Chocolate Chess Pie is a classic Southern chocolate pie with a creamy middle topped with a crisp topping. Chess pie is easy and so delicious!
Looking for more delicious chocolate recipes? I think you’ll love my Best Chocolate Cake, Best Chocolate Cupcakes, and Grandmother’s Chocolate Cobbler. Yum!
Chocolate Chess Pie is seriously one of the best things ever created – especially if you love chocolate like I do.
Creamy, custardy, and oh-so chocolatey on the inside, chocolate chess pies are also crowned with the signature crunchy top crust that you’ll find in really good chess pie recipes. This pie is always a favorite dessert. We especially love it topped with a dollop of homemade whipped cream.
And really, the simplicity of a chess pie makes it even more special.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Delicious chocolate pie recipe. Every single bite is filled with delicious chocolate flavor.
Easy to make. The hands-on time for making this amazing chocolate pie is less than 10 minutes and it is easy enough for a beginning baker. I learned to make it with my Grandmother when I was a young girl and I haven’t looked back!
Great to make ahead or freeze. Since the cooling time is key to this recipe, it is great to make ahead or to freeze to serve later.
Easy Chocolate Chess Pie Recipe
See the inside of that pie?
Oh my goodness!!!
Irresistible!
What is Chess Pie?
Chess Pie is a traditional southern pie recipe with deep roots in England. Chess pie is made from sugar, flour, butter, and eggs and then baked in a pie crust. The combination of the sugar and flour mixed together gives the pie a crispy, crackle finish on the top while leaving a custard-type filling from the eggs. Cocoa powder is also included in this chocolate version of the classic pie.
How To Make Chocolate Chess Pie
To make this pie, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Ingredients
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information.
- Sugar – I use granulated sugar in this recipe.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – I use natural unsweetened cocoa powder in this recipe.
- Flour – a little all-purpose flour is used to thicken the pie filling.
- Espresso Powder – optional, but recommended to enhance the chocolate flavor in this pie.
- Salt – just a pinch is used to balance the flavors of the pie.
- Butter – you’ll use melted and slightly cooled butter for this recipe.
- Evaporated Milk – I make homemade evaporated milk. You can also use your favorite store-bought.
- Vanilla extract – enhances the flavors in this sweet pie recipe. Use a high-quality vanilla extract. I love to use my homemade vanilla extract. It is so easy to make and always delicious!
- Eggs – In this recipe, you’ll use lightly beaten eggs for the pie filling.
- Pie crust – you’ll need one unbaked pie crust. You can use homemade pie crust or your favorite store-bought in a pinch.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Mix the pie filling. Whisk together sugar, cocoa, flour, salt, and espresso powder. Pour your melted butter and evaporated milk into the sugar and cocoa mixture and beat on high speed with an electric mixer. Mix in vanilla extract and eggs until well combined and continue to mix for about 2 minutes to lighten the batter.
Pour into the pie crust and bake. Pour the chocolate mixture into a 9-inch, unbaked pie crust. Bake for 55 minutes.
Cool the pie before slicing. The center of the pie will be a bit soft. Allow it to cool completely on a wire rack for an hour before slicing. The pie will continue to set as it cools.
Storage Tips
To store leftovers. Cover the pie loosely with wrap and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To make ahead. This pie is excellent to make ahead as it is best served cold! Like with the storage instructions, make the pie ahead of time and cool. Cover the pie loosely with wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Remove from the refrigerator, slice, and serve.
To freeze. You can easily freeze a baked Chocolate Chess Pie. Bake and cool completely. Wrap tightly with freezer-safe wrap and place in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. To serve, that in the refrigerator overnight and then slice and serve.
Here’s my recipe for Chocolate Chess Pie. I hope you love it as much as we do!
Chocolate Chess Pie Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup (297 g) granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons (21 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons (15 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon (0.58 g) espresso powder, optional
- pinch (0.4 g) kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons (57 g) butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 5 ounces (141 g) evaporated milk
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) vanilla extract
- 3 large (150 g) eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 (9-inch) pie crust, unbaked
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325º F.
- Whisk sugar, cocoa, flour, and espresso powder (if using) 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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
This is really, really delicious. Hard shell, gooey chocolate inside. I’ll be making this one on the regular. Thanks.
My pie was still a bit runny in the middle, even after letting it set for an hour. Does that just mean I need it to set longer next time? Thank you so much! :o)
Tried this tonight on a whim, and it was wonderful! I have made several chocolate chess pies and this is by far the best, and soooo easy. Especially with an 18m old crying at your feet! Lol! Mine did have a hard shell on top, and it did collapse like the other reviews said but it tasted perfect, and the hard crunchy top was the best part. There was absolutely nothing wrong with it. I did add a tiny pinch if salt to
the batter, and I topped with some homemade salted caramel sauce I had left over from ice cream. My husband actually ate his with a big dollop of vanilla ice cream. He LOVES it! Thanks for the great recipe!
Unfortunately, my pie did not turn out well…hard top crust, chocolate filling was maybe 1/4 inch thick and was detached from the top crust. I bake often and followed recipe exactly.
If I had evaporated milk to your recipe. What sort of result would that give me? I’m in the process of making your recipe right now.
hi dear robyn, i can`t write English very good, sorry. I always read your extraordinary and lovely website and do your recipes.
My husband and friends love them.
Today i make this pie but because in my city don`t find vegetable shortening, i use butter. Crust was so good but filling don`t puff out, why?
thank you
Hey can i make this using a graham cracker crust instead of a pie crust?
Sure!
Tried this for Thanksgiving — tasted delicious! Unfortunately mine collapsed to a meager 1cm in depth, so am trying to figure out where I went wrong! (Did I not whisk the eggs enough? Or maybe my mixer speed wasn’t fast enough?) I’m not too brilliant when it comes to the science behind cooking, so if anyone has any advice, please chime in =]
I doubled this to make two and cooked it 37 min (in between 35-40 as indicated)
It had a hard crust and then once cut, about 1/8 inch below the crust began the gooey inside- like an uncooked brownie. It sat a good while, too, so I’m hoping by tomorrow it won’t be as gooey/runny? Definitely doesn’t look like the picture 🙁
Hi Katie,
The pie continues to set as it cools. Hope everyone loves it.
Robyn xo
Mine just did the same thing. I used an electric mixer and did everything as discribed; however, it almost has like a hard shell ontop instead of crunchy goodness of a chess pie/square… Any suggestions?
After letting the chocolate chess pie cool should I store it in tbe fridge for the next day or leave it out. Thanks for your response.
I store it in the refrigerator. xo