Meet Ladd's All-Time Favorite Dessert: Chocolate Pie (2024)

Whenever my husband, the one I call Marlboro Man, imagines chocolate pie—and he imagines it frequently, because it's one of his favorite chocolate desserts—he doesn't think of French silk pie or chocolate chiffon pie or chocolate chess pie or chocolate meringue pie orany other variation. He thinks of this one. This is just a good ol' basic, can't-go-wrong, everyone-loves-it, super-easy-to-make, been-around-forever pie recipe with a chocolate pudding filling, and my beloved could seriously eat a slice every day of his life and never get bored.

I could too, I might add.

And speaking of that: This pie is always one of those things that drives home to me the differences between Marlboro Man and me, and let me explain: In no universe would he ever, ever consider adorning his chocolate pie with anything. Not whipped cream, not meringue,not fruit, not nuts, not sauces… nothing. To him, that would mar the beautiful simplicity of this luscious dessert and he sees absolutely no logical reason for it.I, on the other hand, will keep adding stuff to the top of my chocolate pie until my fridge is empty, my pantry is cleanedout, and the cows come home.Differences make the world go 'round! Make this pie as a Valentine's Day dessert for your very on Marlboro Man or woman orbring it to your next church potluck or family gathering. The most important part about making chocolate pie is that you eat leftovers for breakfast the next day.Don't listen to that last part.

What ingredients are in chocolate pie?

The crust is just a basic pie crust. You can use your favorite homemade pie crust (I use the Perfect Pie Crust recipe sent to me by my friend, dear reader Sylvia), or, if you're in a pinch, a store-bought crust works just fine. if you really want to go wild, you can even use an Oreo or graham cracker crust. Yum!

The fillingis nothing more than chocolate pudding—areally good homemade chocolate pudding that'sfudgy, rich, andsilky smooth. It's made with sugar, a little cornstarch, whole milk, egg yolks, vanilla, butter, and the star of the show, bittersweet chocolate. You make the filling on your stovetop and pour itinto the baked (and cooled) pie crust. Then it goes into the fridge to set up.

Is bittersweet chocolate the same as semisweet?

They aren't the same, but you can use semisweet chocolate in this pie if that's what you have. Bittersweet chocolate has around 70% cacao and semisweet has about 60%. Semisweet chocolate will make for a slightly sweeter pie. I've made this pie with both and it works just fine. I like the deeper flavor of bittersweet chocolatewhich is why I use it most often.

What size pie plate do you use for chocolate pie?

The filling makes enough for a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Deep-dish pie plates areabout2 to 2 1/2 inches deep whereas regular 9-inch pie plates have a depth of1 1/2 inches. You can certainly use a regular ol' pie plate for this, but prepared to have some leftover filling. Just divide the filling into somelittle ramekins or bowls and refrigerate it.

How long is chocolate pie good for?

It'll stay good for about three days in the fridge, covered in plastic wrap.

How do you thicken chocolate pie filling?

I add in a little cornstarch to help thicken up the filling. The egg yolks help give it structure, too! When you're making the filling, though, don't stop cooking it after 6 to 8 minutes if it's not yet thick. Every stove is different! For some people and their stoves, it can take 20 minutes to thicken. Keep cooking it until the mixture is thick like pudding to avoid a soupy filling. You must also let it chillin the fridge for at least 4 hoursbefore slicing. It needs time to completely cool and set up.

What can you top chocolate pie with?

If you're like me and love toppings, whipped cream, fresh raspberries or strawberries, a drizzle of hot fudge sauce (or even caramel sauce),chopped pecans or walnuts would be divine! If you're like Ladd, nothing at all and that's okay, too.