Chocolate Cream Pie With Graham Cracker Crust

5 from 1 vote

Chocolate Cream Pie With Graham Cracker Crust

A super silky and decadent chocolate cream pie made in a simple graham cracker crust and topped with fresh whipped cream

Prep Time45

Cook Time15

Total Time1

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 400kcal

Author: Lauren Skardal

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust

8 tablespoon butter
12 graham crackers

Chocolate Cream Filling

2 cups high-quality bittersweet chocolate (14oz) or milk chocolate
3 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup heavy cream (for tempering eggs)
1½ cups heavy cream (for whipping and incorporating into the filling)

Whipped Cream Topping

1½ cups heavy cream
2 tablespoon powdered sugar
cocoa powder for dusting optional

Instructions

Graham Cracker Crust

Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Add the graham crackers to a blender or food processor and pulse until they become fine crumbs.
Alternatively, if you do not have a blender or food processor add the graham crackers to a gallon-sized freezer bag and use a rolling pin to crush them into fine crumbs. This is a great task for kids to get involved.
Melt the butter in a large microwave-safe mixing bowl. Add the graham cracker crumbs and combine. Press into a pie dish using the back of a spoon or even better, your hands. Be sure to press the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of the pie dish.
Bake for 8 minutes. Remove, set aside, and allow to cool.

Chocolate Cream Filling

To make the filling you will need four dishes/pans:
1.    A large mixing bowl to melt the chocolate chips
2.    A medium bowl for the eggs, sugar, and salt
3.    A medium saucepan to simmer the heavy cream
4.    A large mixing bowl to make whipped cream
Add the chocolate chips to a large mixing bowl and microwave at 50% power for 1 minute. Continue adding 30 seconds at a time at 50% power, stirring in between until the chocolate is melted.
In a medium bowl combine the eggs, sugar, and salt.
Add the 1 ½ cups heavy cream to a medium saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer at medium heat.
Temper the eggs: Slowly add the simmering heavy cream little by little to the egg yolk mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Add the mixture back to the saucepan, turn the heat down to medium-low, and continue to stir for 1-2 minutes until thickened.
Remove the custard and add it to the melted chocolate. Stir to combine. Allow the chocolate mixture to cool for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the whipped cream. Add 1 ½ cups heavy cream to a large mixing bowl, and beat on low speed until you get soft peaks (if you are not sure, err on the side of overwhipping, rather than underwhipping).
One half at a time add the heavy cream to the cooled chocolate mixture. Gently fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture. Be sure that no white streaks remain.
Assemble: Pour the chocolate cream into the pie crust. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
Remove the Chocolate Cream Pie 10-15 minutes before serving to allow the chocolate cream to soften slightly.

Whipped Cream Topping

Add the remaining 1 ½ cups heavy cream and powdered sugar to a large mixing bowl and whip at low speed until soft peaks form.
Top the pie with the whipped cream. This can either be done by spooning the whipped cream over the pie or filling a piping bag (or gallon-sized plastic bag, cut at a corner) with the whipped cream and pipe onto the top of the pie.
Optional: Dust the whipped cream with cocoa powder by adding a small amount of cocoa powder to a fine mesh strainer and tap it genntly over the whipped cream.

Notes

Bittersweet Chocolate Chips: Using bittersweet chocolate chips will result in a super indulgent and decadent filling. If you prefer something a little less intense, use milk chocolate chips, or half milk chocolate and half bittersweet. But most importantly, use high-quality chocolate, like Ghirardelli or Guittard. Lower quality or store brands won’t hold up well to melting or the tempering process.

Tempering Eggs:

Adding sugar and salt to the egg yolks impacts the temperature of the eggs which helps to prevent the eggs from curdling (scrambling) when adding the simmering heavy cream.
Do not leave the egg mixture in the saucepan for any length of time as the egg mixture may cook from the residual heat of the pan.
If the custard (cooked egg yolk mixture) is not entirely smooth, pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove any lumps that may have formed from the eggs curdling.

Chocolate Cream Filling:

Whipping Cream: Be sure that the cream at the bottom of the bowl is getting whipped. Sometimes some cream sits at the bottom without being drawn in by the beaters. If you are unsure when to stop whipping the cream, err on the side of overwhipping rather than underwhipping.
To fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture use a flat wide spatula and gently incorporate the whipped cream using an up-and-down motion. Press the spatula down along the back of the bowl to the bottom center of the bowl and then back up. Turn the bowl and repeat until all the cream is incorporated.

Whipped Cream Topping: Wait to add the whipped cream until right before serving to prevent it from weeping.

Nutrition