Chocolate Cream Pie
This classic (homemade!) chocolate cream pie recipe features an Oreo cookie crust, a rich chocolate pastry cream filling, and is topped with fresh whipped cream.
One summer a number of years ago, I decided that I needed to make more pies. And not just any old pies – I really wanted to focus on some of the old-fashioned pies that had never graced my kitchen. I’ve made fancy creations like banoffee pie, salted caramel apple cheesecake pie, and s’mores pie, as well as classics like pumpkin pie, blueberry pie, and banana cream pie, but at the time I wanted to go back to classic and simple… to cookie crumb crusts and whipped cream toppings.
Finally, chocolate cream pie entered my life!
And not just any chocolate cream pie, but by my estimation, the BEST chocolate cream pie you’ll find anywhere.
So…
How do you make chocolate cream pie?
There are a few different options when it comes to a chocolate cream pie in terms of crust, filling and topping, but there are two main camps – a homemade chocolate pie made with chocolate pastry cream, and a chocolate cream pie made with pudding.
I saw a lot of different types of recipes for chocolate cream pie while researching – some that had a traditional pastry crust, some with an Oreo crumb crust… some with a classic pastry cream filling, some with chocolate pudding filling, some that used gelatin as a stabilizer… some with a whipped cream topping and others with a meringue.
In the end, I decided more chocolate is always better and went with the Oreo cookie crust over a pastry crust. Homemade pastry cream makes me weak in the knees, so it was no contest when it came to the filling. Finally, I’ll choose whipped cream over meringue any day of the week so that decision was easy as well.
The result is a wonderfully creamy, smooth-as-silk pie loaded with chocolate in every bite. Don’t be surprised if you end up standing over the counter, eating it from the pie plate with a fork. (ahem) Don’t say I didn’t warn you!
One year ago: No-Bake Mint Chocolate Chip Pie
Four years ago: Grasshopper Pie
Five years ago: Guinness Chocolate Cake with Baileys Irish Cream Cheese Frosting
Chocolate Cream Pie
A classic chocolate cream pie with Oreo crust, chocolate pastry cream filling and fresh whipped cream.
Ingredients:
For the Crust
- 16 Oreo cookies (181 grams), with filling, crushed into crumbs
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
For the Chocolate Cream Filling
- 2½ cups (600 ml) half-and-half
- Pinch salt
- ⅓ cup (66 grams) granulated sugar, divided
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 6 egg yolks, at room temperature
- 6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, cold and cut into 6 pieces
- 6 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Whipped Cream Topping
- 1½ cups (360 ml) heavy cream
- 1½ tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
- Make the Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the Oreo cookie crumbs and the melted butter in a medium bowl and toss with a fork until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Transfer the crumbs to a 9-inch pie plate. Press the crumbs evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan, forming a crust. Refrigerate the lined pie plate for 20 minutes. Bake for 10 minutes, until the crust is fragrant and set. Cool on a wire rack while the filling is prepared.
- Make the Chocolate Cream Filling: Bring the half-and-half, salt and 3 tablespoons of the sugar to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon to dissolve the sugar. Stir together the remaining sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Whisk the yolks thoroughly in a medium bowl for about 30 seconds, until slightly thickened. Add the cornstarch mixture and whisk until the mixture is glossy and the sugar has begun to dissolve, about 1 minute. When the half-and-half reaches a full simmer, drizzle about ½ cup hot half-and-half over the yolks, whisking constantly to temper; then whisk the egg yolk mixture into the simmering half-and-half. Return to a simmer, whisking constantly, until 3 or 4 bubbles burst on the surface and mixture is thickened and glossy, about 15 seconds longer.
- Off the heat, whisk in the butter, one piece at a time, until incorporated; add the chopped chocolate and whisk until melted, scraping the bottom of the pan with a rubber spatula to fully incorporate. Stir in the vanilla, then immediately pour the filling through a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl. Using a spatula, scrape the strained filling into the baked and cooled crust and spread into an even layer. Press plastic wrap directly on the surface of the filling and refrigerate the pie until the filling is cold and firm, about 3 hours.
- Make the Whipped Cream Topping: When ready to serve, beat the cream, sugar, and vanilla on low speed until small bubbles form, about 30 seconds. Increase the speed to medium and beat until the beaters leave a trail, about 30 seconds more. Increase speed to high and beat until the whipped cream is smooth and thick, forming soft peaks, about 20 more seconds. Spread or pipe the whipped cream over the chilled filling and serve. Leftovers should be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Recipe Notes:
- To crush the Oreo cookies, you can use a food processor to grind them into fine crumbs, or you can put them in a resealable ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
- Half-and-half is a common dairy product in the United States; if you can’t get it where you are, substitute half heavy cream and half whole milk.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
(Recipe from Baking Illustrated)
All images and text ©
Smooth as silk and being tempted to just eat it out of the pie-pan — yes, I can totally see that! And that Oreo crust and whipped topping over meringue – yes! Delish!
This looks amazing!! Dumb question – do you take the stuffing out of the oreo’s before making the crust? Laura 🙂
You don’t need to take the stuffing out of the oreos, or at least I never do! I just toss them in whole in my food processor and it comes out super yum:)
I was wondering the same thing 🙂
You definitely don’t need to take the cream out of the Oreos. Just crush them up as-is.
Wow does this look good! Love chocolate cream pie….even better with the oreo crust!
I want this for lunch! Mmmmm….
Holy Heavens! Oreo crust, whip cream and chocolate, no need to say more! This looks so delicious!! What a wonderful pie!
Looks delicious! I went to a camp this summer and they served chocolate cream pie for lots of meals. Now I suppose I need to make one at home. 🙂
Wow, this looks so good, it looks delicious, I have to try it 🙂
Heaven in a pie!
This looks soooo delicious!!
Nothing like a good ol fashion pie!
Mmmm….my kind of pie. Looks delish!
Yumm this looks incredible. And definitely “smooth as silk!” I love the Oreo crust!
what a luscious, melt-in-your-mouth pie! divine!
xo
http://allykayler.blogspot.ca/
I have a question you say 2 1/2 half and half cups, what do you mean buy this, can you explain it a little so i can try my best to make one ^-^
Hi — Half-and-Half is a half cream/half milk dairy product. Hope this helps!
Thanks Lisa! If you can’t find half-and-half where you live, you can substitute half whole milk and half heavy cream.
This pie is simply amazing!
What a great pie, one of my favorites. Any really, anything with an Oreo crust can’t go wrong!
Silky chocolate pies are my fav! This one looks so tempting!
TO DIE FOR!!!
I love pies to begin with…but this one looks absolutely scrumptious!
OH man…this pie is calling my name!! You can’t go wrong with an Oreo crust! Delicious! 🙂
I am totally OK with your decision to make more pies, so yummy!
This looks amazing!! I have yet to feature a chocolate pie on my site, this one may be the one! Thanks for sharing!
This looks too good! Chocolate crust and chocolate filling, yum!
Ohhhh, so good. Can’t wait to make this one.
Yum yum yum
looks very good
This pie looks like it could just melt in your mouth! Yum!!
Well now, this has surely got the salivary glands working overtime… off to market to get some Oreos. Oh, and, maybe ought to get some Andes Mints for that delicious sounding Andes Mint Ice Cream while there.
You and your CCC have a safe, healthy and well fed vacation and we will catch you in a month.
Thank you, Patricia! 🙂
Wow, that looks delicious! I would like some right now if anyone is sharing. 🙂
I made this pie last night! Everyone LOVED IT! It was so good and turned out perfectly. Your receipe was easy to follow & true to the pictures. Thank you. 🙂
Hi Heather, So glad you liked it! Thanks for sharing your feedback!
Have you ever tried melting some semi-sweet chocolate and pour it on wax paper in a small container or cookie sheet to make a thin chocolate bar. Then freeze it for a few minutes until hard remove and drop the chocolate bar on the counter breaking it up in bite size pieces and inserting them inside the chocolate pie before putting on the final topping for a little extra chocolate surprise.
Oooh I haven’t tried, but it sounds great!
This looks amazing! Your photographs make all your food seem so delicious.
Looking at this pie just makes me feel relaxed and excited for fall! I can’t think of anything more perfect for a send away of Summer than a sweet, creamy, and delicious chocolate pie! YUMMY! Thanks for the recipe, I can’t wait to test it out this weekend 😉
I made this tonight and, wow, was it delicious! My only problem was the crust didn’t seem to hold together well ~ alot of the crumbs got left behind in the pie plate. I crushed them in a plastic bag with a rolling pin and I’m wondering of my crumbs were too big ~ I may have been better off using the food processor to make them finer. Or, perhaps I should use more butter next time ~ any suggestions?
Hi Teri, I try to use the food processor whenever possible to make crumbs. I’ve done the plastic bag and rolling pin in a pinch, but I always find that my crumbs are too big and chunky. The food processor really gets them to a fine consistency, which is perfect for crusts.
can cheese cloth be used as fine mesh sieve. and is the strained filling the stuff in the bowl or on the cloth. Thank you
Hi Joe, I have never used cheesecloth in place of a sieve, and while I know it can be useful when draining liquid from solid masses, I’m not sure how easily it would be to pass a pastry cream through it. You could try, but it might be difficult. The strained filling is what’s in the bowl.
My son in college is coming home for Thanksgiving and asked if I could make a homemade chocolate cream pie. I think this recipe I found online sounds really good. I am trying to cook ahead because my Wed. is packed with stuff to do already. Will this pie taste good Thanksgiving Day if I make it Tuesday night? I can make whipping cream Thanksgiving morning.
Hi Alma, Yes, you could definitely do that and I don’t think there would be a problem. You might want to bake the pie shell, then store the chocolate cream in a bowl with plastic wrap pressed against it, then fill and top the pie on Thanksgiving so the crust doesn’t get soggy.
Will do. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
This looks delicious and I am planning on making it the night before thanksgiving I read the comment on what to do when making it the night before but I also wanted to know if I could make the whipped topping a couple hours before and then just put the pie in the fridge until dessert time?
Yes, you could definitely do that!
Why do you need to strain the filling? Is there much waste? I don’t have a sieve and am tempted to skip this step… Thoughts?
Hi Mandy, Straining it ensures that it’s silky smooth and that no partially pieces of egg make it into your chocolate cream. There is no waste at all, save for a few cooked pieces that cling to the sides of the pan. If you can get a sieve easily and quickly, I’d spring for one – I use mine a ton. But if not, I don’t think you’ll run your cream without. I’d just be sure to whisk really well to get it as smooth as possible.
Okay, your pie looked so good, it has joined my piefest for Thanksgiving! Here’s a photo of the filling (made a graham cracker crust since I had no chocolate wafers and wanted to avoid the pre-Thanksgiving shoppers. I can’t wait to make the topping tomorrow-the remaining filling in the pan was sooooo good-thanks for the recipe-I’m posting on fb but also posting your link and photo linking back to your site. http://www.facebook.com/pj.todora
This was one of three pies I made for Thanksgiving and everyone said it was the one pie I shouldn’t bother with. But, my 7 yr old granddaughter LOVES chocolate, so it made the list. I did change up the way I made the filling, whisking together the dry ing, then whisk in egg yolks, then cream and cook, stirring over medium heat. Turned out perfectly! And, was the hit of the deserts!! The crust did fall apart a bit, even though I processed the cookies in the food processor, but no one really minded. I’ve made a few chocolate cream pies in my day, but this one is a true keeper. Silky, creamy and just the right amount of sweetness to not overpower the lovely chocolate. Thanks so much for the recipe. We loved it!!
This recipe was brilliant! I tried it on for my friend birthday cake and it turns out just perfect. thank so much (Y)
Im making this to take to a friend’s but it says to serve immediately after adding the whip cream. What will happen if I add the whip cream and not serve it immediately?
Hi Nabila, The whipped cream could get start to get soft/runny if left at room temperature. I would definitely serve it the same day you assemble it, and if you won’t serve it immediately after putting the whipped cream on, I would definitely cover and refrigerate it.
Hi! Thanks so much for this recipe. I just made it for a family gathering and it was enjoyed. I ended up not having any chocolate on hand so I had to sub about 1/2 cup cocoa and 1/2 cup extra of sugar to make it chocolate, but it worked and was nice and creamy, thick and chocolatey just like I was hoping it would be!
I made this for a New Year’s Eve party and everyone loved it! I don’t even like chocolate, but the whipped cream helped cut the chocolate taste just enough and even I liked it! This recipe is a definite keeper!
This looks delicious- we have an Oreo cookie pie, but instead of an oreo crust we use a butter cookie crust and crush the oreos into the top. Still, definitely need to try making this recipe to compare!
I just made this and my pastry cream got super thick super fast. So thick in fact I couldn’t press it through the sieve. Any idea what may have caused that? I am still hopeful that it will be fantastic for my husbands birthday tonight! (and last time I made a chocolate cream pie from a different recipe it didn’t set right. So at least that isn’t an issue!)
Hi Mary, The heat may have been a little high, that’s all I can think of, unless you inadvertently used more cornstarch than called for.
Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. I made this yesterday. WOW is it good! It’s uber uber chocolately without being bitter. This is definitely a keeper, and will enter the regular repertoire (especially if I’m going to make an omelet or something the next morning with those leftover egg whites).
Do you think it’d work if I tried using toasted marshmallows instead of shaved chocolate for garnish? Still have half a bag leftover from attempting to make your six layer cake (and failing miserably, I might add).
Sure, I don’t see why not!
Stuck to your chocolate shavings cause the toasted mallows made my cream a bit too liquidy. Thank you so so much for sharing! It was amazing.
Can this pie be made with dark chocolate? I’ve made it a few times as written and it is Fabulous! I have a friend who is a dark chocolate lover so I wondered if it could be made with even darker chocolate? If so, which chocolate would you recommend?
Hi Juli, I definitely think you could use dark chocolate! My favorite is Valrhona 72% cacao if you have time to order it; if not, my grocery store brand of choice is Ghiradelli – you can get either 60% or 70%.
I just wanted to say that I made this recipe (to a ‘T’) for one of my Thanksgiving desserts and OH MY GOSH, it was HEAVENLY and to die for! I will be making it again for one of my Christmas Day dinner desserts. Everyone loved it and wanted more. Thank you for sharing such a wonderful chocolate cream pie recipe!
This pie was amazing! I used a regular pie crust instead of the Oreo – it was so good. My husband and our guests were totally impressed. It had such a silky texture. Thanks so much for the recipe
Can I freeze the pie, and add the whipped cream just before serving?
Hi Nina, I’m not sure how well a cream pie would freeze; I think it would be best fresh.
So yummy and very fun to make with the kids. If only they’d just stop sneaking the oreos before I can crush them!
I love the look of this pie!!! Too bad that it is snowing/sleeting here right now – my husband doesn’t want to go out to buy Oreos & cream so I can make this. Chocolate should trump the blizzard we are getting.
I don’t like Oreo’s. Love the old fashioned cream pie.
I have never done this before but i used egg whites instead of egg yolks. It didnt taste that bad- its currently setting in the fridge. How badly did i mess up?? Lol
Hi Danielle, I’m not sure how the pastry cream will set up; I can’t believe that it actually thickened for you with the egg whites!
This looks so good!
Izzy
I made this for Pi Day yesterday, and it is terrific! The recipe worked perfectly, and the taste was so o good. I had never made a chocolate cream pie before and I was so happy to have it work so well. The only suggestion I might have would be to let the pastry cream chill for as long as possible, even overnight. The three + hours I had it in the fridge barely got it to a cool state. Not that this bothered anyone!
I made this today, and it was absolutely excellent. The recipe was very easy to follow, and the results were delicious! Definitely a new family favourite. Thanks for the great recipe!
This sounds absolutely amazing! My boyfriend is a huge chocolate lover and is always wishing I would make more chocolate desserts (I am a lemon lover myself). Looks like he’ll be getting his way soon.
Made this recipe twice in the last month, and it’s a huge hit! So delicious and the perfect texture.
This looks great! Thoughts on whether or not this could be doubled (or maybe 1 1/2 batch) and made in a 9 x 13 dish??
Hi Tina, I think you could do that without an issue!
I have made this recipe several times, and they have all turned out awesome. I highly recommend making sure the oreos are grinded up well so the crust stays in tact better. Very rich, you do not need a big slice haha. Whipping cream is a great balance 🙂
OMG! I made this for my husband’s birthday and it was fantastic! Definitely a keeper. The texture was perfect and I even added a splash of Kahlua before chilling just to add an extra touch of zing. Amazing!