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This is my go-to Chocolate Cream Pie recipe and it comes together in a snap. With a pre-made crust, instant chocolate pudding mix, and Cool Whip, the hardest part is waiting to dig in!
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Anytime I’m looking for an easy crowd-pleasing dessert, I turn to this instant pudding chocolate cream pie. It’s rich, it’s decadent, and it’s so simple, it’s practically effortless. (Bonus: It’s also a no-bake recipe if you use a prepared pie crust, so it’s great for summer!) What’s not to love?!
If you can’t get enough chocolate dessert recipes, you are in good company! I’ve got plenty to try: Chocolate Pudding Pie, Death by Chocolate, Texas Trash Pie, and Chocolate Cobbler are all easy desserts that will get everyone running to the table.
My Best Tips for Perfect Chocolate Cream Pie
As promised, this recipe is a cinch, but I’ve got some additional pointers to make sure it turns out perfect for you!
- Start with a good pie crust. I love using Pilsbury Frozen Deep Dish Pie crusts for this option because they always turn out perfect. It’s great for making Banoffee Pie too!
- Or switch up the crust. If you’d rather not use a frozen pie crust, you can use a prepared crust, refrigerated dough, make and bake your own Homemade Pie Crust, or use a graham cracker crust. I even think that an Oreo crust would be super good here, too!
- Don’t use homemade whipped cream. The only way I’d use Whipped Cream for this recipe is if I added it right before serving and didn’t anticipate having leftovers. Cool Whip is stabilized, so it lasts in the fridge without deflating like homemade whipped cream does.
- Skip the skim milk. Use whole milk or 2% for this recipe. Skim milk tends to get watery in pudding. You need a higher fat content milk to get a creamy consistency.
- Be patient. Make certain that you chill the pie for at least 2 hours before serving for perfect slices of pie.
How to Store
Loosely cover your chocolate cream pie with plastic wrap or transfer smaller portions of leftovers to an airtight container. It will last for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
If you’d like to freeze the pie, freeze it uncovered until the Cool Whip is solid, then wrap it tightly in a layer of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of foil. It will keep up to 2 months; thaw in the refrigerator before serving.
Chocolate Cream Pie
Ingredients
- 1 frozen pie crust
- 2 cups cold milk whole milk is best
- 2 (3.4-ounce) packages instant chocolate pudding mix
- 1 (8-ounce) tub frozen whipped topping (like Cool Whip) thawed, divided
- ¼ cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Bake frozen pie crust as directed on the package and allow to cool on a rack while you prepare the pudding filling
- In a large bowl, beat milk and pudding on low speed for 2 minutes. Fold in 1 cup whipped topping. Pour into crust and chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
- Before serving, top with remaining whipped topping and chocolate chips.
Followed the recipe exactly and the pie set up beautifully! Easy and delicious dessert!
We’re so happy to hear this! Thank you for trying it out and taking the time to leave a review, Autumn!
Super easy and super delicious! I made it just for fun while hanging out with some friends and it was gone in a matter of minutes once fully prepared. Everyone loved it and wanted more. I should have made two.
We’re so happy to hear this, Sarah! Thank you for trying it out and taking the time to leave a review. 😊 Making two is never a bad idea!
made this recipe and followed instructions EXACTLY and it is incredibly runny. as soon as you cut one piece the pudding fills the void of the missing piece. I let it chill for 4 hours. And yes, I used INSTANT pudding.
Great recipe, very easy, my family loved it
We’re so happy to hear it, Kim!
Decadent coconut pie. Very tasty and not too sweet. I used this recipe to make another cream pie. This time, I used instant strawberry pudding and pie filling. Like Brad, I followed the recipe exactly. Like Brad’s pie, my strawberry pie never set. The next day, it still was not set AND a yellowish liquid filled the pie pan.
Kasey, I forgot to say thank you for the recipe. I had a great, never-fail recipe similar to yours but lost it.
I made this pie today for Thanksgiving but it did not turn out at all. I have checked the recipe many times and I did as the recipe is written, but the pie is still liquid. So disappointed. Now, thanks to this, I need to go get a desert for Thanksgiving. Groceries cost to much to throw away. 😡
So disappointed.
Did you buy the cook and serve kind of pudding? I done that before and it was still liquid.
Can you use real whipped cream???
We don’t recommend it as it’s likely to become grainy.
Kathy I just made this pie tonight because I had baked both my pie shells & made a banana cream pie from scratch (except the crust). It was so easy and set up wonderfully. If you mix 2 cups of whole milk it sets up within the first minute while whisking.
1 cup of whipped cream is 8oz. I believe you need another recipe revision to correct that error. You can’t call for one cup and also divide an eight ounce container. None the less, thank you for posting the recipe. We can’t wait for it to chill.
The recipe calls for an 8 oz container of frozen whipped topping, as in “Cool Whip”, and I believe that contains three cups of whipped topping. It’s just very lightweight. Hope it turned out for you. We love it.
I’ve made this chocolate pie three times now and it is delicious, now I can make my favorite pie which is chocolate since I was a kid anytime. My family loves it too. Love it and so so easy to make, hardest part is waiting until it is chilled. 😊
Just use a little more milk than what the recipe says. You can probably make it work. That is what I would do.
I want to make this for our Legion dinner. Is two cups of milk right for 2 boxes of pudding?
Making this recioe for the first time, I have a bigger box of pudding mix 5.8 oz instead of suggested smaller in your recipe, what do I do?
Just use a little more milk than what the recipe says. You can probably make it work. That is what I would do.
Yes, it works just a little more milk it came out great.😊
How much more milk
I made this pie. It came out great everyone loved it. Thank you.
We’re so glad! Thank you for trying it out, Donna!
Made it,2 cups of milk is not enough, I don’t recommend this recipe< it’s super thick no flavor because nits Too Thick.
Yes, I couldn’t find the right size box either.
My pie seems a little thinner than it should be not sure where I went wrong
How long do you chill the pie for?
At least 2 hours before serving. I’ve updated the directions. Thanks!
I’ve made this many times I use a Graham cracker crust and I add toffee bits to my pudding mixture. and toffeee bits on top with chocolate syrup!
Great, easy recipe! No changes needed. Thank you! Made this for Pi day tomorrow.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Tiffany!
Shouldn’t this be 4 cups of milk with 2 packages of instant pudding?
No it shouldn’t be. You are making a thicker pie filling and not normal pudding.
I’m using sugar free pudding, small box is 1.4 oz and large is 3.9. Which one should I use? Help!