This Old fashioned Chocolate Pie is a classic dessert perfect for holidays and special occasions. Featuring a rich and creamy chocolate pudding filling, it pairs perfectly with a flaky pie crust and a generous whipped cream topping (which adds a light and fluffy texture to balance out the richness of the chocolate). Made with simple ingredients you have on hand, and minimal effort, it's a quick and easy dessert to whip up.
At every holiday gathering, my Grandma always had a buffet of pies to choose from, and her scrumptious chocolate pie was highly coveted, along with her lemon pie, pumpkin pie, saskatoon berry pie, and apple pie! This Old-fashioned Chocolate Pie is popular all year 'round and pairs perfectly with any holiday or special occasion meal, such as my Picnic Ham with Orange Glaze and Old Fashioned Scalloped Potatoes.
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My Grandma's chocolate pie was always one I looked forward to - it's a favorite dessert in our family! It's also an old fashioned recipe that's been around for generations and was popular during the 30s and 40s.
🥘Ingredient Notes
You will likely have everything on hand for this homemade chocolate pie recipe (yay -no running to the grocery store!)
- Pie crust. I like to use my Grandma's Never Fail Pie Crust because it tastes the best and it NEVER fails! But if I'm not feeling like making pastry, I buy a pie shell.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder.Because cocoa powder has a more intense flavor than baking chocolate, less fat, and no sugar, you can control the level of sweetness by using white sugar.
- Cornstarch. Cornstarch thickens the pie.
- Egg yolks. The reason for using only the egg yolk is because of the fat content. The fat gives baked goods extra-rich flavor and a velvety texture, as well as binding liquids and fats together.
*Please see recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities
📖Variations & Substitutions.
- Cornstarch - You can use arrowroot powder instead or flour (but you may need to use extra flour -up to ½ a cup)
- Milk - you could 1%, 2%, or whole milk
- Whipped cream - you could use Cool Whip instead or make a meringue. *Do NOT use spray whipped cream from a can, unless you are just using it on each serving and serving immediately, as it will not hold up and will start to run.
- Pie shell - You could use a store-bought pie shell or a homemade pie crust. Alternatively, you could use a graham cracker crust.
- Lactose-free/Dairy-free - use lactose-free milk or dairy-free milk and non-dairy whipped topping.
- Gluten-free - use a gluten-free pie crust
🔪How to Make Old Fashioned Chocolate Pie
Prep: Blind bake a pie shell, as per directions until golden brown and cool. You can use a store-bought or homemade pie crust.
*I used a deep dish store-bought pie shell and pricked the bottom (or use pie weights), then bake for about 8-10 minutes at 400 degrees f (204 c)
Mix cocoa, cornstarch, beaten egg yolks; sugar, vanilla, and salt together in a medium saucepan.
Then add milk gradually, while stirring in a pot over medium heat.
Cook until very thick, beating it smooth with a whisk.
*It won't really start to thicken until 14-15 minutes, then cook for 3-4 more minutes, stirring constantly, until it's thick like pudding. *Filling for cream pies takes a while to thicken
Cool for about 10 minutes.
Pour the chocolate pie filling into a prepared crust. Put in the fridge to chill for 1-2 hours before adding topping.
Prior to serving, add a generous amount of whipped cream to the top of the pie.
**Or use the leftover egg whites for a fluffy meringue topping, then bake pie as you would a lemon pie (with meringue).
To make whipped cream:
On high speed, with an electric mixer, beat whipped cream to soft peaks, then add 2 tbsps of sugar and beat to stiff peaks.
Garnish with cocoa sprinkles, chocolate shavings, and pieces of dark chocolate (I used pieces of Lindt dark chocolate bar), as desired.
Recipe Tips
- Be careful not to overcook the filling which will make it very dense, and can even cause it to weep and separate.
- Pie filling should be cooked to 160 degrees F/71 degrees C (check with an instant read thermometer).
- When you blind bake the pie shell, be sure to prick the bottom of the pie shell with a fork or use pie weights. If you don't do this, the pie crust will slump down the sides of the pan and the base will puff up.
- Be sure to chill the pie in the fridge for 1-2 hours before adding topping!
🥗 Main Dishes to serve with Homemade Chocolate Pie
I can hardly think of a meal that doesn't pair well with chocolate pie! However, If you're looking for main dishes to serve with this chocolate pie, I recommend my Slow Cooker Beef on a Bun for a more casual occasion like a summer family get together. If you're looking for make-ahead, serve it with this Make Ahead Lasagna!
If you're looking for a fancier dinner and have some time, I'd suggest this Baked Beef Cannelloni (shown below).
🌡️How to Store
Store leftover Old fashioned chocolate cream pie in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
The pie will freeze well, but don't put any whipped cream or topping on it until it's fully thawed and just prior to serving. You can cover it in plastic wrap if you are only storing it overnight.
*If you are using meringue instead of whipped cream, see this post for directions on making meringue. *Do not freeze the pie with meringue or whipped cream on it.
👪 Serving Size
This recipe makes 6 servings. However, you can half, double, or triple the recipe by clicking on the serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust. However, you will need additional pie pans if you increase the recipe.
❔Recipe FAQ's
Yes, you can make the chocolate pudding up to 3 days in advance. Keep it in a sealed container in the fridge until ready to use.
Yes, the pie filling needs to cool completely before adding whipped cream. Leave it in the fridge for at least 1-2 hours prior to adding the whipped cream or another whipped topping.
There can be several reasons why your pie won't set: the heat from the element was too high, your filling was overcooked, the pie isn't allowed enough time to chill, or there were ingredient substitutions.
Yes, this type of chocolate pie needs to be stored in the fridge. It will last up to 5 days in the fridge if you keep it in an airtight container.
This decadent pie is a chocolate lover's dream and one the whole family will love. So, if you're looking for a simple and delicious pie that's easy to make, you'll love this Old Fashioned Chocolate Pudding Pie!
And since there's no such thing as too much chocolate, if you adore rich chocolate desserts like this timeless pie, then another must-try recipe for true chocolate lovers is my incredibly indulgent Death by Chocolate Trifle (with Kahlua)!
🥧More Pie Recipes
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📋 Old Fashioned Chocolate Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- 9 inch -pie shell (blind baked) *See NOTES *I used deep dish
- ½ cup cocoa (unsweetened)
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 ½ cup white granulated sugar + 2-4 tbsps for whipped cream topping
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups milk * I use 1% milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups whipping cream (heavy cream 33-35%)
Garnish (optional)
- additional cocoa
- chocolate shavings
- chocolate pieces * I used pieces of lindt dark chocolate bar
Instructions
- Prep: Blind bake a pie shell, according to directions of recipe you are using. *You can use a store-bought or homemade pie crust. *See NOTES if you are not sure how to blind bake a pie shell
- Mix cocoa, cornstarch, beaten egg yolks; sugar, vanilla, and salt.Then add milk gradually, while stirring in a pot over medium heat.
- Cook until thick, beating it smooth with a whisk. *It won't really start to thicken until 14-15 minutes, then cook for 3-4 more minutes, stirring constantly, until it's thick like pudding. Cool for about 10 minutes
- Pour into a pre-baked pie shell. Put in the fridge to chill.
- Prior to serving, add whipped cream. *Alternatively, you can beat the 3 egg whites to make meringue (then bake).
Garnish
- Garnish with sprinkled cocoa, chocolate shavings and chocolate pieces, if desired.
Notes
-
- Be careful not to overcook the filling which will make it very dense, and can even cause it to weep and separate.
-
- Pie filling should be cooked to 160 degrees F/71 degrees C (check with an instant read thermometer).
-
- When you blind bake the pie shell, be sure to prick the bottom of the pie shell with a fork or use pie weights. If you don't do this, the pie crust will slump down the sides of the pan and the base will puff up.
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- Be sure to chill the pie in the fridge for 1-2 hours before adding topping!
Terri Gilson
I absolutely adore this old-fashioned chocolate pie recipe! It brings back such warm memories of family gatherings and reminds me of my own grandma's holiday dessert spread. The rich chocolate pudding filling paired with that flaky crust is just heavenly. What I love most is how easy it is to make with ingredients I already have in my pantry - no last-minute grocery store runs needed!