Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: Rich chocolate flavor that’s perfectly balanced without being overpowering. The buttery graham cracker crust and the homemade whipped cream balance the pie out beautifully.
Texture: The crust is buttery and crunchy, while the filling is creamy, thick, and firm enough to hold its shape. I just love the contrast between the two!
Ease: Easy – the pudding just needs 10 minutes of babysitting on the stovetop. The hardest part is waiting for the pie to chill and set before you can cut yourself a slice.
Pros: One of my favorite recipes.
Cons: None!
Would I make this again? I’ve made this countless times!
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This Chocolate Pudding Pie is truly one of my all-time favorite desserts.
I first tried this pie when I was about 10 years old when a family member made a version for Thanksgiving. Ever since then, it’s been something I crave again and again.
These days, this pie always features on my Thanksgiving dessert table, along with my super-popular Peanut Butter Pie, my crowd-pleasing Pecan Pie, and my Caramel Apple Streusel Pie. It’s perfect for Friendsgiving, too!
The slightly crunchy, buttery graham cracker crust is so delicious with the rich, creamy pudding filling. Add homemade whipped cream or even vanilla ice cream for the best dessert ever.
Reader Love
Loved this pie…chocolate-y but not too chocolate-y! Sweet, but not too sweet. Perfect! When I need a feel good chocolate fix, this will be my go-to recipe.
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It’s so crowd-pleasing that it’s also a great dessert after a Sunday dinner with the family or a summer cookout with friends. Whether you grew up enjoying Chocolate Pie or not, I hope you’ll give this easy pie recipe a try!
Sprinkle of Science
How to Make Chocolate Pudding Pie
Do I Have to Use Graham Crackers? Easy Crust Variations
I love this pie with a graham cracker crust, but feel free to change it up and use:
- Chocolate Teddy Grahams or chocolate graham crackers (follow the crust ingredients & instructions in this recipe)
- Oreo crust (follow the crust ingredients & instructions in this recipe)
- Biscoff cookies (follow the crust ingredients & instructions in this recipe)
- Or use a single batch of my Best Ever Pie Crust
What Type of Chocolate for Chocolate Pudding Pie?
- I always use bittersweet baking chocolate bars (60% cacao) and chop them myself.
- Bittersweet chocolate ensures plenty of deep, rich chocolate flavor, without adding too much sweetness.
- Feel free to use semisweet chocolate instead, but note that this will make the pie a little sweeter.
- I don’t recommend using chocolate chips, as they won’t melt as nicely.
The Cocoa Powder
I use unsweetened cocoa powder (also known as natural cocoa powder) in this pie. You can alternatively use Dutch-processed since there’s no leavening agent in this recipe. Learn more about Natural Cocoa vs. Dutch Process Cocoa Powder here.
Is There a Gelatin Substitute?
The gelatin is a crucial part of this pie and helps it set perfectly. I have not found any substitutions that work as well.
Can I Make This Pie Dairy-Free?
Yes! I have successfully made dairy-free version by substituting the butter with coconut oil and replacing the cow’s milk with almond milk. The non-dairy version definitely wasn’t as rich and only lasted 1 day before it started weeping, but it was still a delicious pie!
What Type of Pie Pan is Best?
Use a 9-inch pie plate for this pie. Any material pie pan will work just fine for this pie, since we’re only baking the crust. Check out my Best Pie Pan article here for all my pie pan experiments and recommendations.
How to Serve Chocolate Pudding Pie
I have included my recipe and instructions for making homemade whipped cream, which is the perfect topping for this pie. Feel free to instead serve with vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce, homemade chocolate sauce, toffee bits, or whatever your heart desires.
How Long Does Chocolate Pudding Pie Last?
Without whipped cream, this pie will keep for 2 days. Avoid adding the whipped cream until shortly before serving for best results.
How to Store:
Once cooled and set, store the Chocolate Pudding Pie covered in the fridge for up to two days. We have not tried freezing this pie (there are never leftovers), but let us know if you give that a try!
More Thanksgiving Pie Recipes You’ll Love:
Double Chocolate Pudding Pie
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Ingredients
For the crust:
- 9 (142 grams) full size graham crackers
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 5 tablespoons (71 grams) unsalted butter, melted
For the filling:
- 1 tablespoon (1 envelope) unflavored gelatin
- 1/3 cup boiling water
- 2/3 cup (133 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup (28 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup (35 grams) cornstarch
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3 cups milk (whole milk or 2% work best)
- 4 ounces (113 grams) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the whipped cream:
- 1 cup (237 grams) chilled heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar, sifted
- Cocoa powder or chocolate shavings, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray.
Make the crust:
- In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the graham crackers and salt until finely ground. Pour in the butter and pulse until evenly moistened. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of the pie plate and about 1 inch up the sides. Bake for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool.
Make the filling:
- Place the gelatin in a small bowl, add the boiling water, and stir until dissolved. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, mix the granulated sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt. Gradually add half the milk, whisking until smooth. Whisk in the rest of the milk. Turn the heat on to medium and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil, about 10 minutes.
- Remove from the heat. Add the chocolate and stir until melted. Stir in the vanilla and reserved gelatin. Pour the mixture into the pie crust and place in the refrigerator to set, at least 4 hours.
Make the whipped cream:
- Beat the cream and sugar in a medium-sized, deep bowl until soft peaks form. Spread over pie or pipe on using a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Garnish with cocoa or chocolate shavings.
- The pie can be covered and stored in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Recipe Notes
The Ultimate Cookie Handbook
Learn the sweet SCIENCE of cookie baking in a fun, visual way to customize your own recipes frustration-free. Plus, my best 50+ homemade cookies!
Photos by Constance Higley.
Hi,
What can I use instead of Graham Cracker?
Will plain digestive biscuits work?
Loved this pie…chocolate-y but not too chocolate-y! Sweet, but not too sweet. Perfect! When I need a feel good chocolate fix, this will be my go-to recipe.
I’m so happy to hear that, Barb!
Wow! This chocolate pudding pie looks so rich and flavorful! Pudding desserts are so easy to make and always taste delicious, don’t they!
I can’t wait to try this, my Handsome Hubby always talks about the chocolate pudding pie his mom made. He always loved the “skin” on it?
any way how much sugar and salt go in the crust?
thank you☺
Thanks for such a great choice! I'm not big on sweets, but this definitely hit the spot for that rare craving. Yours looks much creamier than mine; maybe that's due to the milk? I used fat free, and my filling turned out a little too gelatinous. The flavor was really good though once I got over the weird texture!
I am a bit late getting it made and posted, what with my family activities here in canada … but I finally had a chance to do it for dinner last night and Mom and I were both really impressed. I added extra graham crackers for the crust, then missed the instruction about baking it for 10 minutes :>( but it turned out fine anyway. And I also used the 2% because it was all we had here … and I would use it (or even whole milk for the right crowd) again. The taste was superb and I am thinking to add this dish to my Gringo Perdido menu. Thanks for choosing this great dessert, Tessa!!
Super pick, this was really tasty. Your slice of pie looks really nice and creamy.
Great pick, Tessa! The friend whose birthday party I brought it to even ate the leftovers for breakfast the next morning 🙂
It was a delicious pick, Tessa. Thanks for choosing it! And your pie does look luscious!
Thanks Joanne! Yours looks delicious too 🙂
Justin, I thought that too but then I remembered that graham crackers aren't all that bad for you! Regardless, I love crusts so I'm using more next time 🙂
extra crust sounds good. i assume ellie krieger didn't want to go to overboard.
This was a great pick and your photo looks yummy.
Yeah! Love making desserts.