How to Make Chocolate Cream Pie (Small Batch Dessert Recipe)

So, my crust is lopsided and the whip cream rosettes are not perfect, but damn it does taste good! The filling is creamy and the crust is flaking. Please read on if you want to learn how to make Chocolate Cream Pie easily.  Puddings, custards, and curds are so simple and you can adjust the amount of sweetness to your personal taste.  In my humble homemade opinion it's worth the extra few minutes it takes to cook from scratch....mostly.

This recipe is a perfect combination of premade and homemade.  The star is the chocolate filling so you want that to be perfect. When it comes to chocolate, my favorite is the Ghirardelli semi-sweet baking bar. 

The recipe calls for a pre-made crust but it is so easy to make either my cream cheese crust (recipe below) or a tasty graham cracker crust, both of which pair well with the chocolate filling.

Ingredients

What you'll need to make this pie.

• Premade crust like Pillsbury or you can make your own.
• semi-sweet baking chocolate bar
• granulated sugar
• powdered sugar
• butter
• milk
• cornstarch
• eggs
• vanilla paste or vanilla extract
• heavy whipping cream or Redi Whip

Instructions

For the Crust

Prepare pie crust per package instructions. Or try a cream cheese crust or a super simple graham cracker crust.

While your pie crust is baking pull together all your ingredients.

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 milk together with a wooden spoon until well combined.  Stir frequently 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 begins to thicken and comes to a slow boil.
5. Remove 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 couple of 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 pudding, instead, try domed tin foil or a 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 in the sugar and vanilla paste while continuing to beat until soft peaks form, about 1-2 minutes. 

3. Spoon the whipped cream over pie and top with chocolate shavings.

Continue to Content

Chocolate Cream Pie (Small Batch)

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Additional Time: 3 hours

Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes

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

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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
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste

Optional Homemade Whipped Topping

• 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon confectioners sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste

Easy Topping

• Redi Whip

Instructions

For the Crust

1. Prepare pie crust per package instructions.

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 milk together with a wooden spoon until well combined.  Stir frequently 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 begins to thicken and comes to a slow boil.
5. Remove 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 couple of minutes then pour the chocolate filling into the cooled crust.
7. Loosely cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours.
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 in the sugar and vanilla paste while continuing to beat until soft peaks form, about 1-2 minutes. 

3. Spoon the whipped cream over pie and top with chocolate shavings.

Notes

Easy Substitutes include:

• Canned Whipped Cream in place of the homemade version.
• Use vanilla extract t replace vanilla paste on a 1:1 ratio.
• Can also make in individual size pie tins.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 495Total Fat: 41gSaturated Fat: 25gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 166mgSodium: 122mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 5gSugar: 10gProtein: 9g

The nutritional information provided here are estimates and are not calculated by a registered dietitian.

Did you make this recipe?

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