Chocolate Chess Pie is a decadent, delicious pie that is super easy to make and always a crowd-pleaser. This is our family’s favorite pie for Thanksgiving!
A few years ago, my Sister-in-Law from Alabama made her contribution to Thanksgiving dinner in the form of Chocolate Chess Pie. I fell in love at first bite. Ever since, I’ve made this pie for every Thanksgiving, and my husband’s birthday multiple times.
You’re just going to have to try it. It is one of our families favorite pies, along with Lemon Sour Cream Pie and Banana Cream Pie, all must-haves on our Thanksgiving menu!
Check out our other pie recipes on our Dessert page while you’re here, too!
What is Chocolate Chess Pie?
Chocolate Chess Pie is a variation of Chess Pie, which is a southern staple! It’s a rich, custard-like pie made with simple ingredients; eggs, butter and sugar. The pie is soft and creamy on the inside, and has a thin, crispy or crackly top after baking.
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Ingredients:
- Sugar
- Cocoa Powder
- Flour
- Salt
- Butter
- Evaporated Milk
- Vanilla
- Eggs
- Pie Crust (store-bought or homemade)
Equipment:
How to Make Chocolate Chess Pie
Prepare pie crust in a pie dish and set aside. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Mix sugar, flour, cocoa powder and salt together in a large mixing bowl. (Photo 1)
Add melted butter, evaporated milk into the bowl next and beat on high speed. Add vanilla and eggs and beat for 2-3 more minutes until light. (Photo 2)
Pour mixture into the prepared pie crust.
Bake for 55 minutes or until it is cooked through. The inside will be very soft, but the top should be crackly like the picture below.
Allow the pie to cool completely before cutting into it.
Pro Tips:
Use a pie crust shield or make one with tin foil, and put it over the edges of the crust about half way through baking, so that the crust doesn’t get overcooked.
How to Serve
Carefully cut pie into slices.
Serve pie at room temperature topped with whipped cream, or a la mode.
Recipe Video
If you like this recipe, we would love if you’d leave a comment and give it a positive review!
Chocolate Chess Pie
Video
Equipment
- Hand Mixer
- pie dish
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup sugar
- 4 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- pinch of salt
- 4 Tbsp butter melted and slightly cooled
- 5 oz evaporated milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3 large eggs lightly beaten
- 1 9-inch pie crust (unbaked)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325º F.
- Whisk sugar, cocoa, flour, and salt together. Pour butter and evaporated milk into sugar and cocoa mixture and beat on high speed.
- Add vanilla and eggs. With mixer speed on high speed, mix for approximately 2-3 minutes to lighten.
- Pour mixture into 9 inch unbaked pie shell and bake for about 55 minutes. The center of the pie will be a bit soft.
- Allow to cool on a wire rack for at least an hour before slicing. The pie will continue to set as it cools.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was so easy to make and a crowd favorite. I made this pie for Thanksgiving to take to the in laws and my mother in law texted me later raving about how good it was. This recipe is definitively a keeper and one I’ll be making every Thanksgiving. ?
As I recently had one of Sarah’s delicious chess pies, I know it is delicious!
Thanks Chris! I’m so glad you liked it!
I love this pie so much! I’ve never been a pie person until I tasted this one. It’s so yummy and creamy and now I make it for thanksgiving every year.
Yay! So glad it’s your fave too. xoxo
This pie is crazy good! I just made it today, and we loved it. However, Due to the timing I made it the inside of the pie was more of a pudding consistency by the time we got to eating it. I’m wondering if maybe I should have refrigerated it after it had cooled?
It probably just needed a few more minutes in the oven. That has happened to me a few times too in the past but now I know right when to take it out. It’s almost trial and error with every oven being different!
I made this pie for Christmas last year. It was such a hit! It was gone so quickly, my family was begging me to make it again, even though we still had other pies left!
Oh my gosh that is amazing! I’m so glad they all loved it!
My fav pie of all time! Give me it NOW!
Thank you for sharing this recipe. My dear friend, Kathy, who lived on the AL/GA state line gave me this recipe.It was her go to for bridge dessert. After she passed away from cancer I shared her recipe with her daughter. Thank you for reminding me of someone who touched my life in a very special way. I too will make this for Thanksgiving along with my regular pecan pie and cream cheese pound cake. Blessings!
Oh my goodness what a special story, thank you so much for sharing it Teresa!