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.
What chocolate do you recommend for making the chocolate curls??
Hi Susie! Any good quality dark chocolate baking bar (such as Ghirardelli) will work great 🙂
Loved this pie! I was looking for a recipe but did not like using raw eggs. This came out perfect and everyone enjoyed it! Next time I am going to make with a graham cracker crust as not everyone is quite the chocolate lover that I am! Thank you for posting!
This turned out really good, my first try at making a French Silk! I did use the bittersweet chocolate but I want more of intense chocolate flavor so next time I’m going to add 3 Tbls of cocoa with the heavy cream to see if that will do it. I did cheat and bought a pre-made Oreo pie crust but next time I’ll make it. My husband loved it!
Tessa’s photo appears that she either froze or refrigerated the pie after she put on the whipped cream. Can you top it then refrigerate it to be served a few hours later?
Hi Eileen! This pie needs to be refrigerated for at least 6 hours (preferably overnight) to cool down and set, and at that point, it can then be topped with whipped cream. We recommend serving the pie within a few hours of topping with the whipped cream for freshest tasting and best-looking results, but it will keep for a day or two just fine if needed once topped, too. I hope that helps! Happy baking 🙂
The recipe steps were clear but this just tasted like whipped buttercream frosting pie. It was too sweet and I even used 70% cocoa baking bars. i think it need a tang from cream cheese or something to add more flavor or maybe a reduction in sugar.
Hi Sue! I’m sorry to hear that your pie didn’t turn out quite as you’d hoped. If you ever wish to give this pie another try, I would recommend using a darker chocolate (even an unsweetened chocolate) in the pie. You can also skip the powdered sugar and vanilla in the whipped cream topping, as this will give you a less-sweet result, without messing with the consistency of the pie or preventing it from setting. Learn more about the role sugar plays in baking here! I hope that helps, Sue! Happy baking 🙂
Super delicious and what a showstopper! Made this for a family get-together and because my grandson loves chocolate. It is so much better than any bought pie and pretty quick and easy too. No hard steps, just make sure you follow the recipe. It is a requested pie now from our family for special occasions.
In the beginning it says egg free but it’s definitely made with eggs. Which is it? Eggs or no eggs??
Hi Ceciley! At the beginning, it specifies this pie does not contain raw eggs. Some pies do, and it’s not totally safe it eat when the eggs are not cooked properly. This pie most definitely contains eggs, but they are cooked in the process of making the pie. Let us know what you think if you give this pie a try 🙂
Way to rich. I couldn’t even eat it. So disappointed. I choose this recipe from the great star rating but wish I had read a few others to see that most only put 2 oz of chocolate where this one puts a whole 8ozs! I’m so upset. I don’t even want to serve this.
Hi Amber! I’m sorry to hear that you found this pie to be too rich! When combined with the whipped cream topping, it should all balance out to be a deliciously decadent but not-overly-sweet dessert. Were any ingredients altered from the recipe? Feel free to reach back out and we can try to troubleshoot together 🙂 In any case, I’m sure your guests will love it!
I would like to make mini pies for my neighbors for Christmas. I’ve made similar French silk, but very excited about the oreo crust. So my question is when you make the whipped topping as directed how well does it hold up? I’d like to make them complete with whipped topping and chocolate curls and freeze to give out around Christmas. I know store-bought whipped cream wouldn’t hold up.
Hi Cindy! We haven’t tested making these pies more than a couple days ahead, but several of our readers have had success making the pies and freezing them, and just topping with whipped cream before serving. Whipped cream always looks and tastes best the day it’s whipped, and it can take on a strange texture when frozen, so I’d recommend whipping and topping the pies no more than a day before gifting, if possible. Let us know how it goes 🙂
I am always looking to cut back on sugar in recipes so when I saw that the entire crust was nothing but Oreos, although a good idea, I used about 100 grams of Oreos, and then used some ‘Oreo’ cookies (without filling; I can’t remember the name, but it’s meant for these crusts) and used the same amount of butter. I would like to know how to do it without Oreos but still keep the same moisture that the filling in the cookies bring to keep it together. So, if I didn’t use Oreos, and didn’t have the filling of the cookies to help the moisture in keeping the crust together, how much butter should I use instead?
Hi Vanessa! I’m sorry, but since we haven’t tried that, we really can’t say! Feel free to experiment and see how it goes.
Okay, this was insane! Touching it after letting it cool in the fridge, feels solid; but eating this is anything but–this was so airy and light, it was like eating a cloud! when it came to folding the filling together, I got nervous because I haven’t been successful at folding. You have to be careful, and do it till its mixed but not more than that otherwise you can kill the air you whipped into the cream and everything, and it won’t come out as airy. I was actually able to fold this right! I felt so good afterwards. There were some streaks of white in it as I was worried about over mixing, but it didn’t hinder the flavor or anything.
Yay! So glad you enjoyed this pie so much, Vanessa 🙂
My filling was runny enough to pour in, instead of scooping. Do you think it will still still set? Love the recipe and can’t wait to try more:)
Hi Stephanie! The filling should set up more as it chills down in the fridge. If the egg/sugar mixture wasn’t heated long enough to reach the correct temperature, or if it was too hot when added to the butter, it might not be as thick/set as it should be – but it will definitely set more in the fridge as everything cools down and the butter firms back up 🙂