Small Chocolate Pudding Pie Recipe

The filling is creamy and the crust is flaking. Please read on if you want to learn how to make Chocolate Pudding Pie from scratch. Don't be afraid of making the filling from scratch! So, my crust is lopsided and the whip cream rosettes are not perfect, but damn it does taste good.

Try this simple homemade whipped cream with this creamy dreamy chocolate pie. Pudding pies are so easy, check out my peach pudding pie sometime.

Why this recipe works

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

Table of Contents

• Why this recipe works
• Ingredient notes
• Recipe Directions
• Optional Homemade Whipped Topping
• Recipe Tips
• Tools Used
• 📖 Recipe

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.

The recipe calls for a premade 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.

Ingredient notes

• Premade crust like Pillsbury or you can make your own.
• Chocoalte is the star in this pie so use a good quality semi-sweet baking chocolate bar.
• heavy whipping cream if you will make your own whipped cream or use Redi Whip or similar product.

Recipe Directions

Prepare pie crust per package instructions. Or try a mini rustic pie crust or a super simple graham cracker crust.

Before baking the crust, line 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 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.

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

Recipe Tips

• When baking the crust, line wit parchment paper and pie weight to keep the crust from shrinking. I did not do this for this recipe and you can see how the crust pulld away from the pie plate.
• 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.

Tools Used

• Whisk
• Mixing bowls
• Small saucepan
• Wooden spoon
• 6-inch Pyrex pie plate