This decadent pie is quick and easy to put together. Even though it’s hard to wait to eat it, it’s well worth the rest time.
To make a no-bake chocolate pie, swap the pie crust for a graham cracker crust or an Oreo crust. I love serving it with a regular buttery pie crust for Thanksgiving, but it’s also delicious with a no bake crust for hot summer days when you don’t want to heat up the house. Hot chocolate pie is also a great pie to make for pie day!
Ingredients
Sugar: Granulated sugar is the best sweetener for this dish. I recommend using regular white sugar rather than organic sugar. The organic sugar I’ve used has larger granules, which takes a bit longer to fully dissolve.
Cornstarch: This is the thickener that helps the chocolate pie filling hold its shape. If you don’t have cornstarch, you could substitute it with flour or tapioca starch (but you’ll probably need about double the amount of starch that the recipe calls for). That’s why I like using cornstarch. It’s a really powerful thickener, so you can get the binding power without diluting the flavor of the chocolate.
Salt: I love adding a bit of salt to desserts because a small amount reduces bitter flavors and enhances sweet flavors.
Milk: It’s so important to use whole milk. It adds such a deliciously creamy flavor. This isn’t a recipe where skim or 2% milk would work well.
Egg Yolks: Egg yolks help thicken and bind the filling. They also add a deliciously rich flavor.
Chocolate: Bittersweet chocolate is what the recipe calls for, but you can use whichever chocolate you think you’ll like best. I do recommend using the best quality chocolate you can afford, because it will make a big difference in the overall flavor (something like Ghirardelli).
Butter: Butter is added because it makes the texture more silky and satiny, and it adds a lovely rich flavor.
Vanilla: I definitely recommend using pure vanilla extract. When you’re adding vanilla extract to an unbaked dessert, you can really taste the flavor difference between pure vanilla and artificial vanilla.
Pie Crust: Use a baked pie shell that has already cooled. You can either use a homemade or store bought one. If you don’t want to turn your oven on at all, you can use a graham cracker crust or an Oreo crust.
Whipped Cream: This is optional, but I really think a dollop of whipped cream brings it to the next level! I definitely recommend serving it with some whipped cream and shaved chocolate.
How To Make Chocolate Pie
Start by adding the sugar, cornstarch, and salt to a medium saucepan. Mix the dry ingredients together. Add in the milk and egg yolks. (See the recipe card below for the full printable instructions.)
Whisk until everything is combined. Turn the burner on, and whisk constantly until it just starts to boil and reaches a pudding consistency.
As soon as the mixture starts to boil, remove the saucepan from the heat. Add in the chocolate, butter, and vanilla.
Stir until the chocolate and butter are melted, and the filling has reached a smooth consistency. Spread the filling out evenly into the cooled pie crust and refrigerate until it has set. See the recipe card below for the full written instructions, including ingredient amounts, cooking times, and helpful tips, etc.
How To Serve Chocolate Pie
This old-fashioned chocolate cream pie is so delicious that it doesn’t really need any toppings. I love serving it with a dollop of whipped cream and some shaved dark chocolate. A scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side is also amazing. Strawberries, raspberries, hot fudge and white chocolate are all popular toppings, too.
Why Is My Chocolate Pie Runny?
If your filing didn’t set, it probably means that you didn’t cook the filling long enough. Cornstarch needs to be heated in order to activate its thickening properties.
Keep In Touch
I’d love to hear what you thought of this recipe in the comments or on Instagram! @KeyToMyLime #KeyToMyLime
Easy Dessert Recipes
If you like this recipe, be sure to check out all of our desserts! Some reader favorites are:
- Fantasy Fudge
- Peanut Butter Pie
- Million Dollar Pie
- Pecan Pie Brownies
- Hershey Pie
- Whipping Cream Pound Cake
BEST Easy Chocolate Pie (Pioneer Woman’s Old Fashioned Recipe)
This easy chocolate pie recipe from The Pioneer Woman takes only 15 minutes of prep. You’ll love this old-fashioned chocolate pudding pie.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3 cups whole milk
- 4 egg yolks
- 6 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (finely chopped)
- 2 Tablespoons butter (28 grams)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 deep dish pie crust (baked and cooled)*
- Whipped cream (optional, for topping)
Instructions
- If you haven’t already finely chopped your chocolate, do that now. You need the chocolate, butter, and vanilla ready to add to the filling as soon as it comes off the heat later on in the recipe.
- To a medium saucepan, add the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Mix together.
- Pour in the milk and add the egg yolks. Whisk until fully combined.
- Turn the heat to medium and stir constantly until it just starts to bubble (about 6-8 minutes). As soon as you see the mixture start to bubble and it has reached a pudding consistency, remove it from the heat.
- Immediately add the chopped chocolate, butter, and vanilla. Stir until the chocolate is fully melted and the mixture is fully combined.
- Pour the filling into the prebaked pie crust. Spread the filling out evenly and place it into the fridge uncovered to chill for at least 4 hours.
- Once the pie has set, cut it into slices and serve with whipped cream.
Notes
*This filling makes enough for 1 deep dish pie. If you use a store bought pie crust, there will likely be some filling leftover. I recommend using the extra to fill some small glasses, then let that set in the fridge to make delicious homemade pudding cups.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
1/10Amount Per Serving: Calories: 400Total Fat: 18.4gCarbohydrates: 51.7gFiber: 0.4gSugar: 39.2gProtein: 6g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
This is the best chocolate pie recipe! The Pioneer Woman’s chocolate pie is the perfect Thanksgiving pie.
5 thoughts on “Chocolate Pie Recipe”
Does it freeze well?
Hi Klaus, I haven’t tried freezing it, but I think that it would likely change the texture of the filling and make it more watery. -Alexa
Hi, I don’t like it when a pudding pie gets a thicker coating on top — would putting Saran Wrap against its surface while it cools prevent this, or is it not an issue with this particular recipe? I usually do that with a custard pie but I know this one is pudding rather than custard.
Hi Holly, I didn’t notice a thick layer on top even after it sitting longer than I suggested in the post. Hope that helps! -Alexa
I halfed the recipe for a non deep dish pie crust and unfortunately my pie didn’t set as pictured-it was sliceable but floppy and not nearly fudgey. Will try again .