How To Make the Best Chocolate Cream Pie with a Microwave
Sneak Preview: Yes, you can make the Best Chocolate Cream Pie with a microwave! Follow the directions for a silky-smooth, decadent filling. (See video for details.) The microwave method eliminates the need for a double boiler, prevents scorching, and ensures no lumps.
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Does this sound familiar? Your family loves pie, but you think it’s too much trouble. After all, they can wipe it out in less than 30 minutes. Did you know you can cook a silky-smooth scratch chocolate cream pie filling in your microwave in fewer than 8 minutes?
You don’t need to temper the egg yolks, use a double boiler, or strain the filling after the chocolate pastry cream is cooked to remove “knots” or lumps in the pudding.
Tuck this quick and easy microwave chocolate filling into a graham cracker crust and garnish with whipped cream. Your fans will be thrilled.
Happy Bakers Speak Up
“I will never make cream pies any other way! This a game changer. My two granddaughters (14 and 8) loved helping and didn’t lose interest from having to stir so much! Thank you.”–CAROLE H.
Recipe Inspiration
I found a family recipe for chocolate cream pie in my sister’s recipe box, passed down from her mother-in-law. I made a few tweaks to make it even better!
The filling is now microwave-friendly, and while we love a graham cracker crust, you can opt for a traditional pastry crust or a buttery yogurt pie crust. My sister tops hers with meringue, but I’m all about whipped cream and chocolate.
This pie strikes the perfect balance—sweet but not too much, velvety smooth, chocolatey but not overpowering. Plus, you probably already have all the ingredients in your pantry!
How Much Time Does It Really Take To Create This Pie?
Let’s add it up:
- Crust: 10 minutes to make and pat into the dish, 10 minutes to bake (20 minutes total).
- Filling: 5 minutes to mix, 7-8 minutes to microwave, 2 minutes to finish (15 minutes total).
- Topping: 3 minutes to whip up cream.
- Chill: 3 hours in the fridge.
If you’re efficient, you can start the filling while the crust bakes—no need to cool the crust before adding the chocolate filling. Just remember, the pie needs to chill.
Everyone works at their own pace. I can have this pie in the fridge in 25-30 minutes, and after chilling for 3 hours, it’s ready to serve in under 5 minutes.
I don’t know about you, but it always takes me twice the predicted time for a new recipe. After that, the time it takes me to assemble a recipe decreases dramatically each time I make it.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- MILK:
- Any type; higher fat for richer pie (whole milk preferred).
- FLOUR:
- Bleached or unbleached all-purpose flour
- SUGAR:
- Granulated sugar
- The original recipe called for 1 cup, but 3/4 cup is plenty.
- COCOA:
- Natural or Dutch-process
- According to Serious Eats, “Dutch process cocoa has a more intense “chocolatey” flavor while natural cocoa looks lighter in color and tastes slightly astringent. But since you’re not dealing with any chemical leaveners, your choice of cocoa won’t have much impact on the dessert’s texture.”
- INSTANT ESPRESSO:
- Enhances chocolate flavor (optional)
- EGG YOLKS:
- Large eggs
- Freeze egg whites to use for angel food cake or spicy pecans.
- BUTTER:
- Adds flavor and firms the filling for clean cuts
- VANILLA:
- Mexican vanilla for a slight cinnamon note (or regular vanilla)
- SOLID CHOCOLATE:
- Good-quality chocolate (Ghirardelli semi-sweet preferred) (paid link)
- My sister does not add this chocolate, but I love the texture and taste it adds to the pie.
- GRAHAM CRACKERS:
- Substitute shortbread cookies
- Try making a shortbread crust like I use for my chocolate ganache mini-tarts
- WHIPPING CREAM:
- Heavy whipping cream
- Substitute a non-dairy topping like Cool Whip.
- Make a meringue topping instead of whipped cream.
📌Kitchen Tips📌 for Making the Crust
- Use a measuring cup to pack the crumbs into the pie plate.
2. The finer the crumbs, the better. A food processor works best, but you can also use a rolling pin on top of crumbs in a zippered plastic bag.
3. If your crust wants to fall apart, use more butter.
How To Make a Graham Cracker Pie Crust
How To Make a Chocolate Cream Pie Filling in a Microwave Oven
📌Kitchen Tip📌-If you don’t have a blender or food processor, use a whisk to mix the pudding.
Note: You shouldn’t have any lumps when you use a blender and whisk several times while the filling cooks. But if you do, strain the filling through a sieve before you add the butter, vanilla, and chopped chocolate.
Making the Whipped Cream Topping
Parting Thoughts: Sorry you didn’t get to dust off your double boiler, but I hope the silky-smooth filling from this recipe won you over! If you’re craving a baked chocolate pie, give the Green Parrot Chocolate Fudge Pie a try for a rich, chocolatey treat.
p.s. In case there is just one or two of you at home, and you want only a small batch of pudding, check out this post for 2-Minute Microwave Chocolate Pudding in a Jar.
More Desserts You Can Make in Your Microwave
- Microwave Banana Pudding
- Microwave Brownies: Great for Emergencies
- Microwave Vanilla Cream Filling or Pudding
- Microwave Brownies: Great for Emergencies
- Microwave Apples and Cinnamon
- No-Fuss Browned Butter Icing (Microwave Method)
- Crunchy Candied Nuts You Can Make in Your Microwave
Need help troubleshooting? Email me: Paula at saladinajar.com—photos welcome!
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How To Make a Chocolate Cream Pie with Microwave Magic
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups (488 g) milk
- 4 tablespoons (30 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon table or sea salt
- 3 tablespoons cocoa (I prefer Dutch-process Cocoa)
- ½ teaspoon instant espresso optional
- 3 (54 g) egg yolks
- 4 tablespoons (56 g) butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract use Mexican vanilla if you have it
- 2 ounces (56 g) semi-sweet chocolate bar, coarsely chopped (coarsely chopped)
Graham Cracker Crust
- 20 (156 g) graham cracker squares or 1½ cups of graham cracker crumbs
- 5 tablespoons (70 g) melted butter
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon optional
Topping
- 1 cup (227 g) whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Filling:
- Place 2 cups (488 g) milk, 4 tablespoons (30 g) unbleached all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar, 1/8 teaspoon (⅛ teaspoon) table or sea salt, 3 tablespoons cocoa, 1/2 teaspoon (½ teaspoon) instant espresso, and 3 (54 g) egg yolks in a blender (or food processor) in the order given and pulse until completely mixed with no lumps.
- Pour into a 2-quart Pyrex batter bowl and microwave on HIGH for 6-8 minutes, whisking after two minutes and thereafter, every 30-45 seconds until thickened.
- Whisk in 4 tablespoons (56 g) butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 2 ounces (56 g) semi-sweet chocolate bar, coarsely chopped.
- Pour the warm filling into an 8 or 9-inch graham cracker or pre-baked pastry crust. Cover top with plastic wrap pressing it to the surface of the filling to prevent a skin from forming. Chill for several hours or until the cream filling is firm.
- Top with sweetened whipped cream.
Graham Cracker Crust:
- Use a blender, food processor, or a plastic bag and rolling pin to crush the 20 (156 g) graham cracker squares. Combine crumbs with 5 tablespoons (70 g) melted butter, 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon (⅛ teaspoon) cinnamon. Press into an 8 or 9-inch pie plate.
- Bake at 350˚F (180˚C) for 10 minutes or until light brown.
Sweetened Whipped Cream:
- Whip 1 cup (227 g) whipping cream until soft peaks begin to form. Add 2 tablespoons powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Pipe or spoon the whipped cream over the top of the chilled pie.
Notes
Equipment
Nutrition
All images and text ©️ Paula Rhodes for Salad in a Jar.com
Paula Rhodes, owner
As a retired home economist, I created Saladinajar.com to share my belief that you don’t have to be a chef to find joy in creating homemade food worth sharing. Bread machines (used in an unconventional way), homemade yogurt, and quick microwave recipes are my specialty.