French Silk Pie Recipe

Growing up it wasn’t a holiday without a French Silk Pie with those chocolate curls on top.

Whether it was Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas, we always had to have something chocolate. You see, I come from a long line of chocoholics. My dad and his mom, my grandma, love chocolate and sweets just as much as I do.

However neither of them bake, so we always got those frozen silk pies from the grocery store. Last year I decided to finally make a chocolate French silk pie from scratch for Thanksgiving and it was the most popular pie of the evening! So I knew I had to share the recipe with you asap.

I hope it becomes a family favorite and maybe even a holiday tradition in your home as well. This pie would even be perfect for Valentine’s Day!

I love an Oreo crust for this recipe! It’s so much easier than traditional pie dough and adds an extra dose of CHOCOLATE! Use regular-stuff Oreos with the filling in tact.

If you’d prefer to use a pastry crust, check out my Best Ever Pie Crust recipe here and follow the directions for pre-baking.

However, there are a few extra steps and bowls you will dirty while making this recipe. It’s SOOO worth it. I’d highly recommend reading the recipe through completely before you get started. You’ll need an electric mixer (hand held or stand) and an instant read thermometer for best results.

The filling does have an intensely rich chocolate flavor. If you’d prefer something more mild, feel free to swap in semisweet chocolate for the bittersweet chocolate.

Taking the time to make chocolate curls, instead of just shaving a block of chocolate or garnishing with a dusting of cocoa powder, really makes this French Silk Pie look gourmet. Here’s a super helpful step-by-step video on how to make chocolate curls.

French Silk Pie

This French silk pie features my perfectly flaky pie crust, a smooth chocolate filling, and whipped cream on top. Read through the recipe and helpful notes before beginning.

Prep: 4h

Total: 8h

Yield: 9

Ingredients:

• 1 unbaked Flaky Pie Crust (what I used) or All Butter Pie Crust*
• egg wash for pie crust: 1 large egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon milk or heavy cream
• 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
• two 4-ounce quality bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate bars (113g each), finely chopped*
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
• 2 Tablespoons confectioners’ sugar or granulated sugar*
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• optional for garnish: chocolate curls*

Instruction:

1. I like to make sure my pie dough is prepared before I begin making this pie. Make pie dough the night before because it needs to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before rolling out and blind baking (next step).
2. On a floured work surface, roll out one of the discs of chilled dough (use the 2nd pie crust for another recipe!). Turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls until you have a circle 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough into a 9-inch pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it is completely smooth. To make a lovely thick edge, I do not trim excess dough around the edges. Instead, fold the excess dough back over the edge and use your hands to mold the edge into a nice thick rim around the pie. Crimp the edges with a fork or use your fingers to flute the edges. Carefully line the inside of the pie with two pieces of parchment paper or aluminum foil, as shown in the photos above, then pour in the pie weights. Make sure the weights are evenly distributed around the pie dish. Chill the dough in the refrigerator or freezer for at least 30 minutes– this helps prevent the crust from shrinking. (You can actually fill with pie weights before or after chilling, it doesn’t make a difference.)
3. Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
4. Bake the cold pie crust (with weights!) for 15 minutes. Remove pie from the oven and carefully lift the parchment paper/aluminum foil (with the weights) out of the pie. Prick all over the bottom of the pie crust with a fork, which is called “docking” the pie crust and helps prevent air bubbles. Brush the edges of the crust with egg wash. Return the crust to the oven and bake until golden brown, about 12-15 more minutes.
5. Cool pie crust completely. You can do this up to 3 days ahead of time. Cover cooled crust tightly and refrigerate until ready to fill.
6. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 4 minutes. Stiff peaks hold their peak shape and do not droop. Set whipped cream in the refrigerator (covered or uncovered, doesn’t matter) until step 8. Melt the semi-sweet chocolate. You can melt it in a double boiler or the microwave. If using the microwave: place the chopped chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Melt in 20 second increments in the microwave, stopping and stirring after each increment until completely melted and smooth. Set aside until the end of the next step.
7. Whisk eggs and sugar together in a heatproof bowl or the top piece of a double boiler. Place over a pot of simmering water (or the bottom part of your double boiler) on medium heat. Do not let the surface of simmering water touch the bottom of the heatproof bowl. Whisking constantly, cook the egg mixture until it reaches 160°F (71°C) on an instant read thermometer, about 10-11 minutes. Do not stop whisking or the eggs may solidify. If the steam gets too hot over your hand, use an oven mitt. Carefully remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes. After cooling, slowly stir in the melted chocolate. To prevent curdling, cool for another 10 minutes before using in the next step.
8. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until creamy, about 1-2 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat on medium-high speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl. With the mixer running on low speed, pour in the chocolate/egg mixture and then increase to medium-high speed and beat for 3 minutes. With a rubber spatula, fold in the whipped cream until combined.
9. 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.
10. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract on medium-high speed until medium peaks form, about 3-4 minutes. Medium peaks are between soft/loose peaks and stiff peaks and are the perfect consistency for topping and piping on desserts. Pipe or spread the whipped cream on top. Garnish with chocolate curls (see notes), if desired. Serve immediately or chill the pie uncovered up to a few hours.
11. Cover leftovers and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

French Silk Pie

French Silk Pie features an Oreo cookie crust, rich and creamy chocolate filling, and is topped with homemade whipped cream and chocolate shavings! No raw eggs. Perfect holiday recipe!

Prep: 30min

Total: 410min

Yield: 8

Ingredients:

• 20 Oreo (230 grams) cookies ((regular-stuffed, keep filling intact))
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/3 cups (266 grams) granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 8 ounces (227 grams) bittersweet baking chocolate, melted
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 10 tablespoons (142 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/3 cups heavy cream
• 4 teaspoons powdered sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Chocolate shavings or cocoa powder, (for garnish if desired)

Instruction:

1. Place the Oreo cookies in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Add in the melted butter and pulse until moistened. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pie dish. Bake for 10 minutes, or until fragrant and set. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
2. Pour the mixture into the pan, smoothing evenly. The pie will be tall with filling. Chill for 6 hours. At this point the pie can be stored for up to 2 days ahead of time.
3. Use an electric mixer to beat the cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla on high speed until stiff peaks form. Top pie with whipped cream and garnish with chocolate shavings or dust with cocoa powder.

Amazing French Silk Pie Recipe