I know you’re craving chocolate right now (just an inkling!), so let’s bake an indulgent & rich brownie pie. Served warm with melty chocolate chips in each bite, it will make any chocolate dessert seem vanilla.
Tell Me About This Brownie Pie
Texture: If you avoid over-baking, each bite will be fudge-like, soft and chewy on a bed of crisp flaky pie crust. Top with cold and creamy ice cream. What a dessert! If you’ve ever tried my chocolate chess pie, the textures are slightly different. Today’s pie tastes like a soft, moist, and chewy brownie. The chess pie has a slightly thinned filling with a crinkly meringue-like top. Flavor: Chocolate. The end. Baking: Blind baking the crust is imperative before you bake the whole pie. This, of course, takes a little extra time, but you’ll be rewarded with a crisp (not soggy!) crust. Luckily the brownie filling is a breeze with 1 bowl and a whisk!
A Few Key Ingredients in Homemade Brownie Pie
Butter & Oil: Melted butter is the base of this brownie filling. I always love how vegetable oil keeps chocolate cake soft and moist, so I added some here. (Just like we do with coconut cheesecake brownies and caramel turtle brownie pie.) Eggs: Eggs are the main performer in this recipe by adding structure and texture. You need 3 eggs total. 2 whole eggs + 1 egg yolk for the filling, then save that last egg white for an egg wash on the crust. Brush the egg wash on the pie crust after blind baking. I usually add it just to the pie crust edges, but brushing it all over the bottom of the pie crust as well helps seal it from the wet brownie batter. That means more CRISP! Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: All of the chocolate flavor comes from cocoa powder, so you don’t need baking chocolate like these frosted brownies. Baking chocolate adds wonderful chocolate flavor to brownies, but you may not always have it on hand. Cocoa powder is usually a more common and convenient ingredient. You can use natural or dutch-process. Add-Ins: Chopped walnuts and chocolate chips add a little texture. Did you know that adding chocolate chips to brownie batter helps achieve those shiny crackly tops? If you love that beautiful sheen, don’t skip the chocolate chips. Feel free to omit the nuts and see the corresponding recipe note below. For even more added texture, finish off your brownie pie with the topping from this pecan pie cheesecake—it’s divine!
You also need pie crust. If you’re in a pinch, use store-bought. If you have a little more time on your hands, go for homemade. Nothing ever compares to flaky buttery pie crust and you can make it ahead of time. My pie crust recipe yields enough for 2 pies, which is convenient if you also want to make pumpkin pie this holiday season.
Do I Really Need to Blind Bake the Pie Crust?
The crust takes longer to bake than the filling, so it requires extra time in the oven. If you skip the blind baking step, the bottom of the crust will be doughy and/or raw. Blind baking, also known as par baking, is very beneficial to the taste and texture of your finished brownie pie. Helpful information about blind baking:
Pies that have no-bake filling such as coconut cream pie and banana cream pie require a fully blind baked pie crust. Pies with a filling that require baking such as today’s brownie pie and lemon meringue pie require a partially baked crust. Blind baking means you are baking pie without a filling, so the dough needs weight to help it hold shape. You can purchase special pie weights or you can use dry beans. I’ve also seen the use of granulated sugar and even pennies. I always use 2 packs of these (affiliate link) pie weights. If it’s helpful, I have an in-depth guide and video for How to Blind Bake Pie Crust. So this introduction isn’t too long, I added step-by-step photos below the recipe. There you’ll find details on how to crimp and flute pie crust, too.
Here is a photo showing two brownie pie slices. On the left, I skipped blind baking. On the right, I blind baked according to my instructions in the recipe below. Big difference.
Other Crust Options
If you want to skip traditional pie crust, try a cookie crust instead. These are delicious options and there’s no need for pie weights or pre-baking! See recipe note below.
Graham Cracker Crust: Use this graham cracker crust recipe. Press firmly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch un-greased pie dish. This is how we make s’mores brownie pie. Oreo Cookie Crust: Use this Oreo cookie crust recipe. Press firmly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch un-greased pie dish. This is how we make caramel turtle brownie pie.
Or try this brookie pie! It uses chocolate chip cookie dough as the crust.
3 Success Tips for the Best Brownie Pie
This decadent chocolate beauty is sure to be a welcome addition to your Thanksgiving dessert table. If you’re in need of more inspiration, here are all of our favorite Thanksgiving pie recipes. From apple pie to pecan pie and everything in between! This recipe is part of Sally’s Pie Week, an annual tradition where I share a handful of new recipes that fit into the pie/crisp/tart category. Join the community below!
Quick Step-By-Step Photos of Crust
Roll out your chilled pie dough and tuck it into your pie dish. Fold the excess dough edges back into the center of the pie and meld with your fingers to make a nice rim. Flute and/or crimp the edges. See my how to crimp and flute pie crust post for details on how to do both. Refrigerate or freeze for 30 minutes to help set the shape. Line with parchment paper and fill with pie weights. I use and recommend (affiliate link) these pie weights. You need 2 packs to fill a pie shell. Bake with weights for about 15 minutes. Remove pie weights and prick bottom of dough with a fork. As instructed in the recipe, return crust to the oven for about 8 minutes to help set the bottom of the pie crust. Remove from the oven and brush bottom of crust and edges with beaten egg white. Spread in the filling and bake the whole pie.
