Chocolate Chess Pie Recipe

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Hi Bold Bakers!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: Silky Chocolate Chess Pie Recipe is a cocoa lover’s dream, and it’s so effortless you’ll be whipping up this old-fashioned favorite throughout the holidays (and all year!). And if you have to ask, “What is chocolate chess pie?” get ready to experience an amazing comfort food treat!

• Classic combo: Rich, sweet chocolate filling nestled in flaky crust is a match made in heaven.
• One-bowl ease: That means quicker prep and fewer dishes to clean!
• The fridge does the work: This chocolate pie sets as it chills. Perfect to make ahead for a party!
• Delightful texture: The custard filling has a slight gooeyness that’s irresistible.
• Secret ingredient: Cornmeal keeps the custard from weeping, and gives the pie a slight hint of delightful texture.

I learned a few things after making this pie several times, and two tips really make a difference for amazing results: use finely ground cornmeal—any other grind can be lumpy and won’t fully cook out—and bake carefully until just set. This is a baked custard–style pie, so you want a visible wobble in the center when it’s done. Without it, the texture will be firm rather than soft and delicate.

While I adore classic fall flavors like pumpkin, apple, and cranberry, every fall party or holiday gathering also needs a chocolate dessert. Chocolate Chess Pie provides a rich contrast to the spiced favorites and is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser—watch it disappear in minutes once the chocolate lovers spot it! With its deep cocoa flavor and simple, quick prep, it’s the perfect choice. And if you’re craving more fast chocolate treats, you’ll love my Chocolate Brownie Trifle,  Chocolate Bundt Cake, Sinful Chocolate Tart, and The Ultimate Chocolate Cobbler.

Table of Contents

• What is Chocolate Chess Pie?
• Tools You Need
• Key Ingredients and Substitutes
• How to Make Chocolate Chess Pie
• Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
• Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
• FAQs
• More Chocolate Pie Recipes

What is Chocolate Chess Pie?

• Chocolate Chess Pie is based on Chess Pie, a classic southern dessert that’s a simple custard baked in a pie shell. This version contains cocoa for a rich, chocolaty flavor.
  • Flavor: Buttery crust, deeply chocolate filling accented with vanilla.
  • Texture: Flaky crust, smooth, thick, slightly gooey filling that’s slightly toothsome from the cornmeal.
  • Main ingredients: Pie crust, eggs, whole milk, butter, cocoa, vanilla extract
  • Great for: Fall gatherings, dinner parties, Halloween get-togethers, football watching parties, holiday dinners, bake sales
• Chocolate Chess Pie is believed to have its roots in traditional English custard tarts. It started appearing in the early 1900s, after the Hershey company made chocolate more affordable and accessible to home bakers.

Tools You Need

• Mixing bowls
• Measuring spoons
• Measuring cups
• Glass measuring jug
• Kitchen scale (optional)
• Baking sheet
• Rolling pin
• Whisk
• 9-inch (23-cm) pie pan
• Pastry brush

Key Ingredients and Substitutes

1 recipe Pie Crust

• My perfect pie crust is delicious and versatile.
• Butter makes this pie crust flavorful and flaky, and powdered sugar makes it more tender than pastry made with granulated sugar.
• Using egg wash (one egg whisked with 1 tablespoon of milk) on the pie dough makes it golden and shiny.
• Substitute: Alternatively, store-bought pie crusts are also fine to use here.

Eggs

• Eggs bring the filling ingredients together into a unified mixture and thicken the mixture to help it set.
• Importantly, in chess pie, eggs provide significant flavor and richness.
• Substitutes: No egg substitute will achieve the same result.

Granulated sugar

• Granulated sugar sweetens this southern chocolate pie
• As the pie bakes, the sugar caramelizes, adding flavor and contributing to the browning.
• Substitute: You can use an equal amount of light brown sugar or dark brown sugar.

Butter

• Melted butter gives the custard richness and silkiness.
• Additionally, butter adds sumptuous flavor.

Whole milk

• Whole milk gives the custard body and a creamy, velvety texture.
• Substitute: You can use an equal amount of dairy-free milk here if you choose. The best choice for this recipe is full-fat oat milk.
  • See my article, The Best Plant-Based Milk Options for Baking, for more options.

Unsweetened cocoa powder

• Unsweetened cocoa powder gives the custard its chocolate flavor.
• Substitute: You can also use Dutch-processed cocoa powder. It will give the pie a darker color, with a mellower chocolate taste.
• Learn more about the different types of chocolate in my post, The Ultimate Guide to the Different Types of Chocolate.

Fine-ground cornmeal

• Cornmeal stabilizes the custard. The starch in cornmeal absorbs the extra moisture in the filling so it isn’t runny and doesn’t break or “weep.”
• Additionally, the cornmeal gives the custard body, making it thick and slicable.
• Substitute: You can use an equal amount of fine semolina.

Vanilla extract

• Vanilla extract enhances the cocoa flavor and adds a warm, sweet flavor.
• Substitute: If you prefer, use the same amount of Vanilla Bean Paste.

Salt

• Salt amps up the cocoa flavor and balances the sweetness.

How to Make Chocolate Chess Pie

To Prepare the Crust

1. Prepare to bake: Place a baking sheet on a lower rack in the oven and preheat it to 350°F (180°C).
2. Roll crust, line pan, and freeze: Roll the pie crust into a 1/8-inch (3 mm) thick circle and line a 9-inch (23 cm) pie dish with it. Place in the freezer for at least 15 minutes.

To Make the Chocolate Filling

3. Make filling: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, butter, milk, cocoa powder, cornmeal, vanilla extract, and salt. Set aside until the oven is preheated.

To Bake the Chess Pie

4. Add egg wash: Brush the edges of the crust with egg wash.

5. Bake pie: Pour the filling into the frozen crust and bake the pie on the preheated baking sheet for about 40 minutes, or until the filling has puffed but the center still jiggles slightly.

6. Cool and chill: Let cool completely, then chill for at least 4 hours to let set before serving.

7. Serve: Enjoy with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

FULL (PRINTABLE) RECIPE BELOW! 

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips

• No blind-baking required: Custard pies often require prebaking the crust, but with the correct technique, this step isn’t necessary. Be sure to follow the recipe’s instructions for freezing the crust and preheating a baking sheet, and you will have a perfectly baked crust.
• Ingredient temperature: Be sure that all of your ingredients are at room temperature when mixing the custard, or the pie may bake unevenly.
• Flavor variations: You can add 1 cup (3 oz/85 g) of unsweetened, shredded coconut for a sweet, nutty flavor.
  • Add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon for a tasty Mexican chocolate taste.
• Tell-tale sign: Watch the pie carefully towards the end of the baking time. The custard is done baking once it is set on the edges, but still jiggly in the middle. Overbaking the pie will negatively affect the texture.
• Mocha goodness: This chocolate pie is lovely with espresso whipped cream. To make it, combine 1 cup (8 fl oz/240 ml) of heavy cream with 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon of instant espresso powder, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Whip to soft peaks and dollop on the pie.
• More Southern favorites: You’re going to adore this Chocolate Chess Pie, and for more irresistible vintage favorites, try my Classic Chess Pie, Southern Egg Custard Pie, and Buttermilk Pie.

Make Ahead and Storage Instructions

• Make-ahead tips:
  • The pie crust can be made ahead, placed in the pan, and frozen for up to two months. Wrap well and put in a freezer bag before freezing.
  • You can also prepare the pie ahead of time and refrigerate it until you’re ready to serve. The pie will keep in an airtight container for up to three days.
• How to store leftovers: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

FAQs

How can I make Chocolate Chess Pie gluten-free?

• You can easily make Chocolate Chess Pie gluten-free.
• In place of the regular pie crust, use my Flakiest Gluten-Free Pie Crust Recipe.

Is there a way to make chess pie without eggs?

• I don’t recommend making this chess pie without eggs, as they are essential to the custard.

What can I serve with this chocolatey chess pie?

• This chocolatey chess pie is great with whipped cream, coconut whipped cream, and espresso whipped cream (combine 1 cup (8 fl oz/240 ml) of heavy cream with 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon of instant espresso powder, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Whip to soft peaks and dollop on the pie.)
• Serve chocolate chess pies with fresh berries or a raspberry sauce
• This pie would be dreamy with a scoop of my homemade vanilla ice cream.

How do I know when the pie is done?

• The Chocolate Chess Pie is ready when the filling around the edges is set, but there’s still a jiggle in the center.
• It’s important not to overcook the pie. The texture could be rubbery, and it could have a more pronounced eggy flavor if it’s overcooked.

More Chocolate Pie Recipes

• Chocolate Pudding Pie
• No-Bake Chocolate Pie
• Fudge Pecan Pie
• No-Bake White Chocolate Raspberry Pie
• Peanut Butter Fudge Ice Cream Pie

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Dark Chocolate Tart

French Silk Pie