Chocolate Silk Pie Recipe (2024)

By Molly O'Neill

Chocolate Silk Pie Recipe (1)

Total Time
2 hours 15 minutes
Rating
5(1,148)
Notes
Read community notes

Light yet rich, this magical dessert is like the grown-up version of the chocolate pudding pie of your youth. It requires a bit more work, but nothing terribly taxing. Just whip melted chocolate, butter and eggs into a mousse, and then pour it all into a chocolate cookie crust. Chill and enjoy. It's the perfect make-ahead dessert for a crowd.

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Ingredients

Yield:About 10 servings

    For the Crust

    • cups ground chocolate wafers (from about 30 cookies)
    • cup sugar
    • 7tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

    For the Filling

    • ¾cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
    • cups sugar
    • ¼teaspoon kosher salt
    • 1teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1teaspoon brandy (optional)
    • 4ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
    • 3eggs

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)

482 calories; 31 grams fat; 19 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 47 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 38 grams sugars; 5 grams protein; 169 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Chocolate Silk Pie Recipe (2)

Preparation

  1. Step

    1

    Make the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the chocolate crumbs and sugar in a bowl. Add the butter and stir until well mixed. Reserve ½ cup of the mixture, then press the rest into a 9-inch pie plate, pressing it evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the plate. Bake for 8 minutes. Set aside to cool.

  2. Make the filling: Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Mix in the salt, vanilla and brandy, if using. Add the chocolate and mix well. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition.

  3. Step

    3

    Scrape the filling into the pie shell and sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture over the top. Refrigerate for 2 hours to set. Cut into wedges and serve.

Ratings

5

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1,148

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Dylaina

I no longer want to make dishes containing uncooked eggs, yet I love mousse and I love this pie (from years ago). Any suggestions?

Kathi Tagliamonte

3/4 cup sugar plus 2 tablespoons is nice Whip longer to dissolve sugar. This recipe does not give complete blending instructions. Whip the butter until light and fluffy. Slowly beat in sugar and salt, then whip on high for 5 minutes, scraping down bowl. Beat in 1 egg, and beat on high for 5 minutes. Add in next egg, beat 5 minutes. Add in next egg, beat 5 min. Pinch some fluff and test for graininess. If grainy, beat longer. Then add chocolate and beat. Then add vanilla

patty cooks

Buy pasteurized eggs for this recipe as the eggs aren't cooked. Pasteurization kills the bacteria but leaves the eggs intact. These eggs work well for all purposes.

Elana

This pie was utterly delicious. The whole family raved. I'd refrigerate longer than 2 hours though. The pie tasted a million times better the next day after the mousse really set and the flavor matured. I used chocolate graham crackers for the crust—so tasty. And I added whipped cream on top, which helped cut the richness of the chocolate. Don't freak out about the eggs. It's a mousse.

Marg

I make the original NYT recipe-from more tha 50 years ago. That one has a graham cracker crust. It is important to use a good stand mixer , beat 5 min. after each egg. Use your spatula to clean down the sides of the bowl. Continue to beat and scrape the bowl down until you can not taste any sugar grains. Also, the original recipe calls for 2 sticks of butter, 4 eggs, same amt. of chocolate, and no brandy. Top the pie with whipped cream.My kids and brands love it.

Sarah

I've been making chocolate pies with uncooked eggs for years and never had a problem. But then I am one of those people who always samples a few pinches of raw cookie dough and licks the leftover cake batter off the beaters. Maybe I will regret it someday, but I hope not because raw cookie dough is one of life's great pleasures!

Shelly

Banana or avocado work well in place of the eggs (1/2 of banana or 1/4 cup mashed avocado per egg).

Alicia

For those who don't want to use "raw" eggs, just pop them in a pot of boiling water for 60 seconds, then use them.

Kate

Seriously, do NOT make this if you don't have a bunch of people to share it with. I made myself ill eating it, because it's so tasty I couldn't stop. I reduced the sugar in the filling by about 1/2 cup, and I didn't use any extra in the crust. I also used 70% chocolate for the filling because that's what I had. The filling mousse texture was very pretty. Really, really yummy. But I'm never going to make it again. :)

Andy

It's no different from making mayonnaise from scratch. It's best to use high-quality, fresh eggs. Farmers market eggs would be ideal. Or you can use pasteurized eggs if it makes you nervous.

Karenodie

Beat the eggs into the mixture one at a time for 5 minutes each.

Kathi Tagliamonte

Spend more time mixing. The graininess should be mostly gone from the butter/sugar creaming step. Plan to spend 5 minutes beating after blending sugar and butter, and again, 5 min after adding each egg.

marica

For the chocolate crust, as I didn't have chocolate wafers, but wanted that extra chocolate punch, I added a tablespoon or two of cocoa powder to crushed graham crackers and it looked and tasted great.

Margaux Laskey, Staff Editor @ NYT Cooking

Unfortunately, there are no substitutions for this recipe, but you could try Marian Burros's Chocolate Mousse Pie which requires cooking the eggs in a double boiler. http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/6699-chocolate-mousse-pie

Diana

To avoid raw eggs: if your store doesn't sell pasteurized eggs (e,g,,Sunnyfield) you can pasteurize your own eggs with little or no effect on cooking performance.

Just hold the eggs at 135 degrees for 1&1/4 hrs. This is easy w/ a sous vide machine. Borrow one or jury rig one. (Higher temps [165 deg F] instantly kill salmonella, but also change the texture of the egg.) http://douglasbaldwin.com/sous-vide.html

Raw eggs carry salmonella risk even fr farmers mkts; it's in the hen.

Ashley S.

I subbed bourbon for brandy and had to use chocolate teddy grahams for the crust. Great recipe! I’ll make this one again!

Marguerite

Follow original NYT recipe: 1 C butter, 4 eggs. Use caster sugar! Whip 5 minutes after each egg is added.

JDM

I missed the addition of whipped cream, so this was tasty, but very heavy — dense — unpleasant to eat. Further, I’d go graham cracker or pie crust to break up the flavor.

Hallie

Even after creaming the butter and sugar and mixing in the melted chocolate the sugar did not dissolve. The result was an overly sweet pie with crunchy sugar in it. I would use a different mousse recipe next time

Michele from Minneapolis

I made this pie last Thanksgiving (big hit) with Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers. But as of this year, 2023, those cookies have been discontinued! They were the only cookie wafers in our area. Good luck finding chocolate graham crackers. However I did find chocolate Teddy Grahams! Worked great!

Stina

Has anyone made this dairy-free?

Stina

When I don’t have or can’t find chocolate wafers, I use the chocolate crust directions from this recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018635-peanut-butter-pie

Mags On The Beach

Excellent, take your time, cream the butter, add the sugar, cream it more until it's light and fluffy. I think walking away and letting it rest would allow the sugar to melt better. The hints to mix 5 minutes between eggs are spot on. Lovely, rich, best topped with unsweetened whipped cream and cut back sugar by 1/4 c. Already have a request to make again.

Mags on the Beach

Adding - now that I have made this several times I wanted add a tip- make sure all your ingredients are room temp. This also removes the graininess. A graham cracker crust adds a toffee flavor that is also very nice.

Ayelene

Be sure to use a "regular" 9-in pie plate, even one of those pre-made ones from the store would work. I made the mistake of using what I normally do, which is actually a deep dish pie pan (oops), and I was left with a huge gap, so I made a bunch of whipped cream and put it on top then sprinkled the crumbs over that.

Ayelene

if there's a concern about raw eggs you can try this method. Whisk the eggs with 1/2 cup of the sugar in a double boiler, whisking constantly until the eggs become thick and fluffy, and a drizzle of the mixture will hold its shape and sit on top of the custard, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool, whisking occasionally so the eggs don't scramble

Rachel

I did something similar, except I actually mixed all the sugar into the eggs, and just took it off the bain-marie the second it was at 160 F. Seems like it would also avoid the problems people have had with grainy sugar.

irasema

The recipe recommends a wafer amount but does not include a wafer brand nor estimated weight range. Looking through some wafer brands, I estimated that 190 grams renders the volume required for the crust.

Amy

Oh man. So good with almond liqueur as well (don't go crazy - your eggs will curdle). I also like this one with a pastry crust because butter. And I top it with mascarpone stabilized whipped cream to serve. We upped my statin this year. Wonder why.

dragonflyesque

I pulsed my sugar and salt together in a mini food processor until it was fine and it dissolved while beating in a snap!

Cyndi

Flavor was rich and delicious. I used a regular pastry crust instead of a cookie crust. Unfortunately the texture of the granulated sugar was still present, which made each bite a bit "sandy" but the flavor was wonderful. I will have to research how to prevent that in the future.

Yavnu

My crust melted off the sides of the pan! What should I have done differently??

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Chocolate Silk Pie Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between chocolate cream pie and chocolate silk pie? ›

The Chocolate Cream Pie Is A Pudding Lover's Dream

While the French silk pie's incorporation of whipped cream effectively aerates the filling, the ingredients in chocolate cream pie help it stay thick. Recipes tend to call for only the yolks of eggs for density and use cornstarch as a thickening agent.

What is French silk pie filling made of? ›

At its core, French silk pie is just a chocolate mousse consisting of eggs, cream, chocolate, sugar, and butter. (The building blocks of life!) Its title is accurate: yes, this pie really does have the texture of silk, albeit delicious silk.

Why is my French silk pie runny? ›

Why is my French Silk Pie runny? Adding your eggs too quickly or taking too long could result in either a runny consistency or too thick of a consistency. Be sure to follow the recipe exactly as directed.

Does French silk pie contain raw eggs? ›

Most French silk pie recipes call for raw eggs, but I gently cook them first. This requires an extra step on the stove, but it cancels out any worries of serving raw eggs. Even with this step, we still have the same smooth-as-silk texture—nothing is compromised!

What makes pie better than cake? ›

“Pie is better because it has more variety and can be sweet or savory. It can also have many flavors and different toppings,” they said. The conflict between cake and pie opens up another can of worms for the future.

Why is it called Boston cream pie instead of cake? ›

A Boston cream pie is a cake with a cream filling. The dessert acquired its name when cakes and pies were baked in the same pans, and the words were used interchangeably. In the late 19th century, this type of cake was variously called a "cream pie", a "chocolate cream pie", or a "custard cake".

Does French silk pie go bad? ›

Storage: French silk pie must be refrigerated. Keep any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freezing Instructions: Once the pie has been chilled in the refrigerator, cover tightly with plastic wrap, then foil, and freeze for up to 3 months.

What ingredient thickens pie filling? ›

Very often flour or cornstarch is used, but in certain instances tapioca, arrowroot and potato starch can also help achieve the desired consistency.

Why put butter in pie filling? ›

A: Dotting the top of a fruit pie filling with butter is an old habit but one that is called for in only about half of the pie recipes out there. Some maintain that the butter is for taste; others claim that it helps the filling set up, particularly when using flour as a thickener.

Why isn't my chocolate pie thickening? ›

This can happen for several reasons: if the cooking process was rushed, if the filling wasn't carefully watched and stirred frequently, the filling was overcooked, the stovetop heat was too high, or if the pie isn't given enough time to chill. Any ingredient substitutions could also result in a runny chocolate pie.

How can I make my pie more firm? ›

All-purpose flour is an easy solution, as you're sure to have it in your pantry. Since it's lower in starch, you'll use more of it than you would higher-starch thickeners. Quick-cooking tapioca makes filling bright and clear, but also gives it a stippled and somewhat sticky texture.

Why is my pie falling apart? ›

The pie dough is too dry!

There are two very important things to point out in those few words– “cold” water and “just until flour is moistened.” It's critical to use cold water to keep the butter cold. The butter should stay firm so it doesn't soften and combine with the flour.

What is the difference between chocolate pie and French silk pie? ›

In contrast to French silk pie, chocolate cream pie has a glossy, pudding-like filling that's achieved through a mixture of egg yolks and cornstarch. Chocolate cream pie filling works well in both flaky crust and crumb crust, but the latter makes the recipe fully no-bake.

Who invented French silk pie? ›

It is a fairly recent phenomenon which dates back to 1951 when Betty Cooper from Kensington, Maryland submitted her original recipe for French Silk Chocolate Pie and won the Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest.

What can I substitute for eggs in pie? ›

11 EGG SUBSTITUTES: HOW TO BAKE WITHOUT EGGS
  • MASHED BANANA. ...
  • APPLESAUCE. ...
  • SILKEN TOFU. ...
  • GROUND FLAXSEED OR CHIA SEEDS & WATER. ...
  • YOGURT. ...
  • BUTTERMILK. ...
  • SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK. ...
  • ARROWROOT POWDER OR CORNSTARCH.

What is a chocolate cream pie made of? ›

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 it into the baked (and cooled) pie crust. Then it goes into the fridge to set up.

What makes a cream pie different from other types of pies? ›

Cream pie. This mouthwatering variety of pie is unique from other pies in that the crust is typically baked first. A pudding-like mixture of milk, sugar, eggs, and other flavorings is then cooked on the stovetop until thick and poured into that pie crust to chill and set until firm.

What's the difference between chocolate pudding and chocolate mousse? ›

Pudding is meant to be thick, soft, and silky, and is, therefore, a lot less airy than mousse. This difference in texture lies in preparation. Pudding requires heat to come together with the right consistency, whereas mousse simply needs to be whipped together.

What is the original Choco Pie? ›

Choco pies are extremely popular in Asia, although it's original inspiration was an American snack called the moon pie (a noticeable difference between Choco Pie and Moon Pie is that the Choco Pie's filling is soft while the Moon Pie's graham-cracker filling is hard.)

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