Stovetop Old Fashioned Chocolate Pie

This easy, homemade Old Fashioned Chocolate Pie recipe delivers velvety smooth, cocoa-rich filling inside a flaky pie crust for a nostalgic treat.

Made with simple ingredients whisked together on the stovetop, this milk chocolate pudding pie tastes just like Grandma's recipe.

Slice af chocolate pie topped with whipped cream on a stack of plates.

A woman with medium-length dark brown hair and fair skin smiling with trees behind her.

Note from Erin

You are going to love this Old Fashioned Chocolate Cream Pie! It's become a favorite dessert amongst my whole family, and here's why:

This pie delivers velvety smooth, thick custard with the perfect creamy texture. It's easy to make using simple ingredients you likely have on hand, and it brings back sweet memories of homemade chocolate pie just like grandma used to make.

This decadent dessert is sure to be a new favorite in your home!

Key Ingredients

Old fashioned chocolate pie ingredients in individual bowls.

The recipe card at the bottom of this post includes the complete list of ingredients, measurements, and instructions.

Cocoa Powder - Unsweetened natural cocoa powder makes a custard that has a milk chocolate flavor. A portion of the powder can be replaced with bittersweet chocolate for a little more of a dark chocolate flavor.

Sugar - Granulated sugar is the best sweetener for this pie. It sweetens the chocolate without overpowering the flavor.

Cornstarch - I like using cornstarch as the thickening agent in my cream pies because it makes such a creamy chocolate filling and doesn't add any weird flavor.

Milk - For the creamiest chocolate custard, use whole milk. 2% milk can also be used. I do not recommend using nonfat milk as the pudding will be too thin, and heavy cream will be too thick.

Pie Crust - There's nothing quite as good as a homemade pie crust, but if you want to keep it simple you can use a storebought baked pie shell and it will still be a delicious pie.

How to Make Chocolate Pie

If you are making a homemade crust, press the dough into a 9" pie pan and follow the instructions to bake it fully, until the crust is golden brown. Cool completely before moving on to these next steps.

1) Mix Dry Ingredients

Combine sugar, cornstarch, and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan.
Mixing these ingredients before adding the liquids helps to avoid lumps.

Cocoa powder, sugar, and cornstarch in a stainless steel pan.

2) Add Liquids

Separate the egg whites from the yolks. If you are making a meringue top set the whites aside.
Beat egg yolks and milk together in a medium bowl or measuring cup, then add them to the saucepan with the butter.
Mixing the eggs into the milk helps prevent the eggs from cooking before they are fully incorporated into the custard, and keeps you from having pieces of scrambled eggs in your pie.

Collage showing large measuring cup with milk and eggs, and pan after butter is added.

3) Cook Until Thickened

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for 7-10 minutes.
The mixture will thicken to a pudding-like consistency.

Chocolate pudding in a saucepan with thick chocolate dripping off of nylon whisk.

4) Pour Into Pie Shell

Remove from heat and pour the hot pie filling into the prepared crust while the pudding is still warm.
Refrigerate the pie for at least 3 hours, until set.
Pile whipped cream on top of the pie before serving. Or make fluffy meringue, if you prefer!

The finished pie after chilling in fridge.

Fun Flavor Variations

Rich Chocolate Flavor - For a darker chocolate taste, reduce the cocoa powder to ¼ cup and the butter to 3 tablespoons, then add 4 ounces of chopped bittersweet chocolate and a teaspoon of instant espresso powder.

Chocolate Orange Pie - Follow the recipe as directed, and stir in 1 tablespoon of orange zest with the vanilla extract.

Peppermint Mocha Pie - Stir in 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract and 2 teaspoons of instant espresso powder. Top with peppermint whipped cream and chopped candy canes.

No-Bake Crust - For a completely no-bake pie, prepare a no-bake graham cracker crust and refrigerate the crust for 2 hours before adding the filling. It's also tasty in a store-bought Oreo crust.

Nuts - Add a little texture by mixing in ½ cup of chopped nuts, then sprinkle some nuts on top of the whipped cream as well!

Make Ahead ⏳

This is a make-ahead pie, which means you can prep it a day or two ahead, making the day of your event so much easier! Press plastic wrap onto the surface of the chocolate pie filling, then refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving.

Why is my Old-Fashioned Chocolate Pie runny?

If you measured properly and used whole milk, then the most likely cause of a runny pie filling is that it hasn't cooked long enough. Continue cooking, while stirring, over medium heat until the custard thickens.

How do I fix a lumpy filling?

If your filling has lumps, then you can blend it using an electric mixer for 45-60 seconds.

Why is my chocolate pie filling grainy?

If a custard filling is overcooked, it can become grainy. Process the filling through a fine-mesh strainer to remove the grainy elements.

Recipe Troubleshooting

Chocolate pie without topping, cut into slices.

Ways to Top the Pie

How I top the pie depends on my mood. There are so many options!

Whipped Cream - I highly recommend making homemade whipped cream as it is so much better than Cool Whip! Beat heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form, then spread on top of the pie.

Meringue - Beat room temperature egg whites with cream of tartar. Then slowly add the sugar. Beat to stiff peaks and then spoon onto the chocolate pie filling and broil on HIGH for several minutes.

Chocolate - Chocolate curls or a dusting of chocolate shavings add a little extra color and fun!

A slice of old fashioned chocolate pie with a bite of pie resting on a fork.

Recipe

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Comments

5 from 8 votes (3 ratings without comment)

Note from Erin

Key Ingredients