My old-fashioned chocolate pie recipe is rich, silky, and easy to make from scratch. It has a buttery homemade pie crust filled with thick and creamy chocolate custard, topped with fluffy whipped cream and chocolate shavings for the ultimate chocolate lover’s dessert!

For another delicious variation of this recipe, try my chocolate pudding pie with a graham cracker crust. You might also love this classic French silk pie.

Close up of a slice of chocolate pie with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Today’s creamy chocolate pie recipe is one of my favorite holiday desserts. It has a buttery pie crust that’s par-baked and then filled with a rich dark chocolate custard. Afterward, I top this pie with fluffy homemade whipped cream and chocolate shavings. When you get the flaky crust, silky chocolate, and whipped cream together in one bite, it’s simply the best.

Like my old-fashioned coconut cream pie, this no-bake chocolate pie is surprisingly simple to make. It’s perfect for Christmas, potlucks, and any occasion that calls for a decadent but easy dessert. I’ll show you how to prepare the chocolate filling from scratch. You’ll be whipping up this pie for gatherings in no time.

About This Chocolate Pie Recipe

Simple ingredients. You need only 7 basic ingredients for the chocolate custard. I make this chocolate pie without egg yolks and without gelatin. The filling is incredibly fuss-free and easy to work with.
Minimal prep. You’ll cook the filling on the stovetop, then pour it into a blind-baked pie crust.
Rich, silky texture. The chocolate custard is rich and smooth while staying thick and sliceable. With the buttery pie crust on the bottom and fluffy whipped cream on top, the contrast of textures is totally mouthwatering.
Chocolatey flavor. Melted dark chocolate gives this pie an unbelievably deep chocolate flavor that I have yet to find in another chocolate pie recipe.

Ingredients for chocolate pie on a marble counter.

Ingredient Notes

Here’s a quick look at what you’ll need to make a chocolate pie, including your choice of homemade or store-bought pie crust. Scroll down to the recipe card for printable recipe details and instructions.

Pie Crust – This recipe calls for one 9-inch pie crust, prepared and blind-baked. See below.
Cocoa Powder – You can use natural unsweetened cocoa powder in the filling, or Dutch-processed cocoa powder if you prefer a deeper color and fudgier flavor.
Whole Milk – I make this chocolate pie without evaporated milk, and I use whole milk instead. The super-silky texture of the custard relies on the high fat content, so I don’t recommend replacing whole milk with a lighter kind.
Dark Chocolate – I use Ghirardelli 60% Cocoa as it’s readily available. I’ve also tested this recipe with a Baker’s Chocolate Semi-Sweet baking bar, standard Hershey’s Bar, and chocolate chips. The higher quality chocolate you use, the smoother it will melt and the better your chocolate custard will be. If you prefer a less intense chocolate taste, I recommend using a Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar.
Crisco Shortening – To melt with additional chocolate, which you’ll spread over parchment paper and let cool before chopping it into thin shards. This is an easy way to make homemade chocolate shavings! Alternatively, you can use a vegetable peeler and carefully pull shavings from a chocolate bar.
Heavy Whipping Cream – You’ll whip heavy cream with powdered sugar to make the whipped topping. You could also top this pie with Cool Whip as a semi-homemade shortcut.

You’ll Need to Blind-Bake the Pie Crust

I use my easy crust recipe as the base for this chocolate pie. Since you won’t be baking the custard filling for this pie, you’ll need to bake the pie crust separately before you fill it, using a method called blind-baking or par-baking.

In a nutshell, you’ll fill your pie crust with pie weights, and then bake it at 375ºF for about 20 minutes, for a full blind-bake.

My pie crust post (linked above) includes instructions for blind-baking, or you can refer to my in-depth tutorial on how to blind-bake a pie crust that takes you through it, step-by-step. If you’re using a store-bought pie crust, you’ll need to follow the baking directions on the package.

How to Make Chocolate Pie

Once you’ve prepared and baked a 9-inch pie crust in a deep dish pie plate, you’re ready to make your chocolate pie. Follow these steps to whip up the creamy pie filling from scratch.

Prepare your ingredients. Chop the chocolate ahead of time and have your sieve and bowl ready to go. Once the milk starts to bubble, the custard comes together very quickly.
Heat the dry ingredients. First, in a medium saucepan, combine the flour, sugar, and cocoa powder and whisk together. Heat for 2 minutes on medium to medium-low heat, whisking occasionally while the dry ingredients toast in the pan.
Add the milk. Slowly whisk the milk into the dry mixture. Press the whisk into the bottom edges of the saucepan to break up any clumps.
Cook to a boil. Continue whisking the custard until it starts to thicken and lightly bubble, approximately 10-15 minutes. The mixture will start to coat the outside of the pan as it thickens. This step is important! Ensure it’s thickened enough before moving on to the next step. Otherwise, your custard won’t set properly.
Add the chopped chocolate. Slowly add the chocolate to the milk mixture, and continue whisking until completely melted. Cook for 2-5 minutes, ensuring the custard is bubbling and thick, stirring occasionally.

Cooking dry ingredients with milk in a pot. — Combine and cook the filling ingredients.

Adding chocolate with a whisk. — Combine and cook the filling ingredients.

Add butter and vanilla. Now, remove the custard from the heat. Whisk in vanilla extract and butter until they’re melted and combined.
Strain the custard. Strain the custard through a fine sieve three times, rinsing the sieve in between each time. This may seem excessive, but I promise the triple-strain is worth it. This will prevent your custard from having a grainy texture. Don’t skip it!
Cool. Lastly, pour the chocolate custard into a heat-proof bowl. Cover the filling with clear plastic wrap (placing it directly against the surface of the custard), then poke a few holes in the plastic wrap with a toothpick. Allow the custard to cool on the counter for at least 1 hour, then move it to the fridge for 2-4 hours until the custard is chilled and set.

Whisking butter and vanilla into the chocolate mixture. — Add butter and vanilla.

Chocolate pie filling in a glass bowl ready to chill. — Add butter and vanilla.

Assemble the Pie

Allow the pie filling and baked crust to cool completely. Then, fill your prepared flaky crust:

Fill the pie crust. Pour the chilled custard into your prepared pie crust, and spread it evenly.
Add the whipped topping. Top your chocolate pie with homemade whipped cream and chocolate shavings as desired.

Homemade chocolate pie topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings in a white pie plate.

Important Recipe Notes

Use a high-quality dark chocolate bar. Chocolate bars melt down so much smoother and are less oily than chocolate chips. You’ll want to use high quality chocolate, similar to what you’d use to make chocolate ganache.
Strain the custard. It’s important to catch the clumps of dry ingredients that did not dissolve. I strain the custard 3 times, rinsing the sieve in between. Do not scrape the bottom of your saucepan, those clumps that are sticking to the bottom are no good.
Cool the custard before pouring it in your pie crust. Let it chill in the fridge for a good 2-4 hours, or even overnight. This prevents a soggy pie crust.
Cover the top of the warm custard with Saran Wrap. This prevents a skin from forming on top of the chocolate pie filling. Use a toothpick to poke a few holes, allowing some of the air and condensation to escape.

Old-fashioned chocolate pie topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings in a pie plate, with a large slice missing.

Why Didn’t My Chocolate Pie Set?

If your chocolate custard did not set, even after chilling overnight, it could be because it wasn’t cooked for long enough. If you’ve prepared your filling using the specified ingredients and cooked it properly, your pie filling should set up without a hitch. Some quick troubleshooting tips:

The custard must be thickened at two stages. Once when the dry ingredients are incorporated into the milk, and again after the chocolate is added. Each time, the mixture should be bubbling and thick. You’ll also notice in the first stage that the mixture is starting to coat the outside of your saucepan.
Chill the filling thoroughly afterward. The chocolate custard will need a few hours to set fully. I let it sit on the counter for about an hour until it’s partially cooled, and then I refrigerate the filling for another 2-4 hours before pouring it into the pie shell.

A slice of chocolate pie covered in whipped cream and chocolate, with a forkful missing.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Refrigerate. Once you’ve assembled the pie, it needs to be kept in the refrigerator. Ideally, it should be covered in an airtight container or with plastic wrap. This is best when served within 3 days of preparation. I don’t recommend freezing custard pies.
Make-ahead. This homemade chocolate pie keeps very well in the refrigerator, although I suggest adding the whipped cream right before serving. You can make the custard the day before you make the crust and then pour it into your crust when it’s ready. The custard will be thick and set, but it will still spread with a spatula.

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