Diets beware.
This is A Brownie Pie & Chocolate Chess Pie Hybrid
You’re looking at part brownie/part chocolate chess pie. Chess pie is a custard pie and typically combines eggs, sugar, butter, flour, sometimes a little cornmeal, buttermilk, vinegar, and/or flavorings such as vanilla, lemon, or chocolate. I am, by no means, an expert on this Southern specialty but one of the best recipes I’ve tried (and a wonderful description of its origins) is over on The Kitchn. Using some of chess pie’s staple ingredients, I made a chocolate variation. Though it’s totally cooked, the center tastes like brownie batter. It’s magical.
Tell Me About this Chocolate Pie:
Thickness: Thin, but very rich. Any thicker and it would almost be too rich to eat. Texture: Fudge brownie filling that rises like a chocolate soufflé, then falls as the pie cools. The fallen top tastes like crinkly chocolate meringue. It’s utterly irresistible. It’s a bit different than the soft and chewy filling of this brownie pie and caramel turtle brownie pie. Ease: I’d say intermediate. You need to partially blind bake the pie crust, but mixing the ingredients together is pretty simple. Baking: Blind bake the crust at 375°F (190°C), then lower to 325°F (163°C) for the filling. A slightly lower oven temperature ensures the thin filling cooks evenly. Time: Homemade pie crust always requires extra effort and time, but you can use store-bought if you’re in a time crunch. The filling comes together quickly, but the pie needs to cool for a couple hours before slicing.
9 Ingredients You Need
Chocolate: For deep chocolate flavor, I use both real chocolate and cocoa powder in this filling. Note that you only need 2 ounces of chocolate. Most baking chocolate is sold in 4 ounce bars, so you’ll only use half. I prefer Baker’s or Ghirardelli brands. Butter: Melt butter with the chocolate before adding to the other filling ingredients. This is how I start my chewy fudgy frosted brownies recipe, too. Sugar, Salt, & Vanilla: All add flavor. Cocoa Powder: Chess pie is often thickened with flour and/or cornmeal. Here we’ll use unsweetened cocoa powder because it adds flavor too. Remember this post on dutch-process vs. natural cocoa powder? Since there’s no chemical leavening occurring, you can use either in this recipe. Espresso Powder: Add espresso powder if you want to kick up the chocolate flavor like we do in marble loaf cake and chocolate zucchini bread. The pie tastes good without it, but better with it. Heavy Cream: A lot of chess pie recipes call for evaporated milk, but I use heavy cream here. Heavy cream is convenient because you can top this pie with whipped cream. That being said, if you have a can of evaporated milk, use it instead. Eggs: The workhorse in this recipe, eggs add structure, stability, 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. Brush the egg wash on the pie crust before blind baking. A quick egg wash promises a golden brown and shiny pie crust.
Pie Crust
You also need a pie crust shell. 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.
Partially Blind Bake: Whether you use store-bought or homemade, you need to pre-bake the pie crust. The crust takes longer to bake than the filling, so it needs extra time in the oven. If you skip pre-baking, also known as blind baking, the crust tastes soggy. Roll out your cold pie dough, then fit into a 9-inch pie dish. Crimp or flute the pie crust around the edges. To prevent the pie dough from shrinking, chill for at least 30 minutes in the pie dish. Line with parchment paper and fill with pie weights (note: 2 packs of these pie weights is needed). Bake until the edges are lightly brown, about 15 minutes. Remove parchment/pie weights, then prick the crust with a fork. Bake crust for 8 more minutes. Fill with chocolate filling, then return to the oven to bake the whole pie.
We do this exact same process when we make quiche. If it’s helpful, I have an in-depth guide and video for How to Blind Bake Pie Crust and How to Crimp and Flute Pie Crust.
Step by Step Photos Below The Recipe!
Looking for something gluten free, but just as rich and fudgy? Try my flourless chocolate cake instead. 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! To make the filling, the first step is to melt butter and chocolate together. I use the microwave, but you can use a double boiler instead. As instructed in step 6, whisk the other filling ingredients together, then whisk in the melted chocolate/butter mixture. This recipe requires a partially blind baked pie crust shell. Follow my detailed instructions above. My How to Blind Bake Pie Crust video and guide is helpful too. I use and recommend (affiliate link) these pie weights. You need 2 packs to fill a pie shell. After partially blind baking, pour in the chocolate filling and bake.
