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.
Ingredients
Crust
- 22 regular Oreo cookies (not Double-Stuf)
- 5 Tablespoons (71g) unsalted butter, melted
Filling
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1/4 cup (30g) cornstarch
- 2 cups (480ml) whole milk*
- 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 6 ounces (170g) bittersweet chocolate*, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons espresso powder*
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Mocha Whipped Cream
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder*
- 1 teaspoon warm water
- 1 cup (240ml) cold heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
- 3 Tablespoons (22g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 Tablespoon (6g) unsweetened natural or Dutch-process cocoa powder
- optional for garnish: chocolate curls, chocolate chips, or chocolate-covered coffee beans
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.
Keywords: mocha chocolate pudding pie