This Chocolate Cream Pie with Pudding yields a rich, chocolate pudding filling inside a traditional pie crust topped with sour cream whipped cream and a sneaky layer of chocolate ganache that keeps the crust from getting soggy! I topped my pie with extra chocolate ganache, but chocolate shavings would also be gorgeous. This chocolate pudding pie recipe is completely homemade, but you could make simple swaps like storebought pie crust, instant pudding or cool whip to make it easier.
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I've previously said on this blog that traditional pie crust is my enemy, so I rarely bake pies. I never seem to like how it turns out, so I usually go for a cookie crust or tart crust (all my pie recipes are under my tarts category). But that changed with this easy chocolate cream pie recipe. Plugrà and Taste of Home asked me to develop a pie recipe, and I turned it into my own personal challenge to defeat pie crust. The winning recipe from a multitude of tests was Everyday Pie's Flaky Pie Crust. The folds and ingredient ratio in her recipe make for the flakiest pie crust I've ever been able to make homemade.
Now technically you're not supposed to pair a pie that needs to be refrigerated with a traditional pie crust, because refrigeration changes the texture of the crust. But, using my little ganache bottom trick prevents "soggification" and I think it holds up great. I won't blame you for going with a chocolate cookie crust. I love an oreo crust or a graham cracker crust for a pie.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- The chocolate pudding filling is rich! It's flavored with real chocolate (and LOTS of it.)
- The layer of chocolate ganache to line the crust prevents it from getting soggy.
- The tang from a touch of sour cream in the whipped cream contrasts well with all the sweetness.
Ingredients
- Whole milk is the base of the pie filling. You can also swap for 2%.
- Egg yolks bring structure and richness to the pudding.
- Semisweet chocolate flavors the pie. Use any chocolate you'd like, but I find semisweet the perfect sweetness here.
- Heavy whipping cream adds richness in the ganache and structure to the whipped cream on top.
- Granulated sugar sweetens the pudding, powdered sugar sweetens the whipped cream.
- Corn starch thickens the pudding.
- Unsalted butter adds richness to the pie crust and pudding.
- Kosher salt and vanilla extract balance the overall flavor profile.
- Sour cream adds a touch of tang to the whipped cream.
- Optionally, a touch of unflavored gelatin stabilizes the whipped cream for neater slices.
- If you use Everyday Pie's Flaky Pie Crust recipe you'll also need the pictured apple cider vinegar.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and variations
Here's how to customize this chocolate cream pie with pudding recipe to your liking:
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- Oreo crust — pulverize oreo cookies in a food processor to make a cookie crust in lieu of a traditional pie crust. A buttery graham cracker crust would also be nice.
- No ganache — you can omit the ganache, but the crust may get soggy faster. If you're low on heavy cream, you can just use melted chocolate to coat the bottom of the crust.
- Other garnishes — swap the ganache garnish on top of the pie for chocolate curls (shave a chocolate bar with a vegetable peeler), mini chocolate chips or chocolate sprinkles.
- Instant chocolate pudding — swap the homemade chocolate pudding for instant pudding made with cold milk. You'll need a 3.9 oz package of instant chocolate pudding.
- Espresso powder — add depth to the rich chocolate flavor by adding ½-2 teaspoons of espresso powder to the chocolate pudding. I recommend whisking it into the sugar and cornstarch before adding the egg yolks to avoid clumps.
- No sour cream — omit the sour cream from the whipped cream without issue, or swap for softened cream cheese or mascarpone.
- Stabilized whipped cream — If you want to add gelatin to the whipped cream to stabilize it to make cleaner slices of pie: Combine the 1 teaspoon of gelatin with the 1 tablespoon of cold water. Let sit for 5 minutes. Warm the 3 tablespoon of heavy cream in the microwave until hot. Add the bloomed gelatin to the hot cream and whisk to melt it in. Let cool to room temperature before folding this mixture into the whipped cream. Refrigerate the pie with the cream on top completely before slicing to get sharp slices.
This recipe has not been tested with any substitutions or variations. If you try any, please let me know how it turned out by commenting below!
How to make Chocolate Cream Pie with Pudding Step-By-Step
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 425°F and set out a 9-inch pie pan (metal preferred, but glass will work). Cut out a circle of parchment larger than the pie pan, crumple it up, then smooth it out flat. Roll out the pie dough into a circle larger than the pie pan. Place the dough into the pie pan, trim and crimp the edges. Place the prepared circle of parchment paper inside and fill with pie weights or dry rice or beans. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes before baking. Once in the oven, lower the oven to 400°F and bake for 18-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and remove the parchment with weights. Poke holes in the bottom and return to the oven to finish baking for 5-10 minutes or until the bottom looks crisp. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
Step 2: In a medium bowl, add the chocolate. Warm the cream in a small saucepan until simmering. Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate. Let sit, covered, for 5 minutes before gently stirring until smooth. If all of the chocolate has not melted, heat in 15 second increments in the microwave just until melted.
Step 3: Let cool until room temperature, then pour into the cooled crust to coat the bottom and sides. Reserve a bit of ganache for decorating, if desired. Place the coated crust in the freezer while you make the pudding filling.
Step 4: Add the milk to a medium saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Remove from heat and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch until light yellow and fluffy. Very slowly stream in the warmed milk with a ladle while whisking vigorously to prevent cooking the eggs. Continue slowly adding in the milk until it is all combined. Return the entire mixture to the medium saucepan and place over low heat. Whisk constantly until thickened to a pudding consistency (coats the back of a spoon). This can take 5+ minutes. Turn off the heat. Add the cold butter, chopped chocolate, vanilla and kosher salt. Whisk vigorously until completely melted together. Remove from the heat promptly and transfer to the ganache coated crust. Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface. Place in the refrigerator to cool and set for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Step 5: See notes if you want to add optional gelatin. Otherwise, in the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl with electric beaters, add all of the whipped cream ingredients. Beat until stiff peaks.
Step 6: Pile the cream onto the completely chilled pie, garnish with reserved ganache, chocolate curls or chocolate chips, and serve.
Top tips
- If you want to add gelatin to the whipped cream to stabilize it to make cleaner slices of pie: Combine the 1 teaspoon of gelatin with the 1 tablespoon of cold water. Let sit for 5 minutes. Warm the 3 tablespoon of heavy cream in the microwave until hot. Add the bloomed gelatin to the hot cream and whisk to melt it in. Let cool to room temperature before folding this mixture into the whipped cream. Refrigerate the pie with the cream on top completely before slicing to get sharp slices.
- To turn this into a French silk pie, don't pour the finished pudding into the pie crust. Pour it onto a silicone baking mat or plastic wrap-lined sheet pan to cool quickly in the refrigerator while you whip 1 cup of heavy whipping cream to stiff peaks in a medium bowl. Add the cooled pudding to the whipped cream and fold gently before pouring into the pie crust. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
More recipes you'll love
Lastly, if you make this Chocolate Cream Pie with Pudding recipe be sure to leave a comment or give it a rating. I love to see when people make my recipes, so please tag me @youthsweets on Instagram if you post!
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Cream Pie with Pudding
Equipment
Ingredients
Chocolate ganache
- 5 oz semisweet chocolate I prefer chocolate chips for ganache (150g, ¾ cup)
- ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream (75g)
Chocolate pudding filling
- 2 ½ cups whole milk (645g)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
- 2 tablespoon corn starch (24g)
- 6 egg yolks (95g)
- 6 tablespoon unsalted butter cold, cut in pieces (84g)
- 8 ounces semi sweet chocolate chopped
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt half if using table salt
Sour cream whipped cream
- 1 cup heavy cream chilled (229g)
- ¼ cup sour cream chilled (60g)
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoon powdered sugar (60g)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional whipped cream ingredients (to make cleaner slices, see notes)
- 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
- 1 tablespoon water
- 3 tablespoon heavy cream
Instructions
Do ahead
- The pie crust dough can be made days ahead of time and stored in the fridge until needed.
Bake the crust
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and set out a 9-inch pie pan (metal preferred, but glass will work). Cut out a circle of parchment larger than the pie pan, crumple it up, then smooth it out flat.
- Roll out the pie dough into a circle larger than the pie pan. Place the dough into the pie pan, trim and crimp the edges.
- Place the prepared circle of parchment paper inside and fill with pie weights or dry rice or beans. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes before baking.
- Once in the oven, lower the oven to 400°F and bake for 18-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and remove the parchment with weights. Poke holes in the bottom and return to the oven to finish baking for 5-10 minutes or until the bottom looks crisp. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
Make the chocolate ganache
- In a medium bowl, add the chocolate. Warm the cream in a small saucepan until simmering. Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate. Let sit, covered, for 5 minutes before gently stirring until smooth. If all of the chocolate has not melted, heat in 15 second increments in the microwave just until melted.
- Let cool until room temperature, then pour into the cooled crust to coat the bottom and sides. Reserve a bit of ganache for decorating, if desired. Place the coated crust in the freezer while you make the pudding filling.
Make the chocolate pudding filling
- Add the milk to a medium saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch until light yellow and fluffy. Very slowly stream in the warmed milk with a ladle while whisking vigorously to prevent cooking the eggs. Continue slowly adding in the milk until it is all combined.
- Return the entire mixture to the medium saucepan and place over low heat. Whisk constantly until thickened to a pudding consistency (coats the back of a spoon). This can take 5+ minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Add the cold butter, chopped chocolate, vanilla and kosher salt. Whisk vigorously until completely melted together.
- Remove from the heat promptly and transfer to the ganache coated crust. Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface.
- Place in the refrigerator to cool and set for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Make the whipped cream
- See notes if you want to add optional gelatin. Otherwise, in the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl with electric beaters, add all of the whipped cream ingredients. Beat until soft peaks.
- Pile the cream onto the completely chilled pie, garnish with reserved ganache, chocolate curls or chocolate chips, and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published 8/31/2026.
