Smooth and rich homemade chocolate pudding with a hint of espresso nestles between an Oreo cookie crust and a mocha whipped cream topping in this delectable mocha chocolate pudding pie. This pie is a perfect make-ahead dessert because the pudding needs to set before garnishing and serving.
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. We love pie around here, and there’s no shortage of pie recipe options!!
Here’s Why You’ll Love This Mocha Chocolate Pudding Pie
- 10-minute pudding is 100% from scratch, and you can taste the difference
- Creamy and undeniably rich dark chocolate pudding sets into a soft-yet-sliceable texture
- Mocha fans will love the hint of espresso in the pudding filling and whipped cream topping
- Easy 2-ingredient Oreo cookie crust
- Garnished with soft peaks of mocha whipped cream
- Wonderful make-ahead dessert recipe
Start With the 2-Ingredient Oreo Cookie Crust
An Oreo cookie crust is the perfect chocolatey base for this mocha chocolate pudding pie. It’s the same exact crust you use for cookies & cream pie and caramel turtle brownie pie. Made from Oreos and melted butter, this crust comes together quickly and easily. Make sure to use the whole Oreo when crushing them—both the chocolate cookies and the cream center. The cream center adds a delicious sweetness and also helps keep the crust together.
Using your hands, press the mixture into the bottom and around the sides of the pie dish with medium-firm pressure. See this post on how to make a perfect Oreo cookie crust for all my crust-shaping tips.
Bake the crust for 10 minutes so it will stay sturdy and intact. This is the only baking time this pie gets, so you can turn off your oven when the crust is done!
Feel free to make the crust the night before if you want to save a little time.
Make This Mocha Chocolate Pudding From Scratch
Here are the ingredients you need for the pudding:
- Egg Yolks: For structure and thickening. (If you need an idea for using the leftover egg whites, many pies are delicious topped with this marshmallow meringue…)
- Cornstarch: This is the main thickening agent for the pudding, just like we need for coconut cream pie and butterscotch pudding.
- Whole Milk: I strongly recommend using whole milk in this recipe. If you want to sub in lower-fat or nondairy milk, you may need to increase the cornstarch, and even then the consistency will be thinner.
- Heavy Cream: This makes the pudding extra creamy and thick. You only need 1/2 cup (120ml) for the pudding, but you’ll also need 1 cup to make the whipped cream topping.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar works best for sweetening.
- Salt: A little salt balances the sweet.
- Butter: Just 2 Tablespoons stirred in at the end of cooking gives the pudding a richer flavor, helps it continue to thicken, and smooths it out.
- Bittersweet Chocolate: You want the real-deal chocolate here, chopped finely so it will melt easily. I love this pudding with bittersweet (60% cacao) chocolate. Don’t use chocolate chips, which have stabilizers that prevent them from melting smoothly. I use and recommend the chocolate baking bars found in the baking aisle, like Ghirardelli and Baker’s brands. They come in 4-ounce bars, so you’ll need 1 and 1/2 for this recipe.
- Espresso Powder: This is the magic ingredient that turns this chocolate pudding into mocha chocolate pudding. If you want a stronger coffee flavor, you can add an extra teaspoon.
- Vanilla Extract: For flavor.
I promise, if you know how to whisk, you can make homemade pudding. The process is pretty similar to making the filling for my banana cream pie. The only slightly tricky part is tempering the egg yolks—this just means you will slowly pour a little of the warm milk mixture from the pot into the beaten egg-cornstarch mixture, then carefully combine it all.
Why Do We Temper the Egg Yolks?
This is to ensure your pudding doesn’t include chunks of scrambled eggs. The slow and steady stream of warm milk is gently bringing the egg yolks’ temperature up without scrambling them.
Let me walk you through making this pudding. The first step is to mix the egg yolks and cornstarch together until the cornstarch is dissolved. I usually do this with a fork in a liquid measuring cup, because we’ll eventually pour this into the cooking milk mixture.
Heat the whole milk, cream, sugar, and a little salt in a saucepan on the stove. Once it’s gently simmering, slowly, and in a steady stream, pour a little of this milk mixture into the egg yolk/cornstarch mixture, whisking constantly.
Then, slowly pour and whisk the tempered egg yolk mixture into the rest of the milk mixture in the saucepan. Cook, whisking, and let it begin to bubble, which happens pretty quickly. Whisk constantly while it pops and bubbles for just 1 minute. Remove from heat, then stir in the butter, chopped chocolate, espresso powder, and vanilla, until everything is melted and combined.
Troubleshooting: Why Isn’t My Pudding Smooth?
Do you notice little bits of egg yolks in your mocha chocolate pudding? You may not have tempered them slowly enough. Make sure to *very slowly* stream and whisk some of the cooking milk mixture into the egg yolk/cornstarch mixture, and then *very slowly* stream and whisk it back into the pot. Remember to whisk constantly.
If your best efforts still result in a few chunks, don’t fret. You can strain the finished warm pudding through a fine mesh sieve to remove them.
Set It and [Don’t Completely] Forget It
With egg yolks, cornstarch, and heavy cream, you can be certain this mocha chocolate pudding pie will set into a sliceable texture, but it needs some refrigeration time to get there.
Pour the warm pudding into the Oreo pie crust, smoothing it into an even layer. An offset spatula is helpful for spreading. Cover and refrigerate it for at least 4–6 hours, or up to 2 days.
Mocha Whipped Cream Topping:
The mocha whipped cream topping from my flourless chocolate cake recipe tastes phenomenal on top of this pie, and it’s quick and easy, too.
Here’s what you need to make it: Grab some espresso powder, cold heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, and cocoa powder. Whip it up into soft peaks and either spread or pipe it on top of the mocha chocolate pudding pie before serving. I top it with chocolate curls for garnish.
Feel free to use classic whipped cream instead, if you’d prefer.
Mocha Chocolate Pudding Pie
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 5 hours, 20 minutes (includes chilling)
Yield: one 9-inch pie
Category: Dessert
Method: Cooking
Cuisine: American
Description
Smooth and rich homemade chocolate pudding with a hint of espresso nestles between an Oreo cookie crust and a mocha whipped cream topping in this delectable mocha chocolate pudding pie. This pie is a perfect make-ahead dessert because the pudding needs to set before garnishing and serving. Prepare up to 2 days in advance.
Crust
Filling
Mocha Whipped Cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Bake the crust: In a food processor or blender, pulse 22 Oreos (including the cream filling) into a fine crumb. You should have about 2 cups (packed) crumbs, or 250g. Pour crumbs into a large bowl. Add the melted butter and stir to combine. The mixture will be thick and quite wet. Try to smash/break up any large chunks. Pour the mixture into an ungreased 9-inch pie dish. With medium pressure using your hand, pat the crumbs down into the bottom and up the sides to make a compact, thick crust. See Oreo crust page for more success tips if needed. Bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool as you prepare the filling.
- Make the filling: In a medium heatproof bowl with a pour spout (I use a large glass liquid measuring cup), whisk the egg yolks and cornstarch together with a fork or small whisk. It will be *very* thick. Set aside.
- Combine the milk, heavy cream, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Whisk until all the sugar has dissolved, then bring to a gentle simmer, whisking occasionally.
- Once simmering, remove about 1/2 cup (120ml) of the warm milk mixture and, in a slow and steady stream, whisk into the egg yolk and cornstarch mixture. Keep those egg yolks moving so they don’t scramble. In a slow and steady stream, pour and whisk the egg yolk mixture into the saucepan. The pudding will immediately begin to bubble and thicken. Stand back and use caution as the bubbles may burst. Cook for 1 full minute, whisking constantly.
- Remove the pan from heat and whisk in the butter. Then whisk in the chopped chocolate, espresso powder, and vanilla. You will have about 3 and 1/2 cups of filling. If you notice a lot of little chunks of egg yolk, they may not have been tempered properly. To fix, you can run the warm custard through a fine mesh sieve.
- Allow to cool for 10 minutes. I do not recommend any longer than this, as it will be too thick to spread neatly into the crust.
- Spread filling into cooled pie crust. (A small offset spatula is helpful for this.) Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4–6 hours or overnight, until chilled and thickened. Pie may be refrigerated for up to 2 days before serving.
- Make the mocha whipped cream: In a very small bowl, using a fork, mix the espresso powder and warm water together. Allow to cool down for a few minutes. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the cold heavy cream, sugar, cocoa powder, and espresso mixture on medium-high speed until medium peaks form, about 3 minutes. Medium peaks are between soft peaks and stiff peaks, and are the perfect consistency for topping and piping on desserts. Spread onto chilled pie. Garnish with chocolate curls, chips, or chocolate-covered coffee beans, if desired.
- Slice and serve. Tip: The first slice is never pretty! Much easier to slice after that first piece is out.
- Cover leftover pie and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make-Ahead Instructions: You can make this pie through step 8 and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before garnishing (with freshly made mocha whipped cream topping) and serving. Cover pie tightly with plastic wrap before refrigerating. You can also make the Oreo cookie crust up to 3 days before using; cover and store baked and cooled crust in the refrigerator.
- Freezing Instructions: This is not the best pie to freeze; the pudding’s texture is never quite the same. However, if you have leftover slices and aren’t concerned as much about taste and appearance, you can freeze leftover pie for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Food Processor (for the Oreos) | Glass Mixing Bowl | 9-inch Pie Dish | Egg Separator | Whisk | Glass Liquid Measuring Cup | fine mesh sieve | Offset Spatula | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand)
- Graham Cracker Crust: You can use a graham cracker crust instead of an Oreo cookie crust. You will still need to bake it for 10 minutes.
- Whole Milk: I strongly recommend using whole milk in this recipe. If you want to sub in lower-fat or nondairy milk, you may need to slightly increase the cornstarch, and even then the consistency will be thinner. Whole milk is the best option.
- Chocolate: I love this pudding made with bittersweet (60% cacao) chocolate, but you could also use semi-sweet or dark chocolate. Don’t use chocolate chips, which have stabilizers that prevent them from melting smoothly. I use and recommend the chocolate baking bars found in the baking aisle, such as Ghirardelli and Baker’s brands. They come in 4-ounce (113g) bars, so you’ll need 1 and 1/2 bars for this recipe.
- Espresso Powder: You need espresso powder in both the pudding and the whipped cream topping. Most major grocery stores carry it in the coffee aisle. I don’t recommend using brewed espresso or brewed coffee; you need powder. You can use instant coffee instead of espresso powder, but you’ll need more instant coffee because it’s not nearly as concentrated. If using instant coffee, I recommend 1 Tablespoon instant coffee in the pudding and 2 teaspoons in the whipped cream.
- Can I Make This Without Espresso? Yes, for a regular chocolate pie (not mocha), leave out the espresso powder in the pudding and the whipped cream. Or you can use decaf powder.
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