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Growing up, it wasn’t a holiday without a French Silk Pie with those chocolate curls on top.
Whether it was Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas, we always had to have something chocolate. You see, I come from a long line of chocoholics. My dad and my grandma love chocolate and sweets just as much as I do.
However neither of them bake, so we always got those frozen silk pies from the grocery store.
A few years ago, I decided to finally make a chocolate French silk pie from scratch for Thanksgiving and it was the most popular pie of the evening! So I knew I had to share the recipe with you ASAP.
I hope it becomes a family favorite and maybe even a holiday tradition in your home as well!
How to Make French Silk Pie
The Crust
I love an Oreo crust for this recipe! It’s so much easier than traditional pie dough and adds an extra dose of CHOCOLATE! Use regular-stuff Oreos with the filling intact. If you’d prefer to use a pastry crust, check out my Best Ever Pie Crust recipe here and follow the directions for pre-baking.
French Silk Pie Filling
Since this recipe doesn’t use raw eggs, it’s safe to serve to everyone.
However, there are a few extra steps and bowls you will dirty while making this recipe – but it’s SOOO worth it. I’d highly recommend reading the recipe through completely before you get started. You’ll need an electric mixer (handheld or stand) and an instant-read thermometer for best results.
What Type of Chocolate Will I Need?
I love using bittersweet chocolate in this French Silk Pie recipe. It brings an intensely rich chocolate flavor. Use high-quality chocolate baking bars, not chocolate chips, for best results. If you’d prefer something more mild, feel free to use semisweet chocolate instead (1:1 ratio).
Whipped Cream Topping for French Silk Pie
- Be sure to top the pie with the whipped cream no more than a few hours before serving, so it looks its best.
- The whipped cream will begin to deflate and weep if topped too far in advance.
- Garnish with chocolate curls (see just below) or a sprinkling of cocoa powder for a pretty presentation.
How to Make Chocolate Curls
Taking the time to make chocolate curls, instead of just shaving a block of chocolate or garnishing with a dusting of cocoa powder, really makes this French Silk Pie look gourmet. Here’s a super helpful step-by-step video on how to make chocolate curls.
What Type of Pie Pan Should I Use?
Can I Make French Silk Pie Ahead of Time?
Yes! This pie actually needs to be chilled for 6 hours before serving, so it’s the perfect make-ahead dessert! You can make it up to 2 days ahead of time. Keep covered in the fridge, then top with whipped cream shortly before serving.
Can I Freeze French Silk Pie?
We haven’t tested freezing this French Silk pie, but readers have done so with success. Just note that freezing may slightly alter the texture after thawing. Place inside an airtight container and freeze for up to one month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before adding whipped cream, chocolate shavings, and serving.
More Chocolate Pie Recipes:
For the crust
-
20
Oreo (230 grams) cookies
(regular-stuffed, keep filling intact)
-
3
tablespoons
unsalted butter,
melted
For the filling
-
1 1/3
cups
(266 grams) granulated sugar
-
4
large eggs
-
8
ounces
(227 grams) bittersweet baking chocolate,
melted
-
2
teaspoon
vanilla extract
-
10
tablespoons
(142 grams) unsalted butter,
at room temperature
-
1 1/3
cups
heavy cream,
cold
-
4
teaspoons
powdered sugar
For the topping
-
1
cup
heavy cream,
cold
-
2
tablespoons
powdered sugar
-
1
teaspoon
vanilla extract
-
Chocolate shavings or cocoa powder,
for garnish if desired
Make the crust:
-
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch deep pie dish with cooking spray.
-
Place the Oreo cookies in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Add in the melted butter and pulse until moistened. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pie dish. Bake for 10 minutes, or until fragrant and set. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
Make the filling:
-
In a small saucepan, whisk together the granulated sugar and eggs. Set over medium-low heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture reaches 160°F and coats the back of a metal spoon. Remove from heat and stir in the melted chocolate and vanilla until smooth. Cool to just warm, stirring occasionally.
-
Using an electric mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Gradually add in the cooled chocolate mixture then beat on high speed for 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
-
In a clean bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the cream until it begins to thicken. Add the powdered sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold into the chocolate mixture.
-
Pour the mixture into the pan, smoothing evenly. The pie will be tall with filling. Chill for 6 hours. At this point, the pie can be stored for up to 2 days ahead of time.
Make the topping:
-
Use an electric mixer to beat the cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla on high speed until stiff peaks form. Top pie with whipped cream and garnish with chocolate shavings or dust with cocoa powder.
This post was published in 2019 and has been updated with additional recipe tips. Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.
December 2020 Baking Challenge
This recipe was the December 2020 pick for our monthly baking challenge! Every month you can join the challenge by baking the recipe and snapping a photo for a chance to win prizes! Learn more about my monthly baking challenges here. Check out everyone’s pies:
This was hands down the best pie I have ever made! I’m so glad I made it for Thanksgiving-my family loved it too. I did use 1/2 semi sweet and 1/2 bittersweet. Thank you for sharing such a great recipe and great instructions to make it! Will be making this pie for years to come.
Nice recipe, but personally too sweet for my taste. No problem can use less sugar, but my only problem was that it was more like pudding and not whipped enough. Not sure what I did wrong, but I feel like if I find out how to fix my personal problem with the pie, it would be 5 stars. Any tips to make it more whipped, and less like pudding
Hi Shannon! If you’re using a bittersweet or even unsweetened chocolate, the final result shouldn’t be too sweet at all. It’s possible the lowered sugar in your mixture prevented the mixture from setting (sugar does so much more than sweeten in baking – learn more about that here!) Issues can also arise if the sugar/egg/chocolate mixture wasn’t cooled enough when added to the whipped butter, as the butter can melt and lose the air we just whipped into it. Also, if your whipped cream doesn’t fully reach stiff peaks the mixture won’t be thick enough. Lastly, if the pie hasn’t had the full 6+ hours to set in the fridge, it won’t seem thick enough, so be sure to make this pie well ahead (the night before serving is best) to assist with this. I hope something here helped, Shannon! If not, feel free to reach back out and we can continue to troubleshoot together 🙂
I never comment on recipes but had to come back to say that this was totally the star of the show at our Thanksgiving dinner today! Super light and fluffy but also rich and decadent. I ended up using double-stuffed Oreos (well, Aldi knockoffs. They didn’t have regular-stuff). I freaked out a little when I took my crust out of the oven and the sides kind of slid down into the middle, I think because of the extra Oreo creme filling. I pushed them back up with a spoon and it ended up holding up really well when cooled. Unfortunately I couldn’t get my chocolate garnish to curl like in the video. No matter what I tried the chocolate would just break into chunks instead of bending, so my pie ended up with chocolate shards as garnish. Maybe I didn’t microwave my chocolate chips long enough? Still turned out excellent and will 100% be making this again.
Thank you for posting this! This is my third time making a French Silk. I keep trying to find the perfect recipe- and this is it for sure! No more looking 🙂
This is amazing! Actually fun to will be my French Silk Pie recipe from now on. I made it in a springform pan. Looks amazing.
Oh I’m so bummed. This came out beautifully and I was so excited to bring it over to the Thanksgiving party tomorrow, but I thought I should taste it first and when I tasted it and it was basically chocolate frosting from a can. It’s soooo sweet. And I for one like sweet, but this is too much. I used bittersweet baking chocolate like the recipe said, so I thought that would cut the sweetness from all that sugar but sadly it didn’t. I really hate to leave a bad review, but I thought if someone doesn’t like things too sweet, maybe my comment might save their dessert by encouraging them to cut back on the sugar or try a different chocolate.
Hi Terra! I’m sorry to hear that you found this pie too sweet. Bittersweet chocolates are not all made equal, so if you ever give this pie another try, I highly recommend using Ghirardelli’s 60% or 72%, or even their unsweetened chocolate, to balance out the sweetness more to your liking! I hope that helps 🙂
I cannot find how to make the chocolate mixture but the rest of the filling instructions are there!
Hi Marlee! That’s super strange! Are you missing a step? The chocolate gets added to the heated egg/sugar mixture. Maybe your browser isn’t working properly? Try clearing your cache, or try using a different browser. Otherwise, you can try using the printable version of the recipe (by clicking the little printer icon at the top of the page). Hope that solves the issue for you!
Thank you so much! I made it and it is delicious! (I tried the filling) I can’t wait to try the whole thing during Thanksgiving! Happy Thanksgiving! 🙂
OMGSH, this is the BEST thing I have ever tasted! I appreciate not having to deal with raw eggs since I don’t usually buy the pasteurized ones. YUMMM
Yay! So thrilled to hear you enjoyed this so much, Lori!
The BEST dessert ever. I’m not a huge dessert person and I don’t bake. I did however find this recipe super easy to follow and am very impressed with the results! I actually beat the heavy cream for the filling until it was almost stiff and that resulted in a raised pie with perfect texture. Love this!
Yay! So happy to hear that 🙂
How does this recipes do when doubled?
Hi Brandi! We haven’t tried that, and I don’t know of a pie pan large enough to hold that much filling! If you’re planning on using a 9×13-inch pan or something similar, I believe that would work fine to be doubled – just be sure to triple-check all your measurements, so you don’t forget to double something. Let us know how it goes 🙂
I just made this and doubled the recipe so I could make 2. It worked just perfect!
I don’t have a food thermometer. Approx. how long do I cook the sugar, egg mixture over med.low heat?
Thank you!!!
Hi Vicki! It’s definitely not easy to achieve perfect results without an instant-read thermometer, but when the mixture thickens and coats the back of a metal spoon, it should hopefully be okay. I definitely recommend purchasing a digital instant-read thermometer (this one is available on Amazon, but you can get them in the supermarket or Walmart/Target, too!), to guarantee perfect results. Good luck!
Sorry for the duplicate question. I didn’t see your response and thought my post didn’t go thru!
I’ll let you know how my pie turns out.
Please do 🙂 Good luck!!
Since I didn’t have a thermometer, I cooked the eggs/sugar mixture for about 6 minutes and hoped for the best. Pie turned out AMAZING! My husband says it’s now his favorite dessert!
Yay!! So thrilled to hear this, Vicki!!
I don’t suppose you have a candy thermometer do you?
Very excited to try this!
Will it work with a graham cracker crust?
Hi Jen! We haven’t tried that, but I don’t see why not! Let us know how it goes 🙂
I first made this last year at Christmas. Everyone loved it! It’s now become my favorite pie recipe. It’s a little time and work to make, but sooo worth it!!! Especially with the chocolate curls!
Yay! So thrilled to hear that this is such a hit with your family, Tammy!! 🙂
Will the pie be more set/thick after it sits in the fridge for 6 hours? This is my first time doing a chocoloate pie without the chocolate pudding bags!
Hi Chelsea! Yes, this pie will thicken as it cools down further in the fridge. Let us know what you think of this pie once you’ve given it a taste! 🙂
It was delicious but I feel like it was too sweet. What can I do to make it less sweet?
Hi Mayra! The easiest way to downplay the sweetness is to use a more bittersweet or even unsweetened chocolate. I hope that helps! Happy baking!
I made the pie and all the ingredients but my pie still hasn’t set after 6 hours.? What did I do wrong
Hi Raymond! Oh no! I’m sorry to hear that your pie didn’t set up properly. Did you use a digital instant-read thermometer when cooking the egg/sugar mixture? It can be difficult to tell if the mixture reached the correct temperature without a thermometer, unfortunately. Issues can also arise if the sugar/egg/chocolate mixture wasn’t cooled enough when added to the whipped butter, as the butter can melt and lose the air we just whipped into it. Also, if your whipped cream doesn’t fully reach stiff peaks the mixture won’t be thick enough. I hope something here helped! If not, feel free to reach back out and we can continue to troubleshoot together 🙂
This a request for every holiday meal and as a replacement to birthday cake for birthdays! This recipe is my family favorite!
That’s so wonderful to hear, Jaime!
Could the chocolate/egg/sugar mixture be rewarmed if it were allowed to cool too much? Could a person put it in the fridge and come back to finish the filling later?
Hi Julie! If you haven’t already started, I just want to mention that both the pie crust and filling can be made up to 2 days in advance, to help with prep for the holiday! If you have already started, however, and got to this point before needing to stop (and placed the sugar/egg/chocolate mixture in the fridge overnight), I would then recommend letting the mixture come up to room temperature, either by leaving it on your kitchen counter for an hour or so, or heating it extremely gently over a bain-marie, to take the chill off entirely. Then you could proceed with the recipe as-written from there. We haven’t tested making this pie this way, so I can’t guarantee the results – but it should work just fine. Let us know how it goes! Happy baking!
I was disappointed mine turned out like pudding like some others have stated. Fortunately, I read the comments and was able to redeem the mixture by beating it several more minutes with my stand mixer! Excited to serve it on Thanksgiving!
So glad you were able to save it, Deb! Happy Thanksgiving 🙂
I made this last Thanksgiving and my family gave it a huge thumbs up! My 9 year old granddaughter is helping me prepare pies this year and requested we make the French Silk pie first. It has become a favorite and a holiday tradition for us!
Yay! So happy to hear that, Linda!!
This looks delicious! How long before serving can I add the whipped cream topping? Would it be ok if I added it in the morning or is it better as an add right before you serve kind of thing?
Hi Natalie! You can top this pie with whipped cream up for 2 days in advance, but I recommend topping it the morning you’re serving (up to a few hours) beforehand, for best results. No need to add right before you serve, though. Let us know what you think once you’ve given this pie a try 🙂 Happy baking!
What size pie pan did you use?
Hi Emily! As mentioned in the recipe, this was written for a 9-inch deep pie dish. Let us know what you think if you give this pie a try 🙂
Will this only be good for the two days? I made it today (saturday) for thanksgiving (5 days from now). And I made it in an actual pie dish instead of a foil one so now I can’t freeze it I don’t think.
Hi Allysia! Yes, we only recommend you keep this pie for 2 days for best results. Any longer and the pie will likely start to seep, and it may spoil. We haven’t freezing this pie, many of our readers have done so with success. You won’t be cooking it again or anything, so your pie dish should be fine to freeze (unless it’s glass, and then I’d double check if it’s tempered glass that’s safe to freeze). I recommend freezing it inside an airtight container, or wrapped well in several layers of plastic wrap, to prevent freezer burn, and then thawing overnight in the fridge before serving. I also recommend topping with whipped cream shortly before serving, for best presentation and flavor. I hope that helps! Happy baking 🙂
I have never made 1 these b4,and this is pure silky chocolatey heaven.,Thank You soooo much I did use use half bittersweet & half semi sweet perfect!!!
Hmmm for some reason mine (before refrigerating) I found some small pieces/bits about 1/4 Long that felt sticky/rubbery. Almost like curdling? Any idea where I may have gone wrong?
Hi Stephanie! It sounds like those are little bits of egg that probably hit the side of your hot pan and instantly cooked. Next time, give the eggs a really thorough whisk with the sugar, to be sure to fully combine the eggs and sugar before they hit the heat, and perhaps also heat the egg/sugar mixture over a slightly gentler heat, to give them a chance to cook slowly. I hope that helps! Happy baking 🙂
If I make this two days before, should i loosely wrap it in the fridge. I will add whipped cream the day of serving.
Hi Tracy! Yes, we would recommend wrapping the pie in plastic wrap or storing in an airtight container, to avoid the pie filling from drying out – then simply remove to finish with the whipped cream before serving 🙂 Happy baking!
this is the very best chocolate pie-period! my guests rave about this.
So glad to hear that, Rick!!
I just made this and oh my is this decadent. The filling is so fluffy and flavorful. This was so easy to make & I followed the directions exactly. This recipe makes a lot of filling and I used every bit and piled high. I used a 9” deep pie dish. So pretty and makes a wonderful presentation.
Yay! So happy to hear that you enjoyed this so much, Janie!
How do you think powdered egg substitute would work in this? I really want to make it for Thanksgiving and have 2 grandsons with egg allergy and love of chocolate.
Thanks
Lynn
Hi Lynn! We haven’t tried that, and we don’t test our recipes with egg-free substitutes, so I can’t say for sure, sorry! Eggs are so important for the structure of this pie, so I fear it would not work – but feel free to experiment and give it a try! Let us know if you do!
So I made this for our Thanksgiving using powdered egg substitute. It was fantastic! I wasn’t expecting much but did exactly the recipe just with that substitution. It was a pleasant surprise being light and quite delicious! I have to try it some time using egg so I have something to compare it to!
Lynn
So glad to hear that worked so well for you, Lynn!
I would Love to make this a day before we have to drive to my in-laws. It’s a couple hour drive. Do you recommend freezing and storing in a cooler for our drive down? I would make at their house but they are in a small apartment with minimal baking tools.
Hi Kyle! The filling in this pie sets up nice and sturdy, so I would recommend just keeping it in a cooler with some ice packs for your drive, and then making the whipped cream topping once you arrive, to avoid that seeping and/or making a mess on the way. You won’t need to bring too many tools to whip up the topping last-minute (or maybe they even have an electric mixer you can borrow). You can also try freezing the pie, if you prefer, but as we haven’t tried that out ourselves, I can’t easily recommend that option! Let us know what you think once you have given this pie a try 🙂
This sounds ANAZING!! Just wondering if it can be made with milk chocolate? Not really a fan of dark or semi sweet!
Thank you!
Hi Elise! We haven’t tried that, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work – the pie just might seem a little sweeter overall. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try! 🙂
I cannot wait to try this! Could I possibly skip using the stove and use the microwave instead? And just melt until it coats the back of the spoon? (Baking with little ones and we try to avoid the stove.) Thanks!
Hi Jessica! We haven’t tried that, but it should work – especially if you have an instant-read thermometer to help verify when the mixture is thick enough. If you don’t heat it quite long enough, the mixture may not set, so be cautious of that! Be sure to read all of Tessa’s brilliant tips and tricks in the pink tip box, above the recipe, before you begin. Let us know what you think once you have given this pie a try! Happy baking 🙂
If I don’t have semisweet baking squares – can you recommend using cocoa powder w/ butter instead?
Hi Shea! No, that won’t work, unfortunately. This recipe needs melted chocolate for the deliciously chocolate flavor. You should be able to find these in the baking aisle of the supermarket, near the chocolate chips. Let us know what you think once you have given this pie a try!
I actually did use without baking chocolate! I used cocoa and butter and just replaced in the recipient for the squares. It was amazing and my 98 year old grandpa approved! 🙂
Glad to hear it still worked out for you, Shea!!
Wow. This was spectacular. It was the best chocolate silk pie I’ve ever had. I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out amazing. I highly recommend making this.
This pie was amazing! I was a little intimidated by all the steps, but it really wasn’t bad. Just takes a little patience. Worth it for this delicious pie though!!
Can you freeze this pie?
Hi Mavis! We haven’t tried that, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work! I recommend freezing it inside an airtight container, or wrapped well in several layers of plastic wrap, to prevent freezer burn, and then thawing overnight in the fridge before serving. I also recommend topping with whipped cream shortly before serving, for best presentation and flavor. I hope that helps! Happy baking 🙂
I made this filling and topping in a regular pie crust and oh my goodness, it was delicious! I did use semi-sweet chocolate because that’s what my family prefers, but I have no doubt that it would have been amazing with the bittersweet and on the oreo crust. Thank you for such an easy and delicious recipe!!
whole family loved it.
Oh. MY. goddddddd!!!
This is one of the most delicious things I have eaten in my life, and it was such a fun process to make! Thank you, Tessa, for the simple, spot-on instructions, and for all the goodness you share with the world. ♥
Great job! A little labor intensive but worth it .
Hi Randy! So glad you enjoyed this pie!! 🙂
Can this be frozen? I tried yesterday and while I ended up with something different – just got distracted and messed up my steps – it was really, really good – with little bits of butter.
Would love to make ahead of time and freeze for the holidays if this is possible.
Hi Vicki! We haven’t tried that, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work! I recommend freezing it inside an airtight container, or wrapped well in several layers of plastic wrap, to prevent freezer burn, and then thawing overnight in the fridge before serving. I also recommend topping with whipped cream shortly before serving, for best presentation and flavor. I hope that helps! Happy baking 🙂
I love to cook and bake but I had never made a pie before, this turned out AMAZING! My family and boyfriend thought I bought it and that it was professionally done. The tips in the comments were helpful. To make sure your pie turns out perfectly too I recommend making sure that your chocolate mixture is completely cooled before putting it in with the butter. After cooling my chocolate to warm/cool I poured 1/4 of it into the egg mixture and started stirring it and it felt too runny to me so I stuck the rest of the mixture in the fridge to completely cool it before adding the rest in. That helped for sure. Keep whipping the butter and chocolate mixture together, for mine to get thicker and fluffier I whipped mine for like 10 minutes. I also recommended letting the filling rest in the pie crust overnight in the fridge before adding the topping, mike firmed up really nicely doing it that way. I hope this helps others!
The only changes I made to my recipe were adding 4oz of cream cheese into the whipped cream topping and it was delicious, only doing 1 cup of heavy cream for filling, and using semi sweet chocolate chips! Great recipe 🙂
So happy to hear that you enjoyed this pie, Maria! Good tips, too! 🙂
I don’t have any kind of cooking thermometer, so what is the best way to tell when the sugar and egg mixture has reached 160 degrees?
Hi Zoe! It’s definitely not easy to achieve perfect results without an instant-read thermometer, but when the mixture thickens and coats the back of a metal spoon, it should hopefully be okay. I definitely recommend purchasing a digital instant-read thermometer (this one is available on Amazon, but you can get them in the supermarket or Walmart/Target, too!), to guarantee perfect results. Good luck!
Thanks, I think I should be able to do that. …. determine by thickness and also buy the digital thermometer..
Not quite ready to make it yet since a local bakery turned out their amazing coconut cream pie this summer and I doubt that I would need to keep adding cream pies for a while. But eventually!
Ooh sounds delicious!! Well when you get a chance to try this recipe out, please let us know what you think! Enjoy your locally-made coconut cream pies! 🙂
🙂
This pie turned out beautifully! Instructions were very helpful! Be sure to read directions carefully and very focused when following detailed instructions. Used Giradelli bittersweet chocolate chips. Was a little too bitter for my daughter and I so we will try using part semi sweet chocolate next time.
Hi Jill! Great tips – thanks for sharing! So happy you enjoyed this pie 🙂
This is the best silk pie I have ever had. I even made a gluten free version of the pie and it was amazing!!!!!
That’s so great to hear, Susan! So happy your GF substitutions worked for you, too!
Hi! I want to make it those week, but im wondering…
Can I use semi-sweet? Or will it be too sweet? I just don’t want it too be too bitter!!
I dont mean this offensively
Hi Jasmine! No offense taken at all! 🙂 As Tessa mentions in the pink Tip Box above the recipe, you can absolutely swap out the bittersweet chocolate for semi-sweet if you prefer; the resulting pie will just be a little less intense, flavor-wise, as a result – and possibly a tad sweeter, too. You could always try a 50:50 ratio of the two if you’re unsure – just know that the recipe as-written isn’t bitter at all; the bittersweet chocolate, combined with the sugar in the recipe, just makes for a deliciously decadent, rich chocolate pie 🙂 Let us know what you think when you make this!! Happy baking!
Absolutely delicious! Tastes exactly like I remember a store bought chocolate silk pie tasting! I’m gluten-free so I haven’t had a store bought one in a very long time and I was deeply craving it! I made it with a homemade gluten-free Oreo cookie crust and it turned out wonderfully! Thank you so much for the delicious, easy recipe!
Hi Alicia! I’m so happy to hear that you loved this pie!! I’m glad it satisfied your cravings 🙂
This is the best chocolate moose type pie I’ve ever had! The filling is so rich with dark chocolate flavors and somehow dense and light at the same time. My oreo crust didn’t hold together too well. I’m thinking I need more butter or I didn’t cook it long enough? I cooked it for 12 minutes. The suggestions by other bakers to make sure the melted chocolate mixture was just barely warm before mixing with the butter i think was the trick to get the perfect filling consistency.
So excited you loved this French Silk Pie so much, Heidi! Hmm, that should have been plenty of time for your crust to bake perfectly! Perhaps your oven is running a little cool? Tessa talks about this, and how life-changing an oven thermometer can be!, in this post here! I hope that helps 🙂 Happy baking!
Is there a way of making this gluten free?
Hi Angie! I’m sorry, we don’t test gluten free recipes. Some people have had success with substitutions they have found online, but we cannot speak to the success as we don’t test with anything other than the recipe as written. Good luck!!
I always make this pie two ways: one just as the recipes states, and then another that’s gluten and dairy free (miyokos butter, coconut cream, gluten-free Oreos, etc.). They both turn out EVERY SINGLE TIME.
OMG! Beat french silk pie ever! I use a regular pie crust, has preference, my husband loves this. You follow step by step, will turn out amazing! Thanks so much for recipe. Is a keeper!!❤️❤️
So thrilled to hear this!! 🙂
This recipe is outrageous!! Easy to make and over the top delicious. I dissolved a tablespoon of espresso granules into a few tablespoons of warm cream and added that to the cream I whipped for the filling. I also added an additional 6 oz or so of chocolate: 3 oz dark, 3 oz milk. The coffee and additional chocolate gave the filling an extra depth of flavor.
I also used gluten-free oreo-type cookies for the crust. Didn’t make any difference to the flavor or texture and it’s an easy substitution for gluten-free folks.
My husband is a very happy birthday boy.
So happy you and your husband enjoyed this silk pie, Carol!!
Easy for a novice baker. I was nervous to take on this simply bc I wasn’t sure i would get my egg & sugar mixture right. I cooled my egg & chocolate mixture down but wisking while it rested in an ice bath. Nervous after reading various comments. That it wouldn’t set up. This actually set up beautifully for me. I used a store bought pie shell as thats what I had on hand. I made my own chocolate shavings and my own whipped topping. I couldn’t stop licking the bowls. Taking to a BBQ later today. And ive already written this down for ny own collection. Great job.
That’s SO wonderful to hear, Ann!!! So happy this turned out perfectly and I’m sure everyone at your BBQ will love it 🙂 Thank you so much for letting us know!
I just want to add 2 tips here,
1: After you cook the eggs and sugar you should always strain it bring it before you go any further with it to get out any tiny bits of cooked egg or hardened sugar that may be in there.
2: Make sure chocolate an egg mixture is completely cooled before you add whipped cream or It will not stay fluffy or set well.
Hi Erin! Thanks for your feedback and tips! We do recommend whisking the egg and sugar mixture constantly while it’s cooking, which will reduce the possibility of having cooked egg bits, but straining is definitely an option if you experience this 🙂 And yes, definitely make sure your chocolate mixture is at room temperature, just barely warm when you touch it, to ensure the mixture sets up well.
I see that a lot have been having trouble with the pie setting up, I haven’t cut into it yet but it seems to be OK. My question is about the amount bittersweet chocolate. Mine is much darker than your picture. 8 ounces seems to be a lot of chocolate or am I reading the recipe wrong??
Hi Mary Jo! Yes, 8oz of chocolate is correct! Perhaps you used a different type of bittersweet chocolate (some brands offer varieties with varying levels of cocoa; Ghirardelli, for example, sells 60% and 70%, so the 70% would be stronger and darker than the 60%). Alternatively, you may have whipped your mixture for a shorter time than the recipe required, for the mixture to lighten up a little more. I hope your pie was delicious, and please let me know if you need any help troubleshooting further!
– Kiersten @ HTH
Are u making sure that the chocolate is completely cooked before you add whipped cream? And folding g the whipped cream in softly?
I made this for Easter dinner. It was scrumptious and well worth the time required to make the pie. Your detailed steps saved the day for sure. The chocolate flavor is rich and satisfying. I garnished with shaved chocolate. I thought those chocolate shavings gave a serving the “oh wow!” punch a serving needed to be extra special. The batter quantity very amply filled the pie dish. It’s delicious for that special meal.
Thanks for your rave review, Debbie! So happy to hear how much you love this recipe 🙂
This is the best dessert I have ever made or eaten. It was so worth the extra effort. Thank you for sharing!
Wonderful!! So happy to hear that 🙂
I don’t think this recipe is written correctly. Pie filling doesn’t usually call for whole eggs, only egg yolks. Filling did not set up overnight. It was like chocolate soup.
Hi Jkel! Yes, this recipe is written correctly and calls for whole eggs. I’m sorry to hear that your filling didn’t set up properly! That’s not due to using whole eggs, a soupy mixture is due to too warm of ingredients or a step not being beaten for long enough. Each step is crucial in creating an airy but also rich and creamy filling (heating the sugar and eggs to 160°F, making sure your butter isn’t warmer than room temperature before adding the other ingredients, making sure the butter/cooled chocolate mixture is light and fluffy and that the cream/powdered sugar is beaten to stiff peaks). You also want to make sure that the pie is chilled for at least 6 hours, which is the final step in setting properly. I truly hope you give this recipe another try. When the filling sets properly, you won’t want to stop eating it! Please let me know if I can help further, and let me know how your next attempt goes!
I think I messed up I added the chocolate not realizing to cook egg and sugar firat any way to fix
Hi Charity! Unfortunately, adding the chocolate at this stage could result in the chocolate seizing, or getting overheated and giving your pie an unpleasant and gritty texture. I would definitely recommend starting over at this point, I’m sorry to say. Good luck for Round 2! Let us know what you think of this pie once you’ve given it a try! 🙂
You’re seriously blaming the recipe when people have been getting perfect results using this exact recipe for years since it was posted? Its okay t admit you did it wrong, next time just ask what might have gone wrong and correct the issues.
Delicious! My family loved it and so did I.
I made this on Easter and while I have to consider it a fail for me, personally, it was still delicious, creamy and rich. Mine didn’t gel as it should have after overnight refrigeration. It was sliceable but very soft and nearly runny. Not sure what I did wrong and followed the recipe exactly, including the spoon test and used a thermometer. But, WOW! the taste of this pie is wonderful! I will definitely try it again. It is definitely worth the mess.
So glad you enjoyed this recipe! Without having made this right along with you, it’s tough to say for sure what went wrong, but I would make sure next time that your chocolate mixture has cooled until barely warm before beating in with the butter, and then ensuring that your cream/powdered sugar mixture is beaten until stiff peaks form. If your filling is too warm prior to adding to the whipped cream mixture, all the air you beat into the whipped cream will be reduced and it won’t set up properly. Please let us know how it goes if you give this recipe another try in the future 🙂
Tastes good, but filling is not stiff and fluffy.
Hi Beth! Sorry to hear your filling didn’t set properly! That’s typically due to too warm of ingredients or a step not being beaten for long enough. Was the sugar and eggs heated to 160°F? How about your butter, was it warmer than room temperature? Did you make sure the butter/cooled chocolate mixture was light and fluffy and the cream/powdered sugar beaten to stiff peaks? Each of these steps is crucial in creating an airy but also rich and creamy filling. You also want to make sure that the pie is chilled for at least 6 hours, which is the final step in setting properly. I really hope you try this recipe again, please let me know if you have more questions, hopefully this helps!
Do I need to let the pie set in the refrigerator before adding the topping?
Hi Karen! Yes, the pie needs to set prior to adding the topping 🙂 If you refrigerate the pie with the topping, after about a day in the fridge, the whipped cream will start to deflate and weep onto the surface of the pie. If you were wanting to just prep the pie in the morning for dinner in the evening, that should be fine. Let us know what you think of this recipe!