Chocolate Cream Pie for Two (with a no-bake option)

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This Mini Chocolate Cream Pie is rich chocolate pudding set in a graham cracker crust. It'll satisfy your chocolate cravings, & is perfectly sized for two!

Classic Chocolate Cream Pie

I love chocolate pudding. Like thick, rich pudding. Then put that pudding in a pie shell, top it with whipped cream...yummm...

[pausing to wipe drool from the keyboard]

Poking around King Arthur Flour one day, I happened upon their Chocolate Cream Pie recipe. It was that classic chocolate pie you see in a diner. Yep, I was going to make that.

But first a little adaptation was in order. I wanted a recipe for mini Chocolate Cream Pie because there's only two of us and I didn't want an entire pie enticing me.

Adapt the recipe to fit your needs

I was going to use a 7-inch pie pan to make a Chocolate Cream Pie for Two. So just like when I made the Mini Butterscotch Pie, all I had to do was halve the filling ingredients. Easy enough.

The other change was that I just didn't feel like making standard pastry pie crust. Yes, I could have made my No Recipe Pie Crust using a 6-4-2 recipe ratio for a half a single pie crust, but frankly, I didn't want to bother.

Besides, pudding pies are great with graham cracker crusts also. Snap decision...I'll halve my graham cracker crust recipe and use that for my mini pie. Problem solved!

For a no-bake graham cracker crust, just chill it in the freezer for 15 minutes to set the melted butter after pressing it into the pan. No heating the oven!

How to make Chocolate Cream Pie

The filling for a this pie is really a version of chocolate custard in that you're cooking a cream mixture with egg yolks and thickening it with cornstarch.

It's also like a ganache in that you're pouring this hot custard mixture over the chopped chocolate, then stirring until it's smooth.

A hybrid custard-ganache pie filling, as it were.

The rest of the procedure is as easy as filling the pie shell and chilling the whole thing until it's set. That's the hardest part...the waiting!

How you choose to serve Chocolate Cream Pie is totally up to you. You can serve it plain, but I prefer some lightly sweetened whipped cream and a few chocolate shavings for garnish.

This pie is luscious, rich, creamy, and chocolatey, and the graham cracker crust adds a nice texture counterpoint to all that creamy goodness.

I'm glad that I made a mini pie...it was enough to last my husband and I a couple of days at least. If I had a crowd to serve, than yes, I'd make a full-sized recipe for Chocolate Cream Pie. Just save me a slice!

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Mini Chocolate Cream Pie (with a no-bake option)

This Mini Chocolate Cream Pie is rich chocolate pudding set in a graham cracker crust. It'll satisfy your chocolate cravings, & is perfectly sized for two!

Adapted from King Arthur Flour

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Chilling Time4 hrs

Total Time4 hrs 35 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Chocolate, Cookie Pie Crust, Dark Chocolate, Graham Crackers, No Bake Desserts, No-Bake, Pie Crust

Servings: 6 slices

Calories: 380kcal

Author: Tammy Spencer, Scotch & Scones

Special Equipment

• 7-inch pie pan
• pastry dough tart tamper
• fine mesh strainer
• small offset spatula

Ingredients

• 1 Graham Cracker Pie Crust, half recipe

Filling

• 1 Tbsp butter, unsalted (1 oz, 28g)
• ⅔ cups chocolate, chopped, see Recipe Notes (4 oz, 113g)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar, (2 oz, 66g)
• 1½ Tbsp cornstarch, (⅓ oz, 10g)
• 1 Tbsp cocoa powder, see Recipe Notes
• ½ tsp espresso powder, optional, see Recipe Notes
• ⅛ tsp kosher salt
• 2 large egg yolks
• ½ cup heavy cream, divided (4 oz, 113g)
• 1 cup milk, (8 oz, 227g)
• whipped cream, lightly sweetened, for garnish

Procedure

• Make the crust: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Prepare a graham cracker crust using half the amount of ingredients and press into a 7-inch pie pan (a pastry dough tart tamper can help this process). Bake for 15 minutes. Remove shell from oven and let cool completely while you make the filling. For a no-bake graham cracker crust, just chill it in the freezer for 15 minutes to set the melted butter after pressing it into the pan.
• Make the filling: Place the butter, chopped chocolate, and vanilla extract in a small mixing bowl; set aside.
• In a small saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and salt. Add ¼ cup (2 oz, 56g) of the heavy cream, whisking until the mixture is smooth and lump-free. Whisk in the egg yolks.
• Place the saucepan over medium heat, and gradually whisk in the remaining cream and milk. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly as the mixture thickens. Boil for 1 minute. The temperature of the mixture will be around 200°F after 1 minute.
• Remove the pan from the heat and immediately pour the mixture over the reserved chocolate and butter. Whisk until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
• Pass the filling through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl to remove any lumps or scrambled eggs.
• Place plastic wrap or buttered parchment paper on the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming, and chill thoroughly for at least two hours.
• Assemble the pie: Spoon the chilled filling into the cooled graham cracker crust. Level the top with a small offset spatula.
• Chill the pie until you're ready to serve. For best slicing, refrigerate the pie overnight before serving.
• Garnish the pie, either whole or just slices, with whipped cream and chocolate shavings or a dusting of cocoa powder. Serve and enjoy!https://amzn.to/31yE5nc

Video

Recipe Notes

You can customize the chocolate to your taste, by using bittersweet, semisweet, milk chocolate, or any combination of these that you like. If desired, create some chocolate shavings to garnish the top of the pie before chopping the rest.

You can also choose between regular or dark cocoa powder.

Espresso powder is for a richer chocolate flavor. It’s optional, but I wouldn’t skip it!

You can spoon or pipe whipped cream on top of the entire pie, but I prefer to just put a dollop on each individual slice. It’s easier to store in the refrigerator, especially if you're not planning on serving the entire pie at once.

If desired, you can replace the Graham Cracker Crust with a standard pastry pie shell. Use my No Recipe Pie Crust using a 6-4-2 recipe ratio for a half a single crust pie. Blind bake it with pie weights and cool before adding the filling.

You can make a full-sized pie by doubling the ingredients and using a 9-inch pie pan. If you want a standard pastry pie shell, use the 9-6-3 recipe ratio for a single crust pie.

Nutrition Facts

Mini Chocolate Cream Pie (with a no-bake option)

Amount Per Serving (1 slice)

Calories 380

* Percent daily values are based on a 2,000 cal per day diet.

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