Chocolate Cream Pie

5 from 4 votes

This decadent pie is a dream to make because it's super easy. Just 12 no-fuss ingredients. It's a crowd-pleaser and always highly requested by everyone.

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Chill4

Total Time5

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 347kcal

Author: Sabine

Ingredients

Crust

½ cup unsalted butter, cold
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon sugar
4-6 tablespoon cold water

Filling

6 large egg yolks
¼ cup cornstarch
2 ½ cups milk
¾ cup granulated white sugar
2 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
7 oz semi-sweet or dark chocolate bars, finely chopped

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Crust

Make it with a food processor: Place flour, salt, sugar, and butter in a food processor and pulse 4-5 times. Pea-sized butter flakes should still be visible. Add one tablespoon water at the time and pulse 1-2 times after every tablespoon. Stop adding water when the dough starts to clump. Depending on the humidity and climate you will need 4-6 tbsp. Watch the video and photos to see the required consistency.
If you don't have a food processor, then make it with a pastry cutter or two forks instead: In this case mix together flour, salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Then add butter and cut it into the mixture until it resembles coarse meal with pea-sized butter flakes. Then add water little by little until the texture starts to clump.
Transfer the dough to a plastic wrap and form a 1- 1.5-inch thick disk without kneading. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough disk into an 11 - 12-inch circle. Transfer to a 9-inch pie dish.
Press the pie crust against the bottom and the sides of your baking dish evenly and flute the edges. Freeze for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
Line the chilled crust with parchment paper and press it against the bottom and the sides of the crust. Make sure that the parchment paper covers the edges as well to prevent it from getting to brown. Then heavy it down with baking beans, uncooked rice, or uncooked beans evenly. Press the baking beans against the sides as well to prevent them from sinking down too much. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove weights and paper and bake another 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for about 30 minutes.

Filling

Whisk egg yolks and cornstarch in a heatproof bowl until smooth and combined. Set aside.
In a heavy-bottomed pot, over medium-high heat, bring milk and sugar to a simmer. Once, it has reached a simmer, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 2 minutes. Whisk continuously.
Stir about ½ cup of the hot milk into the egg yolks to slowly warm it. Then pour warmed egg mixture slowly into the saucepan, whisking constantly. Cook until filling is thick, for about 1-2 minutes. Whisk continuously.
Remove from heat and pour through a mesh strainer into a large heat-proof mixing bowl. Whisk in chocolate and vanilla until smooth and fully combined for about 1-2 minutes. Add butter and stir to combine.
Pour the filling into the crust and spread evenly. Place it in an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight. Before serving, top with meringue or whipped cream if desired. Leftovers will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freeze for up to 1 month.

Video

Nutrition