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Chocolate Chess Pie is a gooey rich chocolate pie – almost like a fudge pie with just a bit different texture. It’s super chocolatey and perfect with a pastry crust – but we absolutely love it with a graham cracker crust for added texture. This will become a favorite pie recipe, no doubt!
Why is it called a chocolate chess pie?
I’m in LOVE with this Chocolate Chess Pie, y’all. Have you ever had or made a chess pie? They’re probably some of the easier pies to make – one bowl for the filling, no prep, just stir – and they turn out perfectly every time.
Chess Pie, by definition, is a custard pie that’s a mixture of eggs, butter, and sugar, and then you add other flavors. Like peanut butter. Or lemon. Or peppermint. Or coconut! The result is a smooth and rich filled pie that has a texture not unlike the filling in a pecan pie. In fact, Pecan Pie is like a version of chess pie with nuts.
This chess pie? Is CHOCOLATE. It tastes and smells like a rich melty gooey brownie. Are you one of those people that set their eyes on the center of the brownie pan and will commit acts of treason to get to it first (ahem), then this pie is for you. It’s rich, chocolatey, fudgy, and it’s seriously one of the best things in the whole world.
Ingredients Needed
- Graham Cracker Crust: I used my regular recipe for graham cracker crust for this pie. It has graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter.
- Unsalted Butter: start with it melted and the pie whisks together easily
- Semisweet Baking Chocolate: this is the bar chocolate found in the baking aisle (not chocolate chips)
- Flour: to bind the pie together
- Sugar, vanilla, salt: traditional in chess pie recipes
- Eggs + an egg white: this is the body of the pie and keeps it gooey, like brownies
Yes, you can make chocolate chess pie without evaporated milk or any milk at all!
Variations
- Add 1 cup chocolate chips to the chocolate batter
- Add 1 cup chopped peanut butter cups
- Add 1 cup chopped nuts
- Use a pie crust instead of a graham cracker crust
- Use an Oreo cookie crust
How to make Chocolate Chess Pie
- Place graham cracker crumbs in a bowl and stir in sugar and melted butter with a fork. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9 to 10-inch pie plate.
- Melt the butter with chocolate in a large bowl. Whisk in the flour, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Whisk in eggs and egg white, one at a time, until the mixture is smooth. Pour mixture into pie dish.
- Bake until the top is puffed and filling is set in the center. Let cool, serve at room temperature. Serving: Top with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
FAQ
The pie is done when it’s puffed and cracked around the rim. It will no longer be jiggly in the center.
You can tell from the photos that the pie is gooey and fudgy but it should set. As long as you have followed the directions and baked it until it’s puffed and cracked and no longer jiggly it should set just fine. Cool then chill overnight to set before slicing.
Let it sit in the oven while the oven cools if you think it’s not done all the way or until it’s puffed and cracked around the rim.
Chocolate Chess Pie Recipe
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 ½ cups (154g) graham cracker crumbs (about 9 whole graham crackers)
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 7 tablespoons (98g) unsalted butter , melted
Filling:
- 8 tablespoons (113g) unsalted butter
- 4 ounces (113g) semisweet baking chocolate , chopped
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1 large egg white
- 1 cup Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups chopped (I used minis, but any size is fine, just chop them), optional (see note)
- Chocolate Whipped Cream for garnish
Instructions
- Note on the pie: if you’re using a 9” standard pie plate it will be a very full pie, as you can see from the photos. Bake it on a cookie sheet just in case, but it should not spill over. You can use up to a 10” pie plate, but do not use anything smaller than 9”. If you have a 9” deep dish pie plate, you can use that as well.
- Make the crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grind the graham crackers in a food processor until they are a fine crumb. (You can also place them in a large gallon size ziploc bag and roll them with a rolling pin.) Place in a bowl and stir in sugar and melted butter with a fork. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-10” or 9” deep dish pie plate. Bake until firm, about 10 minutes.
- Make the filling: Melt the butter with chocolate in a medium sized bowl. I did this in the microwave, heating on high in 30 second increments, stirring between each, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. (You can also do it in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water.)
- Once the chocolate is melted and smooth, whisk in the flour, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Whisk in eggs and egg white, one at a time, until the mixture is smooth. Stir in the chopped peanut butter cups, if using. Pour mixture into prepared crust. Bake until the top is puffed and filling is set in the center, 35-45 minutes. Let cool, serve at room temperature. Top with whipped cream or ice cream. (Note that I get pretty slices because I chill my pies a few hours before cutting. That’s the secret to perfect slices!)
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Recipe Nutrition
Other Favorite Recipes
- Mini Chocolate Hazelnut Chess Pies
- Mini Lemon Chess Pies
- Lemon Chess Pie
- Chocolate Chip Chess Pie
- Buttermilk Pie
- Peanut Butter Pie Recipe
- Brown Sugar Chess Pie by Grandbaby Cakes
- See more of my ultimate pie recipes here!
This easy Chocolate Chess Pie Recipe is the best old fashioned southern pie! With a graham cracker crust the filling is gooey and rich – this is like a fudge pie and it’s so good.
I won 2nd place with this chocolate chess pie! It would have been 1st darn it had my husband not been a judge. He gave me the lowest score so others wouldn’t have complained. I was pressed for time so I bought the pre-made graham cracker crust shell. I read the recipe too fast and did not buy the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. I thought it was only for garnish. Anyhow, I won 2nd place! I used the Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate (baking chips) and melted them in the microwave. Oh, I freaked out when the pie looked overly puffy, but after letting it cool, it resumed a pie look. I let it cool for an hour and put it in the freezer for 30 minutes. Chilling does make lovely slices. I WILL MAKE THIS OVER AND OVER! IT’S SO GOOD AND SO EASY!!! Thank you for sharing!!!!
Hi! I have a ready-made garaham cracker crust that I’m going to use for this recipe. I assume the baking time & temp stay the same?
Yes! enjoy!
Just a quick question – I’m planning to make this next week for Thanksgiving, but I need to prioritize oven time. Can I make this the night before, and, if so, would it be better to store in the fridge or at room temp? Thanks so much!
Yes you can make it ahead for sure. Store in the fridge, but let it come to room temp before serving. Enjoy!
Will chocolate chips work ok? Or does it need to be a chopped bar? Thanks so much!
It should be a chopped bar
I couldn’t find the bar, is it possible to use the chips? If it will work how much will I need to use. The bar isn’t the same as the bark is it?
Bars and chips are a bit different. Here is the substitution: 3 tablespoons chocolate chips for every 1-ounce semi-sweet baking chocolate.
I made this pie for Christmas dessert and IT WAS PERFECT! I have never ever made a real pie before- the closest was frozen pie crust and chocolate pudding. hehe! My husband asked if I could do a chocolate pie this year like his mom makes, so I knew I had to step up my game. I’m so glad I ran across this recipe! I was nervous about the homemade crust, but turns out that was the best part! Thanks again for sharing your recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! And the homemade crust is always the best and totally worth the time. Thanks so much!!
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