If you grew up anywhere near a Baker’s Square, you already know exactly which pie this is. The one behind the glass, dark and impossibly smooth, under a mountain of whipped cream and a scatter of chocolate shavings. This is that pie, made in your own kitchen, and it has been the most requested recipe in my house for close to 30 years.
Why this recipe works
French silk pie is a no-bake chocolate mousse set in a baked crust, and the whole thing lives or dies on two numbers: how long you beat it and how long you chill it. There is no cream in the filling, no milk and no gelatin. Butter, sugar, unsweetened chocolate, vanilla and eggs, beaten long enough to turn pale and airy, then left overnight to set. That is the entire trick, and it is why this version tastes like the restaurant one instead of like chocolate pudding in a shell.
I was inspired by my absolute favorite pie growing up from Baker’s Square, back when it was still called Poppin’ Fresh, and I think this French Silk Pie recipe hits the nail on the head. Readers have told us it beats the French silk at Village Inn, Perkins and Marie Callender’s too, which makes sense, since all of those are built on the same butter and unsweetened chocolate base. There isn’t a holiday that goes by that I don’t make this pie. We love it so much we have turned it into mini French silk pies for parties and a French silk slab pie when we are feeding a crowd.
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions
UNSWEETENED CHOCOLATE – This is the ingredient the whole pie is built around, so do not substitute it. The sugar in this recipe is calculated against unsweetened chocolate, which means semi-sweet or milk chocolate will make the pie excessively sweet and wash out the chocolate flavor. Melt it and let it cool completely before it goes anywhere near the mixer, because warm chocolate will seize when it meets the vanilla. If you want a deeper, more bitter pie, use 4 ounces instead of 2.
EGGS – The eggs in this pie are not cooked. If that concerns you, or if you are serving guests, use pasteurized eggs, which work identically. You can also learn how to pasteurize the eggs at home in your fridge.
BUTTER – Do not use margarine and do not melt it. There is no cream, milk or gelatin in this filling, which means the butter is the entire structure of the pie. Softened means out of the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes, not warmed. This is the single most common reason a French silk pie fails to set.
GRANULATED SUGAR – Regular granulated sugar is correct here. It will feel grainy in the bowl and that is expected. It finishes dissolving overnight in the refrigerator, which is exactly why this pie gets made the day before.
CRUST – We used a store-bought deep dish crust, baked fully according to the package, but a homemade crust always adds something. Our how to make pie crust recipe will get you there. An Oreo cookie crust is a great alternative if you want the pie a little less sweet overall, and there is a cookie crust recipe in our Bailey’s cheesecake post. Whatever you use, it needs to be fully baked and completely cool.
TOPPING – I have used both Cool Whip and homemade whipped cream over the years and both work. If you are whipping your own, heavy whipping cream is required. Half and half will not whip into anything stable.
EQUIPMENT – A stand mixer earns its keep on this recipe, since there is 17 minutes of beating time in total. A hand mixer works if you set a timer for each stage. You will also want a pie plate and a pie server, and a mandolin or vegetable peeler for the chocolate shavings on top.
Tips Before You Begin
- Make the filling first and give it time. Put it in a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it before it goes into the shell. It thickens as it sits and it is easier to work with.
- Cool the chocolate. Melt the chocolate before you do anything else so it has the longest possible time to cool. Adding vanilla to warm chocolate will seize it.
- Set a timer for every beating stage. Not an estimate, an actual timer. Six to seven minutes for the butter and sugar, then a full five minutes after each addition of eggs. This is where nearly every grainy pie comes from.
- 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.
- WAIT until tomorrow to eat. You can certainly cut it after several hours of chilling, but you will be glad you waited. The filling needs the time to set and any graininess you noticed in the bowl will be gone by morning.
How to Make French Silk Pie
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- 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.
- Using a stand mixer, beat the 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.
- Chill in the refrigerator for two hours then top with whipped cream. Then chill again in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight. You can also wait until two hours or so before serving to add the whipped cream.
- To make the whipped topping, beat the heavy 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.
- When ready to serve, optionally garnish with shaved bittersweet chocolate.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
French silk pie is a no-bake chocolate mousse pie set in a fully baked crust. The filling is built by creaming butter and sugar, then beating in melted unsweetened chocolate and eggs a little at a time until it turns pale, light and airy. There is no cooking, no tempering and no gelatin. The texture comes entirely from how long you beat it and how long you chill it.
Graininess is sugar that has not finished dissolving, and it is almost always a timing problem rather than a recipe problem. There are 17 minutes of total beating time built into this recipe and every minute of it matters. Beat the butter and sugar a full 6 to 7 minutes before anything else goes in, then a full 5 minutes after each addition of eggs. Even then the filling will feel slightly grainy in the bowl. That is normal. The sugar finishes dissolving overnight in the refrigerator, which is why this pie is made the day before and not the day of.
The most common cause is margarine or a spread used in place of butter. This filling has no cream, no milk and no gelatin, so butter is the entire structure of the pie. Margarine has a different fat and water balance and will not set. Melted butter causes the same problem, so the butter must be softened at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes rather than warmed. The second cause is a short chill. The pie needs two hours before the whipped cream goes on and then six more hours or overnight after.
Use unsweetened chocolate for the filling. The sugar in this recipe is calculated against unsweetened, so swapping in semi-sweet or milk chocolate makes the pie noticeably sweeter and flattens the chocolate flavor. If you want a deeper, less sweet pie, some readers use 4 ounces of unsweetened instead of 2. Bittersweet chocolate is for the shavings on top, not the filling.
The four eggs in this pie are not cooked. If you are serving guests, anyone pregnant, or anyone with a compromised immune system, use pasteurized eggs, which are sold in most large grocery stores and behave identically here. You can also pasteurize eggs at home in your own refrigerator. If you are serving to a crowd, it is worth saying out loud that you used pasteurized eggs, because it puts people at ease before they ask.
That is what it was built to do. I grew up on the Baker’s Square version, back when it was still Poppin’ Fresh, and developed this recipe to match it. Readers have also compared it favorably to the French silk pies from Village Inn, Perkins, Marie Callender’s and Tippins, which are all built on the same butter-and-unsweetened-chocolate mousse idea rather than a pudding or cream cheese base. If you have been chasing one of those restaurant pies, this is the closest home version we have found.
Yes, and it is a good pairing if you want the pie a little less sweet overall. A store-bought chocolate cookie crust works, or you can make your own. This recipe is written for a fully baked traditional crust because that is what the restaurant version uses, but the filling does not care what it sets in as long as the crust is fully baked and completely cool.
Yes, and you should. Make it at least one day ahead and up to two days ahead. The overnight rest is not optional convenience, it is what dissolves the sugar and firms the filling. A pie eaten the same day will be softer and grainier than the same pie eaten the next morning.
Storage and Freezing Information
Store leftover pie covered with an airtight lid or wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days.
To freeze the whole pie, put it in the freezer uncovered for a few hours first, then wrap the frozen pie in plastic wrap and slide it into a freezer bag. If it will not fit, double wrap it in plastic instead. To freeze slices, cut the pie and lay the slices on a waxed paper lined cookie sheet without touching, freeze for a few hours, then wrap each slice individually and bag them.
To thaw, remove the plastic wrap immediately so condensation does not settle on the surface. Thaw at room temperature if you plan to serve it soon, or in the refrigerator if you have a full day.
For make ahead, this pie should be made at least one day in advance and can be made up to two days ahead. That is the recommendation, not just a convenience.
Serving Suggestions
Serve it cold, straight from the refrigerator, with bittersweet chocolate shaved over the top with a vegetable peeler or a mandolin right before it goes to the table. A pie this rich cuts best with a warm knife wiped between slices, and the portions can be smaller than you think.
This is a Thanksgiving and Christmas pie in our house, and it holds its own on a dessert table next to lighter things. If you are building a spread, our Pies and Tarts collection has fruit and cream options that balance it out, and the rest of our Thanksgiving recipes will fill in around it. For a party where you want the same flavor in a format people can pick up, make mini French silk pies instead, and for a crowd, the French silk slab pie feeds far more from the same filling. Coffee is the right drink alongside it, and it is one of the few desserts I would not put ice cream next to.
More Chocolate Pies and No Bake Desserts
- Reese’s Pie
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
- Chocolate Mousse
- No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake
- French Silk Slab Pie
- Mini French Silk Pies
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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 ItIngredients
- 6 ounce deep dish frozen pie crust baked according to package
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate melted and cooled COMPLETELY
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 4 large eggs
- 8 ounces heavy whipping cream or 8 ounce tub Cool Whip
- 1 Tablespoon powdered sugar
Things You’ll Need
Before You Begin
- We highly recommend making this pie a day ahead.
- 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 your pie crust first. 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.
- We like to chill the pie for two hours before topping with whipped cream, but it isn’t imperative. You can also wait to add the whipped topping until an hour or two before serving, either way will work.
- I have used both Cool Whip and homemade whipped cream in the past when making this pie. It’s up to you on what you prefer.
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.
- Chill in the refrigerator for two hours then top with whipped cream. Then chill again in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight. You can also wait until two hours or so before serving to add the whipped cream.
- To make the whipped cream, beat the heavy 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.
- When ready to serve, optionally garnish with shaved bittersweet chocolate.
Expert Tips & FAQs
- 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.
- Store leftover pie covered with an air-tight lid or wrapped with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
- 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, 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.
Nutrition
The recipes on this blog are tested with a conventional gas oven and gas stovetop. It’s important to note that some ovens, especially as they age, can cook and bake inconsistently. Using an inexpensive oven thermometer can assure you that your oven is truly heating to the proper temperature. If you use a toaster oven or countertop oven, please keep in mind that they may not distribute heat the same as a conventional full sized oven and you may need to adjust your cooking/baking times. In the case of recipes made with a pressure cooker, air fryer, slow cooker, or other appliance, a link to the appliances we use is listed within each respective recipe. For baking recipes where measurements are given by weight, please note that results may not be the same if cups are used instead, and we can’t guarantee success with that method.
This post originally appeared on this blog on December 6, 2008 and has since been updated with new photos and expert tips. Pictured above is one of our old photos which you may recognize.
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Tina says
This pie was absolutely amazing! It was easy to make and tasted way better than anything you can buy in a store. My parents loved it so much they asked me to make them one. Great recipe!
Kathy wetherbee says
Will the whipped cream break down over night in the refrigerator?
Amanda Davis says
Cool Whip or freshly whipped cream will hold up find. Do not use canned whipped cream (like RediWhip, etc) as that WILL break down.
Megan says
I always love this recipe! How long does it keep in the fridge?
Amanda Davis says
It should be fine for about a week :)
Colleen says
Made this for Thanksgiving. Easy recipe, basic ingredients. My filling did not look as dark as the photo that is featured, but it still tasted really good. Very rich, so a small slice is enough!! I used a Pillsbury pie crust and that was the only thing that I will do differently in the future. My daughter suggested a shortbread cookie crust, so next time… Thanks so much for your recipe! You never disappoint!!!
Barbara says
Try the Marie Callender frozen pie crust … really good.
Connor says
I really loved the fluffy texture and nice chocolate flavor. But for me, it was quite a bit too sweet. Could this pie still work with just 1C of sugar?
Amanda Davis says
We have not tested that
Shelly says
I’ve been making this for years! But I use the mini phyllo shells to make individual tartlets. Always a hit!
Matt says
Do you add any whip cream into actual chocolate mix? Most recipes I see add whipping cream. Also, does vanilla extract work for the vanilla?
Amanda Davis says
No you don’t add cream to the chocolate. And yes vanilla extract is correct.
melinda Willis says
What size pie does this recipe make? 9 inch, 10 inch?
Amanda Davis says
9-inch
Sheila says
I stumbled upon this recipe years ago, and my family LOVES it! It’s requested throughout the year, but especially at Thanksgiving!
Nunya says
Is it 2 ounces of chocolate by weight or volume?
Amanda Davis says
Weight
Janel says
Hi! Can I double all this and make it in a cookie sheet like a slab pie? So two rolled out pie crusts and filling on top?
Thanks!
Amanda Davis says
I haven’t tried that, but I honestly don’t see why not. And now I want to make one like this LOL!
Jaime says
This recipe is very easy to make. It was very rich and decadent (could be too rich for some). My biggest regret was using the frozen pie crust. It had no flavor and was too crumbly (yes I cooked it according to the package instructions). Will use graham cracker or make my own next time.
Luna says
When you say “melt the chocolate”, how are you saying to do this? Microwave, stovetop, etc…
Amanda Davis says
I usually just microwave it
Amy says
I make this pie for every special event and other times if I just get a bug too and there’s never enough to go around
I also follow this recipe exactly but use white baking chocolate instead of semi-sweet and then I had disaster two lemons and the juice from half of one lemon and I use a lemon cookie crust also never enough to go around people offered to buy it from me or make special orders all the time I’ve tried a few other recipes and come back to this one every time it’s just the best I’ve also just taken the filling and used it like a chocolate buttercream frosting
Amanda Formaro says
Your white chocolate version sounds amazing and I can’t wait to try it!!
Kalea says
Do you mean zest two lemons? This is brilliant, btw!
Helen says
I grew up with Poppin Fresh too. Your recipe tastes just like I remember!
Barbara says
I used a prepared chocolate crumb crust which I pre baked but which was too small for the amount of filling. I added a 1/4tsp of peppermint extract to the remainder and had the perfect chocolate mint mousse…a twofer!
Amanda Formaro says
Sounds delicious! FYI though, the filling is thick and piles up pretty high, so you may have been able to fit it all!
Deborah Reinhardt says
Why do you feature Hershey’s cocoa powder in your photo and call for unsweetened chocolate in the recipe? I did not find an alternate preparation or substitution to replace the chocolate with possibly cocoa and additional butter.
Amanda Formaro says
I m very confused by your question. There is NO Hershey’s cocoa in this post anywhere.
Wendy says
Made it several times. Family favorite!
Lea says
This pie is delicious. I’ve made it a few times – each time, with rave reviews.
mary Reilly says
My family flipped, made for Father’s day. Excellent recipe, would not change a thing!