In my book, simple is good and simply chocolate is even better. This No Fuss Chocolate Chess Pie is chocolately enough for chocolate addicts and special enough to serve when brownies just wouldn’t suffice. Still it is super easy – even for folks who swear that they absolutely cannot bake.
Chess pie is a Southern American specialty. In its simplest form, chess pie filling includes just butter, sugar, eggs, and flavoring, sometimes with a tad of flour. I came upon a chocolate version, first published by Nancie McDermott, a true expert on Southern cooking. That recipe was later adapted by TheKitchn and The Accidental Southerner. All three of those sources use unsweetened chocolate, while I use a mix of semi-sweet and bittersweet. The bottom line is that the pie looks rustic and crackly on the top and tastes delicious all the way through.
Think of a chocolate cheesecake without the cheese or a not-too-sweet chocolate pecan pie, without molasses or pecans. Neither analogy is perfect, but you get the picture – slightly dense and rich without being overly sweet. Serve No Fuss Chocolate Chess Pie with a dollop of whipped cream or a small scoop of high quality vanilla ice cream and you’ve got a dessert has a high “wow factor”.
If you are eating No Fuss Chocolate Chess Pie more than 2 hours after it comes out of the oven, refrigerate it. Here’s why I recommend refrigerating the pie instead of keeping it on the counter.
Serve with whipped cream or rich vanilla ice cream (optional) for a marvelous contrast in textures and tastes.
No Fuss Chocolate Chess Pie
This No Fuss Chocolate Chess Pie is incredibly simple to make. Delicious chocolate filling inside a graham cracker crust. Pretty enough for company, but easy enough for a weekday splurge.
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- 1 1/2 cups crumbled graham crackers Approximately 1 sleeve + 2 extra
- 5 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 pinch salt
Pie Filling
- 7 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks
- 2 1/2 - 3 ounces semi-sweet &/or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 3/4 cup sugar + 1 tablespoon
- 2 eggs at room temperature, slightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Topping (optional)
- 1 cup heavy or whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 dash vanilla
Instructions
Pie Crust
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
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Crush the graham crackers in tightly closed ziplock plastic bag, using a rolling pin or a wine bottle. Don’t worry about mashing each bit to smithereens, but the crumbs should be small. Add the crumbs, salt, and sugar to the melted butter and stir them together to moisten all the crumbs.
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Press the mixture into the pie pan, beginning with the fork, but ending with your fingers, so that the mixture is pressed down. For the sides, put the side of your second finger on one hand on the top of the side and the other hand’s second finger just below it, so that the sides are pressed into the pan and adhere to the sides.
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Place the pie pan on the cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes. (Moving the cookie sheet is easier than moving the pie pan and the sheet helps prevent burning on the bottom of the pan.) If bubbles have formed in the crust, gently burst them with the tines of the fork. Let the crust cool before filling it.
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As you take the pie pan out of the oven, lower the heat to 325 degrees F.
Pie Filling
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Melt the butter and chocolate together. Again, I use the microwave. If you melt them on the stovetop, be careful not to burn the chocolate. Using a double boiler helps. (A double boiler includes a pot with a few inches of water simmering below the pot with the ingredients. That way, the butter and chocolate never touch the flame.) Whether microwaved or melted on the stovetop, gently stir the butter and chocolate to smoothly combine them.
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Add the sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt to the melted butter and chocolate and spread the filling in the pie pan, on top of the crust.
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Bake the pie (again on top of a cookie sheet), for 40-50 minutes. If the edges of the crust begin to get dark, cover them with a ring of tin foil or a pie shield. (The foil or shield protects the crust from further baking while the pie continues to bake.) At 40 minutes the pie is a bit gooey. I prefer the longer cooking time until the middle will be set when cooled.
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Remove the pie from the oven and set on a wire rack to cool completely. Do not cut the pie until the bottom of the pie pan feels about room temperature.
Whipped Cream Topping
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Using a cold bowl and cold beaters, beat the cream, starting at a low speed and increasing slowly to mid-speed. Beat until soft peaks beginning to form. Add the sugar and the dash of vanilla and whip just until incorporated.
Recipe Notes
If you don't already know, check out this post as to why you should use room temperature eggs for baking and how to quickly bring refrigerated eggs up to room temperature.
For hints on using a microwave safely and without splattering, see this post and this one.
If you want to know the difference between heavy cream and whipping cream, the answer is here.
Sally says
I just learned how to make this pie over the holidays. It’s quickly becoming a family favorite. Looks great!
GiGi Dubois says
I have never even heard of such a pie before!! Sounds interesting 🙂
Jameson Fink says
I like the rustic, crackly look.
Susan@LunaCafe says
Love old fashioned desserts like this. Beautiful!
Michelle says
I’ve never seen a chocolate chess pie with a graham cracker crust! I bet that is perfect with it!
Brandon @ Kitchen Konfidence says
Chess pie is so tasty! I’ve never had chocolate chess pie though. This looks amaaaaze.
motherwouldknow says
Brandon – Try it. I’m going to try more versions of chess pie too. Another reader suggested adding pecans to chocolate, and I’ve been dreaming about other combinations like lemon and almonds or pistachios.
Elena says
Chocolate chess pie is one of my all time favorite desserts. My grandmother’s recipe is one I pull out time and time again, and I’ve never served a chocolate chess (or any chess for that matter) and not have it well received! Add pecans for a Tar Heel Pie!
motherwouldknow says
We should get you and Jennifer McHenry together, with your grandmothers’ baking recipes you’ve got the market on great pies cornered. I’ve sometimes made a pecan pie with a chocolate crust, but you’ve opened up a whole new variation on chocolate and pecans.
Jennifer McHenry says
I adore chess pie! My grandmother used to make them and would sometimes make a chocolate version. So very good!
motherwouldknow says
Really? Wow, so the chocolate version goes back generations? That’s a lovely thought – making the same pie that your grandmother did.
Ashley says
It’s like a brownie in a pie… so clever! 😀 I’ve never had chess pie but this looks divine.
motherwouldknow says
Take it from me, once you try it, you’ll be hooked!
kimberly.ann says
I adore chocolate chess pie! This recipe makes me want to dive right in.
motherwouldknow says
I’ve become a huge fan. Though I’d never heard of the chocolate version before, now I can’t wait for the next time I make it.
Lisa @ Panning The Globe says
I don’t do much baking but I’m a big fan of chocolate and this pie looks so delicious and so doable! For some reason I’ve been having lots of chocolate cravings lately and they’ve been going unsatisfied. I think I might just whip up this pie and get my chocolate fix.
Erin says
I can totally swap out some GF graham crackers and make this pie!! The nerdy chess club mom in me really wants to make this for our next parent meeting. 😉
Marianne says
How much butter is used for the filling? I don’t see butter listed in the filling ingredients list.
Laura says
Marianne, My apologies. When I switched to a new recipe format, the butter in the filling got “lost” as an ingredient, although it is mentioned in the instructions. The proper amount of butter in the filling is 7 & 1/2 tablespoons. I have now added it in the ingredient list. (If you use an entire stick or 8 tablespoons, I won’t tell anyone:) Many thanks for stopping by. I hope you love the chocolate chess pie as much as I do. Many thanks for being such an eagle-eyed reader!