Chocolate Cream Pie

Here’s a recipe for a classic and easy to make Chocolate Cream Pie topped with fresh whipped cream and shaved chocolate.

Baking a chocolate cream pie is an especially good idea for a number of reasons:

1. Chocolate Cream Pie is an incredibly easy pie to make, even if you’re not the best pie baker.
2. It’s a good recipe to cross off the ‘ol bucket list.
3. Adults love it as much as kids do.
4. It’s chocolate (duh). And it’s a nice change from traditional apple pie.
5. It’s impressive.  It looks like you did something amazing.
6. People will think you bought it at a bakery (or one of those pie restaurants).

Ingredients Needed:

• pie crust
• granulated white sugar
• all purpose flour
• cornstarch
• salt
• whole milk
• egg yolks
• unsweetened chocolate
• butter
• vanilla extract
• heavy whipping cream
• powdered sugar
• chocolate bar

How to make Chocolate Cream Pie:

The complete, printable recipe is at the end of this post.

1. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt.
2. In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the milk and egg yolks. Gradually whisk the milk/eggs into the saucepan to combine with the sugar mixture. Turn heat to medium and continue to whisk the mixture until the mixture thickens. This is the bummer part because it will take about 15 minutes. Just keep stirring gently (or put a kid on the task to stir for you), until the mixture comes to a full boil and has thickened to the consistency in the photo shown (pudding-like). Remove the pan from heat and stir in the chocolate, butter and vanilla. Whisk until the chocolate is fully incorporated.
3. Pour the chocolate custard into the baked pie shell. Set it aside to cool completely. If serving same day, whip the cream with the powdered sugar and spread it on top of the chocolate layer. Shave curls of chocolate onto the whipped cream. Refrigerate for several hours until ready to serve. If serving tomorrow, place plastic wrap over the pie, then add the whipped cream and shaved chocolate the next day, at least an hour before serving.

About store-bought pie crust:

I’m not afraid to buy the store-bought crust, by the way.  I certainly take the time to make homemade pie crust once in a while, but in a pinch I will buy the store-bought stuff.  It’s decent enough to use sometimes.

Helpful tools for baking pies:

• I sometimes use a traditional pyrex pie plate, but this one is nicer, and this one is super cute!
• Pie crusts shields are a must for making sure the edges don’t burn.
• Pie weights are helpful for making sure the crust doesn’t bubble up in the middle.
• And a pastry blender is helpful if you are making a homemade crust.

How to add chocolate curls:

To shave the chocolate bar: I like to soften up the chocolate a little bit before shaving. I just place it on a paper towel and microwave it for about 5 seconds. Then take a potato peeler and shave the edges of the bar to gather some shavings onto the top of the whipped cream.

Here are a few final reasons why Chocolate Cream Pie is an especially good idea:

• You don’t even have to bother with a homemade crust if you don’t want to.
• Because everyone you serve this to will love you forever.
• And finally:   You can’t stop eating it (wait… maybe that’s not such an incredibly good idea, after all)!