You won’t believe how rich, creamy, and decadent the filling of this French silk pie is. The texture of the filling pairs perfectly with a buttery pie crust and the lighter-than-air homemade whipped cream. It’s super easy to make, and since it requires a few hours in the fridge to set, this chocolate silk pie is perfect for preparing ahead of time if you’ve got a dinner party or are hosting Christmas or Thanksgiving.
Named after the silky texture of French silk, the mousse-like filling will melt in your mouth. For another luscious chocolate treat, try my Easy Chocolate Mousse or Homemade Mud Pie.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Pie crust — while you can use store-bought pie crust, I love using my homemade pie crust. It’s so buttery and flakey! Either way, make sure to thaw the crusts before using them so they can roll out easily.
Unsweetened chocolate — I use a chocolate bar from Ghirardelli that’s 100% cacao. If you do not have any on hand, chocolate chips can work in a pinch.
Butter — be sure to purchase unsalted butter to make the French silk chocolate pie. There is no salt added to the pie, so if you accidentally use salted butter, you can’t simply skip the salt to “fix” the mistake. The butter will also need to be softened to room temperature so it can cream easily.
Heavy whipping cream — you must use heavy whipping cream to make the whipped cream. Regular dairy will not whip up as well in comparison, and you want the whipped cream to keep the filling light and fluffy.
How to Make French Silk Pie
1. Blind bake the pie crust by rolling it onto a lightly floured surface, transfer to a deep 9-inch dish pie pan, and dock the crust. Freeze the crust for 30 minutes before filling it with pie weights, then bake for 25 minutes. Remove the paper and weights and then brush the crust all over with beaten egg. Continue baking until the bottom appears dry and the edges are golden brown, about 7 to 9 minutes more. Remove and let cool completely.
2. Bring a small pot filled with 2 inches of water to a simmer over medium heat. In a heat-proof bowl, whisk together sugar and eggs. Place the bowl on top of the pot, cook the mixture, constantly stirring, until it reaches 160F or feels warm to the touch and completely smooth when rubbed between your fingers.
3. Remove from heat and add the chocolate and vanilla. Gently whisk until completely melted and the mixture is smooth.
4. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the cooled chocolate mixture. Beat on medium speed until very fluffy and soft shiny peaks form, about 3 minutes.
5. In a separate bowl, beat the cream on medium speed until soft peaks form.
6. Fold the whipped cream into the whipped chocolate mixture until no white streaks remain.
7. Pour into the cool pie shell. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to a day.
8. In a mixing bowl, beat on medium speed cream until thickened, about 2 minutes. Sift in the powdered sugar, then beat until soft peaks form, about 2 more minutes. Spoon on top of the chilled filling. Garnish with chocolate curls, if desired.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- If you don’t have powdered sugar and don’t want to run to the store for two tablespoons then here’s my guide on How to Make Your Own Powdered Sugar.
- If you don’t have chocolate curls, you can top the silk pie with chocolate shavings, chips, or sprinkles.
- Avoid allowing the bowl to touch the simmering water when whisking the eggs and sugar. If the simmering water comes in contact with the bowl, you will end up scrambling the eggs.
- If you accidentally scramble the eggs a little, run the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to separate the scrambled bits before stirring the chocolate into the mixture.
- Don’t rush the chilling process. The French silk pie needs a minimum of 3 hours to set, or it won’t taste light and airy.
- Room temperature eggs will mix more evenly. Place your eggs into a bowl of warm water for a couple of minutes. Doing so will quickly bring it to room temperature if you have forgotten to take it out of your fridge ahead of time.
- If you need to brush up on your whipped cream skills, then check out my post on Homemade Whipped Cream.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this pie safe to eat without baking the filling?
While some recipes use raw eggs, this silk pie gently cooks the egg over simmering water. If the filling not being baked is still a concern for you, I recommend using pasteurized eggs.
Why do I dock the pie?
It’s important not to skip docking the pie crust. This allows the steam to escape, so the crust doesn’t puff up in the oven. It’ll also help the pie crust bake evenly. All you have to do is use a fork to poke holes throughout the crust before baking.
How long do leftovers last?
Usually, leftovers don’t last long as everyone reaches for seconds! However, if you do have leftover chocolate silk pie, keep it covered in the fridge, and it’ll last 3 to 4 days. If you’re making this ahead of time, skip adding the toppings until you serve it.
Can I freeze this silk pie?
This french silk chocolate pie freezes wonderfully! Once the silk pie has firmed up in the fridge, skip topping with whipped cream and wrap the pie in a layer of plastic wrap, then tin foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, thaw the pie in the fridge until it’s firm but not frozen.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this French Silk Pie recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
French Silk Pie
Equipment
- Pie Dish
- Mixer
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 1 pie crust homemade or store-bought
- 1 large egg well beaten
For the FIlling:
- 4 large eggs
- 1¼ cups granulated sugar (250g)
- 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate finely chopped (113g)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened, (227g)
- ⅔ cup heavy whipping cream (160mL)
For the Topping:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream (240mL)
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- chocolate curls
Instructions
For the Crust:
- Preheat the oven to 425F.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the pie crust into a 14-inch circle. Transfer to a 9-inch deep dish pie pan, pressing into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Tuck the excess dough under and crimp the edge as desired. Poke the bottom and sides all over with a fork. Freeze the crust for 30 minutes. (The crust can also be frozen for several days before baking. Just cover with plastic wrap or foil once fully frozen.)
- Place frozen crust on a rimmed baking sheet. Line with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans.
- Bake for 25 minutes. Carefully remove the paper and weights. Brush crust all over with beaten egg. Continue baking until the bottom appears dry and the edges are golden brown, about 7 to 9 minutes more. Remove and let cool completely.
For the Filling:
- While the crust is cooling, bring a small pot filled with 2 inches of water to a simmer over medium heat. In a heat-proof bowl, whisk together sugar and eggs. Place the bowl on top of the pot, making sure the bottom doesn’t touch the water. (The bowl should be large enough to rest on top of the pot.)
- Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 160F or until it feels warm to the touch and completely smooth when rubbed between your fingers. Remove from the pot.
- Add the chocolate and vanilla. Gently whisk until completely melted and the mixture is smooth. It will likely thicken as you stir, turning into a pudding-like consistency. Let cool, stirring occasionally, until the mixture doesn’t feel warm but isn’t solidified, about 30 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the cooled chocolate mixture. Beat on medium speed until very fluffy, and soft shiny peaks form, about 3 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, beat the cream on medium speed until soft peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the whipped chocolate mixture until no white streaks remain. Pour into the cool pie shell.
- Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to a day.
For the Topping:
- In a mixing bowl, beat on medium speed cream until thickened, about 2 minutes. Sift in the confectioners’ sugar. Beat until soft peaks form, about 2 more minutes. Spoon on top of the chilled filling. Garnish with chocolate curls, if desired.
Video
Notes
- Don’t have powdered sugar and don’t want to run to the store for two tablespoons, here’s my guide on How to Make Powdered Sugar.
- If you don’t have chocolate curls, you can top the silk pie with chocolate shavings, chips, or sprinkles.
- Avoid allowing the bowl to touch the simmering water when whisking the eggs and sugar. If the simmering water comes in contact with the bowl, you will end up scrambling the eggs.
- If you accidentally scramble the eggs a little, run the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to separate the scrambled bits before stirring the chocolate into the mixture.
- Don’t rush the chilling process. The French silk pie needs a minimum of 3 hours to set, or it won’t taste light and airy.
- Room temperature eggs will mix more evenly. Place your eggs into a bowl of warm water for a couple of minutes. Doing so will quickly bring it to room temperature if you have forgotten to take it out of your fridge ahead of time.
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