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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.
Table of Contents
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!
Have you made this recipe?
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Chocolate Chess Pie with Graham Cracker Crust
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
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
Recipe Nutrition
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.
Last Updated on November 2, 2020
I had a graham cracker crust in my pantry and needed a quick and easy dessert. I didn’t have any peanut butter cups, so I used a cup of white chocolate chips and it was just perfect. Thanks for a great quick & delicious recipe!
Hi there! Thanks for sharing the recipe, I’ll be making it soon. Should I store this pie in the fridge or leave it out?
I usually do
It literally doesn’t say what temperature to bake it at.
It literally does, in step 2.
This is such a great pie. I used a press in the pan pie crust,. I’ve made it dozens of times always getting great reviews from my coworkers. I do tend to use a heaping tabtablespoon of flour. It has always set just fine.
This pie was excellent. The crust had a very delicious butterscotch taste. I had a little trouble with making the crust, though. I used graham cracker crumbs in a box, so I had to guesstimate how much to use for 15 graham crackers, and I think I might have guessed wrong. When I started to bake the crust, it sank down. The sides sank about halfway down the pan, and the middle was kind of wet and molten after 10 minutes. That’s when I decided to add some more crumbs. I just put them on top and pressed the crust down again so the sides were all the way up. It still slid down when I put it back in to finish baking, but not as much. I still put in the filling and finished the pie, the crust just didn’t go all the way up the sides. So, I’m still not sure how much of the crumbs to use. My crust came out kind of hard to slice through, but very tasty.
I won 2nd place with this chocolate chess pie! It would have been 1st darn it had my husband not been a judge. He gave me the lowest score so others wouldn’t have complained. I was pressed for time so I bought the pre-made graham cracker crust shell. I read the recipe too fast and did not buy the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. I thought it was only for garnish. Anyhow, I won 2nd place! I used the Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate (baking chips) and melted them in the microwave. Oh, I freaked out when the pie looked overly puffy, but after letting it cool, it resumed a pie look. I let it cool for an hour and put it in the freezer for 30 minutes. Chilling does make lovely slices. I WILL MAKE THIS OVER AND OVER! IT’S SO GOOD AND SO EASY!!! Thank you for sharing!!!!
Hi! I have a ready-made garaham cracker crust that I’m going to use for this recipe. I assume the baking time & temp stay the same?
Yes! enjoy!
Just a quick question – I’m planning to make this next week for Thanksgiving, but I need to prioritize oven time. Can I make this the night before, and, if so, would it be better to store in the fridge or at room temp? Thanks so much!
Yes you can make it ahead for sure. Store in the fridge, but let it come to room temp before serving. Enjoy!
Will chocolate chips work ok? Or does it need to be a chopped bar? Thanks so much!
It should be a chopped bar
I couldn’t find the bar, is it possible to use the chips? If it will work how much will I need to use. The bar isn’t the same as the bark is it?
Bars and chips are a bit different. Here is the substitution: 3 tablespoons chocolate chips for every 1-ounce semi-sweet baking chocolate.
I made this pie for Christmas dessert and IT WAS PERFECT! I have never ever made a real pie before- the closest was frozen pie crust and chocolate pudding. hehe! My husband asked if I could do a chocolate pie this year like his mom makes, so I knew I had to step up my game. I’m so glad I ran across this recipe! I was nervous about the homemade crust, but turns out that was the best part! Thanks again for sharing your recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! And the homemade crust is always the best and totally worth the time. Thanks so much!!
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