This Chocolate Chess Pie recipe contains lots of hints and tips for making this wonderful heritage pie. If you’re in a rush and would like to skip straight to the printable recipe card, please click here.
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.
Today I’m sharing one of my grandmother’s recipes with you. Grandmama was one of those people who always lifted the mood in a room whenever she was around. Whether it was her great sense of humor, the way she let life roll off her back, or her twinkle eyed smile, just being around her set your heart at ease.
This Chocolate Chess Pie recipe is an old fashioned one, and as such it is pretty simple, straight forward, and absolutely delicious. Chocolate Chess pie is rich and fudgey, my daughter says it is like eating brownie batter in pie form – a glowing recommendation if ever I heard one!
Ingredients To Your Chocolate Chess Pie:
- Pie crust*
- Evaporated Milk**
- Cocoa Powder
- Butter
- Eggs
- Vanilla
- Sugar
Tips for This Chocolate Chess Pie
It’s a simple pie with simple ingredients.
*For the pie crust – I am using the roll out pie crusts. You can use one that comes frozen in the pan or even make it from scratch, whatever cranks your tractor. I’ve made more pie crusts from scratch in my lifetime than I can count and I’m cool with using store bought and saving the mess. Just remember, when trying to decide what to do, that you don’t have anything to prove to anyone and in the scope of affecting the world, choosing a shortcut for a pie crust doesn’t even move the needle.
*Evaporated Milk – in old recipes this is usually referred to as “Pet milk” because PET was a popular brand in the south. This 5 ounce can 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 little swig out of it because it is stinking delicious!
Your pie crust does not have to be pretty. The homier it looks the better it will taste. You can do it like I did here or 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~.
Don’t pre-bake your pie crust for this.
By the way, this is a cast iron pie plate from Amazon. It’s around $17 with free shipping. They’re sold out right now but will get more in stock next week so if you’d like one, order it today to make sure you get one from their new stock before it sells out (click here).
How To Make A Chocolate Chess Pie
- All you have to do is dump all of your ingredients in a bowl and mix with an electric mixer until well combined and fully blended. Then pour into the pan.
- Bake this at 350 for 35-40 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 South pie!
Printable recipe below!
Ingredients
- 1 +1/2 cups sugar
- 1/4 cup 1/2 stick butter, melted
- 3 +1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk
- 9 inch pie crust unbaked
- Confectioner's sugar if desired, to dust the top with
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. Combine sugar, melted butter, cocoa powder, eggs, vanilla, and evaporated milk in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed until well combined, about 1-2 minutes.
- Pour mixture into unbaked pie crust and bake until set in the center, 35-40 minutes. Allow to cool completely. Dust with confectioner's sugar, if desired.
- Excellent served at room temp or chilled. Store, covered, in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
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This is the EXACT recipe that I lost several years ago. Thank you for posting! My grandmother was the queen of the chocolate chess! She even did a baked “banana pie” with sliced bananas that was to die for. She was always experimenting in the kitchen. She’d use us kids as guinea pigs. We loved it! I got my love for cooking from her. She taught me just about everything I know! 🙂
Oh, and for those “jiggly” pies that just won’t seem to get done, try upping your flour by 1 T and see what happens. Sometimes, altitude does weird things to baked goods.
Happy Thanksgiving 2019!
Thank you…This looks great
Have t o try this I love to bake
It is divine! Let me know how it goes 🙂
I knew it when I saw the picture in my email! Loved this pie when I was a kid and haven’t had it in years! You’ve motivated me to make it for myself!
Wonderful! Please let me know how it turns out!
I just made this with a couple tweaks. Added 150g dark chocolate chips that I poured the heated evaporated milk over to make into a ganache and 1.5 oz amaretto. I added 1tbsp corn starch to make sure it still set up nicely with the added chocolate. I also mixed my batter with an immersion blender to ensure the filling was like velvet. Topped with toasted almonds. Completely perfect!! Thanks for the recipe.
Oh yum! that looks fabulous!!