Chocolate Chess Pie with graham cracker crust

There are days when you just need ooey gooey chocolate. This pie is perfect for those days; it’s a Chocolate Chess Pie with a graham cracker crust. It’s ooey, gooey, chocolatey, fudgy, and crunchy all at the same time!

We’re heading full-tilt into pie season…and this Chocolate Chess Pie needs to be on your list of to-make. I think you should make it today. Then curl up with a good book and a fork. #nojudgements

I’m in LOVE with this Chocolate Chess Pie, y’all. Actually, I’m in love with all chess pies, but especially this one. Have you ever had or made a chess pie? They’re probably some of the easier pies to make – one bowl for the filling, no prep, just stir – and they turn out perfectly every time.

Why is it called a chocolate chess pie?

Chess Pie, by definition, is a pie that’s a mixture of eggs, butter, and sugar, and then you add other flavors. Like peanut butter. Or lemon. Or peppermint. Or coconut! The result is a smooth and rich filled pie that has a texture not unlike the filling in a pecan pie. In fact, Pecan Pie is like a version of chess pie with nuts.

This chess pie? Is CHOCOLATE. It tastes and smells like a rich melty gooey brownie. Are you one of those people that set their eyes on the center of the brownie pan and will commit acts of treason to get to it first (ahem), then this pie is for you.

The filling of this pie is like the center of a gooey brownie. It’s rich, chocolatey, fudgy, and it’s seriously one of the best things in the whole world! And then I added chopped up peanut butter cups to it. AND I gave it a thick and crunchy graham cracker crust.

Ingredients in Chocolate Chess Pie

• Graham Cracker Crust: I used my regular recipe for graham cracker crust for this pie. It has graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter.
• Unsalted Butter: start with it melted and the pie whisks together easily
• Semisweet Baking Chocolate: this is the bar chocolate found in the baking aisle (not chocolate chips)
• Flour: to bind the pie together
• Sugar, vanilla, salt: traditional in chess pie recipes
• Eggs + an egg white: this is the body of the pie and keeps it gooey, like brownies

Yes, you can make chocolate chess pie without evaporated milk or any milk at all!

How to make Chocolate Chess Pie

1. Make the crust: Place graham cracker crumbs in a bowl and stir in sugar and melted butter with a fork. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-10” or 9” deep dish pie plate. Bake until firm and golden, about 8 minutes.

2. Melt the butter and chocolate: Melt the butter with chocolate in a medium sized bowl. I did this in the microwave, heating on high in 30 second increments, stirring between each, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. (You can also do it in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water.)

3. Make the filling: Whisk in the flour, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Whisk in eggs and egg white, one at a time, until the mixture is smooth. Pour mixture into prepared crust.

4. Bake: Bake until the top is puffed and filling is set in the center, 35-45 minutes. Let cool, serve at room temperature.

Serving: Top with whipped cream or ice cream.

Note on Pie Plates

This pie is a very full pie. I baked this in a 9-inch pie plate just fine, but don’t go any smaller. You can also use a 10-inch or a 9-inch deep dish.

Tip: bake it on a cookie sheet just in case it spills over (it shouldn’t but you don’t want that mess).

Variations

• Add 1 cup chocolate chips to the chocolate batter
• Add 1 cup chopped peanut butter cups
• Add 1 cup chopped nuts
• Use a pie crust instead of a graham cracker crust
• Use an Oreo cookie crust

Storing and Serving

Cooling: once the pie is done baking, cool it completely then chill it to set.

Serving: serve cold or room temperature

Storing: Chess Pie should be refrigerated, so cover and chill. Or you can freeze the pie for up to a month.

FAQ

How do you know when chocolate chess pie is done?

The pie is done when it’s puffed and cracked around the rim. It will no longer be jiggly in the center.

Help! My pie didn’t solidify and is liquid.

You can tell from the photos that the pie is gooey and fudgy but it should set. As long as you have followed the directions and baked it until it’s puffed and cracked and no longer jiggly it should set just fine. Cool then chill overnight to set before slicing.

How do you fix a runny chess pie?

Let it sit in the oven while the oven cools if you think it’s not done all the way – or just bake it until it’s puffed and cracked around the rim.

Other Favorite Recipes

• Mini Chocolate Hazelnut Chess Pies
• Mini Lemon Chess Pies
• Lemon Chess Pie
• Chocolate Chip Chess Pie
• Buttermilk Pie
• Peanut Butter Pie Recipe
• Brown Sugar Chess Pie by Grandbaby Cakes
• See more of my ultimate pie recipes here!

Chocolate Chess Pie with Graham Cracker Crust

3.99 from 53 votes

This delicious and rich Chocolate Chess Pie has a graham cracker crust for a new twist! The crust is thick and crunchy and the filling is rich, chocolatey, and fudgy. It’s the perfect pie for any occasion!

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Yield 12 servings

Serving Size 1 slice

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Ingredients

 

Crust:

• ▢ 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 9 whole graham crackers)
• ▢ 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 7 tablespoons unsalted butter melted

Filling:

• ▢ 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ▢ 4 ounces semisweet baking chocolate chopped
• ▢ 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• ▢ 1 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 3 large eggs
• ▢ 1 large egg white
• ▢ 1 cup Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups chopped (I used minis, but any size is fine, just chop them), optional (see note)
• ▢ Chocolate Whipped Cream for garnish

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Instructions

• Note on the pie: if you’re using a 9” standard pie plate it will be a very full pie, as you can see from the photos. Bake it on a cookie sheet just in case, but it should not spill over. You can use up to a 10” pie plate, but do not use anything smaller than 9”. If you have a 9” deep dish pie plate, you can use that as well.
• Make the crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grind the graham crackers in a food processor until they are a fine crumb. (You can also place them in a large gallon size ziploc bag and roll them with a rolling pin.) Place in a bowl and stir in sugar and melted butter with a fork. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-10” or 9” deep dish pie plate. Bake until firm, about 10 minutes.
• Make the filling: Melt the butter with chocolate in a medium sized bowl. I did this in the microwave, heating on high in 30 second increments, stirring between each, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. (You can also do it in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water.)
• Once the chocolate is melted and smooth, whisk in the flour, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Whisk in eggs and egg white, one at a time, until the mixture is smooth. Stir in the chopped peanut butter cups, if using. Pour mixture into prepared crust. Bake until the top is puffed and filling is set in the center, 35-45 minutes. Let cool, serve at room temperature. Top with whipped cream or ice cream. (Note that I get pretty slices because I chill my pies a few hours before cutting. That’s the secret to perfect slices!)

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

You can leave out the peanut butter cups or swap it with chocolate chips or nuts for other variations.

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 1212kcal | Carbohydrates: 264g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 79mg | Sodium: 143mg | Potassium: 96mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 255g | Vitamin A: 501IU | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Author Dorothy Kern

Did you try this recipe? Click the stars to rate the recipe below

This easy Chocolate Chess Pie Recipe is the best old fashioned southern pie! With a graham cracker crust the filling is gooey and rich – this is like a fudge pie and it’s so good.