This Easy Hot Chocolate Pie tastes like a rich and decadent hot chocolate but in pie form! It’s incredibly simple to make, with only 6 main ingredients and no fancy techniques. With a homemade chocolate cookie crust, a fudgy chocolate filling, and a whipped cream topping, this Hot Chocolate Pie will quickly become a holiday favorite amongst all chocolate lovers.
I’m a hot chocolate every night in the winter type of girly. You could call it my emotional support drink. So, the thought of transforming my favorite beverage into a pie made me quite excited. I actually put up a poll on Instagram with several holiday dessert options and the Hot Chocolate Pie didn’t win but I decided to make it anyways because I couldn’t get it off my mind lol. I think I made the right choice.
And truthfully, pie is typically not my go-to dessert. It just doesn’t wow me when compared to cookies or ice cream. BUT, this Hot Chocolate Pie is another story. I’m completely obsessed. I think there’s just something about chocolate pies in general. My aunt always makes a French Silk Pie for Christmas every year and it’s insane. But to be honest, the filling is a little too complicated for my liking. So, I made this Hot Chocolate Pie instead which is much simpler. I’d say it’s more rich and fudgy vs creamy and fluffy. Literally counting down the days until I get to make this again for Christmas….eeeeek!
Why You’ll Love this Easy Hot Chocolate Pie
- This recipe transforms the flavors of hot chocolate into a delicious pie.
- It’s rich, decadent, fudgy and truly one of the best pies I’ve ever had.
- This Easy Hot Chocolate Pie is made with only 6 ingredients and doesn’t require any fancy techniques.
- With a chocolate cookie crust and a chocolate cream filling, this pie is a chocolate lover’s dream!
- It will impress all of your holiday guests.
- This Hot Chocolate Pie recipe is foolproof…anyone can make it!
What You Need to Make this Easy Hot Chocolate Pie
- Goya Chocolate Maria Cookies: This hot chocolate pie has a homemade chocolate cookie crust. I used the Goya Chocolate Maria Cookies which are kind of like a cross between a cookie and a cracker – they’re only slightly sweet and remind me of an animal cracker. Buy 2 packages (each 7oz), as you’ll need 1.5 for the crust and a little bit more for topping! You can find them at many grocery stores (often grouped in the Hispanic foods section) or order them online.
- Unsalted Butter: This is the second ingredient for the homemade chocolate cookie crust. Melted unsalted butter helps bring the crust together!
- Salt: Just a pinch in the crust. If you use salted butter, you can exclude this.
- Bittersweet Chocolate Bars: I am a dark chocolate girly through and through so I used bittersweet chocolate bars (60%) in this recipe. You will need 12oz which is typically 3 bars. Cut it up into small pieces so that it melts easily.
- Heavy Cream: Heavy cream is a main ingredient in the chocolate cream filling and the whipped cream topping.
- Powdered Sugar: Just 2 tbsp to sweeten up the whipped cream. You can also use cane sugar instead.
- Vanilla Extract: A splash of vanilla for the whipped cream…yum!
Optional Toppings:
- Mini Marshmallows: Some people top their hot chocolate with whipped cream, some top it with marshmallows…and I top my Hot Chocolate Pie with both, because why not. You could also use vegan marshmallows instead!
- Goya Chocolate Maria Cookies: Some more crushed up chocolate cookies sprinkled on top of the pie for extra texture and aesthetic!
How To Make this Easy Hot Chocolate Pie
Pies have always intimidated me…I swear they all have a million steps with crazy complicated techniques. But not this one! As the name implies, this Hot Chocolate Pie is EASY…like it only requires 6 ingredients and the most basic skills. It just requires some patience and will power to let the filling chill before digging in 😉
Make the Chocolate Cookie Crust:
First, start by preheating your oven to 350F and spraying a 9-9.5″ pie dish with cooking oil. Then, add the chocolate cookies to a food processor or blender. If you’re using a small food processor like the one I have, you will likely have to do this in several batches. Blend until small cookie crumbs form…this should happen pretty quickly! After blending, you should have about 3 1/4 cups of cookie crumbs. Transfer the cookie crumbs to a large bowl and mix with the melted butter and pinch of salt.
Then, pour the crust mixture into your prepared pie dish and scatter it out evenly. Press it down with the bottom of a glass or a measuring cup. You want to make sure it’s really compact in order for it to stick together. Press the crust up the sides and flatten the top. Transfer the crust to the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Then, place it onto a wire rack and let the crust cool completely. If you’d rather go with the no-bake version of this Hot Chocolate Pie, just transfer the crust to the freezer for 30 minutes-1 hour instead.
Prepare the Chocolate Cream Filling & Let Chill:
First, add the chopped chocolate to a large bowl. Then, add 1 1/3 cup of heavy cream to a small sauce pot over medium heat. Once boiling, remove from heat and pour it over the chocolate. Let stand for 3-4 minutes, then whisk until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Set aside.
Add the remaining 2/3 cup of heavy cream to a large bowl. Beat it with a hand or stand mixer until stiff peaks form. Then, fold the whipped cream into the COOLED chocolate ganache. Pour the filling into the crust and spread out evenly. You may have some leftover, which you can store in an airtight container. Transfer the pie to the refrigerator to chill for at least 4 hours (or overnight), until the filling is set up.
Make Whipped Cream & Add Toppings:
Lastly, when the Hot Chocolate Pie is fully set and you’re ready to serve it, you can prepare the homemade whipped cream. I like to chill my bowl and whisk attachment for a little bit first, but it’s not totally necessary. Just make sure that your heavy cream is straight from the fridge! Add the heavy cream along with the sifted powdered sugar (or cane sugar) and vanilla extract to a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) and beat until stiff peaks form.
Then, spread the homemade whipped cream over top the pie. To make this Hot Chocolate Pie really stand out, you can scatter some mini marshmallows and more crushed up Goya Chocolate Maria Cookies all over the top. Take a moment to admire your work before slicing in and enjoying! Note: the crust is THICK so make sure to use a sharp knife and cut all the way through prior to trying to remove a slice from the pan.
Is This Hot Chocolate Pie Served Hot or Cold?
The name may lead you astray but this Hot Chocolate Pie is actually served cold. But, it’s inspired by the flavors and experience of Hot Chocolate…hence the name! This pie has a rich and fudge-y chocolate cream filling that actually doesn’t need to be baked at all.
Substitutions:
To Make this Dairy Free:
Dairy free friends, I gotchu! This Hot Chocolate Pie can easily be made dairy free. First, swap out the heavy cream with a dairy free heavy cream alternative. My personal favorite is Country Crock Plant Cream. It tastes and performs very similar to its dairy counterpart. They sell it at most grocery stores…here’s the store locator.
Another easy swap to make this recipe dairy free is using vegan butter instead of normal dairy butter. Once again, I really like the brand Country Crock for this. Their Plant Butter tastes just like normal butter!
The only other dairy-containing ingredient in this recipe is the chocolate. I used Ghiradelli which does have dairy but my absolute favorite dairy free chocolate bars are from Hu Kitchen. Whatever dairy free chocolate alternative you use, just make sure it’s at least 60% cocoa.
To Make this Gluten Free:
The Goya Chocolate Maria Cookies contain gluten and I’ve only tested the pie crust using these. However, I think that you could make this gluten free by using a gluten free chocolate wafer cookie such as Mary’s Chocolate Graham-Style Snacks or Simple Mills Chocolate Brownie Sweet Thins. If you’re using these, stick with the measurements as listed in the original recipe. Another option is to use Gluten Free Oreos (or a similar GF chocolate sandwich cookie), filling and all. However, PLEASE reduce the amount of butter – the creme filling helps keep the crust together so you don’t need as much butter. I would try using about 28 whole Oreo cookies and 6-7 tbsp of melted butter.
Can I Use a Premade Pie Crust Instead?
Of course you can! Homemade will ALWAYS be better but do what ya gotta do. This homemade chocolate cookie crust is actually incredibly simple – it just requires two ingredients – and it yields a much fresher, more flavorful and thicker crust than the store bought ones. However, I’m not judging if you want to make your life a little easier by purchasing a premade pie crust. Look for one that is 9 or 10 inches to ensure that you have enough room for all the delicious filling! They even sell gluten free ones, if you need that.
One thing to note is that if you use a premade pie crust, it’s most likely going to be a lot sweeter than my homemade one! Since the filling of this Hot Chocolate Pie is quite rich and decadent on it’s own, I like that the crust balances it out by not being super sweet. So, just beware that using a premade pie crust may yield a sweeter pie.
Can I Prep This Hot Chocolate Pie in Advance?
Yes! The holidays get busy and you don’t want to be stressing about your pie while also managing all your guests. So, you can definitely prep this Hot Chocolate Pie the day before. Just wait until right before you’re ready to serve to make and add the whipped cream and other toppings. But, the pie crust and the chocolate cream filling can be done 24+ hours in advance. Keep it in the fridge (covered or uncovered) until you’re ready.
How Should I Store Leftovers?
Store leftover Hot Chocolate Pie in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap. You’ll notice that the whipped cream will start to deflate over time, so it won’t be as amazing as it is fresh…but definitely still edible & delicious. You can also leave the whipped cream off and just make a small batch to top your slice with every time you’re craving it!
Find the full recipe below. As always, please let me know if you tried it by commenting below or tagging me on Instagram, @munchinwithmaddie_.
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Easy Hot Chocolate Pie
Equipment
- food processor or blender
- 3 large bowls
- 9-9.5" pie pan
- small pot
- whisk
- spatula
- hand or stand mixer with whisk attachment
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Cookie Crust:
- 1.5 packages Goya Chocolate Maria Cookies (10.5oz, about 48 cookies)
- 14 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- pinch of salt
For the Chocolate Cream Filling:
- 12 oz bittersweet (60%) chocolate bars finely chopped
- 2 cups heavy cream divided
For the Whipped Cream Topping:
- 1 cup heavy cream cold
- 2 tbsp sifted powdered sugar or cane sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For Topping:
- crushed Goya Chocolate Maria Cookies
- mini marshmallows
Instructions
For the Chocolate Cookie Crust:
- Preheat oven to 350F and spray a 9-9.5" pie dish with oil*
- Add chocolate cookies to a food processor blender. Blend until the cookies turn into fine crumbs. Then, transfer the cookie crumbs to a large bowl and add in the melted butter and salt. Stir until the butter is incorporated.
- Add the chocolate cookie mixture to the pie pan and spread out. Press firmly into the pan using the bottom of a glass or measuring cup. You want to make sure it's very compact so it doesn't fall apart! Press the crust up the sides and flatten at the top.
- Transfer the pie crust to the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Then, place it on a wire rack to cool completely.
For the Chocolate Cream Filling:
- Once the pie crust is fully cooled, start preparing the filling. Add chopped chocolate to a large bowl. Then, add 1 â…“ cups of heavy cream to a small sauce pot and bring to medium heat. Right when it begins to boil, remove it from the heat and pour over the chopped chocolate. Let stand for 3-4 minutes. Then, stir until a silky, smooth ganache forms.
- Add remaining â…” cup of heavy cream to a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) and whip until stiff peaks just begin to form.
- Add the whipped cream into the bowl of COOLED chocolate ganache and gently fold to incorporate.
- Pour chocolate cream into the COOLED pie crust and spread out evenly. You may have extra filling – if so, you can store it in a separate container and just eat it with a spoon 🙂
- Transfer pie to the fridge (uncovered) for 4+ hours to let it set. You can even let it chill for 24 hours if you want to make this in advance.
For the Whipped Cream Topping:
- Right before you're ready to serve the pie, start making the whipped cream topping. Add cold heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla to a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer). Whip until stiff peaks form.
- Spread whipped cream evenly over the top of the chilled pie.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @munchinwithmaddie_ on Instagram and/or hashtag it #munchinwithmaddie.