Baking · American
Chocolate Cream Pie
A stovetop chocolate filling, boiled properly, chilled until it slices clean.
- Hands-on
- 40 min
- Hands-off
- 4 h 57 min
- Oven preheat
- 15 min
- Total
- 5 h 37 min
- Makes
- 8 slices
- Serves
- 8
Crust bakes 10-12 min and cools about 30 min (our estimate); the filling takes about 15 min at the stove. Chilling is 4-6 h, overnight for the cleanest slices. Total uses the 4 h minimum. Total = 40 min active + 297 min hands-off (15 min crust softening while the oven heats, 10-12 min baking, 30 min cooling, 4 h chilling); the preheat overlaps the softening.
Oven 230 °C · 210 °C fan (450 °F)
Pan 23 cm glass pie plate (US: 9-inch glass pie plate)
- medium
- thanksgiving
- make-ahead
- chocolate
Verified against at least two trusted test kitchens or food-safety guides · Last checked · What this means
Scaling? Made for one 23 cm (9 in) shell. A bigger batch of custard takes longer to come to the boil; keep whisking and still boil it for the full minute. Some items (like eggs) don’t halve neatly: beat them, then measure out half.
Ingredients
You need: 23 cm (9 in) glass pie plate · fork · medium saucepan · medium bowl · wire whisk · fine sieve (optional) · plastic wrap · electric mixer or whisk for the cream · wire rack · oven mitts
Contains: milk · egg · wheat
Method
Line and prick the crust
Heat the oven to 230°C (210°C fan, 450°F). Let the crust pouch sit on the counter 15 minutes, then press the crust into the 23 cm (9 in) glass pie plate and crimp the edge. Prick the bottom and sides all over with a fork so it bakes flat.
Bake the empty crust
Bake 10 to 12 minutes, then cool it completely on a rack before filling.
Ready when: Light golden brown all over.
Heat the cocoa milk
In a medium saucepan, stir 42 g (1/2 cup) cocoa into 480 ml (2 cups) of the milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring all the time, just until it boils. Take it off the heat.
Ready when: Bubbles break the surface for the first time.
Mix the yolk base
In a medium bowl stir together 264 g (1 1/3 cups) sugar, 3 tbsp flour, 3 tbsp cornstarch and 1/2 tsp salt. Whisk the remaining 240 ml (1 cup) milk into the 3 egg yolks, then stir that into the sugar mixture until smooth.
Boil it for one full minute
Gradually stir the yolk mixture into the chocolate milk. Put the pan back over medium heat and whisk constantly until it thickens and boils, then keep it boiling, still whisking, for 1 minute.
Ready when: Thick, with big bubbles popping through the surface, then a full minute of boiling. A filling like this reaches about 93°C (200°F) - well above the 71°C (160°F) food-safety target for dishes with eggs.
Otto tried this firstOtto pulls the pan off at the very first bubble. It has to keep boiling, whisked, for a full minute - that's what thickens it and cooks the yolks.Butter and vanilla
Take the pan off the heat and stir in 76 g (1/3 cup) butter and 1 1/2 tsp vanilla until melted and glossy. For a perfectly smooth filling, pour it through a sieve.
Fill and cover
Pour the hot filling into the cooled crust. Press plastic wrap right onto the surface so no skin forms.
Chill until set
Let it cool a little, then refrigerate until set and well chilled: about 4 to 6 hours, or overnight for the cleanest slices.
Whip the topping
In a cold bowl, whip 240 ml (1 cup) cold cream until the whisk leaves tracks. Add 28 g (1/4 cup) confectioners' sugar and 1/2 tsp vanilla and whip to medium peaks. Spread it over the cold pie, or spoon it onto slices just before serving.
Swaps
- Instead of pastry crust: a ready-made 9-inch crumb crust A baked pastry shell or a crumb crust both work.
Make ahead, store & reheat
- Make ahead
- Make the pie the day before and chill it overnight for the cleanest slices. If it won't all be eaten at once, add whipped cream to slices just before serving.
- Storage
- Cream pies must be refrigerated: within 2 hours of making or serving, covered, for 3 to 4 days. Don't freeze it - custard and cream pies often don't freeze well.
If something goes wrong
- Skin on top Why: The surface was exposed while cooling.
Press plastic wrap directly onto the filling. - Small lumps in the filling Why: Cornstarch or yolk clumps.
Pour the hot filling through a sieve before it goes into the crust. - Filling too soft to slice Why: It didn't boil for the full minute, or it isn't cold yet.
Boil and whisk a full minute; chill at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
Good to know
- Have everything measured before you start the stove part: once it boils, you can't step away from the whisk.
- Chill the bowl before whipping the cream.
Safety
- Thickening custard spits. Use a long whisk, keep sleeves back, and kids should watch from a step away rather than stir.
- The egg yolks are only safe because the filling boils for a full minute; don't shorten that step.
- Keep the pie in the fridge - milk-and-egg fillings shouldn't sit out more than 2 hours.
- Store-bought crusts vary: check the label for allergens (and for lard if you cook vegetarian).