This chocolate pie is next-level. A buttery shortbread cookie crust is filled with a creamy, velvety chocolate custard filling. It’s a chocolate lover’s dream dessert!
This chocolate pie is sure to make your valentine swoon! What makes this pie deadly delicious? The shortbread cookie crust! It’ll be difficult for you to resist the pie crust even before it’s filled with chocolate…trust me!
And of course, we have to talk about this chocolate filling that has my husband and me sitting at the kitchen counter with two forks and the pie plate (no one can stop us). It’s a chocolate custard filling, using semisweet chocolate that’s the perfect chocolate intensity. It’s creamy and heavenly and honestly so perfect, that I dare you to have just one slice of this chocolate pie.
Want the chocolate filling, minus the pie crust? Try Chocolate Pots de Creme for the “naked” version.
Chocolate Pie Ingredients
Shortbread Cookie Pie Crust
- Store-bought shortbread cookies – I use 40 Lorna Doone cookies (a 10 ounce package). If you can’t find Lorna Doones, you can use classic Sandies, Walkers, or Dublins. Make sure to use 10 ounces of cookies.
- Unsalted butter – butter brings the crust together and makes our shortbread cookies sing!
- Granulated sugar – sugar is NOT used to sweeten our crust. It reacts with the butter and helps the pie crust stay together! Don’t skip this ingredient.
- Salt – salt adds flavor. I like my crust a bit salty, which complements the chocolate filling so well. You can reduce the salt to 1/8 teaspoon if preferred.
Chocolate Pie Filling
- Heavy cream – heavy cream is the base for our creamy chocolate custard filling.
- Semisweet chocolate chips – I’ve tried using bittersweet and milk chocolate for this recipe, but semisweet seems to yield the best result texture and taste-wise.
- Eggs yolks – egg yolks create a smooth, rich custard.
- Vanilla extract – vanilla adds flavor.
- Salt – salt adds flavor.
- Instant espresso (optional) – if you like a deep chocolate flavor, try adding a dash of instant espresso to enhance the taste of the chocolate.
How to Make Chocolate Pie
Full instructions in the recipe card; this is just an outline!
- Pulse.
For the pie crust, add cookies, sugar and salt to a food processor. Pulse food processor until cookies are crushed into a sand.
- Stir.
Add melted butter and stir with a large spoon.
- Spread.
Add mixture to a lightly greased 9” pie plate. Use the back of your spoon to push cookies into the pan, creating an even and packed layer on the bottom and the sides of the plate. Refrigerate crust while making the chocolate filling.
- Heat.
Add heavy cream, lightly beaten yolks, vanilla, and salt to a saucepan. Over medium heat, stir mixture constantly with a wooden spoon until steaming hot, almost simmering, and it passes the wooden spoon test.
- Test.
The wooden spoon test will help check whether your mixture has thickened to a custard, which will take roughly 10 minutes. Right before the mixture is about to simmer, you’ll feel a bit of resistance as your stir and the custard thickens. Then use your finger to trace a line on the back of the wooden spoon. If there is a creamy coating on the back of the spoon and the line remains strong and visible (not faint), the custard is thick enough and it’s done!
- Add.
Remove custard from stove, stirring in the chocolate and instant espresso (optional).
- Blend.
Transfer the chocolate custard to a blender, and blend until smooth and creamy.
- Cool.
Let cool for 30 minutes in the fridge before pouring the chocolate filling into the pie crust.
- Chill.
Let chocolate pie chill for at least 1 hour before serving. The filling will thicken as it cools.
How to Serve Chocolate Pie
I love this chocolate pie as-is. You really don’t need anything with it! If you’d like to add a little pizzazz, serve with:
- Sweetened Vanilla Whipped Cream
- Vanilla ice cream
- Chocolate shavings, shaved with a veggie peeler
- Finely chopped walnuts or pecans
- Fresh raspberries or strawberries
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The chocolate custard filling thickens as it cools! You’ll need to chill your filling for at least 90 minutes before it firms up enough to slice. If it is still runny, you likely did not heat your custard long enough.
Yes! Your chocolate custard filling won’t reach its peak thickness until it completely cools.
Yes! You need to keep your chocolate pie in the refrigerator. You can take it out up to an hour before serving if you prefer room temperature chocolate pie.
Chocolate pie will keep well for about 5 days in the fridge.
I don’t recommend freezing chocolate pie, however the shortbread cookie crust freezes well!
More Chocolate Recipes You’ll Love!
- Heavenly Chocolate Pots de Crème
- Homemade Chocolate Truffles
- Best Christmas Crack (With Chocolate Ganache)
- No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
Chocolate Pie (With Shortbread Cookie Crust)
Equipment
- 9" pie plate
- Blender
- Wooden spoon
- Food processor (you can crush cookies by hand if needed)
Ingredients
Shortbread Cookie Pie Crust
- 10 ounces store-bought shortbread cookies, I use 40 Lorna Doone cookies
- 7 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Chocolate Pie Filling
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 4 eggs yolks, lightly beaten
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon instant espresso, optional
Instructions
- For the pie crust, add cookies, sugar and salt to a food processor. Pulse food processor until cookies are crushed into a sandy texture.
- Add melted butter and stir with a large spoon until incorporated.
- Add mixture to a lightly greased 9” pie plate. Use the back of your spoon to push cookies into the pan, creating an even and packed layer on the bottom and the sides of the plate. See video for visual instructions! Refrigerate crust while making the chocolate filling.
- Add heavy cream, lightly beaten yolks, vanilla, and salt to a saucepan. Over medium heat, stir mixture constantly (yes, constantly!) with a wooden spoon until steaming hot, almost simmering, and it passes the wooden spoon test.
- The wooden spoon test will help check whether your mixture has thickened to a custard, which will take roughly 10 minutes, depending on how cold your cream was when you started. Right before the mixture is about to simmer, you’ll feel a bit of resistance as your stir and the custard thickens. Then use your finger to trace a line on the back of the wooden spoon. If there is a creamy coating on the back of the spoon and the line remains strong and visible (not faint), the custard is thick enough and it’s done! See video for visual instructions.
- Remove custard from stove, stirring in the chocolate and instant espresso (optional).
- Transfer the chocolate custard to a blender and blend until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.
- Let cool for 30 minutes in the fridge before pouring the chocolate filling into the pie crust, spreading out evenly.
- Let chocolate pie chill for at least 1 hour before serving. The filling will thicken as it cools. Serve chocolate pie chilled, or rested at room temperature for up to an hour.
Video
Notes
- If you can’t find Lorna Doones, you can use classic Sandies, Walkers, or Dublins. Make sure to use 10 ounces of cookies!
- The sugar in the crust is NOT for sweetness. It reacts with the butter and helps the pie crust stay together! Don’t skip this ingredient.
- Store chocolate pie in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- I like my shortbread cookie crust a bit salty, which complements the chocolate oh-so perfectly! If you don’t like the “salty-sweet” thing, then decrease the salt in the crust to 1/8 teaspoon.
- I’ve tried using bittersweet and milk chocolate for this recipe, but semisweet seems to yield the best result texture and taste-wise.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Awesome recipe! We all loved the pie the salt/ sugar mix to the crust was yum extraordinare!
Thank you!
Yol
Hi Yol,
I’m so glad the recipe turned out well! I love the salt/sugar ratio too!
Grace
I have a similar recipe but I use gingersnap crumbs for the crust. Yummy!
I want to try this version! Maybe next time we are in the neighborhood with some after dinner drinks 🙂 I have heard you’re an amazing baker!
Grace