Chocolate Cream Pie has always felt like a little slice of luxury to me, but this version proves it doesn’t need a luxury price tag. The filling is silky and rich, the crispy crust holds everything together, and a fluffy swirl of sweetened whipped cream makes it feel extra special. I love that you can make it as simple or as hands-on as you want. Store-bought shortcuts keep it easy, but if you want to make it even more budget-friendly, you can make your own crust and whipped cream instead. Either way, you end up with a showstopper of a pie that absolutely delivers!
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“Had to follow the steps carefully, and the sieve part was a little tedious, but it was worth it. The last chocolate cream pie I tried did not set up. This one was great!”
Ann
Rich and Decadent Chocolate Cream Pie
Chocolate cream pie is basically my love language—a rich, chocolatey custard thickened with eggs and poured into a perfectly baked pie crust. You can use a cookie crust or a traditional pie crust (as I use in this recipe) that’s baked ahead of time to prevent the dreaded soggy bottom. I pile mine high with soft whipped cream and top it with whatever I’ve got on hand—fresh raspberries, a little mint, or even some quick chocolate shavings made with a veggie peeler. It’s simple, budget-conscious, and tastes like pure luxury.
Recipe Success Tips
- Use a store-bought 9-inch pie crust or half of our 3-ingredient pie crust recipe. Either way, you’ll have to blind-bake it, i.e., thoroughly bake it, before you fill it to avoid a soggy bottom! Another option is to skip the baking altogether and make a cookie crust, like the one we use in our coconut cream pie bars or a classic graham cracker crust.
- Use store-bought whipped topping in a pressurized can for a stabilized cream. Otherwise, make our homemade whipped cream topping.
- Semi-sweet baking chocolate is the flavor base of our chocolate filling, and it also helps to thicken the filling. For a pie with less sweetness, use bittersweet chocolate. I don’t recommend using milk chocolate. Also, don’t use chocolate chips, as these are usually made with stabilizers that don’t melt as well.
- Temper the egg mixture slowly. When the milk comes off the heat, add it to the egg mixture in small amounts. This gentle approach warms the eggs gradually so they don’t seize or curdle. If you rush and pour too much hot liquid at once, you’ll end up with bits of scrambled egg, so take your time with this step!
- Whisk like you mean it. When you add the egg mixture to the hot milk, steady whisking keeps the pudding smooth and also prevents any accidental scrambling. It’s one of those moments where your attention really pays off!
- Keep the plastic wrap touching the surface. Pressing it directly onto the filling prevents a ‘skin’ from forming on top of your pie.
Chocolate Cream Pie
Cost $11.72 recipe / $1.47 serving
Ingredients
- 3 cups whole milk (24 oz., $0.54*)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g, $0.96**)
- 3 large eggs (beaten, $0.57)
- 3 Tbsp cornstarch (30g, $0.15)
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (28g, $0.57)
- 3 Tbsp salted butter (42g, $0.30***)
- 8 oz. semi-sweet baking chocolate (finely chopped, (two 4 oz. bars) $6.48)
- 1 pie crust (9-inches, $1.26)
- 2 cups whipped cream ($0.89)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven according to the pie crust directions. Poke the bottom of your pie crust a few times with a fork to create steam vents. Add a sheet of parchment paper and weigh down the parchment with about 2 cups of dry beans or pie weights. Cover the edge of the pie crust with foil or pie ring so it doesn't scorch.
- Follow package directions and bake until crispy and golden. Remove weights and allow the crust to cool.
- While the crust blind bakes set a large saucepan over medium heat. Add 2 cups of the milk and the sugar to a saucepot and stir until combined. Bring this mixture slowly to a boil, stirring occasionally so none of the milk scalds.
- In the meantime, in a small bowl, mix the remaining 1 cup of milk, the beaten eggs, cornstarch, and cocoa powder until smooth.
- Once the milk boils, take it off the heat. Then add 1/4 cup of the milk mixture to the egg mixture and stir. Add another 1/4 cup of the milk mixture to the egg mixture and stir.
- Put the milk back on medium heat and add the warm egg mixture to it, whisking non-stop until the mixture thickens into a pudding-like consistency.
- Once the mixture thickens, take it off the heat and whisk in the finely chopped semi-sweet chocolate.
- Add the butter and whisk until smooth. Pass the chocolate filling through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl.
- Spray a piece of plastic wrap large enough to cover the bowl with cooking spray, then top the surface of the chocolate filling with the plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour or until cool.
- Once the filling has cooled, remove the plastic wrap and reserve. Pour the chocolate filling into the baked pie shell. Reuse the plastic wrap and place it directly on the surface of the filling. Chill the pie for an additional 3 hours.
- Top the chocolate cream pie with whipped cream topping, slice, serve, and enjoy.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
- 9-Inch Pie Pan (if needed)
- Parchment Paper
- Large Saucepan
- Small Bowl
- Fine Mesh Sieve
- Plastic Wrap
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Chocolate Cream Pie Step-by-Step Photos
Parbake the crust: Preheat the oven according to the pie crust directions. Poke the bottom of a pie crust a few times with a fork to create steam vents. Add a sheet of parchment paper and weigh down the parchment with about 2 cups of dry beans or pie weights. Cover the edge of the pie crust with a foil ring or pie ring so it doesn’t scorch.
Now follow package directions and bake until crispy and golden. Remove weights and allow the crust to cool.
Make the filling: While the crust blind bakes set a large saucepan over medium heat. Add 2 cups milk and 1 cup of sugar and stir until combined. Bring this mixture slowly to a boil, stirring occasionally so none of the milk scalds.
In the meantime, in a small bowl, mix the remaining 1 cup of milk, 3 large beaten eggs, 3 tablespoons of cornstarch, and ⅓ cup cocoa powder until smooth.
Once the milk boils, take it off the heat. Then add ¼ cup of the milk mixture to the egg mixture and stir. Add another ¼ cup of the milk mixture to the egg mixture and stir.
Put the milk back on medium heat and add the warm egg mixture to it, whisking non-stop until the mixture thickens into a pudding-like consistency.
The thickened chocolate mixture should look like this.
Once the mixture thickens, take it off the heat and whisk in the 2 bars of finely chopped semi-sweet chocolate.
Add 3 tablespoons of butter. Whisk until smooth.
Pass the chocolate filling through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl.
Chill: Spray a piece of plastic wrap large enough to cover the bowl with cooking spray, then top the surface of the chocolate filling with the plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour or until cool.
Fill the crust: Once the filling has cooled, remove the plastic wrap and reserve. Pour the chocolate filling into the baked pie shell. Reuse the plastic wrap and place it directly on the surface of the filling. Chill the pie for an additional 3 hours.
Add cream: Top with whipped cream topping, slice into eight pieces, and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
This pie is already rich and silky, and doesn’t need much else to taste amazing. However, fresh berries or a handful of sugared cranberries add a tart pop of flavor that tastes amazing. A sprinkle of shaved chocolate or a few candied pecans adds texture without making things fussy. And if you made your crust and whipped cream from scratch, save a little whipped cream on the side for anyone who wants an extra spoonful. Or if you’re feeling extra indulgent, a scoop of no-churn mint chocolate chip ice cream on the side would be AMAZING.
How To Store Chocolate Cream Pie
Because this pie refrigerates and freezes beautifully, it’s a perfect make-ahead dessert. Fill the crust with the custard, place plastic wrap or parchment paper directly on the surface, wrap in aluminum, and refrigerate until set. Then, freeze for up to 3 months. If making ahead, it’s best to freeze the pie and thaw just before serving. It will keep in the fridge for up to 2 days; then, the crust begins to get soggy.
Had to follow the steps carefully, and the sieve part was a little tedious, but it was worth it. The last chocolate cream pie I tried did not set up. This one was great!
Can one substitute 8 oz. of semi-sweet chocolate chips for the two 4-oz. bars of semi-sweet baking chocolate?
Chocolate chips often have a stabilizer added to them so they don’t lose their shape in cookies, so they usually don’t melt smoothly like baking chocolate.
I use semi sweet chocolate chips in my chocolate cream pie all of the time–they do melt–not as quickly or smoothly as baking chocolate, but with a few more stirs, they are just fine.
I’ve actually never seen semi-sweet bars of baking chocolate–the reason i’ve used chocolate chips
I’m excited to make this soon! Is there a way we can request more slow cooker recipes now that it’s Fall/Winter season? Thank you!
We’re testing some for sure! But it’s tricky because, in general, I don’t think most food is a good fit for the super wet cooking environment of a slow cooker. So there are very few things that I would actually recommend to make in a slow cooker. :P
This reminds me of the frozen pies my parents would buy when I was a kid. They weren’t very big and we would just cut it up into 5 pieces and be done with it.
Monti, could you please proofread this for the sugar amounts. The ingredient list says 1 cup, the directions say 3 cups and the step-by-step says 2 cups.
It’s fixed now. :)
Question: The recipe uses 3 cups of sugar but the ingredient list says 1 cup of sugar?
If anyone is curious I used 2 cups of milk, 1 cup of sugar (half granulated, half brown). It was plenty sweet.
Sorry about that, it’s fixed now! It’s one cup of sugar, 3 cups of milk. :)