This homemade chocolate cream pie is better than anything you could pick up at even the best grocery store … as good as anything you’d find in a good bakery. The pretzel crust is a little bit chewy with whispers of toffee. The filling has a perfect texture: rich but not dense. And of course whipped cream amplifies the chocolatiness of the chocolate.
Chocolate Cream Pie
Course: Dessert1
8-inch pie6-8
What little baking is involved can be done in a toaster oven.
Ingredients
6 Tbs (85g) melted butter, plus additional butter for preparing the pan
2 cups (140g) pretzels
1 cup + 1 Tbs sugar, divided
9 oz. milk chocolate, finely chopped, divided
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp unflavored gelatin, divided
2 cups heavy cream, divided
2 tsp vanilla extract, divided
4 Tbs confectioners sugar
1 Tbs cold water
2-3 Tbs cocoa powder (optional)
Directions
- Lightly butter an 8-inch springform pan. Place the pretzels in a large Ziploc bag, and crush with a rolling pin until the pieces are roughly the size of lentils. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (325ºF convention, see note). To the pretzels, add 3 Tbs sugar and melted butter and mix thoroughly until all the crumbs are saturated. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and press it across the bottom of the pan and half-way (about 1½ inches) up the side. Bake the crust until it’s golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer from the oven to a wire cooling rack. Gently melt 1 oz. of the chocolate in the microwave, and while the crust is still warm, use a pastry brush to paint the chocolate onto the bottom of it in a thin, even layer. Let the crust fully cool on the rack, and then refrigerate.
- Pour the milk into a small bowl. Sprinkle 1 tsp gelatin over the milk, and let soften for 5 minutes. Place 1 cup cream and 2 Tbs sugar in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add gelatin mixture, and stir to combine. Remove from heat. Add remaining 8 oz. chocolate and 1 tsp vanilla; cover, and let stand for 3 minutes. Stir by hand until thoroughly combined, 3 minutes. Pass mixture through a fine sieve into cooled crust; leave behind any undissolved chocolate to prevent filling from becoming grainy. Return filled crust to refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight.
- Place a medium-sized mixing bowl and a hand-held mixer’s whisk attachment (or beaters) in the refrigerator for about 10 to 15 minutes. Pour the cold water into a microwavable 1-cup measure. Spinkle remaining 1 tsp gelatin over the water and let stand for 5 minutes. Microwave the mixture until the gelatin dissolves and becomes liquid but is not yet hot, about 7 to 10 seconds, checking after 5 seconds, then checking every few seconds. Pour the remaining 1 cup cream into the refrigerated mixing bowl. Whisk on high speed until it begins to thicken, then beat in the confectioners sugar. Add the remaining 1 tsp vanilla and continue beating until thick but not quite to the soft peak stage. While still whisking, pour the liquid gelatin into the cream in a thin stream. (Sprinkle in the cocoa.) Continue beating until stiff peaks form.
- Remove pie from refrigerator. Using a soup spoon, drop whip onto the pie in heaping spoonsful, lifting to create tall peaks (or pipe it on). Serve immediately, or refrigerate.
Notes
- If using a toaster oven, place the rack in the lowest postion (which, for my oven, is Rack Position A).
This is as good a pie as you’d get in a bakery. The crust is kind of magical. It has a sort of toffee taste. It’s crunchy, and just a bit chewy, but it’s nowhere near as heavy as a graham cracker crust. The filling is so satisfyingly chocolately without being too rich, and of course cream just amplifies that fabulous chocolate flavor.
Social Learning
I prefer to use pretzel rods or something similar for the crust, because they’ll produce larger pieces when crushed.
If you’d like to serve this pie on a pie plate, you may want to line the bottom of the springform pan with parchment before pressing in the crust. Otherwise, it may be hard to release the pie from the bottom piece of the springform.
A 1-cup, flat-bottomed, straight-sided ramekin is perfect for pressing the crust into the pan.
The chocolate that you paint onto the crust will prevent the filling from sogging the bottom of the crust. The filling won’t sog the side, which is why you don’t have to paint it.
When you pour the chocolate into the crust, go very slowly as you get to the last bit of it. No matter how thoroughly you stirred, there may be undissolved chocolate at the bottom of the pot. Although the sieve should catch it, why risk it?
I prefer to top the entire pie with whip instead of garnishing individual servings with it. The height of the crust is calculated to accomodate this. If you’re going to have the pie around for more than half a day after topping it, you’ll be glad that you went the extra mile and stabilized the whip, as I’ve directed, because ordinary whip won’t hold its shape for more than about half a day – a full day if you’re lucky – in fridge.
Adult Lunchbox
Absolutely pack a slice of pie in your lunch! It’ll keep quite well in a thermal lunchbox with an ice pack. If you’re worried that it’ll slide around in its container – because who has pie-wedge-shaped containers? – go ahead and cut the piece to fit your container. Yes, it’ll make the remaining pie look hideous, but you don’t have to remember that as you enjoy your lunchtime portion.
Chocolate Cream Pie
Credit for images on this page: Make It Like a Man! unless otherwise credited. This content was not solicited by anyone, nor was it written in exchange for anything. Thank you, Kesor. References: David Lebovitz, Martha, The Spruce Eats. Make It Like a Man! is ranked by Feedspot as #14 in the Top 30 Men’s Cooking Blogs.
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That sounds decadent and delicious. I love pretzel crust!
Thank you, Angie!
I love chocolate pudding and pie so this sounds amazing. I can imagine how delicious the crust is. Sweet, slightly salty is a wonderful combo to me. I have to make one of these. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks, Lori!
Look at that masterpiece, a direct link to childhood memories that is certain! These types of pies were the one thing that Mom would occasionally splurge on, but your versions looks so much better. I love the addition of pretzels in the crust, who knew it would add so much texture? And a hint of toffee? I can imagine and I’m ALL in! Would this pie work frozen too? Just thinking of how hot it’s been that a frozen dessert like this would be incredible but cold from the refrigerator works for me too. You definitely hit it out of the park Jeff!
Hmm, it didn’t occur to me to freeze it!
That’s one beautiful chocolate pie, and the pretzel crust is quite unique. I can imagine the flavors compliment each other.
Thanks, Judy!
Woah. You had me at pretzel crust, Jeff – and that’s before we get to all of the amazing chocolate cream pie filling. I’ve made a pretzel crust for pies a couple of times, but it’s been a while now. I clearly need to fix that problem. I bet the salty crust worked well with the chocolate!
It sure did! Thanks, David!
Bonjour .
Un très jolie gâteau aux chocolat bien appétissant .
Je te souhaite un bon lundi et une bonne semaine .
Thank you!
Love your idea of adding pretzels to the crust. Your pie looks truly amazing. It was and is one of my favorites but I usually by a prepared one from the freezer case- no shame here. Thanks for the recipe- if I get ambitious I should try making my own.
I’m right there at the freezer door with you, much of the time!
Well, I’m definitely going to make this. Wow! Every element sounds scrumptious. Love the mostly sweet but a bit salty vibe. 🙂 ~Valentina
Thank you!
Hi Jeff 🙋♂️
I wanted to thank you for visiting my blog and sharing your comment with me. I say that this cake looks very tasty and fantastic. Something very fantastic for every occasion and for dessert for tea 🙂 This recipe is very fantastic, worth trying 👍😉🍰
Best regards to you and have a nice and wonderful day 🤗😘🧡
Patrick
Thank you so very much, Patrick!
Such lovely decadence! I especially love the crunchy pretzel crust!
Thanks, David!