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–+ servings

Chocolate Chess Pie

If you are a chocolate fan, you are going to love this Chocolate Chess pie recipe. This classic Southern recipe is sweet and delicious.
This type of pie is kind of a cross between a brownie and a custard. The top has a brownie texture, and the inside is smooth and has a custard-like texture. 
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 8
Calories 182 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • Store-bought pie crust 1
  • ¼ cup natural cocoa powder
  • ¾ cup white granulated sugar
  • ¼ all–purpose flour
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs slightly beaten – do not overbeat
  • 1 5 oz can evaporated milk
  • 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Chocolate bar to shave grated chocolate on top optional
  • Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for garnish optional

Instructions
 

  • Prepare your pie crust. If you are going to par-bake the crust, go ahead and do that now and then set aside.
  • If you pre-baked your pie crust, once that’s done, lower the oven temp to 325 degrees. If you didn’t, preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
  • Place the butter in a microwave safe bowl and melt it and set it aside.
  • In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the sifted cocoa powder, white sugar, and flour.
  • Next, add in the egg, the unsalted butter, evaporated milk, and vanilla and stir together until all of the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated.
  • Pour the chocolate mixture into the pie crust. Only fill the crust about 2/3rds full. Be careful not to overfill.
  • Bake for 50 minutes, then with a cake tester or toothpick, check to see if the pie is set in the middle. If the tester comes out clean and the pie is not jiggly in the middle, it is done. If there is still a lot of the mixture on the tester and there is still a lot of jiggle to the pie, continue baking at 10 minute increments until it’s done.
  • Once the pie is done, turn off the oven, and let the pie remain in the oven to cool down. By doing this you are allowing the pie to cool down at the same time the oven is. You can pull it out of the oven to let it cool, but the top of the pie may crack.
  • Once it’s cooled, slice, serve and top with vanilla ice cream and grate chocolate on top.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

  • I used store-bought pie crust for this recipe. You can use your favorite homemade recipe too, it’s totally up to you.
  • I did not par-bake the crust. If you choose to do that, there are specific instructions on the pie crust package on how to do that.
  • This type of pie is kind of a cross between a brownie and a custard. The top has a brownie texture, and the inside is smooth and almost has a custard-like texture.
  • Once the pie has fully cooked, turn off the oven and let the pie cool down inside the oven, as the oven cools down with the door cracked open. That way the pie isn’t exposed to the sudden cooldown of your kitchen. That will help the top of the pie not crack.
  • Do NOT use Dutch-processed cocoa powder for this recipe. Dutch cocoa powder is cocoa that has been treated with a form of an alkaline agent so it’s not so bitter. Regular natural cocoa hasn’t been treated this way so it will have a more bitter taste to it. Since you are adding sugar to this recipe, you will need the bitterness from the regular cocoa powder, so the pie isn’t too sweet.
  • A word of caution. Be very careful with the evaporated milk. You only need to use 5 oz. Most cans are 12 oz. If you use the whole can, you will use way too much, and your pie may not set.
  • When measuring out your flour, make sure to use the scoop with a spoon and level with a knife method. If you just scoop out the flour with your measuring cup, your measurement will not be correct.
  • Since you will be adding salt to this recipe, you will need to use unsalted butter. Do not use salted butter when making this recipe.
    Make sure to use either kosher or sea salt. Do not use regular table salt. Table salt is strictly for seasoning food at the table after it has already been properly seasoned during the baking/cooking process.
  • Metal pans normally work best for pie crusts.
  • Sift the cocoa powder and flour. That way you break down any large clumps and it helps aerate the dry ingredients.
  • If you notice that the edges of the pie crust are starting to get too brown, cover them with foil or with a pie crust protector so that the pie can continue to bake without the crust getting burnt.

Nutrition

Calories: 182kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 4gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 83mgSodium: 84mgPotassium: 131mgFiber: 1gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 315IUVitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 70mgIron: 1mg
Keyword chocolate, pie
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