Chocolate French Silk Pie

A classic Chocolate French Silk Pie recipe made with rich chocolate mousse, inside a homemade all butter pie crust, topped with vanilla chantilly whipped cream and chocolate shavings. It’s silky texture made with eggs, sugar, dark chocolate and whipped cream literally melts in your mouth. A gorgeous chocolate pie that’s easy to make but looks like you ordered it from a pastry shop.

I assure you the steps to this recipe are approachable and eating a chocolate mousse pie is worth the labor of love. This is the pie recipe I make for friends who claim to not like desserts, but somehow always eat two slices.

Chocolate French Silk Pie Filling

This pie recipe involves making chocolate mousse and tempering eggs with sugar. I recommend using an instant read thermometer for an accurate reading.

Whipped cream is folded into the chocolate egg mixture to create a light and airy chocolate pie filling. An electric hand mixer or stand mixer with whisk attachment will be needed to whip the cream. You can however whip cream by hand in a bowl with a wire whisk, it just takes more time and arm energy.

Key Ingredients & Test Notes

• Homemade “all butter” pie crust! My well tested and go-to pie dough recipe for any pie is made with butter.
  • Test Note: If you’re in a jam a store bought 9-inch pie crust will do.
• Bittersweet dark chocolate (60-70% cocoa) is the ideal balance between intense chocolate flavor and subtle sweetness.
  • Bittersweet chocolate with higher cocoa butter produces a more stable, silkier mousse filling.
  • Using chocolate with a lower cocoa percentage may result in a sweeter, softer filling, while darker chocolate (70%+) will yield a more robust, chocolate flavor.
  • Test Note: You can use the same chocolate in the pie for the chocolate shavings. Make sure to select a high quality baking bar, not chocolate chips.
• Heavy whipping cream (33-25% fat) is used to create a fluffy silky mousse texture and then again for a vanilla whipped cream topping.
  • The high fat content in heavy cream gives it the stability needed to be whipped into soft peaks for folding into the chocolate mousse, lightening the texture.
  • For the topping, whipped cream adds volume and contrast, while its mild sweetness balances the dense chocolate pie filling.
• Mascarpone has a smooth texture and high fat content that works to stabilize the vanilla whipped cream topping so it doesn’t turn to mush right after you assemble the pie.
  • Adds an ever so slight tangy flavor that offsets the richness of the chocolate mousse.

How to Make French Silk Pie

Below is a step-by-step photo process for making and topping a French silk pie. Please see the recipe card for more detailed instructions.

1. Blind bake a 9-inch all butter pie crust until golden and cool it completely.

2. Whisk eggs and sugar in a medium saucepan on medium low heat until the mixture reaches 160°F (70°C) on an instant read thermometer.

3. Melt dark chocolate chunks and stir until smooth.

4. Whisk the egg & sugar mixture into the melted dark chocolate until it becomes smooth and glossy.

5. Whip heavy cream, powdered, sugar and vanilla to form stiff peaks. Place in fridge until ready to use.

6. Beat softened butter until smooth in a large bowl.

7. Pour the silky chocolate and egg mixture onto the whipped butter.

8. Whip the chocolate mixture into the butter to make a rich silky chocolate texture.

9. Spoon a third of the reserved whip cream onto the rich chocolate mixture.

10. Fold the whip cream into the chocolate in thirds carefully to form a light and fluffy chocolate mousse pie filling.

11. Fill the cooled pre baked pie crust with the chocolate mousse filling.

12. Smooth out the filling with an offset spatula and refrigerate until firm.

13. Make the mascarpone whipped cream and spread it over the firm chocolate pie filling.

14. Take a vegetable peeler and a chocolate bar over the whipped cream to make chocolate shavings.

Leftovers & Storage

I tend to make French Silk Pie for parties or holidays, when I can share it with a few other dessert lovers. I’m not to be trusted with an entire pie in my fridge for several days. If you’re saving a slice or sending some home with a friend in a leftover container, make sure its air tight and kept in the fridge for up to 3 days.

FAQs

★★★★★ Please leave a star rating and review below if you make this recipe! THANK YOU!!

5 from 4 votes

Chocolate French Silk Pie

By Jenn Davis

Prep: 30 minutes mins

Cook: 10 minutes mins

Chilling Time: 2 hours hrs

Total: 2 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

Servings: 8 servings

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A classic Chocolate French Silk Pie recipe made with rich chocolate mousse, inside a homemade all butter pie crust, topped with vanilla chantilly whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Click for Ingredient Details

Equipment

• instant read thermometer
• 9-inch pie pan
• electric hand mixer

Recipe Video

Ingredients

All Butter Pie Crust

• ▢ Single 9-inch pie crust, blind baked

Chocolate Mousse Filling

• ▢ 133 grams (⅔ cup) granulated sugar
• ▢ 2 large eggs, room temperature
• ▢ 85 grams (½ cup) bittersweet dark chocolate (60-70% cocoa), roughly chopped then melted and cooled
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• ▢ 76 grams (⅓ cup) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• ▢ 240 grams (1 cup) cold heavy whipping cream, (35% fat)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon powdered sugar/icing sugar
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract

Stabilized Chantilly Cream Topping

• ▢ 240 grams (1 cup) cold heavy whipping cream, (35% fat)
• ▢ 80 grams (⅓ cup) cold mascarpone
• ▢ 60 grams (½ cup) powdered sugar/icing sugar
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Shavings

• ▢ 1/2 bar bittersweet dark chocolate baking bar (60-70% cocoa)

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Instructions 

Single 9-inch Pie Crust

• Make the all butter pie crust according to the recipe for dough.
• *You can also use a store bought pie crust if you’re short on time. Blind bake the crust and cool to room temperature.

Blind Bake the Pie Crust

• Refrigerate the pie dough for a minimum 1 hr if you plan on using it right away. *Allowing the dough to rest overnight creates a more relaxed dough that is easier to roll out.
  Single 9-inch pie crust
• Roll the dough for lining the pie pan. Roll your dough by starting from the center and working outwards in all directions, rotating dough clockwise as you go. Dough should be around 1/8 inch -1/4 inch thickness and at least 1 inch larger than your pie pan.
• Lowering the dough into the pie pan and gently press into the bottom and sides of the pan. Take a sharp knife or scissors and trip away any overhanging dough from the lip of the pan, leaving a 1/2 inch overhang of pie dough. Tuck any overhanging dough under neath itself and crimp the edges if you like.
• Dock the pie dough by pricking it across the bottom and sides with the tines of a fork. Place the pan in the fridge (30 minutes) or freezer (15 minutes) to firm until ready to blind bake.
• Preheat the oven to 425℉ (220 ℃). Remove the frozen pie crust and line it with overhanging parchment paper. Fill the parchment paper with pie weights, granulated sugar, dried rice or uncooked beans. Make sure to fill it all the way to the crimped edges to help weigh down the crust.
• Place the pie dish on a baking pan, then transfer to the lowest rack of the oven and bake for 15-17 minutes.
• Remove the pie from the oven and carefully lift and remove the paper filled with weights. Reduce oven temp to 375℉ (190℃) return the pie back to the oven for 10-12 more minutes of baking. The crust should be golden brown all over and completely baked. Place pie dish on wire rack and allow to cool completely before adding filling. Keep an eye on the crust, too dark brown is over baked.

Chocolate Mousse Filling

• Place chopped dark chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and melt in 30 second bursts, stirring in between until smooth. Or melt using an bain-marie until smooth. Set aside to cool.
  85 grams bittersweet dark chocolate (60-70% cocoa)
• Place the sugar and eggs in a medium saucepan on low heat and whisk together. Whisk constantly until a candy thermometer reads 160℉ (72℃) when inserted in the mixture. It may take 9-10 minutes for the egg mixture to reach this temperature, but it will ensure the raw eggs are cooked enough for digesting.
  133 grams granulated sugar, 2 large eggs
• Remove the egg mixture from the heat and let cool about 5 minutes. Pour in the cooled melted dark chocolate and salt. Whisk until the chocolate looks smooth and glossy. It will thicken and look a little textured at first that's ok, just whisk a little more until smooth.
  85 grams bittersweet dark chocolate (60-70% cocoa), 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• Make the whipped cream filling while the chocolate mixture cools. Combine the cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer, beat until thick. Place in fridge until ready to use.
  240 grams cold heavy whipping cream, 1 tablespoon powdered sugar/icing sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
• Place the softened butter into a large mixing bowl. Using a handheld mixer, beat until fluffy. About 30 seconds.
  76 grams unsalted butter
• Scrape the cooled chocolate mixture onto the butter and beat on medium speed until well combined. The chocolate butter mixture should be thick, smooth, and glossy.
• The chocolate mixture should now be room temperature and ready for the whipped cream. Add the whipped cream to the chocolate in three batches. Fold in the cream carefully with a silicone spatula, careful to prevent deflating the cream. Avoid the urge to stir.
• Once all the cream has been incorporated with no white streaks remaining its time to transfer it to the baked pie crust.
• Spoon or pour the chocolate filling into the pie crust and chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight to firm.

Chantilly Cream Topping

• Place the mascarpone, cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a medium bowl.
  240 grams cold heavy whipping cream, 80 grams cold mascarpone, 60 grams powdered sugar/icing sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
• Using an electric beater on medium high in a circular motion, whip until thick.

Final Assembly

• Remove chilled pie from the fridge and spoon the Chantilly Cream Topping across the layer of chocolate filling. Garnish with chocolate shavings and serve.
• Take a vegetable peeler and scrape down the side of a chocolate bar overtop of the pie to release little chocolate curls.
  1/2 bar bittersweet dark chocolate baking bar (60-70% cocoa)

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