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’ve made this several times and it’s always amazing. Most recently, I made a dozen individual “cupcakes” by using a muffin tin. I think they ended up with a little higher crust-to-filling ratio, but that’s probably because I was eyeballing it and experimenting. It still worked out wonderfully! I didn’t adapt the recipe at all, just switched the pie plate to a muffin tin.
Like all of the Handle The Heat recipes, this one is a crowd pleaser!
That’s such a fun idea, thanks for sharing! 🙂
I’ve made this several times and have great reviews. I prefer using a traditional pie crust however😊
DECADENT pie! The only thing it’s missing: SALT! It needs it in either the crush or the filling.
**crust
Use salted butter instead of unsalted! That’s what I’ve been doing every time I’ve made it and it turns out great
Do you use salted butter in the crust and filling? Or just one?
I used it in both with no problems!
Okay thanks for the response! Good to know
The best pie!! I’ve made it twice now. The first time the filing came out super runny and did not set. I think the culprit was too warm of chocolate. I made the pie again a few months later and was mindful of the temperature of my chocolate (used a thermometer to make sure the temp was correct) and it turned out perfect!
This was the first time I made a French Silk Pie. It was absolutely great. The next one I make I will post a photo.
So happy to hear that, Hiram, thanks for sharing!
tried this for my aunts birthday and it was very good. some said it was too chocolatey but they may be just a preference. overall very good
I recommend changing the step order so that you’re making the egg, sugar, chocolate sauce first. That took FOREVER to cool even after moving it to another container and it sitting on an ice pack. I could have been making the crust while that was cooling. It’s setting in fridge but it did taste good so far. I’ll probably do semi sweet chocolate next time
I made a dairy free version of this over the weekend and holy cow, it turned out perfectly. Even my family members who can have dairy were impressed and repeatedly going back for more! It is somehow rich, yet also light, and all around delicious. Will absolutely be making it again!
Thanks for sharing! May I ask what you used to replace the heavy cream? I was considering trying a nondairy version of this, but wasn’t sure if I should go with coconut cream or look for something else.
Where I live (southern US), there are vegan alternatives to heavy cream. So I purchased a plant-based version. I believe Silk, Califia Farms, and maybe Country Crock have options.
Wonderful post! Your tips and techniques for baking breadsticks are so helpful. I appreciate the step-by-step guidance and can’t wait to try making them myself. Looking forward to more delicious recipes!
This is my go-to special occasion dessert which everyone wants the recipe for. I am taking it to a dinner party tonight and realized I had only about half the number of Oreos the recipe calls for. I subbed the other half by weight with magic spoon cocoa cereal. It seems like it turned out just fine, but I’ll update my comment Later, after we all eat! I agree with the other reviewers that the stronger bitter Sweet chocolate gives you the best flavor. A better balanced pie. I have also used salted butter, I understand that’s a no no as a long time Baker, but it also turns out really well with that in both the crust and the filling. I like a little salt in my sweets anyway.
Great thinking, Rachel! How did it turn out using cereal?
The crushed cereal subbed for 1/2 the Oreos turned out great!!! Currently making the pie again for a dinner tomorrow. 😀
Love hearing that! Thanks for the update! 🙂
I made it 2 weeks ago, and my husband loved it. His only comment was that the crust was too sweet. I will make it again today, but I will use another type of cookie for the crust.
Best Choc silk pie recipe out there!! I made this chocolate Silk Pie. I went through 5 recipes to get to this one. Made it the first attempt with semi sweet as my test pie – and the second time with bittersweet chocolate for a high value birthday pie to Rave Review folrom All! My notes – the semi sweet choc was just ok – it tasted more like a cookie – but the bittersweet – bakers chocolate. In the squares – I used – was the bomb ! I followed the ingredients and directions exactly – they are very easy to follow and well written. *You should really use a electric hand mixer if you can – for a single pie – the big counter top mixer is to much room for small ingredients. I prepped everything ahead and worked in stages as suggested. I have little kiddos around me all day – so it did take longer than she gives – and was more complicated than a simple cream pie – But – WELL WORTH THE EFFORT. I don’t have a pic because the ate EVERY BITE – and put un requests for thier own birthday pie.