Easy Chocolate Chess Pie

Whole Chocolate Chess Pie in white pie plate with silver pie server on the side and blue napkin

This easy chocolate chess pie recipe is so delicious you’ll become hooked after just one bite. Rich and decadent are the best two words to describe this chocolate chess pie from an old family recipe.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 40

Total Time 45

Servings

Calories 260kcal

Author Anne Clark | My Kitchen Serenity

Equipment

deep dish pie plate
large mixing bowl
measuring cup(s)
measuring spoons
whisk

Ingredients

1 Unbaked pie shell (recommend deep dish)
2 eggs
3 tablespoons cocoa
1-⅓ cups sugar
5 ounces evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 tablespoons butter, softened (½ stick)
pinch of salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Prick the pie shell all over (including the sides) several times with a fork and bake for 5 minutes (make sure the fork goes all the way through the dough, down to the pie plate). Remove from oven.
1 Unbaked pie shell (recommend deep dish)
Add remaining ingredients to a mixing bowl.
2 eggs, 3 tablespoons cocoa, 1-⅓ cups sugar, 5 ounces evaporated milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 4 tablespoons butter, softened (½ stick), pinch of salt
Use a wire whisk to mix ingredients. Whisk for about 2 minutes.
Place the pie crust onto a cookie sheet (this helps to prevent spillage and also helps with handling a pie in and out of the oven). Pour filling into pie shell. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until set and not jiggly. SEE NOTES BELOW!!

Notes

(A) The pie filling won't be thick before baking; in fact, it will be quite liquidy. This is OK! After the pie bakes and cools, it will thicken nicely.

(B) I've had people tell me they've baked the pie for up to 50 minutes, so please check the pie often. If the crust starts to get too brown before the pie is done, you can remove the pie from the oven and cover the edges of the crust with foil or use a pie crust shield; then return pie to oven to finish baking.

(C) If the filling does not seem to be firming up after the pie cools, go ahead place the pie in the refrigerator and leave it there for a couple of hours or overnight. This should firm up the filling.

(D) Store chocolate chess pie in the refrigerator.

Troubleshooting Tips

If the pie won't set properly after baking/cooling, here are my tips on why it could have happened and how to avoid it:

Melted butter – Be sure to use softened (not melted) butter. Melted butter can thin out the filling too much and keep it from setting properly.

High altitude – If you’re baking at a higher elevation, the lower air pressure can really mess with "custard-type" pies like this. Try reducing your oven temp by 25°F and baking it longer. A tiny bit less sugar and an extra teaspoon of flour or cornstarch can also help it firm up.

Oven rack placement – Be sure to bake the pie on the center rack. If it's too low or too high in the oven, it can bake unevenly—leaving the center undercooked or the top too browned before the filling is ready.

Mis-measured ingredients – A little too much butter or sugar (no heaping scoops of sugar) can affect how the filling sets, so be sure to measure carefully.

Nutrition