Chocolate Chess Pie
Chocolate fans, this old-fashioned chocolate chess pie recipe is for you! It’s rich, fudgy, and so simple to make!
Today I’m sharing one of my grandmother’s recipes with you. If you have a copy of my latest book, Sweetness, you can see this recipe on page 147 with a beautiful photograph on page 148. Grandmama was one of those people who always lifted the mood in a room whenever she was around. When she passed away, I inherited her cookbooks. This recipe was written in her beautiful handwriting on a piece of paper that had been stained and worn from generations of use.
Therefore, this Southern chocolate chess pie recipe is an old-fashioned one. As such, it is pretty simple, straightforward, and absolutely delicious. It’s made from simple ingredients like eggs, butter, milk, and sugar, with the added bonus of cocoa powder. It also only takes 15 minutes to prep, so is a great option for beginner bakers.
This Southern chocolate pie is so sweet and decadent with a fudgy chocolate flavor wrapped in a . The filling tastes like brownies, with a smooth and creamy custard texture and a crust on top. My daughter says it is like eating brownie batter in pie form – a glowing recommendation if ever I heard one!
Speaking of other indulgent chocolate desserts, if you have a sweet tooth you need to check out these recipes: triple chocolate brownie pie, chocolate chocolate chip cookies, chocolate fried pies, chocolate depression cake, and chocolate cobbler.
A quintessential Southern dessert, this easy chocolate chess pie recipe contains lots of hints and tips for making this wonderful heritage pie. Let’s get baking!
Recipe Ingredients
- Deep-dish pie crust
- Evaporated milk
- Cocoa powder
- Butter
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Granulated sugar
How to Make Chocolate Chess Pie
Firstly, don’t pre-bake your pie crust (we love not using , right?).
All you have to do is dump all of your ingredients in a large bowl. Starting with the sugar…
The melted butter…
The cocoa powder…
The eggs…
The vanilla extract…
And the evaporated milk.
Mix them with an electric mixer until well combined and fully blended.
Then pour the pie filling into the store-bought unbaked in the deep dish pie dish.
Your prepared pie crust does not have to be pretty. The homier it looks, the better it will taste. You can do it as I did here, use a fork, or just fold down the edge a bit and call it rustic. In some cities “rustic” sells for double the price ~winks~.
Bake this at 350 for 35 to 40 minutes or until set in the center.
Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before cutting.
Dust with confectioner’s sugar if you like.
ENJOY this old Southern chocolate pie!
It tastes great either at room temperature or chilled, with a nice big dollop of .
Storage
- This pie will last about one week. I recommend storing it for only two days in a cake dome at room temperature and then placing it, covered, in the fridge for up to five days. In saying that though, I think it tastes best within the first two days of baking.
- You can also freeze the baked chocolate chess pie for up to three months. Thaw in the fridge and then reheat the whole pie in the oven for about 20 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
- Pie crust: I am using the roll-out pie crust. You can use a frozen pie crust in the pan or even make it from scratch, whatever cranks your tractor. I’ve made more in my life than I can count and I’m cool with using store-bought crust and saving the mess. But here’s my homemade pie crust recipe that you just mix directly in the deep-dish pie plate, it’s so easy!
- Evaporated milk: In old recipes, this is usually referred to as “pet milk” because PET was a popular brand in the south. A 5-ounce can of evaporated milk is just a smidge more than the amount you need, but it’s okay to use the entire can or do like I do and take a little swig out of it because it is stinking delicious! Another option is to substitute the evaporated milk for heavy cream.
- Chocolate flavor: There are two easy ways to enhance the chocolate flavor. First, melt 2 ounces of finely chopped dark or semi-sweet chocolate along with the butter. Alternatively, add 1 teaspoon of espresso powder to the pie filling.
- Speaking of, you want to use either naturally unsweetened or Dutch-processed cocoa powder in your chocolate chess pie.
- If you find the pie is a little runny after cooling, just place it in the fridge for a few hours to set.
Recipe FAQs
What is chocolate chess pie made of?
Chess pie is known for having a custard pie texture and chocolate chess pie is no exception. It’s typically made with a combination of eggs, sugar, milk, and butter with flavorings. In this instance, we’re using cocoa powder and vanilla extract.
What does chess pie taste like?
Chess pie has a sweet custard-like taste and texture. But for chocolate chess pie, this custard texture is enhanced with the taste of rich chocolate in every bite.
What state is known for chess pie?
The chocolate chess pie is THE pie of North Carolina.
Why is it called chocolate chess pie?
See my lemon chess pie post to learn the many rumors behind the name chess pie (and choose your favorite).
What do you serve with chocolate chess pie?
You can serve your pie with a dollop of whipped cream (here’s my homemade whipped cream recipe) or a scoop of vanilla ice cream if you like. You could also sprinkle the pie with chocolate shavings instead of powdered sugar or serve it with some fudge sauce or fresh berries.
Can I make chocolate chess pie in advance?
Yes, you can definitely make this pie ahead of time. Make it the day before and store it either in the fridge or at room temperature overnight.
Should chocolate chess pie be refrigerated?
Not necessarily, as this pie tastes great at room temperature and chilled.
You might also enjoy these delicious pie recipes:
Peanut Butter Pie Recipe: Made the Old Fashioned Way
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups white sugar
- 1/4 cup melted butter 1/2 stick
- 3.5 tbsp naturally unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk
- 1 unbaked 9-inch deep-dish pie crust
- confectioner's sugar for dusting (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Combine sugar, melted butter, cocoa powder, eggs, vanilla, and evaporated milk in a large mixing bowl. Beat this chocolate mixture with an electric mixer at medium speed until well combined (about 1 to 2 minutes).1.5 cups white sugar, 1/4 cup melted butter, 3.5 tbsp naturally unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 large eggs, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1/2 cup evaporated milk
- Pour the chocolate mixture into the unbaked pie shell and bake until set in the center (about 35 to 40 minutes). Allow the pie to cool completely before dusting it with confectioner's sugar if desired.1 unbaked 9-inch deep-dish pie crust, confectioner's sugar for dusting (optional)
- Chocolate pie is excellent served at room temperature or chilled. Store covered in the refrigerator.
Video
Nutrition
Where can I find the low carb version? I would love something sweet right about now. LOL
At the end of Christy’s post, look under the picture of “Melody’s pie”, how she made the low carb substitutions will be listed there.
Look under “Emily’s pie” picture!
I am just wondering where the name “chess pie” came from. Do you know? I have had these all my life but didn’t know why they were called chess pies.
Wow I just saw the comments above! My question was already answered.
Oh my! I have already made a note to make both of these for our family Easter celebration. Of course I plan to make both of them very soon for my family here at home. Also going to get my bread maker out for the recent bread recipe! I have just got to get my canned pineapple juice.
I love to read your stories, your recipes. You always brighten my days. I am really enjoying the Sweetness Cookbook.
Thank you, as always dear, sweet Christy. You are very dear to me,
Pam
Thank you so much Pam!!! I hope you get the chance to make them soon!!!
Why is it called “CHESS?” pie?
Betty, I have no idea why it is called “chess” pie. I just know that the plain chess recipe has been around longer than 75 yrs. because my great-aunt would make the best ones every time my mom’s family got together. That is all I knew about until I moved from MO to TX.
I learned about chocolate chess from the lady who helped “raise my eldest son”. Aunt Bea’s recipe is very, very similar to this, but hers also has a Tbsp of corn meal in it. You can’t taste it nor can you really “feel” it. It’s just part of her recipe—that came from her mother.
Same scenario with lemon chess. Had never heard of it until coming to TX. However, that one is my least favorite.
I had to move both my parents from MO to TX with me back in 2001. For 3 wks. straight in MO (Mom had a stroke and Dad had Alzheimers) I baked a plain chess pie EVERY day. Same thing happened pretty much after they came to TX. Had to have a chess pie and potato soup, and neither one cared if they ate anything else or not. I would love to have them here now to bake another plain chess pie and make a pot of potato soup just for them.
The legend goes that cooks loved making this pie due to the simplicity and delicious taste but, being a simple pie, when a southern cook was asked what kind of pie it was she replied “Oh, it’s jes pie.”
And that was interpreted as chess pie per the pronounciation. That’s the story at least 🙂
Why does this make me chuckle a little…I can just see someone saying that. Kinda interesting how things come about. Like black-eyed peas on New Years. Thanks for your efforts to keep us informed cooks!
Sounds reasonable, Thank you 🙂 I thought it had cheese in it??? but just couldn’t figure out the “chess” part, LOL, then I thought maybe someone made it to eat while they played Chess???
I purchased your cook book Sweetness .. actually, I have all of your cook books but still love to read your posts! My Mom made this pie and never had a recipe but when I made yours, it was exactly like hers!! Thank you for all that you share with us. So few people have the memories and recipes that were so common back in my day! I’m trying to share with my Nieces so that they can put ‘Maw Maw Mable’ on their table!!!
Thank you so much for your support Ruth!!! I am glad you are enjoying the recipes and love that you are sharing with your nieces!!!
Will wonders never cease? I torture myself by looking at recipes all day long and happened to be browsing your wonderful site when this recipe popped up. It looks so good and I just so happen to have all the ingredients on hand to make it. My son is going to be so happy! (And so will I!!!) 🙂
I hope you both enjoy it!!!
Hi Christy,
Was there a Low Carb version of this or did I misunderstand? I love your recipes and made several of your LC ones. I love the Velvet Pork Chops.
Never mind I found it..LOL
Where did you find it?
Hi y’all!
This is Emily. I substituted the sugar for splenda (You can use other sweeteners too). I might reduce the splenda next time. I used heavy cream instead of evaporated milk. I searched pinterest to find a low carb press in the pan crust recipe. It was easy and allowed me to try Mrs. Christy’s amazing recipe!! I kept the pie ingredient measurements the same even though I changed the sugar and evaporated milk. I thought this may be good with orange zest grated in. It also may be good with a little bit of peanut butter mixed into the filling.
Thank you so much!!