Small Batch Chocolate Pudding Pie Recipe

If you’re a fan of chocolate desserts, there’s nothing quite like a rich and creamy chocolate pudding pie to satisfy your sweet tooth. Making a pudding pie from scratch may seem daunting at first, but with the right recipe and patience, you can create a delicious dessert far superior to anything you’ll find in a store-bought package.

Why this recipe works

This recipe is a perfect combination of premade and homemade.  Homemade pudding is so easy to make and tastes better than box mixes.

Puddings, custards, and curds are simple, and you can adjust the sweetness to your taste.  In my humble homemade opinion, it’s also worth the extra few minutes it takes to bake a homemade crust for a delicious chocolate pudding pie.

Ingredient notes

The full ingredient lists and quantities are included in the recipe card below.

• Premade crust like Pillsbury, or you can make your own with this mini pie crust recipe, or try an extra easy graham cracker pie crust which goes well with chocolate pudding.
• Chocolate is the star of this pie, so use a good quality semi-sweet baking chocolate bar. You can also add mini chocolate chips for an extra chocolate flavor.
• Heavy whipping cream: make your own homemade whipped cream with this amazing recipe for whipped cream,or use Redi Whip, cool whip, or a similar product.
• If you are in a hurry, it’s fine to use an instant chocolate pudding mix; however, you should consider making it from scratch!

Recipe Directions

Prepare pie crust per package instructions or a super simple graham cracker crust.

Before baking the crust, line it with parchment paper and use pie weights to keep the pie nicely formed. I skipped the pie weights, and you can see how the crust came out just a bit wonky.

While your pie crust is baking, pull together all the ingredients for the chocolate filling.

1. In a small bowl, lightly beat together the egg yolks and cornstarch.
2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar and whole milk with a wooden spoon until well combined.  Stir frequently and bring the milk and sugar mixture to a simmer. 
3. Temper eggs by adding a tablespoon of the hot milk and sugar mixture to the egg and whisk together.
4. Slowly add the egg mixture back into the sugar and milk mixture. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens and comes to a slow boil.
5. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter, chopped chocolate, and vanilla extract. Stir until well combined and smooth.
6. Let the filling cool for a few minutes, then pour the chocolate filling into the cooled crust.
7. Loosely cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours. I don’t use plastic wrap because it sticks to the top of the pudding; instead, try domed tin foil or an upside-down plate.
8. Top chilled pie with RediWhip, or use the recipe below to make your own whipped topping.

Optional Homemade Whipped Topping

1. In a medium bowl, add the cream  and beat with an electric hand mixer  on high speed for 1-2 minutes
2. Slowly add the sugar and vanilla paste while continuing to beat until soft peaks form, about 1-2 minutes. 
3.  Spoon the whipped cream over the pie and top with chocolate shavings.

Here is the full post on how to make homemade whipped cream.

Recipe Tips

• When baking the crust, line it with parchment paper and pie weight to keep the crust from shrinking. I did not do this for this recipe; you can see how the crust pulled away from the pie plate.
• The star is the chocolate filling, so you want that to be perfect. Regarding chocolate, my favorite is the Ghirardelli semi-sweet baking bar.

Tools Used

• Whisk: A small whisk will get into a small saucepan and bowl much better than a full-size one.
• Mixing bowls: I like to use large cereal bowls, they are the perfect size for small-batch batters.
• Small saucepan: My 3/4 quart small butter warmer from Made-In works beautifully
• Wooden spoon: You can never have too many of these, I have them in various sizes.
• 6-inch Pyrex pie plate: This size is perfect for two people who love pie.

You might enjoy these other small pie recipes

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Chocolate Pudding Pie

A smaller version of classic chocolate cream pie. Using a premade crust makes this recipe even simpler.

4.34 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Additional Time: 3 hours hours

Total Time: 3 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 495kcal

1x2x3x

Author:Sydney Dawes

Ingredients

Crust

• ▢ Premade crust like Pillsbury or use a homemade recipe for cream cheese pie crust.

Chocolate Filling

• ▢ 4- ounce semi-sweet baking chocolate bar
• ▢ 2 tablespoons sugar
• ▢ 3 tablespoons butter
• ▢ 1 cup milk
• ▢ 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• ▢ 2 egg yolks lightly beaten
• ▢ ½ teaspoon vanilla paste

Optional Homemade Whipped Topping

• ▢ ⅔ cup heavy whipping cream
• ▢ 1 tablespoon confectioners sugar
• ▢ ½ teaspoon vanilla paste

Instructions

Crust

• Prepare pie crust per package instructions.

Chocolate Pudding

• In a small bowl lightly beat together the egg yolks and cornstarch.
• In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, and milk together with a wooden spoon until well combined.  Stir frequently bring the milk and sugar mixture to a simmer. 
• Temper eggs by adding a tablespoon of the hot milk and sugar mixture to the egg and whisk together.
• Slowly add the egg mixture back into the sugar and milk mixture. Stir constantly until the mixture begins to thicken and comes to a slow boil.
• Remove pan from the heat and whisk in the butter, chopped chocolate, and vanilla extract. Stir until well combined and smooth.
• Let the filling cool for a couple of minutes then pour the chocolate filling into the cooled crust.
• Loosely cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours.
• Top chilled pie with RediWhip, or use the recipe below to make your own whipped topping.

Whipped Topping

• In a medium bowl add the cream  and beat with an electric hand mixer  on high speed for 1-2 minutes
• Slowly add in the sugar and vanilla paste while continuing to beat until soft peaks form, about 1-2 minutes. 
• Spoon the whipped cream over pie and top with chocolate shavings.

Notes

Choose High Quality Chocolate: The star of your pie is chocolate, so go for the best quality you can afford. Choose dark or semi-sweet chocolate for a deep, rich flavor.

Bake the Crust First: This is a no-bake recipe so you need to bake the pie crust before adding the filling. Line the unbaked pie crust with parchment paper and fill it with pie weights or dried beans to keep it from shrinking.

Stir Constantly When Making the Filling: When you’re cooking the chocolate filling on the stove, be sure to stir constantly. This will help to prevent the chocolate from burning and will ensure that the mixture thickens evenly.

Strain the Filling: Although optional, after cooking the chocolate pudding filling, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve. This ensures that any lumps are removed and you have a silky smooth filling.

Chill Properly: After filling the pie, chill it in the refrigerator for at least four hours (or even better, overnight) before serving. This will help the filling to set and make the pie easier to slice.

BONUS TIP 1: Top your pie with homemade whipped cream. It’s simple to make and will taste much better than the store-bought versions. For extra flavor, you can add a touch of vanilla extract to the cream as you’re whipping it.

BONUS TIP 2: Instead of a 6-inch pie, make in individual size pie tins.

 

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 495kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 166mg | Sodium: 122mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 10g

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