Easiest Chocolate Pie

My mother-in-law isn’t a baker, but she has a serious sweet tooth. When she pulled out a chocolate-smudged cookbook on our first shared Thanksgiving holiday, she turned straight to the chapter on pies — and specifically, a recipe for whipped cream-topped chocolate pie. Ever since, I’ve accepted chocolate pie as a welcome addition to any holiday spread.

The version I’m sharing here is one I know she’d be proud of. It’s decadent yet easy enough for novice bakers, and can even be made completely without an oven. If you’re looking for a fuss-free way to incorporate chocolate into your Thanksgiving spread, this is the pie for you.

• It’s incredibly easy to make. The most difficult part of making this pie is just waiting for the chocolate to cool before folding in the whipped cream.
• Marshmallows are the secret to the best chocolate filling. Plus, the sweet vanilla flavor offsets the chocolatey bitterness of semi-sweet chocolate without making the filling too sweet.

• Mini marshmallows: Mini marshmallows add sweetness and structure (in the form of gelatin) to this pie without the fuss of blooming gelatin. All you have to do is melt them with heavy cream, stir in the chocolate, then fold in whipped cream.
• Heavy cream: Heavy cream does double duty here – it goes into the chocolate filling and the pie is topped with more whipped cream.
• Chocolate: Use semi-sweet chocolate chips for the filling and reserve some for the garnish.
• Pie crust: You can use a fully baked pie crust or store bought or homemade cookie crumb crust.

1. Melt the marshmallows and heavy cream. Place the mini marshmallows, 1/2 cup of the heavy cream, and kosher salt in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH in 30-second bursts, stirring between each, until the marshmallows are fully melted, about 2 minutes total.
2. Add the chocolate. Set aside about 2 tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips from a 12-ounce bag for garnish. Immediately add the remaining chocolate to the warm marshmallow mixture. Stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. 
3. Cool the chocolate mixture. Set the chocolate-marshmallow mixture aside to cool until barely warm to the touch, about 30 minutes.
4. Whip the cream to stiff peaks. Place the remaining 2 cups cold heavy cream and granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Begin beating on low speed, gradually increase the speed to medium-high, and beat until stiff peaks form.
5. Reserve 1 cup of the whipped cream and fold in the remaining cream. Reserve and refrigerate about 1 cup of the whipped cream for topping the pie. Fold the remaining whipped cream into the cooled chocolate mixture until no streaks of cream remain.
6. Transfer the filling to the pie crust. Transfer the filling into a baked pastry crust or crumb crust and smooth into an even layer.
7. Garnish and chill the pie. Refrigerate until the filling firms up, at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours. Top with the reserved whipped cream and chocolate chips.
8. Serve. Cut into slices and serve.

• Marshmallows: Mini marshmallows are the easiest to measure and melt, but you can use full-size marshmallows or even sticky marshmallow creme if you have it.
• Pie crust: The great thing about chocolate pie is that you can use any crust you like, from a classic pastry crust to a chocolate crumb crust to a graham cracker cookie crust. If you prefer a crumb crust, you can also go the homemade route or grab a store-bought shell from the baking aisle. There’s no need to bake crumb crusts before filling.

Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 400°F. Roll out the pie dough and transfer to a 9-inch standard pie pan. Press the dough into the bottom and along the sides of the pie plate, being careful not to puncture the dough. Crimp or press decorations into the edge of the crust and trim any excess dough away with a paring knife.

Line the dough with parchment paper and fill with pie weights, dry beans, or granulated sugar for blind baking. Place the pie crust on a baking sheet and bake until golden-brown, about 20 minutes. Using the parchment paper as a sling, remove the pie weights. Return the crust to the oven and bake for 5 minutes to crisp the bottom of the crust. Set the pie crust aside to cool while you prepare the filling. 

• Make ahead: The pie can be prepared up to 1 day in advance and refrigerated. Loosely cover the pie in plastic wrap after the filling firms up.
• Storage: Leftover pie can be lightly covered with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 3 days.

• Chocolate Cream Pie
• French Silk Pie
• Chocolate Pecan Pie
• Mississippi Mud Pie
• Copycat Costco Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie