When I was in high school I lived across the street from a Poppin’ Fresh, which is now known as Baker’s Square. They make the BEST French Silk Pie, which is a rich and creamy chocolate cream pie. Yes, they beat out Marie Callender’s by a mile. I have been making this pie every Thanksgiving and Christmas since 2008.
French Silk Pie
There isn’t a Christmas or Thanksgiving that goes by without this my French Silk Pie, and chances are we’ll be enjoying it for Easter too. It’s just a family favorite and there would be a lot of sad faces if I didn’t make it!
Related Recipe – Stabilized Whipped Cream or How to Make Pie Crust
I recently updated the photos on this post. So if you followed a link or came from Pinterest and these aren’t the photos you expected, that’s why. However, I have kept the original photos in a small collage below. You know. For old time’s sake. :)
What you’ll need to make Baker’s Square French Silk Pie
- Kitchenaid mixer or hand mixer
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing bowls
- Pie server
From my original blog post: “I have to admit, I was so excited to make this, and then so worried it wasn’t going to work because the instructions said to beat the butter and sugar until creamy and not grainy. Well, mine was creamy but never NOT grainy. However, after making this multiple times now, I know to simply beat it for several minutes until light and fluffy, about 6-7 minutes.” The sugar melts in the rest overnight, so be sure to include that step. You won’t be disappointed!
For this recipe, I used my KitchenAid stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
Expert Tips & FAQs
- Make the filling first. The filling will be pale in color but will darken as it chills. Put it into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. This allows it to set up and thicken a bit before adding it to the pie shell.
- Cool the chocolate. Melt the chocolate as instructed and let it cool completely. I usually melt the chocolate first so it’s cool by the time I need to add it to the filling in the mixer. If you add vanilla to hot or warm melted chocolate it may seize up.
- Make your pie crust. If making a crust from scratch, follow the instructions for a fully baked pie shell as this pie will not go in the oven. Let it cool completely.
- Add the chilled filling to the pie crust. Put it back in the fridge while you make the whipped topping. If you are using Cool Whip, go ahead and top the pie now and refrigerate.
- WAIT until tomorrow to eat. You can certainly eat it after it has chilled for several hours, BUT believe me when I tell you that you will be very thankful that you waited overnight. The filling needs time to set up. Any graininess you may have detected when you tasted the filling will be gone after a good night’s rest.
- NOTE: the eggs in this recipe are not cooked. If that concerns you, you can use pasteurized eggs or learn how to pasteurize the eggs in your fridge.
Can I freeze this pie?
Yes, you can freeze my French Silk Pie! If you want to freeze the whole pie and thaw the entire thing later, place it in the freezer for a few hours. Then remove it and wrap the frozen pie in plastic wrap. Place the wrapped pie in a freezer bag. If it won’t fit, just double wrap it with plastic wrap instead.
If you want to freeze slices (I live by myself, so this works best for me, I do it with cake all the time), cut the pie into slices and place them on a waxed paper lined cookie sheet. Place the entire thing in the freezer, making sure the slices are not touching each other. After a few hours, and the slices are frozen, remove from the freezer and wrap each one in plastic wrap. Place the wrapped slices into a freezer bag.
To thaw them out, simply remove from the freezer and immediately remove the plastic wrap. Allow to thaw at room temperature if you plan to eat it fairly soon. You can also thaw in the refrigerator but it will take quite a bit longer – probably a day.
I have made this French silk pie numerous times and have used both Cool Whip (pictured in the original photos) and fresh whipped cream (as seen in these updated photos) for the topping.
You can dress it up by shaving some bittersweet chocolate through a mandolin or by using a vegetable peeler. Sprinkle the shavings on the top of the pie.
Other Holiday Desserts IÂ Love
- Perfect Pumpkin Pie
- Pecan Pie Bars
- Hershey’s Drop Stuffed Peanut Butter Cookies
- No Bake Peanut Butter Pie
- Southern Buttermilk Pie
- Coconut Cream Pie
- Sweet Potato Pie
- Grasshopper Pie
- Chocolate Mousse
French Silk Pie
IMPORTANT - There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate It Text ItIngredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate melted and cooled COMPLETELY
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 4 large eggs
- 8 ounces Whipping cream or 8ounce tub Cool Whip
- 1 tbsp powdered sugar
- 6 ounce deep dish frozen pie crust baked according to package
Things You'll Need
Instructions
- Bake a homemade pie crust or use a Pillsbury refrigerated crust and make according to package directions for a fully baked crust. Set aside to cool.
- Melt the chocolate and set aside to cool completely.
- Beat sugar and butter on medium high until light and fluffy, about 6-7 minutes.
- Add cooled chocolate and vanilla and beat until incorporated.
- Add eggs, two at a time, beating a full 5 minutes after each addition.
- Pour filling into cooled pie crust.
- Beat whipping cream and powdered sugar with a whisk attachment on medium-high speed until stiff peaks just begin to form. Add prepared whipped topping to top of pie.
- You can garnish with shaved bittersweet chocolate as well.
Expert Tips & FAQs
- The eggs in this recipe are not cooked. If that concerns you, you can use pasteurized eggs or learn how to pasteurize the eggs in your fridge.
- DO NOT use margarine, I have not tested this pie using margarine. Do NOT melt the butter. The butter should be softened, which means removing it from the fridge and letting it sit at room temp about 20-30 minutes.
- Make the filling first. The filling will be pale in color but will darken as it chills. Put it into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. This allows it to set up and thicken a bit before adding it to the pie shell.
- Make your pie crust. If making a crust from scratch, follow the instructions for a fully baked pie shell as this pie will not go in the oven. Let it cool completely.
- Add the chilled filling to the pie crust. Put it back in the fridge while you make the whipped topping. If you are using Cool Whip, go ahead and top the pie now and refrigerate.
- WAIT until tomorrow to eat. You can certainly eat it after it has chilled for several hours, BUT believe me when I tell you that you will be very thankful that you waited overnight. The filling needs time to set up. Any graininess you may have detected when you tasted the filling will be gone after a good night’s rest.
- Â
Nutrition
This post originally published here on December 6, 2008, then republished October 8, 2016.
Amanda Formaro
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Michael says
Amazing pie! Made it Memorial Day weekend and it’s so light and creamy. Better than the bakers square version IMO. Thank you so much!
michelle says
I’ve never made French silk…not sure I’ve ever even had it. But it’s a dear friends birthday and it’s her favorite so I gave it a go.
After reading all the comments, I must say I paid very close attention to the beating times like mentioned in the recipe. After I filled the pie shell I had a little taste. Absolutely no gritty sugar! The filling is as smooth as silk and tastes amazing!
I’m pretty sure my friend will love this!
MarÃa W says
What speed should you use when you add the eggs one by one?
Amanda Formaro says
Keep at at the same speed from the step before, medium high.
Peg Castelli says
Can I use liquid eggs in this recipe?
Kay Wooley says
Is there a particular chocolate you recommend. Or a cocoa percentage???
Amanda Formaro says
i have always used Bakers brand unsweetened chocolate https://amzn.to/3lwoIeV
100% cacao
SC says
My first attempt was really close to the French silk pie I remember! I don’t make desserts or cook much period so i was excited that the pie came out so well! Definitely trying again. I didn’t have attachments for my mixer so I used a wooden spoon. I also forgot to cool in the refrigerator before pouring into the pie shells. Thanks for this recipe and the tips!
Angie O says
I found this recipe a few years back and it is my go-to for every New Year’s celebration or for my husband’s birthday. We love it so much- silky, balanced, and even better than I remember the Baker’s Square version was.
Angela S. says
French silk pie from Baker Square is my husband’s favorite. I made it last night for the first time to have as a Christmas dessert. . I followed the recipe to a T but the color never darkened. The flavor is good but not very chocolaty. He said it is not far off from the Baker Square pie but not the same. I was surprised there was only 2oz of chocolate. Will make again, but maybe add another oz of unsweetened chocolate.
Very good pie and we all enjoyed it!
Nancy Hulen says
Beat it for 10 minutes – still grainy. Will beat some more.
Amanda Formaro says
There’s no need to continue beating. As long as you measured ingredients correctly, didn’t substitute anything or leave anything out, and set a timer it will be fine. The graininess goes away as it chills, the sugar melts into the filling.
Felicia says
Thank you, Amanda!! Made your pie last night and cut a sliver this morning for breakfast (yeah, don’t judge me) to see how it turned out. Fluffy and smooth, not runny at all, looks just like the picture. NO grittiness. I put my granulated sugar in my coffee grinder to soften it up, just in case. I wanted a hint of mint so I used mint Oreos for the crust (WooHoo!) and just 1/2 teaspoon mint extract in the filling. It was great before and after the mint. It did require some patience with all the mixing, but it’s totally worth it. No more Baker’s Square for me! Any suggestions on trying it with a little coffee flavor?
Amanda Formaro says
So glad you loved it! I made some minis of this pie this Christmas, they will be posted on the blog before Easter. As for the coffee flavor, you could try adding a teaspoon of espresso powder, or instead of vanilla try coffee extract!
Lisa says
If I’m using Baker’s Sugar (which is a finer sugar), should I shorten the mixing time? It gets kind of lumpy and separated when I do the full 5 minutes after each addition. This means I’ve over mixed it, right? Also, I now have to use liquid whole eggs, because I can’t find any pasteurized shell eggs anymore. Would this make a difference in the texture? Lastly, should I use the paddle or the whisk? Thank you thank you!
Amanda Formaro says
Powdered sugar measures differently than granulated sugar, so it’s likely that you have too much sugar and that’s why it’s clumping. I don’t recommend it. Please use granulated sugar. I’ve never used liquid whole eggs. I always use organic eggs, they are not pasteurized. And in all the years I have made this pie I have never had a problem. If you are concerned about eggs, you can pasteurize them yourself by following these instructions https://sugargeekshow.com/recipe/how-to-pasteurize-eggs/ And you should use the paddle attachment. Hope that helps!
Beverly Mann says
Baker’s sugar is not powdered sugar and measures the same as regular granulated sugar. I’ve made the pie with both baker’s sugar and granulated sugar and had much better results with the baker’s as it dissolves much better. The pie is to die for but I may try adding more chocolate next time.
Ellen says
The best I have ever had
Judie says
This pie truly is fabulous. Our Bakers Squares, 2 of them , closed. Found out that they were selling them at BBQ restaurant. It was the worst pie!
This recipe is light and fluffy. Will definitely be making this again! Thank you 💖
Stacey Jordan says
Absolutely perfect copycat of French Silk pie from Poppin Fresh. It was my favorite growing up and still to this day. 45 years later… I make this for every holiday dessert. Thank you for sharing this!
Ed Morykwas says
I’m a 73-year-old grandpa, not much of a baker, but I wanted to make something for our family Thanksgiving. Fortunately, I found this recipe! (We used to have Baker’s Square restaurants in Michigan, but they’ve all moved away.)
Your instructions are very clear and easy to follow, including the step on pasteurizing eggs, and I’m happy to say my French Silk Pie turned out great. I’m sure everyone will love it! If they ask for the recipe, I’ll send them to your website.
Thank you so much for posting.
Dana McCray says
This is definitely a good recipe, but it should be tweaked to have people use caster sugar. When using regular sugar it comes out extremely gritty.
Amanda Formaro says
I use regular sugar, have done so for 20+ years, and it’s never gritty. It’s important to beat the mixture as directed in the recipe. I set a timer so I don’t short change it.
Martha says
I have been making this recipe ever since I found it (2016?), either as a whole recipe or doubled. It is incredibly delicious – just like Baker’s Sq, but now I can make it myself!
I have recently tried this recipe by cutting it in half. After a day or two in the fridge, the sugar is still not fully dissolved – the taste is great, but the texture isn’t quite right. Any suggestions as to why?
Amanda Formaro says
Make sure you beat it for the full amount of time in the recipe. I use a timer to make sure it’s being beat long enough.
Macy says
I have made this the past two years for my dad’s birthday and it’s an amazing recipe!
Kelly P says
Easy peasy AND totally Bakers Square quality!
I will make this again!
Thanks for sharing and perfecting!
Ariana says
Sooo good! And exactly as it was advertised. It’s been 20 yrs since my last real French Silk pie. No other has tasted nearly as good.
We have a super powerful mixer (I can make a stiff peak meringue in 6 min), and I didn’t have any grainy issues others have mentioned even before putting it in the fridge overnight. Thank you for posting this-I had 5 Chicagoans keening with pleasure at my Dad’s bday party.