Chocolate Cream Pie Recipe (Creamy No-Bake Pie)
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My chocolate cream pie recipe is an easy, creamy no-bake pie that my whole family loves! I created it one Thanksgiving when my kids wanted nothing to do with pumpkin or apple pie, and it’s been our absolute favorite pie ever since. It uses just 5 ingredients, and there’s no oven and no stovetop pudding to stir.
My Easy Chocolate Cream Pie Recipe
This pie started with a Thanksgiving problem. My kids didn’t want pumpkin or apple, and I needed a creamy chocolate pie on the table. This is what I created, and it’s been on our holiday dessert list every year since.
The best part is how simple it is. A premade Oreo crust and instant pudding do most of the work, so you’re just mixing, folding, and chilling. It’s a great one to make with the kids, and nobody will guess it took you 10 minutes.
For more delicious pie recipes, check out my Creamy Lemon Pie, The Best Apple Pie, S’mores Hand Pies, pumpkin pie, and my no bake pumpkin pie.
What Sets My Creamy Chocolate Pie Apart
- Instant pudding filling – no cooking, no eggs to temper, and no stirring over a hot stove, so the filling comes together in minutes.
- Folded-in whipped topping – a cup of whipped topping mixed into the pudding makes the filling light and creamy instead of dense.
- Oreo cookie crust – a premade chocolate cookie crust adds extra chocolate flavor and saves you the work of making a crust.
Chocolate Cream Pie Recipe Ingredients
Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe. Scroll down to the full recipe card for the specific amounts.
- 1 premade Oreo pie crust
- 2, 3.4 ounce packages instant chocolate pudding mix (instant, NOT regular) – milk chocolate or dark chocolate
- 2 cups milk, whole milk, cold
- 8 ounces whipped topping (Cool Whip), thawed
- Chocolate shavings or chocolate curls
Chocolate Cream Pie Substitutions and Variations
- Not a fan of Oreo crust? Use a graham cracker crust instead.
- Want a regular pie crust? A baked and cooled traditional pie crust works too.
- Prefer a different flavor? Swap in vanilla pudding, or any instant pudding flavor you like.
- Want extra chocolate? Top with mini chocolate chips, crushed Oreos, or a dusting of unsweetened cocoa powder or espresso powder.
- Want it fancier? Drizzle chocolate syrup, caramel sauce, or my homemade hot fudge sauce over the top.
How to Make Chocolate Cream Pie with Pudding
Here are my step-by-step instructions so you can make this recipe with ease. For the full, printable recipe with amounts and temperatures, scroll down to the recipe card below.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the Instant pudding packets with the cold milk and whisk until thick. Use an electric mixer to make this step faster, about 2-3 minutes.
- Gently fold in one cup of whipped topping until combined.
- Pour the chocolate pudding filling into the pie crust. Spread over the bottom of the crust. Chill for 20 minutes.
- Top with the remainder of the whipped topping, smoothing cream over top of the pudding.
- Top with shaved chocolate. Serve cold.
- Chill the full time – the pudding needs those 20 minutes to firm up. Cut too soon and the slices will be runny.
- Use instant pudding only – cook and serve pudding will not set the same way in this recipe.
- Start with cold milk – warm milk keeps the pudding from thickening properly.
- Fold, don’t stir – a gentle hand keeps the filling light and fluffy.
- Save enough for the top – one cup goes into the filling and the rest goes on top, so the 8 ounces covers the whole pie.
- Skip the shaving step – store-bought chocolate shavings or curls are a great shortcut.
Easy Chocolate Cream Pudding Pie Toppings
I’m all about pie toppings. You can use whipped cream, chocolate shavings, hot fudge, and more. Try our homemade hot fudge sauce!
I’ve even set up a pie toppings bar before and let the kids go crazy! They loved being able to pick out their very own toppings to make their slice of pie their own.
Storage Instructions
- Room temperature – Don’t leave this pie out longer than it takes to serve it. It contains dairy and needs to stay cold.
- Refrigerate – Cover the pie with plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
- Freeze – I don’t recommend freezing this pie. The pudding filling doesn’t thaw with the same creamy texture, and since it’s so quick to make, it’s best enjoyed fresh.
How long will a chocolate cream pie last in the fridge?
A chocolate cream pie can last in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days when stored properly in an airtight container.
Can you freeze chocolate cream pudding pie?
I would assume that pudding this in the freeze would be okay to do but I don’t think that it would thaw with the same texture and consistency. Since this is such a fast pie to make, I recommend making it and enjoying it fresh.
More like this Chocolate Cream Pie with Pudding
Instant Chocolate Pudding Pie FAQs
Make certain that you’re giving it adequate time to set up. If you rush the recipe, you might find that it’s not as creamy or as thick as you’d hoped for.
The main difference between a chocolate cream pie and a chocolate silk pie lies in their texture and ingredients. A chocolate cream pie has a creamy, pudding-like filling made with ingredients like milk, sugar, and cocoa powder, while a chocolate silk pie has a silkier, mousse-like texture with the addition of whipped cream or egg whites, resulting in a lighter and silkier filling.
Yes, your chocolate pie will naturally thicken as it cools. The cooling process causes the filling to set and firm up, giving it the desired creamy and sliceable texture.
To prevent a chocolate pie crust from getting soggy, you can try a few tricks. One is to blind-bake the crust before adding the filling. This involves partially baking the crust before adding the chocolate filling, which helps create a barrier between the crust and the filling, preventing it from becoming soggy. Additionally, you can brush the inside of the crust with melted chocolate or egg white to create a moisture-resistant layer.
It’s not recommended to leave a chocolate cream pie out overnight as it contains dairy-based ingredients, which can spoil at room temperature. To keep it safe, store it in the refrigerator and take it out when you’re ready to serve it.
Instant Chocolate Pudding Pie
Ingredients
- 1 premade Oreo pie crust
- 6.8 ounces instant chocolate pudding mix 2 (3.4 ounce) boxes
- 2 cups milk whole, cold
- 8 ounces whipped topping like Cool Whip, thawed
- chocolate shavings
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl combine both Instant pudding packets with the cold milk and whisk until thick. Use an electric mixer to make this step faster, about 2-3 minutes.6.8 ounces instant chocolate pudding mix , 2 cups milk
- Gently fold in one cup of whipped topping until combined.8 ounces whipped topping
- Pour pudding mixture into the pie crust. Spread over bottom of crust. Chill for 20 minutes.1 premade Oreo pie crust
- Top with remainder of the whipped topping, smoothing cream over top of pudding.
- Top with chocolate shavings.chocolate shavings
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Is it 1 or 2 boxes of 3.4oz instant pudding?
The store only had pre made chocolate pudding (snack packs). Will this work or will the consistency be off?
Your recipe calls to get 8 oz whipped topping…. Well you are they don’t sweat topping to the pudding I didn’t have enough whipped topping for the top!
One cup of whipped topping goes into the pie, the rest is for the top of the pie. You can add more to the top if you like, but the recipe only uses 8 total ounces.
No, this will not work correctly. I would try to find the instant pudding packets to mix with milk.
It is 2, 3.4 ounce boxes of instant pudding.
Haven’t made this yet, but the instant pudding only comes in 3.9 oz size, cannot find 3.4 oz size. Would I use 2 of the 3.9 oz pkgs, and would I need to adjust the amount of milk? Thanks!
It’s always tricky when brands start changing their box sizes. Here’s what I’d do: use two 3.9-ounce boxes of instant pudding mix in place of the 3.4-ounce size. Since you’re using a little more pudding mix overall, I recommend adding about 1 to 2 extra tablespoons of milk to keep the filling smooth and creamy — not too thick.
So instead of exactly 2 cups, try using 2 cups plus 1–2 tablespoons of milk. That small adjustment will balance the extra thickening from the pudding mix and give you a great texture for the pie filling. Please note that I haven’t tested this, but I think it should work.