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.
MY OTHER RECIPESSo…
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!!
I know it sounds weird but if you use a potato masher for the bottom and press the sides with your fingers you get a perfect hard crust!!
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!
This is the best chocolate pie I have ever tasted. Taste like a creamy candy bar. Well worth the work
This dessert is not very sweet. The pie crust was not firm. You can taste unsweetened chocolate. I eat a lot of dark chocolate. So it was fine for me.
I made this tonight to yield two batches, turned out great even though I had to skip the seive step. I wrapped it and put in the fridge for the night. Hoping the crust doesn’t dry out in fridge by tomorrow evening before I can make the topping. Sigh.
Lover of chocolate cream pie.
Does this recipe stay firm, I don’t want a runny cream pie!
It does! Or it did for me at least. It has such a good texture. Firm, yet creamy.
I made this pie for my best friends anniversary, it’s her favorite pie and I never made one before, but I had no problem following the recipe and it was a huge success!! She told me it was the best chocolate cream pie she ever had and she has had a lot of them, she loved everything about it and can’t stop telling me how great it was!!
I made this recipe, but I needed 7 of them so I increased the recipe X 7. It was very good and got a lot of compliments. Very creamy. didn’t make the whipped cream, used frozen whip cream but all was good.
I made this a few days ago for my family…it is delicious! Thanks for the perfect chocolate cream pie recipe…it will become a tradition around here 👍👍👍👍👍
Crumbly crust: why couldn’t you just double the butter, would that help it to hold better?
Hi Jan, My crust wasn’t crumbly at all, but more butter would help bind it better. You left the filling in the Oreo cookies, right?
My daughter requested a chocolate cream pie for Thanksgiving this year. I found this recipe online and decided to give it a try. It was a huge success! Everyone loved the pie. I had to tweak it a little due to not having half and half and the 1 oz of unsweetened chocolate. I took the tip to mix 1/2 heavy cream and 1/2 milk and I found online that for ever oz of unsweetened chocolate you mix 1 T of unsalted butter with 1 T of cocoa. I also used a flaky pastry crust instead of the crushed oreos because I didn’t have any oreos and to make a pie crust is pretty simple. Do not ruin this pie by using a frozen pie crust. Next time I’ll be prepared. This pie is excellent and so worth all the steps and time! There was a couple of slices left the next morning and it tasted even better than the day before, if that’s even possible. If you’re looking for an excellent chocolate cream pie than this is the one.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this pie, definitely my very favorite chocolate cream pie!
Y U M M M M M!!! This looks absolutely delicious! Can’t wait to try it! I’m sure my Kids love them :)
Out of curiosity, what would happen if I used heavy cream instead of half-and-half for the chocolate filling?
Hi Tay, It will be a bit richer. If you don’t have half-and-half, you could always do half heavy cream and half whole milk.
I’d like this to be served at the in-law’s house (15 minute drive) in the afternoon/early evening on Christmas Day. I fear I won’t have much time in the 24-36hrs beforehand, so what’s my best course for making it a few days ahead of time and storing / transporting it? Make the filling, cover and store in fridge until Christmas morning, then make the crust that morning, fill & add whipped cream? Or should I make the whole thing at once and store it in the fridge for like 48hrs? I don’t want it turning gross. Freezer? I’m stumped.
Hi Tyler, You could definitely assemble everything but the topping (crust and filling) up to two full days in advance and refrigerate it, with plastic wrap pressed against the filling (basically go through step #3). I would make the whipped cream fresh that morning, top the pie, and then you can keep it in the refrigerator until you need to leave. Enjoy! :)
I was a little intimidated by the steps in this recipe at first, so I pre-portioned everything out and had it handy. It was actually surprisingly easy to make and SO worth it. You weren’t kidding about the standing over it with a fork part! It was the only pie to be 100% eaten at Christmas this year! I definitely gave myself a little pat on the back for that. Haha
This makes a delicious pie! However, this is definitely a recipe that you must read several times all the way thru and do mis en place prior to starting. I actually mixed the corn starch and sugar and had the yolks beaten in a med bowl prior to putting the 1/2 and 1/2 on the stove. Once it starts to simmer things are fast and furious and you’ll have no time to be measuring things out or separating eggs, etc:….scrumptious and easy (if you plan).
Made this chocolate pie and got rave reviews. I did use a regular pie crust since I had all the other ingredients except the Oreo cookies. This was a huge success at a recent diner party and my husband made a comment to never lose this recipe, he loved it that much. It was also so velvety and dense but just the right mix! Again my favorite chocolate cream pie recipe, so much better than pudding style. Another 5 star recipe.
Ok – let’s just start with the statement that this pie is delicious. Seriously delicious – as in the best ever! We were meeting our daughter’s future in-laws on Christmas Eve and I was asked to bring a couple pies. My daughter asked for one of them to be a chocolate cream pie, but I have never been a fan of the pudding style chocolate pies. I knew when I read the recipe that this was more of what I wanted. So I broke the cardinal rule and made a brand new, untested (by me) recipe for an important event. I didn’t have anything to worry about as this pie was fantastic and a big time hit. I used Michelle’s suggestion on how to make it ahead. I put the crust together and baked it a day in advance, as well as the chocolate filling. I left the filling in a bowl with saran wrap pressed against the filling. Then on Christmas Eve I spooned the filling into the crust, made the whipped cream and spread it on. It was several hours before we actually ate the pie, but nothing was soggy and the whipped cream held beautifully. My only issues were with the crust – it was difficult to get out of the pan and very crumbly. Kind of a mess. It certainly didn’t impact the taste, but it wasn’t as “pretty” when served. Not sure how I will solve this problem. When I make this again I will use bittersweet chocolate instead of semi-sweet for a little more intense flavor. This is a rich, special occasion pie, but one I look forward to making again.
This was without a doubt the best chocolate cream pie I’ve ever had!!! Pastry cream for the win! Thanks for the recipe!
I made this last night and it was delicious! I added a heaping teaspoon of cocoa powder for additional chocolate flavor. I made a regular pastry crust which gave the pie that “diner” taste. I will try making the oreo crust next time. I LOVE making a pastry cream instead of the normal pudding!! Thank you!
I’ve always been intimidated by pastry cream so I never tried to make it. I’m making this pie in parts since my guests won’t be here for 2 more days. I made the pastry cream today with TOTAL SUCCESS! Your step by step instructions were perfect. I had every step measured and ready to go. No problems whatsoever and the taste is incredibly rich and fudgy.The intimidating part is done. I am so proud to say That I can now make pastry cream. I even sent a picture of it to my sister, who is the baker in the family. The oreo crust and whipped cream will be a breeze.Thank you for this recipe. It was well written and easy to follow. It’s a keeper!
I just made this. It is the BEST chocolate pie I have ever had!!! And I’ve had a lot :) Everyone asked me for the recipe!
Made this recipe for Thanksgiving (thinking about making it again for Easter!). I bought an oreo crust instead of making one but otherwise I followed the directions exactly. It turned out perfect! Delicious, chocolaty, smooth, rich, everyone loved it. 10/10 would recommend and make it again.
Hi! Did you use semi or bitter chocolate in this one? I am on the fence!
Hi Carolyn, I used semisweet!
Great…thank you!
What do you find is the best method for chocolate curls?
Hi Carolyn, I use the Ghiradelli baking bars and use a swivel-style vegetable peeler to “peel” curls off the side of the bar. I hope that makes sense and helps!
Yes, that makes sense….do you leave at room temperature, warm or cool? Thank you!
Hi Carolyn, I keep the pie in the refrigerator. Enjoy! :)
Delicious Skip the crust and just have the chocolate cream!,,,