French Chocolate Silk Pie Recipe (VIDEO)

The Best French Chocolate Silk Pie Recipe: An easy chocolate pie whipped up with a secret ingredient, to make it super silky light. Enjoy!

French Silk Pie

Let’s talk about French Silk… I have kept a deep dark secret since childhood.

When I was little, I thought my mom was the best cook in the whole entire world. Every dish she made was delicious, a work of art in my mind. Yet she did not make the best pies I’d ever tasted.

That award went to a cafe and pie pantry called Tippin’s.

Originally from the Kansas City area, Tippin’s made the most fabulous collection of pies found anywhere. I believe the location in Tulsa, where I grew up, is now gone. Yet they can still be found in certain areas around the midwest.

Needless to say, every holiday I would sneakily try to come up with excuses why we should order our pies from Tippin’s instead of making them at home. Silly attempts that only worked part of the time.

Tippin’s Pies

When I was old enough to drive, I would offer to go pick up pies for her, to save time. I always hoped she never caught on.

Of all the drool-worthy Tippin’s pies, their French Silk Pie Recipe was my first choice. In fact, it has caused a life-long love affair with Chocolate Silk Pie. Whenever I see it on a menu, I must order it immediately to see how it compares.

Over the years, I’ve tried several classic French Silk Pie recipes at home. Honestly, they’ve all been good, but none could stand up to my first love.

Until now.

My Twist on French Silk Pie

Recently I was experimenting, again, with French Silk Pie.

Most recipes call for melted chocolate, butter, and sugar, to be vigorously beaten with eggs. The eggs beating into the mixture at high speed creates the elegant silky texture of French Chocolate Silk Pie with a decadent chocolate mousse filling. However, these pies always turn out slightly too dense for my taste.

I decided to veer off the classic recipe and use some of the whipped cream, I whipped for the top, in the chocolate filling. I folded it in gently after the filling was beaten with eggs.

Sparks. Confetti. Clashing cymbals.

With just one alteration I had a French Chocolate Cream Pie Recipe that might be even better than the pie in my memories. It was the texture I was looking for. Not just silky and chocolatey, but super fluffy as well. Like pillowy chocolate clouds of ecstasy.

Perfection.

How to Make French Silk Pie

What Ingredients You Will Need

Unbaked Pie Crust – store-bought or homemade
Bittersweet Chocolate + extra for chocolate shavings (or semi-sweet chocolate)
Heavy Cream
Unsalted Butter – softened (2 sticks)
Granulated Sugar – divided
Vanilla Extract
Salt
Large Pasteurized Eggs

Instructions

Preheat the oven. Place the pie dough/crust in a large 9-inch pie pan.
Crimp the edges. Then place a piece of parchment paper over the pie crust and fill the parchment with dried beans or ceramic pie weights.
Bake until the edges are golden. Lift the parchment with the weights out of the pie crust, and allow the crust to cool completely.

Chocolate Pie Filling

Meanwhile, melt chocolate in a double boiler. The moment the chocolate is melted, remove it from the heat and cool it to room temperature.
Place the heavy cream in the bowl of an electric mixer with sugar. Using a whip attachment, whip on high speed until the cream is whipped into firm/stiff peaks form. Move the whipped cream into another bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.
Using the same mixing bowl and a paddle attachment, beat the butter and more sugar on high until light and fluffy, at least 3 minutes. Turn on low and slowly add the cooled chocolate mixture to the butter mixture, followed by the vanilla and salt. Scrape the mixing bowl and beat again until smooth.
Turn the mixer on high. One at a time, add an egg and let the mixer beat the egg for at least 3 minutes, before adding the next egg. This ensures a super silky texture. After 12 minutes of beating on high, turn the mixer off. Gently fold 1/3 of the whipped cream into the mixture using a spatula. Fold until smooth.

Finishing Up

Scoop the chocolate mixture into the cooled pie crust.

Top with the remaining whipped cream. Then garnish with chocolate curls on the top with a veggie peeler. Chill for at least 3 hours, until the chocolate filling is firm.

See The Recipe Card Below For How To Make The Best French Silk Pie. Enjoy!

Don’t Like the Idea of Raw Eggs?

I’m sorry to say the raw eggs make this recipe what it is. The silky texture comes directly from the eggs.

However, as long as you wash the eggs thoroughly before you crack them, the odds of salmonella are almost nil. Raw eggs are in all sorts of recipes like frothy cocktails, caesar dressing, eggnog, aioli… I wouldn’t worry about it.

But if you’re still concerned, you can make a “chocolate ganache” pie filling, by melting the chocolate, allowing it to cool to room temperature, then beating it into some cold heavy cream. The filling will resemble the inside of a whipped chocolate truffle. It will not have the same silky texture, but will be rich, luxurious, and will melt in your mouth!

I would go with equal parts chocolate and cream… Maybe 8-10 ounces of each, depending on the depth of your pie pan. I hope this helps those that are skittish about raw eggs.

Chocolate Pie Pro Tips

If you’re having worries about the thickness of the filling make sure you beat the mixture a little longer or perhaps chill the pie a little longer than usual.
Confused about the amount of time to mix everything? It’s 3 minutes per egg X 4 eggs. So 12 minutes for the eggs, plus the 3 minutes for the butter. That’s 15 minutes total.
One of my readers accidentally used almond extract instead of vanilla and LOVED it. Give it a try with some Almond Roca shavings on top!

Additional Variations

French Chocolate Mousse Pie is fabulous to serve as an alternative dessert on Thanksgiving, and for Christmas, Easter, Mother’s Day, or any celebration!

Also, try it with…

Oreo Crust or Graham Cracker Crust
With Mini Chocolate Chips or Toasted Coconut on top
with flavored whipped cream (using extracts) like Rum, Coffee, or Coconut

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a pre-made whipped topping instead?

Yes you can. Although I love to make fresh whipped cream, so that I know exactly what is in my recipe. This makes the ingredients more cut-and-dry when serving desserts to friends with food allergies.

Can I Make This Dessert Ahead of Time?

You can store French Silk Pie for up to a week in the fridge so it is perfect to make a day or two ahead of an event. This Fluffy French Silk Pie is my new favorite cream pie recipe variation. I’m still a huge fan of coconut, banana, and lemon cream pies.

Yet this French Silk takes the cake, so to speak.

Does this pie do well in the freezer?

It sure does! Wrap your chocolate pie tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, let the pie thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

How long does it last in the fridge?

Cover your pie loosely with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and it can stay in your fridge for up to a week.

Can I use another style of sweetener/sugar?

You can use any sugar alternative that is measured in a 1-to-1 ratio with sugar.

Could I add fruit or nuts to the pie?

You can, but I would suggest sprinkling them on top rather than mixing them into the filling. French Silk Pie is famous for its smooth texture, so it would be a shame to change its defining quality.

Other Pies You Might Like:

Check out the printable recipe card including calories, carbohydrates, protein, cholesterol, sodium, and fiber.