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Rich and decadent chocolate French Silk Pie is the perfect chocolate pie! The filling requires no baking and is a silky smooth texture with whipped cream topping and chocolate shavings. 

Chocolate french silk pie with a slice cut out of it

Overview

Chocolate French silk pie is an incredibly rich chocolate pie with a chocolate mousse filling and a whipped cream topping. The filling is intensely chocolate in flavor and is very rich from the high ratio of butter and eggs in the mousse. 

Traditional French silk pie is made with a classic pie crust which is what I prefer. I think the contrast of the salty crust is perfect with the rich filling. However, if you prefer, you can use a graham cracker or oreo crust.

This pie is always a showstopper! I bring this along to most holiday gatherings and it is always the most popular dessert offered.

What is French Silk Pie Made Of? Why is it Called French Silk?

French silk pie is made from a rich chocolate filling that is, as its name suggests, incredibly silky. The filling is essentially a rich chocolate mousse made from butter, sugar, eggs, and chocolate. The filling is kept raw giving it a unique texture. 

There is some debate about when this pie first originated. Some believe it came about in the 1950s as a winner of a Pillsbury bake-off, others think it first appeared in the 1980s created by a famous pastry chef. Whenever it first started, it is a hit!

Upclose view of the Chocolate french silk pie

How to Make French Silk Pie

I highly recommend to read the recipe all the way through before starting. Make sure that you do not rush the filling process as it needs the full mixing time to really set up. 

Prepare the Crust

Preparing the pie crust for the french silk pie

I prefer a traditional pie crust made without sugar for this pie. However, if you prefer, you can make a graham cracker crust or an oreo crust. Oreo is my husband’s favorite crust with this pie but I think it’s a little too rich. 

Bake & Cool the Crust

Baked crust for french silk pie

Blind bake the crust and allow to cool completely before adding the filling. Because the filling is kept raw, the crust must be baked all the way through before the filling is added. 

Cream the Butter & Sugar for the Filling

Butter and sugar being creamed for the french silk pie filling

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. This will take about 3-4 full minutes of mixing. It’s very important for the butter to be at a soft, room temperature in order to properly cream.

Add the Chocolate 

After the chocolate has been added for the french silk pie filling

Add the melted and cooled chocolate into the mixing bowl along with the cocoa powder and espresso powder, if using. The cocoa powder and espresso powder are optional but really help intensify the chocolate flavor. I wouldn’t leave it out!

Add the Eggs one at a Time

Beating in the eggs one at a time
Beating in the eggs one at a time

Add the eggs into the mixer one at a time, mixing on high speed for 5 full minutes after each egg addition. This is extremely important for the filling to be able to set. For this reason, I highly recommend using a stand mixer so you can set a timer and do other things while it mixes. I’ve also made this filling using a hand mixer and while time-consuming, it can be done.

Do not rush the process of mixing and adding of the eggs. You will be mixing for a full 20 minutes at high speed, 5 minutes for each of the 4 eggs.

Allow the Filling to Set & Top

Pour the filling into the cooled pie crust and let set for at least 4 hours in the refrigerator. After chilling, top with whipped cream, chocolate shavings, and serve! I would recommend waiting until you are ready to serve if you’re using fresh whipped cream.

If you’d like to make the whipped cream in advance, make a stabilized version that contains gelatin. My recipe for stabilized whipped cream can be made up to 4 days in advance.

Chocolate French Silk Pie with a slice taken out

FAQ

Does French Silk Pie Need to Be Refrigerated? 

French silk pie definitely needs to be kept in the refrigerator due to the eggs in the filling. The filling will start melting if it becomes too warm. 

How Long Can You Keep French Silk Pie? 

French silk pie can be refrigerated and loosely covered for 3-4 days. It is best eaten the day after it is made for the best texture.

Is French Silk Pie Safe to Eat? 

The concern of whether French silk pie is safe to eat stems from the fact that it is traditionally made with raw eggs in the filling. There are versions out there that call for cooking the filling, however I find the filling to be inferior to the classic version.

Because this recipe uses raw eggs it is important to use pasteurized eggs if you are concerned about foodborne illness. Pasteurized eggs have been heated to a point where any bacteria present will be killed to eliminate the risk of illness but the egg remains raw.

You can look for eggs that are labeled as pasteurized in the grocery store or if you are unable to find them you can pasteurize eggs yourself using this tutorial. 

A slice of Chocolate French Silk Pie on a plate

Watch the Video Tutorial! 

MORE RECIPES FROM BAKER BETTIE!

If you enjoyed this recipe, you might like to try other silky pie recipes!

Chocolate French Silk Pie with a slice taken out
Yield: 10 servings

Chocolate French Silk Pie

Prep Time 50 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Chilling Time 5 hours
Total Time 6 hours 15 minutes

French silk pie has a rich, silk smooth, decadent chocolate filling in a perfect classic pie crust. Top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings!

Ingredients

For the Crust

  • 180 grams (1 ½ cups) all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 85 grams (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cold
  • 30 grams (2 ½ tablespoons) shortening
  • 57-85 grams (4-6 tablespoons, 60-90 milliliters) ice water

For the Filling

  • 226 grams (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 300 grams (1 ½ cups) granulated sugar
  • 113 grams (4 ounces) unsweetened chocolate (I use 100% chocolate), melted and slightly cooled
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or paste
  • 10 grams (2 tablespoons) cocoa powder, optional but intensifies the chocolate flavor and color
  • ¼ teaspoon espresso powder, optional but intensifies the chocolate flavor
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature (*use pasteurized eggs to eliminate risk of foodborne illness)

For the Topping

  • 235 grams (1 cup, 240 milliliters) heavy cream, cold
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
  • 40 grams (⅓ cup) powdered sugar
  • chocolate shavings, optional

Instructions

NOTE: There have been several reviews that the filling has ended up with a grainy texture. After extensive testing, here are some tips to prevent this issue: Make sure you are using a paddle attachment (not the whisk attachment) for your mixer. Mix each egg for a full 5 minutes. Do not rush this part! Make sure you scrape down the sides of the bowl and the bottom of the bowl between each egg addition to insure that all of the sugar is getting mixed fully and is not sticking to the sides or bottom.

Prep: 

  1. Measure out all of the ingredients.
  2. Set out the ingredients that need to be room temperature including the butter for the filling and the eggs.
  3. Cut the butter for the crust into small pieces, about ½-inch (1 cm) size. Make sure it is very cold. If it has started to warm up, you can place it in the freezer for a few minutes before starting. 

Make the pie Dough: 

  1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour (180 grams/ 1 ½ cups) and salt (½ teaspoon).
  2. Add the cold, diced butter (85 grams/ 6 tablespoons) and shortening (30 grams/ 2 ½ tablespoons) to the bowl and toss with your hands so all of the fat is coated with flour. Use the tips of your fingers and thumbs to press down on all of the pieces of fat, creating little sheets of fat throughout your mixture. Continue working the fat through the flour until all of the fat has been worked through.
  3. Add the ice water little by little into the mixture. Fold the mixture gently with a silicone spatula to incorporate. Use a light hand to slowly hydrate the flour as you add more water. You may not need all of the water. Gather the dough up and press it together. If it crumbles then you need to add a little more water. If it holds together then you are ready to chill the dough. 
  4. Bring the dough together on your counter and press into one mass and knead very gently for one or two turns to bring it into a cohesive dough. Press flat into a round disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes, but preferably an hour, to allow the gluten to relax and the flour to fully hydrate. 

Roll the dough and blind bake:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F/205°C.
  2. Lightly flour a clean work surface and place your chilled dough on top. Lightly flour the top of the dough and your rolling pin. Roll the dough out to about 1 ½ - 2-inches (4 -5 cm) wider than your pie dish all the way around. This is important so that your dough doesn’t need to stretch to fit down into the plate, which can cause it to shrink.
  1. Gently transfer it into the pie plate. Lift up on the sides of the crust to allow it to fall naturally into the pie plate without having to stretch it.  Trim the excess dough leaving about ½-inch overhang all the way around the pie plate. Fold the extra dough under, creating a lip all the way around. Leave as is or crimp the edges for decoration.
  2. Dock the crust a few times by pricking it with a fork on the bottom and up the sides. 
  3. Place a piece of parchment paper over top of the pie crust and fill it with dry beans, rice, or pie weights; they should fill the pan all the way to the top. This will help the crust hold its shape and not shrink while baking.
  4. I suggest placing your crust in the freezer for at least 10 minutes or in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to firm up before baking to prevent shrinkage. 
  5. Bake in the bottom third of the oven for 20 minutes. 
  6. Remove the parchment paper and pie weights from the crust. Return the crust to the oven. Bake for another 12-15 minutes, until the bottom is golden brown and fully set. 
  7. Let the crust cool completely before adding the filling.

Make the filling:

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (make sure not to use a whisk attachment), beat together the room temperature butter (226 grams/ 1 cup) and sugar (300 grams/ 1 ½ cups) on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
  2. With the mixer still running, pour the cooled melted chocolate (113 grams/ 4 ounces) into the butter/sugar mixture. Add the vanilla (2 teaspoons), cocoa powder (10 grams/ 2 tablespoons), and espresso powder (¼ teaspoon) if using. Scrape down the bowl.
  3. Add eggs (4 total) one at a time, beating for 5 full minutes in between each addition (20 minutes total) at a high speed. Scrape down the bowl making sure to get the sides and the bottom of the bowl between each egg addition. This is important to make sure all of the sugar is getting fully mixed and the texture will be silky.
  4. Pour the filling into the cooled crust and allow to set in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and up to 2 days before serving.

Topping:

  1. Pour the heavy cream (235 grams/ 1 cup) and vanilla (1 teaspoon) in the bowl of a stand mixer fit with the whisk attachment or in a large bowl with a hand mixer. Whip on high speed and slowly stream in the powdered sugar (40 grams/ ⅓ cup). Whip until the cream reaches stiff peaks.
  2. When ready to serve, top the pie with whipped cream and chocolate shavings or curls.

Notes

  • Filling recipe adapted from Martha Stewart's French Silk Pie Recipe
  • Disclaimer: Consuming raw or under-cooked eggs may increase your risk of food borne illness, especially if you have a medical condition. Use pasteurized eggs to reduce risk.

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© Baker Bettie
Category: All Recipes