Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: Deep chocolate flavor without the artificial sweetness of store-bought frozen pies.
Texture: Ultra smooth, mousse-like filling with a slightly crunchy Oreo crust and cloudy whipped cream.
Ease: A few bowls and steps, but totally manageable. The 6-hour chill time makes it ideal for entertaining.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe: It’ll become your most-requested holiday and special occassion dessert (don’t say I didn’t warn you!).
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Growing up, French silk pie meant the frozen grocery store version with chocolate curls on top. It was tradition!
I didn’t realize how much better a homemade version would be until I first made it myself.
I set out to create my own recipe that kept everything I loved, the silky filling, the mile-high whipped cream, but with better chocolate flavor and a cooking method so it’s safe for everyone to eat (no raw eggs!).
After many tests in the kitchen, this recipe is now perfection. I have to make at least two each Thanksgiving and Christmas or my family will revolt.
This pie is actually my all-time most popular Thanksgiving recipe. It’s been made by THOUSANDS of you! I hope it becomes a tradition in your home as well!
Reader Love
This pie is the absolute best! So creamy! My husband tells me we have to find a holiday to celebrate in every single month so we can make this. Yum! We love it!
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Reader Love
Everyone should run to the store, buy all the ingredients and make this! Unbelievable! My family asks for it every year it is that good.
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Sprinkle of Science
Ingredient Notes
Oreo Cookies: Use standard regular-stuffed Oreos with the filling intact. The filling helps bind the crust and adds structure.
Bittersweet Chocolate: For best results, use high-quality baking bars, not chocolate chips. Chips contain stabilizers that prevent smooth melting. Bittersweet provides depth and prevents the filling from tasting overly sweet. You can use the same amount of semisweet chocolate if you prefer a milder chocolate flavor.
Eggs: The eggs are gently cooked with sugar to 160°F to eliminate any food safety concerns. An instant-read thermometer ensures accuracy.
Unsalted Butter: Butter is whipped to create the signature light yet rich texture. It must be properly softened — around 67°F. Too cold and it won’t aerate; too warm and the filling becomes greasy. Feel free to use salted butter if you prefer.
Heavy Cream: Whipped cream is folded into the filling for lightness and structure. The cream must be very cold to whip properly. I recommend a cream with at least 36% milk fat for stability.
For more on selecting chocolate, see my full Chocolate in Baking guide.
How to Make French Silk Pie (Step-by-Step)
I recommend watching the video at the bottom of the recipe card to see me make this recipe first!
1. Make the Oreo Crust
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan.
Pulse 20 Oreo cookies into fine crumbs. Add melted butter and pulse until evenly moistened — it should resemble wet sand. Press firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to compact it tightly.
Bake 10 minutes until fragrant. The crust will look set and matte, not shiny. Cool completely.
2. Cook the Eggs and Sugar
In a small saucepan, whisk together sugar and eggs. I like a flat whisk here.
Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture reaches 160°F and thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. This takes about 5–7 minutes.
Do not rush this step! Too high heat will scramble the eggs. Remove from heat and immediately stir in melted chocolate and vanilla until smooth.
Cool to about 75°F before proceeding. This can take a while so you can speed it up by removing the mixture to a stainless steel bowl so it cools faster. Stir occasionally to prevent a skin from forming.
3. Whip the Butter
In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, beat room-temperature butter for 2–3 minutes until pale and fluffy. It should look lighter in color and creamy.
Gradually add the cooled chocolate mixture (if it’s too warm, it’ll melt the butter, so be careful here).
Beat on high speed for a full 5 minutes. The mixture will transform from dense to visibly lighter in color and texture. This aeration is what gives French silk pie its signature texture.
4. Fold in Whipped Cream
In a separate bowl, whip cold heavy cream and powdered sugar to stiff peaks. I like to use an immersion blender with the whisk attachment + its paired measuring cup for ultra fast and easy whipping.
Gently fold into the chocolate mixture in 3 additions. The filling should look fluffy and mousse-like, not runny.
5. Chill
Spread into cooled crust. The pie will look tall — that’s correct. It’s best to use your deepest pie pan. If you have too much filling, you can always layer it with Oreo crumbs in mason jars for a chef’s sample later on 😉
Refrigerate at least 6 hours, until fully set. The center should feel firm but still creamy when sliced.
6. Top and Garnish
Whip cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla to stiff peaks.
Spread or pipe over chilled pie. Add chocolate curls or a light dusting of cocoa powder (make sure you’re not near a draft or fan). Top no more than a few hours before serving for best appearance.
How to Make Chocolate Curls
I’ll admit, this is a tedious step, but it really makes this pie look gorgeous. Here’s a super helpful step-by-step video on how to make chocolate curls.
Storage & Make Ahead
This French silk pie must chill at least 6 hours before serving.
You can make it up to 2 days ahead, covered and refrigerated.
Add whipped cream shortly before serving for best texture.
FAQs
Can I freeze French Silk Pie?
I haven’t tested freezing this French Silk pie, but some of my wonderful readers have done so with success. Just note that freezing may slightly alter the texture after thawing. Place inside an airtight container and freeze for up to one month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before adding whipped cream, chocolate shavings, and serving.
Does French Silk Pie contain raw eggs?
Traditional versions do, but my recipe doesn’t. The eggs are cooked to 160°F, making it safe to serve.
What’s the difference between French silk pie and chocolate cream pie?
French silk pie is richer even though it has a lighter mousse-like texture. Chocolate cream pie is custard-based (like pudding) .
Can I use a regular pastry pie crust instead of Oreos?
Yes! Use my pie crust recipe and follow the instructions for blind baking.
Why is my filling runny?
The most common causes are:
-Eggs not cooked to 160°F
-Chocolate mixture added while too warm
-Butter not whipped long enough
-Insufficient chill time
Can I double this recipe?
Yes, but cooking and cooling will take MUCH longer. To speed up cooling the chocolate & egg mixture, spread it into two shallow pans before proceeding to the next step.
French Silk Pie
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Ingredients
For the crust
- 20 Oreo (230 grams) cookies (regular-stuffed, keep filling intact)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the filling
- 1 1/3 cups (266 grams) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 8 ounces (227 grams) bittersweet baking chocolate, melted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 10 tablespoons (142 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/3 cups heavy cream, cold
- 4 teaspoons powdered sugar
For the topping
- 1 cup heavy cream, cold
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Chocolate shavings or cocoa powder, for garnish if desired
Instructions
Make the crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch deep pie dish with cooking spray.
- Place the Oreo cookies in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Add in the melted butter and pulse until moistened. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pie dish. Bake for 10 minutes, or until fragrant and set. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
Make the filling:
- In a small saucepan, whisk together the granulated sugar and eggs. Set over medium-low heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture reaches 160°F and coats the back of a metal spoon. Remove from heat, then stir in the melted chocolate and vanilla until smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature (around 75°F), stirring occasionally. To speed up cooling, transfer the mixture to a stainless-steel pan with a larger surface area.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Gradually add in the cooled chocolate mixture then beat on high speed for 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
- In a separate clean bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the cream until it begins to thicken. Add the powdered sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold into the chocolate mixture.
- Pour the mixture into the pan, smoothing evenly. The pie will be tall with filling. Chill for 6 hours. At this point, the pie can be stored for up to 2 days ahead of time.
Make the topping:
- Use an electric mixer to beat the cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla on high speed until stiff peaks form. Top pie with whipped cream and garnish with chocolate shavings or dust with cocoa powder.
Recipe Notes
This post was published in 2019 and has been updated with additional recipe tips. Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.
I first made this last year at Christmas. Everyone loved it! It’s now become my favorite pie recipe. It’s a little time and work to make, but sooo worth it!!! Especially with the chocolate curls!
Yay! So thrilled to hear that this is such a hit with your family, Tammy!! 🙂
Will the pie be more set/thick after it sits in the fridge for 6 hours? This is my first time doing a chocoloate pie without the chocolate pudding bags!
Hi Chelsea! Yes, this pie will thicken as it cools down further in the fridge. Let us know what you think of this pie once you’ve given it a taste! 🙂
It was delicious but I feel like it was too sweet. What can I do to make it less sweet?
Hi Mayra! The easiest way to downplay the sweetness is to use a more bittersweet or even unsweetened chocolate. I hope that helps! Happy baking!
I made the pie and all the ingredients but my pie still hasn’t set after 6 hours.? What did I do wrong
Hi Raymond! Oh no! I’m sorry to hear that your pie didn’t set up properly. Did you use a digital instant-read thermometer when cooking the egg/sugar mixture? It can be difficult to tell if the mixture reached the correct temperature without a thermometer, unfortunately. Issues can also arise if the sugar/egg/chocolate mixture wasn’t cooled enough when added to the whipped butter, as the butter can melt and lose the air we just whipped into it. Also, if your whipped cream doesn’t fully reach stiff peaks the mixture won’t be thick enough. I hope something here helped! If not, feel free to reach back out and we can continue to troubleshoot together 🙂
This a request for every holiday meal and as a replacement to birthday cake for birthdays! This recipe is my family favorite!
That’s so wonderful to hear, Jaime!
Could the chocolate/egg/sugar mixture be rewarmed if it were allowed to cool too much? Could a person put it in the fridge and come back to finish the filling later?
Hi Julie! If you haven’t already started, I just want to mention that both the pie crust and filling can be made up to 2 days in advance, to help with prep for the holiday! If you have already started, however, and got to this point before needing to stop (and placed the sugar/egg/chocolate mixture in the fridge overnight), I would then recommend letting the mixture come up to room temperature, either by leaving it on your kitchen counter for an hour or so, or heating it extremely gently over a bain-marie, to take the chill off entirely. Then you could proceed with the recipe as-written from there. We haven’t tested making this pie this way, so I can’t guarantee the results – but it should work just fine. Let us know how it goes! Happy baking!
I was disappointed mine turned out like pudding like some others have stated. Fortunately, I read the comments and was able to redeem the mixture by beating it several more minutes with my stand mixer! Excited to serve it on Thanksgiving!
So glad you were able to save it, Deb! Happy Thanksgiving 🙂
I made this last Thanksgiving and my family gave it a huge thumbs up! My 9 year old granddaughter is helping me prepare pies this year and requested we make the French Silk pie first. It has become a favorite and a holiday tradition for us!
Yay! So happy to hear that, Linda!!
This looks delicious! How long before serving can I add the whipped cream topping? Would it be ok if I added it in the morning or is it better as an add right before you serve kind of thing?
Hi Natalie! You can top this pie with whipped cream up for 2 days in advance, but I recommend topping it the morning you’re serving (up to a few hours) beforehand, for best results. No need to add right before you serve, though. Let us know what you think once you’ve given this pie a try 🙂 Happy baking!
What size pie pan did you use?
Hi Emily! As mentioned in the recipe, this was written for a 9-inch deep pie dish. Let us know what you think if you give this pie a try 🙂
Will this only be good for the two days? I made it today (saturday) for thanksgiving (5 days from now). And I made it in an actual pie dish instead of a foil one so now I can’t freeze it I don’t think.
Hi Allysia! Yes, we only recommend you keep this pie for 2 days for best results. Any longer and the pie will likely start to seep, and it may spoil. We haven’t freezing this pie, many of our readers have done so with success. You won’t be cooking it again or anything, so your pie dish should be fine to freeze (unless it’s glass, and then I’d double check if it’s tempered glass that’s safe to freeze). I recommend freezing it inside an airtight container, or wrapped well in several layers of plastic wrap, to prevent freezer burn, and then thawing overnight in the fridge before serving. I also recommend topping with whipped cream shortly before serving, for best presentation and flavor. I hope that helps! Happy baking 🙂
I have never made 1 these b4,and this is pure silky chocolatey heaven.,Thank You soooo much I did use use half bittersweet & half semi sweet perfect!!!
Hmmm for some reason mine (before refrigerating) I found some small pieces/bits about 1/4 Long that felt sticky/rubbery. Almost like curdling? Any idea where I may have gone wrong?
Hi Stephanie! It sounds like those are little bits of egg that probably hit the side of your hot pan and instantly cooked. Next time, give the eggs a really thorough whisk with the sugar, to be sure to fully combine the eggs and sugar before they hit the heat, and perhaps also heat the egg/sugar mixture over a slightly gentler heat, to give them a chance to cook slowly. I hope that helps! Happy baking 🙂