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Chocolate Chess Pie

Chocolate chess pie has a smooth, rich cocoa filling baked in a flaky pie crust. The center stays slightly jiggly when it comes out of the oven and sets as it cools.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Cooling 3 hours
Total Time 4 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Southern
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the crust
  • 1 pie crust 9-inch, refrigerated, unbaked
For the filling
  • 1.5 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.25 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp cornmeal
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter melted and cooled until lukewarm
  • 3 eggs large
  • 0.33 cup evaporated milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Equipment

  • 1 9-inch pie plate

Method
 

Prepare the crust
  1. Heat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Fit the pie crust into a 9-inch pie plate and crimp the edge.
Make the filling
  1. Whisk the sugar, cocoa powder, flour, cornmeal, and salt in a medium bowl.
  2. Whisk in the melted butter until smooth.
  3. Whisk in the eggs one at a time.
  4. Whisk in the evaporated milk and vanilla.
Bake and cool
  1. Pour the filling into the crust.
  2. Bake for 45–55 minutes, until the edges are set, the center jiggles only slightly, and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center reads at least 160°F.
  3. Cool completely on a wire rack, about 3 hours, before slicing.

Notes

For the smoothest filling, let the melted butter cool until lukewarm before whisking it in. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days; freeze tightly wrapped slices for up to 2 months. For a gluten-free version, use a gluten-free pie crust and a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.