Nothing that says dessert quite like chocolate cream pie! Indulge your senses in this heavenly, three-layer dark chocolate cream pie, where every layer is a temptation that beckons you to take another blissful bite. We’re pretty sure you won’t be able to resist!
At the foundation of this exquisite creation is a slightly salty shortbread crust, which complements the velvety layer of rich and creamy dark chocolate pudding. Its smooth, silken texture envelops your palate, releasing an explosion of deep, bittersweet chocolate notes that dance delicately on your taste buds.
The second layer introduces a delightful twist, combining the tangy essence of yogurt with the lightness of whipped cream, all folded into yet more dark chocolate pudding. The yogurt adds a touch of brightness that complements and balances the indulgent sweetness of the chocolate pudding. Whipped to perfection, this layer is a heavenly cloud that adds a velvety smoothness to the pie, creating a harmony of sensations with every spoonful.
Note* If you don’t like the idea of yogurt-whipped cream, that is A-okay, simply use plain whipped cream to fold into the chocolate pudding.
Lastly, the pinnacle of this chocolate cream pie is a crown of billowy whipped cream, imparting a luxurious creaminess that enhances every bite. Together, these three layers create an irresistible symphony of flavors and textures. Each spoonful is a journey through velvety chocolate bliss, tangy creaminess, and ethereal lightness.
We love this oil-based shortbread crust for this pie, but you can certainly use a regular pastry crust, or even an Oreo Cookie crust. The one thing about this shortbread crust is that it only holds up for a couple of days, so be sure to assemble your pie the same day as you plan to serve it, to make sure the crust is nice and crispy.
When making a pudding, you need to temper the eggs before adding them to the rest of the milk and chocolate mixture. To do this, simply add about 1/4 cup of the hot milk mixture to the beaten eggs and blend before adding this back to the pot. This allows the pudding to thicken and get really creamy.
Chocolate Cream Dream Pie
Equipment
- 1 9.5-inch pie dish
- 1 Electric beater or standing mixer
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup canola oil can use vegetable oil of your choice
- 3 tbsp. milk
Chocolate Cream Pie Filling
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch
- 1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 3 1/2 cups milk or half and half
- 6 oz. bittersweet chocolate (bar chopped, or chips) 60-72% cacao dark chocolate
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Yogurt-Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup nonfat strained Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp. powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Garnish
- 1/4 cup dark chocolate shavings use a potato peeler
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Sift dries into a medium-sized bowl. Mix milk and oil together with a fork and add to dries, mixing well. Pat this mixture into a 9-inch pie pan to form the crust. Using a fork, poke holes into the bottom and sides of the crust.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool completely before filling with chocolate custard.
Chocolate Cream Pie Filling
- Mix sugar, cornstarch, flour and salt in a saucepan, or the top of a double boiler.
- Add 1/4 cup milk to dries and stir well to make a paste.
- Add the remaining milk and chocolate. Heat over medium-high heat, stirring all the while, until the mixture comes to a boil.
- In the meantime, whisk the egg yolks until blended. Once the chocolate mixture comes to a boil, add 1/4 cup of the chocolate mixture to the egg yolks and stir well. Then, add this mixture back to the main mixture in the saucepan and bring to a boil. Stirring constantly, boil for one minute, or until mixture thickens. It should be fairly thick, enough to stay on a spoon. Pudding will thicken a bit more as it cools.
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Lay plastic wrap directly on top of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming, and cool completely. Once cooled, refrigerate.
Yogurt-Whipped Cream
- While the pudding is cooling, beat heavy cream to stiff peaks. Gently fold yogurt into whipped cream and stir in vanilla and one tablespoon powdered sugar. Refrigerate until chocolate pudding is cold.
Assembling Pie
- Take about 1 ½ cups of the yogurt whipped cream and set it aside for the final topping on the pie. To the remaining yogurt whipped cream, fold in about 1 ½ cups of the cold chocolate pudding. Set aside.
- Spoon the remaining chocolate pudding into the bottom of the prepared pie shell. Smooth with an off-set spatula.
- Spread the chocolate pudding-yogurt whipped cream mixture on top of the chocolate pudding in the pie shell. Spread remaining yogurt-whipped cream on top of pie.
- Sprinkle chocolate shavings over the top. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
