Chocolate chess pie is the real MVP of Southern desserts, y’all, with its lush, fudge like center that just melts in your mouth! This pie is all kinds of buttery and sweet making it a game-changer for any holiday feast! It’s the kind of treat that has everyone coming back for seconds, even thirds. And let’s be real, it’s not just for the holidays; this chocolate chess pie recipe will turn any average day into a celebration boos.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.
Want to Save This Recipe, Boo?
I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
They’re Lovin’ It! Here’s what They’re Sayin’:
“Super easy to make and a hit!”
—PAM
Y’all I love me a chocolate pie, and this chocolate chess pie is just about as comforting and decadent as they come. It’s a showstopper with it’s tender fudge like texture that melts in your mouth. It is smooth and rich almost like a brownie in pie form. Bake up one of these and pop it on the dessert table next time you have some chocoholics around. They will get their whole lives with a slice of this showstopper.
The Lowdown of This Chocolate Chess Pie
Cuisine Inspiration: Southern
Primary Cooking Method: Baking
Dietary Info: Indulgent. Pie filling is gluten-free.
Key Flavor: Decadent Chocolate Goodness
Skill Level: Easy y’all (No Sweat Fam!)
Simple Ingredients
I bet you already have most if not all of these ingredients in your pantry and fridge. No need to make a special trip to the grocery store boos. The beauty of this pie is in its simplicity.
Textures on Textures, Flavors on Flavors
The contrast between the crisp crust and the gooey, rich pie filling will have your taste buds doing a legit happy dance.
The Ultimate Crowd-Pleaser
It’s perfect for family dinners, holiday feasts, or Tuesday nights when you need a little chocolate therapy.
Ingredients You’ll Need to Make the Best Chocolate Chess Pie Recipe
- Eggs: These help give that dreamy texture. Make sure you use room temp so that custardy filling sets up just right.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: This adds just enough aromatic warmth to the pie to elevate that chocolatey goodness.
- Salt: Just a little balances the sweetness and rounds out the flavors perfectly.
- Unsalted Butter: Butter always makes everything so much better. That richness is necessary for making that chocolate filling pop even more.
- Bittersweet Chocolate: Rich, bold, and intense! This chocolate ain’t here to play; it comes to slay bringing all the complexity to this pie.
- Granulated Sugar: This is gonna sweeten up our chocolate just perfectly.
- Pie Crust: Whether you decide to go with a homemade pie crust like my Big mama would make or grab a store-bought to save some time, it’s still gonna provide the perfect crisp foundation for the filling to shine.
How to Make a Chocolate Chess Pie
How to Serve The Best Chocolate Chess Pie Recipe
- Classic Vibes: Serve the best chocolate chess pie recipe you will ever have with a dusting of powdered sugar and it’s all good.
- Dollop it Up: Y’all ain’t nothing like a slice of this chess pie with chocolate served up with a big ole dollop of fresh whipped cream.
- Ice Cream: Ain’t nothing like a slice warmed up with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, cookies and cream ice cream or even coffee ice cream.
- Southern Comfort Dinner: Make some smothered pork chops, sour cream mashed potatoes, Southern green beans, delish drop biscuits and this pie for dessert.
- Thanksgiving Dinner Plan: Get those turkey legs, cornbread dressing, collard greens, candied yams on the table along with this pie as the finisher.
Recipe Substitutions
- Granulated Sugar: Swap this out for brown sugar and add a hint of caramelized molasses to the flavor mix.
- Unsalted Butter: You can use salted butter for this filling. Just remember to leave out the salt in the recipe.
- Bittersweet Chocolate: Semisweet chocolate is a great sub as it only adds a little more sugar to the mix. Just reduce the sugar if you want to balance it out. Dark chocolate also works. Add more sugar if you want to sweeten it a bit.
- Vanilla: You can replace the extract with some vanilla bean paste for a more intense vanilla flavor or use almond extract for a slightly different flavor profile.
Recipe Variations and Additions
- Vegan: Grab your fave plant-based butter and egg replacers to make the filling dairy free. Make sure your crust is also dairy free as well.
- Gluten-Free: The filling is already gluten-free but you will want to make sure you use a gluten-free crust so your gluten sensitive boos can enjoy.
- Spice It Up: Add a little warm spice like nutmeg or cinnamon for a cozy remix.
- Bold Coffee Kick: Toss in just a splash of coffee or espresso to intensify the chocolate flavor even more.
- Pie Crust Swap: Replace the standard pie crust with a fun crunchy graham cracker crust.
Expert Tips and Tricks
- Blind Bake Your Crust: If you want a crispy bottom crust, make sure you bake your crust ahead for about 10-15 minutes ahead (with parchment paper and pie weights). When you add the filling, it won’t bake into a soggy crust if you do.
- Go High Quality: Make sure you grab some good quality chocolate because it will create a richer chocolate filling with better flavor in the end.
- Go Room Temp: When making a custard pie, you gotta use room temperature eggs so it sets up properly while baking.
- Chill Out: Let that pie completely set up by letting it cool completely before you start slicing.
Storing Leftovers
You can stash your totally cooled leftover pie right in the pie plate with plastic wrap on top or add to an airtight container in the fridge. If you want to serve at room temp, just leave a slice out for about 30 minutes. When you’re ready to bring back that warmth to your slice, just zap in the microwave in 20 second intervals until you get it to the temp you want.
How long will chocolate chess pie last in the fridge?
It should last for about 4-5 days in the fridge.
Can I freeze?
Oh for sure boos! Wrap leftovers in plastic wrap then toss in a freezer bag. Don’t forget to label with the date. It can stay frozen for up to 3 months. When you want to indulge again, thaw in the fridge overnight.
Frequently Asked Questions
It should have a slight jiggle in the center but be set around the edges. Don’t keep baking if you see that little jiggle, it will continue to set up when you remove from the oven. Now if it’s jiggling and straight up liquid, it needs to bake longer.
Absolutely boos! Bake a day or two in advance and pop in the fridge to store. Bring it back to room temp when you are ready to serve so you get that delish fudge like filling consistency.
Yep boos in ain’t no thing. A few cracks are totally fine. But you will get a ton of cracks if you bake too long or mix a little too much air into the filling.
This chocolate chess pie recipe is the ultimate indulgent dessert. And it couldn’t be easier to make y’all. No fancy ingredients are needed but the pay off is just perfection. Get into it boos.
More Delish Pie Recipes
Chocolate Chess Pie
Want to Save This Recipe, Boo?
I’ll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter cubed
- 1 oz bittersweet chocolate chopped
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 9 inch pie crust blind baked ahead- SEE NOTES
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, and salt until smooth and fully combined.
- Heat a small saucepan to medium heat, then add the butter and chocolate. Continuously stir the mixture for about 4-6 minutes, or until both ingredients have fully melted and come together into a smooth sauce.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat, add in the sugar, and stir to dissolve the sugar completely.
- Whisking the entire time, slowly add the egg mixture to the chocolate and mix until everything is combined.
- Pour the filling into the parbaked pie crust, carefully transfer to the middle rack in the oven, and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the pie puffs up, the surface cracks, the crust is browned, and the filling is mostly firm all the way through.
- Place the pie on a cooling rack and cool to room temperature for at least an hour before cutting and serving.
pinterest 
facebook 
twitter 
email
Can you substitute cocoa powder for the chopped chocolate?
The dry powder will have a different outcome to chopped chocolate which has fat so I don’t recommend this substitution.
Do you use a 9 inch pie plate? Also, does the chocolate chess pie crust need to be blind baked?
Thank you!
You you definitely blind bake for this recipe but it isn’t necessary.
Does the chocolate chess pie need to have a prebaked pie crust or not? Wasn’t sure.
Thanks, Christy
I have baked both ways and it is totally fine either.
Super easy to make and a hit!