Dark Chocolate Sweet Cream Pie
Rich chocolate custard sits inside a chocolate graham cracker crust and is topped with homemade whipped cream and milk chocolate shavings. This Dark Chocolate Sweet Cream Pie is the ultimate chocolate pie that will impress guests for any occasion!
If you love chocolate desserts, be sure to check out some of my other favorite recipes like Chocolate Banana Caramel Ice Cream Pie, Bakery Style Chocolate S’mores Cookies With Fluff, Big Chocolate Cookie, or Avocado Olive Oil Chocolate Cake.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Recipe Name: Dark Chocolate Sweet Cream Pie
- Ready In: 4 hours 40 minutes
- Makes: 9-inch pie
- Main Ingredients: butter, egg yolks, cane sugar, Dutch cocoa
- Flavor Profile: rich, creamy dark chocolate
- Difficulty: Medium
- Why You’ll Love It: best selling chocolate pie from my bakery!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Rich & Creamy: Rich and creamy dark chocolate custard is the star of this chocolate pie. This Dark Chocolate Sweet Cream Pis is made with old fashioned custard, which uses only egg yolks for an incredibly creamy custard that you won’t be able to stop eating. This decadent, rich chocolate pie is a symphony of texture in every bite!
- Nostalgic: This Dark Chocolate Sweet Cream Pie is an old fashioned custard, which is incredibly nostalgic. This velvety custard is made the old fashioned way with egg yolks and it's topped with fresh made whipped cream. This organic pie is a labor of love, but it is worth every minute!
- Chocolate: Need I say more? If you are a chocolate lover then this pie has it all! Chocolate graham cracker crust is filled with dark chocolate custard, whipped cream, and finished off with milk chocolate shavings! This custard pie has three times the chocolate!
- Organic Pie: If you were a customer at my bake shop, then this chocolate pie was known as the Ultimate Chocolate Pie on our menu! So, now you can easily make this at home!
If you were a customer at my bake shop, then you know all about sweet cream pies. They were the most popular menu item we had (yes, they beat out cookies every single month!) and we served individual slices up in a jar! But, today I'm sharing one of our most popular flavors, which was known as the Ultimate Chocolate Sweet Cream Pie!
I'm showing you exactly how to make this bakery famous chocolate pie from my bake shop. With a chocolate graham cracker crust, dark chocolate custard filling, fresh made whipped cream on top, and chocolate shavings, you can now make this famous pie in the comfort of your own home.
If you are looking for more of my bake shop recipes, check out Caramel Hot Cocoa, Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies with Homemade Caramel, or Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Mini Cookies Without Eggs.
Ingredients
- Dutch Cocoa Powder: I use organic Dutch cocoa powder for both the crust and in the filling of this chocolate pie. Using Dutch cocoa as opposed to natural is key for a rich and sweet chocolate flavor that is not bitter.
- Graham Crackers: I use organic honey graham crackers to make the crust. We used Annie's Organic at my bakery, that's what I use here. They have the best flavor.
- Eggs: Use large eggs so you have the right amount, you'll only need the yolks. Egg yolks are what thickens this custard. There is no cornstarch or any other stabilizers in it, just organic egg yolks!
- Milk: Use whole milk for flavor, I prefer to use grassfed milk.
- Dark Chocolate: I use organic dark chocolate chips in the custard. But, a chopped up dark chocolate bar also works.
- Vanilla Extract: Us a high quality vanilla extract, like Simply Organic, which is what I used at my bake shop and what I still use at home.
*For a full list of ingredients and measurements, visit the recipe card below.
Baker's Tips
- Always weigh ingredients for the best results.
- For more tips on making pie crust, visit How to Make Chocolate Graham Cracker Crust From Scratch.
- When heating the milk, I note to heat it to 140°F. Milk burns as soon as it goes over 160°F. If you burn the milk, the taste of burnt milk will transfer into the custard which is not good! If you don’t have a drink thermometer, then heat the milk just until it’s warm to the touch so that you don’t overheat it and burn it. Do not boil it.
- Heating the milk is crucial as when you slowly add the warm milk into the egg and sugar mixture it will warm this mixture a bit, before it gets heated. This helps to gently warm the eggs in a gradual state without completely cooking them.
- When making the custard, stir it continuously. This does not mean you have to stir it vigorously or that it should be hard. It just means that it needs to keep moving and your spatula should be scraping the bottom and sides of the pot so the custard doesn’t sit on the pot and have time to burn.
- If you do burn the custard, you will notice small clumps when it’s done cooking. These small clumps are burnt custard from the bottom of the pan. If you do burn it, you can just scoop out the small clumps and your custard will be just fine. You’ll want to do this before adding in any of the other ingredients as it will be easier to remove those small burnt pieces.
- The custard should be refrigerated overnight. I prefer to make the custard and crust at night, let them both sit overnight, then put together the pie the following day.
- This pie is made of custard and homemade whipped cream, so it needs to be refrigerated. You can assemble this and store in the fridge until ready to serve. If you are storing overnight, add plastic wrap on top of the pie so the custard and whipped cream don’t dry out.
How to Make Dark Chocolate Sweet Cream Pie
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Step 2
To make the crust: In a food processor, add the graham crackers, butter, cane sugar, and cocoa. Pulse, and then mix until you have a uniform mixture and there are no chunks of graham cracker or butter.
Grease a 9-inch pie pan with butter. Transfer the graham cracker mixture to the pie pan, and lightly press it to the sides first. Use the remaining crust and press it down into the bottom of the pan.
Bake for 5 minutes or until lightly dry and set. Allow to cool completely.
Step 3
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the egg yolks and cane sugar. Whisk on low for 2 to 3 minutes or until lightened in color. Add in the flour and whisk to combine completely.
Heat the milk to 140°F. Once the milk has heated, turn the mixer on low and slowly add in the warm milk into the egg mixture. Once completely combined, stop the mixer.
Step 4
In a clean saucepan (do not use the one the milk was heated in, incase milk stuck to the bottom, that will burn if used without cleaning), pour in the egg mixture. Put over low/medium heat.
Continue to heat while continuously stirring with a high heat spatula by scraping the bottoms and the sides. The mixture will start to rise and may bubble, continue to stir. The mixture will start to thicken and continue to stir. The trick is to keep stirring so clumps do not form, as you want a smooth custard. If you see clumps beginning to form, stir vigorously and they will dissolve.
Continue to stir until the custard coats the spatula and does not drip off when you lift it from the pot. The whole process should take around 20 minutes. Remove the pot from heat.
Step 5
Add in the butter, dark chocolate chips, and cocoa and stir to combine completely, making sure all the chocolate chips have melted completely. Place in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight (no need to cover it).
Step 6
To assemble the pie: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the heavy whipping cream, cane sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix on low and gradually increase the speed as the whipped cream starts to thicken, until you are full speed. Whisk until stiff peaks form.
Step 7
Reserve 1/2 of the whipped cream (8 ounces or about 1 cup). Add in about half (4 ounces) of the remaining whipped cream and fold to combine, then add in the other half (4 ounces) of the remaining whipped cream and fold to combine completely.
Transfer the chocolate custard mixture to the pie crust and spread evenly. Top with the remaining 8 ounces of whipped cream. Add milk chocolate shavings on top.
Recipe FAQ's
This is a two day recipe, as you do have to chill the custard overnight for the best results. So, plan to make this at least one day ahead of when you plan to enjoy it. But, you can also make this ahead of time if needed. I would only recommend making this two days in advance as the whipped cream is really best when it's fresh! If you do make the whole pie ahead of time, be sure to cover it really well with plastic wrap and store in the fridge. The plastic wrap will help keep the whipped cream from drying out.
Haha, love this and yes! If you are looking for an old fashioned chocolate custard recipe, then just make the filling! You can serve it in little dishes with a dollop of fresh whipped cream or even with cookies for dipping.
This is a cold pie, so it needs to be stored in the fridge because of the custard and whipped cream topping. Always put extras in an airtight container so they don't dry out as that can easily happen in the fridge. If you are prepping the whole pie ahead of time, cover it really well with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out.
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Dark Chocolate Sweet Cream Pie
Equipment
- Digital Food Scale
- Stand Mixer
- Small Pot
- Spatula
- Food Processor
- 9-Inch Pie Pan
- Chocolate Shaver
Ingredients
Filling
- 3 large egg yolks
- 226 grams cane sugar
- 43 grams all purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
- 57 grams salted butter
- 50 grams dark chocolate chips
- 28 grams Dutch cocoa powder (sifted)
Whipped Cream Topping
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 57 grams milk chocolate (for shaving)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- To make the crust: In a food processor, add the graham crackers, butter, cane sugar, and cocoa. Pulse, and then mix until you have a uniform mixture and there are no chunks of graham cracker or butter.
- Grease a 9-inch pie pan with butter. Transfer the graham cracker mixture to the pie pan, and lightly press it to the sides first. Use the remaining crust and press it down into the bottom of the pan.
- Bake for 5 minutes or until lightly dry and set. Allow to cool completely.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the egg yolks and cane sugar. Whisk on low for 2 to 3 minutes or until lightened in color. Add in the flour and whisk to combine completely.
- Heat the milk to 140°F. Once the milk has heated, turn the mixer on low and slowly add in the warm milk into the egg mixture. Once completely combined, stop the mixer.
- In a clean saucepan (do not use the one the milk was heated in, incase milk stuck to the bottom, that will burn if used without cleaning), pour in the egg mixture. Put over low/medium heat.
- Continue to heat while continuously stirring with a high heat spatula by scraping the bottoms and the sides. The mixture will start to rise and may bubble, continue to stir. The mixture will start to thicken and continue to stir. The trick is to keep stirring so clumps do not form, as you want a smooth custard. If you see clumps beginning to form, stir vigorously and they will dissolve.
- Continue to stir until the custard coats the spatula and does not drip off when you lift it from the pot. The whole process should take around 20 minutes. Remove the pot from heat.
- Add in the butter, dark chocolate chips, and cocoa and stir to combine completely, making sure all the chocolate chips have melted completely. Place in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight (no need to cover it).
- To assemble the pie: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the heavy whipping cream, cane sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix on low and gradually increase the speed as the whipped cream starts to thicken, until you are full speed. Whisk until stiff peaks form.
- Reserve 1/2 of the whipped cream (8 ounces or about 1 cup). Add in about half (4 ounces) of the remaining whipped cream and fold to combine, then add in the other half (4 ounces) of the remaining whipped cream and fold to combine completely.
- Transfer the chocolate custard mixture to the pie crust and spread evenly. Top with the remaining 8 ounces of whipped cream. Add milk chocolate shavings on top.
- Serve immediately or cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Always weigh ingredients for the best results.
- For more tips on making pie crust, visit How to Make Chocolate Graham Cracker Crust From Scratch.
- When heating the milk, I note to heat it to 140°F. Milk burns as soon as it goes over 160°F. If you burn the milk, the taste of burnt milk will transfer into the custard which is not good! If you don’t have a drink thermometer, then heat the milk just until it’s warm to the touch so that you don’t overheat it and burn it. Do not boil it.
- Heating the milk is crucial as when you slowly add the warm milk into the egg and sugar mixture it will warm this mixture a bit, before it gets heated. This helps to gently warm the eggs in a gradual state without completely cooking them.
- When making the custard, stir it continuously. This does not mean you have to stir it vigorously or that it should be hard. It just means that it needs to keep moving and your spatula should be scraping the bottom and sides of the pot so the custard doesn’t sit on the pot and have time to burn.
- If you do burn the custard, you will notice small clumps when it’s done cooking. These small clumps are burnt custard from the bottom of the pan. If you do burn it, you can just scoop out the small clumps and your custard will be just fine. You’ll want to do this before adding in any of the other ingredients as it will be easier to remove those small burnt pieces.
- The custard should be refrigerated overnight. I prefer to make the custard and crust at night, let them both sit overnight, then put together the pie the following day.
- This pie is made of custard and homemade whipped cream, so it needs to be refrigerated. You can assemble this and store in the fridge until ready to serve. If you are storing overnight, add plastic wrap on top of the pie so the custard and whipped cream don’t dry out.
Nutrition
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