Rich and Creamy Chocolate Cream Pie

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This Chocolate Cream Pie is a whipped cream cheese and chocolate filling in a flaky crust, and apart from blind-baking the shell it never sees the oven. No egg yolks, no tempering, no custard on the stove — an electric mixer and four hours in the fridge. It's the same trick behind my Butterfinger Pie.

A slice of chocolate cream pie on a plate.

It's a holiday pie that doesn't need the oven, which matters on a day when the oven is the bottleneck. Make it the morning of, or the night before. The topping is Homemade Cool Whip if you want to make your own, or two containers of the store-bought kind if you don't.

Quick Look: Chocolate Cream Pie

  • ⏱️ Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • 🕒 Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes
  • 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Servings: 8
  • 📊 Calories: ~652 kcal per serving
  • 🥣 Ingredients: Pie crust, heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, cream cheese, cocoa powder, butter, semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • Difficulty: Easy — no-bake apart from the crust, but it needs four hours to set

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Ingredients Needed

A photo of all of the ingredients for chocolate cream pie
  • Pie crust: Store-bought is fine, or use my Homemade Pie Crust. Either way it gets baked and cooled completely before the filling goes in — warm crust and cream cheese don't mix. Heavy cream: This becomes the whipped cream, and it does double duty — some folds into the filling, the rest goes on top. Store-bought Cool Whip works instead if you'd rather not whip it.
  • Cream cheese: Full-fat, and properly softened. Cold cream cheese leaves lumps you can't whip out later.
  • Cocoa powder and semi-sweet chocolate chips: Both, not one or the other. The cocoa carries the color and the bitterness, the melted chips carry the richness.

How To Make Chocolate Cream Pie

A pie crust baked and whipped cream made in another bowl.
  • Step 1: Prepare your pie crust and bake as directed.
  • Step 2: Whip up the softened cream cheese in a large bowl.
Pie filling mixed in a bowl and butter and chocolate chips melted in another.
  • Step 3: Add in your dry ingredients and mix until combined.
  • Step 4: Melt your butter and chocolate chips in the microwave.
Chocolate pie filling mixed in a bowl and whipped cream folded in.
  • Step 5: Pour the melted chocolate into the chocolate pie filling.
  • Step 6: Fold in the whipped cream. Spread the filling into the cooled pie crust and chill.
A whole chocolate cream pie with chocolate shavings on top.

Recipe Tips

  • Let the crust cool completely. Filling a warm crust softens the cream cheese, and the pie won't set as firm.
  • Don't over-fold the whipped cream. Fold until you stop seeing streaks and stop there. Every extra stroke knocks air out, and the air is what makes it a cream pie instead of a ganache.
  • Use pie weights or dried beans when baking your crust. It prevents the crust from forming air pockets and bubbling up.
  • Make sure your cream cheese is softened so there are no little bits of cream cheese.
  • I usually make my own whipped cream. But two containers of Cool Whip can also be used.
  • Let the pie set up for about 4 hours before serving.
A slice of chocolate cream pie on a plate with a bite out of it.

Recipe FAQ's

Can I use a different type of crust?

I used a store-bought pie crust. If you prefer to make your own homemade pie crust, you certainly can. A graham cracker crust or Oreo cookie crust would also be fantastic

Can I freeze this pie?

Yes, I prefer to leave the whipped topping off until ready to serve. Let the pie set up as directed in the refrigerator.
Then cover with a piece of plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil and freeze for up to three months. Simply thaw in the refrigerator and add the whipped topping and chocolate shavings before serving.

How far ahead can I make it?

It needs four hours in the fridge minimum, so the night before is ideal.

Do I have to make my own whipped cream?

No. Two containers of store-bought Cool Whip work in place of the homemade whipped cream.

Why didn't my pie set?

Usually the crust went in warm, or the whipped cream was over-folded and lost its air. Both leave the filling looser than it should be.

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Chocolate cream pie on a plate.

Rich and Creamy Chocolate Cream Pie

4.44 from 397 votes
Written By: Wendie Williams
This Rich and Creamy Chocolate Cream Pie is mind blowing! So easy you won’t ever be tempted to get one from the store again.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 20 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 652

Equipment

Ingredients
  

Whipped Cream

  • 3 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 1/3 cup powdered sugar

Chocolate filling

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 4 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 ( 8oz) pkg cream cheese softened
  • 3 cups prepared whipped cream the rest will go on top

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Instructions
 

  • Bake pie crust according to package directions. (Poke several holes in the crust with a fork or add dried beans or pie weights to the crust before baking and remove them after the crust has cooled.)

For The Whipped Topping

  • In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, whip 3 cups heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar on high until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. Chill until ready to use. (This should make 5-6 cups of whipped cream)
  • In a large bowl using an electric mixer beat the softened cream cheese, cocoa powder, and powdered sugar until smooth. Set aside.
  • In a small bowl add the chocolate chips and butter, microwave for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave again for 15-second increments until melted.
  • Using the electric mixer mix in the melted chocolate, and 3 cups of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until combined.
  • Spread chocolate filling into pie crust. Refrigerate for 4 hours. Spread the remaining whipped cream on top.
  • Garnish with chocolate shavings.

Video

Notes

Use pie weights or dried beans when baking your crust to prevent air bubbles. Or you can poke several holes in the crust with a fork.
Make sure your cream cheese is softened so it blends smoothly.
If you don't want to make your own whipped cream, you can use two containers of store-bought Cool Whip.
Let the pie sit for about 4 hours before serving.
Store leftovers in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 652kcalCarbohydrates: 51gProtein: 6gFat: 50gSaturated Fat: 29gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 117mgSodium: 115mgPotassium: 270mgFiber: 4gSugar: 35gVitamin A: 1496IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 81mgIron: 2mg
Did You Make This Recipe?Please leave a comment below or pin it to your Pinterest account!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
4.44 from 397 votes (387 ratings without comment)

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