Chocolate Cream Pie

A magnificent Chocolate Cream Pie with a classic Oreo cookie base, a soft and creamy custard-like filling and topped with clouds of cream. When you see how easy this is to make, you won’t ever be tempted to use a shortcut version again. After all, if we’re going to make a chocolate pie, let’s do it right! 🙂

“You have to take it!” I said urgently to my friend. “I can’t have this in the house!”

“But I’m going sugar free this month,” my Chocoholic friend said, her resolve weakening at the mere mention of a homemade Chocolate Cream Pie. “What are you doing to me??”

“You can afford it more than me. Besides, you can work it off doing cross country training with [your son]. I’m still working off calorie credits from Japan!”, I exclaimed (in reference to my recent trip to Japan which was, as always, a whirlwind food tour).

This is no exaggeration and it is no joke. I have serious self control issues around homemade baked goods. I never buy cakes or bars or even muffins in my normal day to day life. I never have. I just never feel the urge.

But put any homemade baked good in front of me and it’s all over.

Thus, this Chocolate Cream Pie. Out, out, out. Get it out of my house!

This slice you see in the photos? Inhaled in 2 seconds after the last shot was taken. Inhaled. There is no other way to describe how quickly it disappeared.

There are tons of shortcut recipes for chocolate pies around on the internet. Whether made with Cool Whip (Australia, we don’t have this and I hope we never do, it’s an artificial thickened “cream” filling), or marshmallows (too sweet for my taste), or a simple ganache filling (which is very dense and very rich), if you do a search you’ll find plenty of versions.

For me, I believe that there are some things that should be done right. And if you’re going to make a homemade Chocolate Cream Pie – let’s make the best one we can!

This pie is all about the filling. That soft, delicate, custard-like chocolate filling. If you want to get real fancy, in actual fact, it’s a creme patissiere. The fancy sounding yet surprisingly simple French custard that you see contestants in reality cooking shows frantically stressing about making silky smooth and thick, rather than gritty and runny.

I’m sorry, but I don’t get it. It’s not hard to make. Not if you follow the very few simple steps required to make it! And I’ve made a little video for you so you can see how easy it truly is. 🙂

Oops. I spy an unmelted bit of chocolate in the pour shot below. ? See, I’m just a normal person in the kitchen. Chubby little Baby Hands and making mistakes all the time! 🙂

Some people may question why I use a biscuit base rather than making my own dough. And the 100% truth is that I prefer this pie made with biscuits. Oreos, to be exact.

The crust is more crumbly (but holds together when sliced) and more chocolatey than any pie crust I can make. And it’s the perfect pairing to that creamy, soft, delicate, chocolate custard filling.

Describing this Chocolate Cream Pie is killing me.

I wonder if my friend has any left….? ?

Happy weekend! It’s raining and miserable here in Sydney, never stopped after I came back from Japan (I brought it back with me) and apparently we have another 3 weeks of it to go. Most people hate it. Me? I’m actually loving it. Cloudy days are fantastic for photography – te he he!! – Nagi xx

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Chocolate Cream Pie

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4.94 from 29 votes

This is a magnificent yet surprisingly straight forward pie that can be made days in advance of serving. A biscuit base, filled with a soft chocolate custard-type filling and topped with clouds of cream, this is a pie that will steal the show! REQUIRES 12 HRS REFRIGERATION.

Prep Time:25 minutes

Cook Time:25 minutes

Total Time:55 minutes

Servings:8

Hover over "Servings" value to reveal recipe scaler

Course:Dessert

Ingredients

Crust:

• 25 Oreo biscuits, whole with filling in tact (244g / 8.5 oz) (Note 1)
• 5 tbsp/ 60g butter, melted

Filling:

• 1/4 cup / 40g cornflour / cornstarch
• 2/3 cup / 145g white sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 2 cups / 500 ml milk (whole or reduced fat, not zero fat)
• 1 cup / 250 ml cream (pouring or thickened/heavy), or sub with milk (Note 2)
• 4 egg yolks
• 2 tbsp / 30g unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 150g/ 5 oz dark 70% cocoa or bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces or chopped
• 75g/ 3 oz milk chocolate (if not buttons, chop or break into pieces)

Topping

• 1 1/2 cups / 375ml thickened / heavy cream for whipping
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• Chocolate for shaving

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
• Cut a round piece of baking / parchment paper, the size of the pie dish (to cover filling).

Crust:

• Place biscuits in a food processor and whizz into crumbs. Or place in ziplock bag and bash with rolling pin or heavy cans. Pour into bowl, add butter and mix.
• Pour into a 23cm / 9" pie dish, spread crumbs out across base. Use wooden spoon to press into sides (see video) and something flat to press into base.
• Bake for 10 minutes, then allow to cool.

Filling (see video, it's helpful):

• Place cornflour, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan. Whisk to combine.
• Add milk, cream and yolks. Whisk to combine.
• Turn heat onto medium low (or low for strong gas stoves). As the mixture warms up, whisk regularly, but not constantly.
• After around 3 minutes, you'll feel the mixture thicken. Start to whisk constantly.
• When the mixture starts bubbling (around 4 min), whisk constantly for 45 seconds then take it off the stove.
• Whisk for a further 1 minute. Add butter, chocolate and vanilla. Whisk until chocolate melts and filling is smooth.

Assembling

• Pour filling into pie shell, smooth surface. Gently place round baking paper on surface. Refrigerate for 12+ hours.
• Remove paper. Poke to ensure it's set - should feel like a set custard.
• Whip cream. Spread cream over top of pie.
• Optional: Use a knife to make chocolate shavings or grate chocolate directly over the top of the pie.
• Serve, and feel like Martha Stewart!

Recipe Notes:

1. You will need 2 standard Oreo packets. There are 14 in each packet so you'll use all of one packet and all but 3 in the 2nd packet.

2. I like to add cream into the filling because it makes it just that touch more creamy and rich however, most chocolate custards / creme patissieres are made with just milk. So you can just use milk if you wish - the filling may take 30 seconds or so longer to thicken.

3. Australia: Plaistow from the supermarkets is fine, US: Ghirardelli is great.

4. This pie will keep for around 3 days, then I notice the base starts softening a bit.

5. I make this with a combination of dark and milk chocolate because the dark provides that intense chocolate flavour and the milk lightens the colour of the filling so it contrasts with the dark crust. You could make this entirely with milk or dark chocolate - works fine with both (white chocolate will work but is sweeter so I would find it's too sweet for my taste).

While I encourage you to use good quality chocolate, this recipe works just fine with any baking chocolate. Use chocolate purchased from the baking aisle, not eating chocolate. Eating chocolate doesn't melt as well (I learned the hard way when I first started baking!).

AUSTRALIA: Some brands (Nestle and Cadbury) label cooking chocolate as "Melts" and "Baking Chips". You need to use the Melts because they...errr, well, they melt. 🙂 The Chips are created especially for things like choc chip cookies and muffins so they keep their form after baking rather than melting.  If the packet doesn't specify either (like Plaistow), it will be a melting chocolate.

6. Chocolate Cream Pie nutrition per serving (8 servings - quite generous!)

Nutrition

Serving: 173gCalories: 530kcal

Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats or leave me a comment & rating below.

WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT

Chocolate Cream Pie recipe video! Nice close up of Baby Hands in this one – no laughing!

LIFE OF DOZER

Not just food photos that Dozer photobombs….. This is a magnificent sun rise we had earlier this week. Once a year thing. Pretty, isn’t it?

PS What’s with the word “magnificent” today?? I can’t stop.

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