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 It Text 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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Martha says
Does this pie freeze well if it’s made a week in advance?
Martha says
I’ve been making this pie for Thanksgiving and Christmas for the last 5 years, and it is always a big hit! Chocolate pie has always been my favorite, and there were a couple years when we didn’t have it. I am so glad that I came across this recipe. Thank you!
Gena Shellenbarger says
I have made this pie for a couple of years now and I use only Amanda’s version because it tastes exactly like i remember from Bakers Square where I used to buy this pie regularly. But, just like Amanda says follow the recipe and times exactly as she says and trust and believe this is the best pie I have ever made and my guests also think the same. Thank you so much Amanda. I’m making this pie as we speak just waiting for the chocolate to cool down completely before incorporating. Cant wait to eat tomorrow.
Isaac says
If I don’t have a stand mixer, will a hand mixer work okay?
Amanda Davis says
It will but the mixing times are imperative. So be sure to set a timer!
Ciara Brewer says
I NEVER write reviews for recipes. This one deserves it. Make this pie for people you love. It’s more than good. It’s the pie you loved as a child. It will make you the envy of every party and will win the love of your spouse. It’s difficult but listen to the recipe and it comes out beautiful. Amazing recipe. Amazing pie. You will eat four pieces in a day…
Courtney says
Was amazing omg
Lea says
This is my daughter’s favorite pie and has now become a part of our Thanksgiving every year. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Jeannie says
If i am making 2 of these pies, can i do it all at once? I’ve ade 1 many times and it is a holiday tradtion. So good!
Amanda Davis says
It’s too much to double in a mixer. Better to do it one at a time.
Laura Hackett says
I’ve tried this several times. The first time it turned out perfect but, each time after that, the filling gets weepy as I’m mixing it. I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong. It begins to gets fluffy, then just liquifies.
Amanda Davis says
Be sure to set a timer and follow the recipe suggestions. You may be overmixing.
Stephanie Delacruz says
This pie has raw egg is it safe?
Amanda Davis says
We give tips in the post and in the printable recipe card. Hope this helps!
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. http://bakingbites.com/2011/03/how-to-pasteurize-eggs-at-home/
Taylor says
can i use semi sweet chocolate?
Amanda Davis says
No I wouldn’t as they will be too sweet.
Lily says
Excellent recipe! Thanks so much for sharing, Amanda!
Krs says
Extremely easy pie to make, and the taste is incredible!! this was my favorite pie 45 years ago from popping fresh pies/ bakers square. I highly recommend making this pie, I ate half of it in 1 day. thanks for the recipe!
Gracie Stephenson says
How do you make the butter and sugar not so gritty?
Amanda Davis says
Once the pie sits overnight the sugar melts and the grittiness goes away
Jane S says
Well, we had this wonderful pie for dinner a couple of nights ago. Yummmm! It was so good. The best part is it took so little effort to make, but looked like it took hours. I sprinkled mmi chocolate chips on to make it even more special, Also doubled the whipped cream called for. I will definitely make this again.
Jane S says
Just finished prepping this and it looks amazing. My junior chefs who licked the beaters and bowl have declared it delicious. We’ll have it as dessert tomorrow night to celebrate my oldest son’s birthday. He’s not a cake eater, so this is an ideal choice for him.
Trish says
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, Amanda. I’ve made this several times and I’ve never had any issues with grainyness. Follow the directions and it will be smooth and fabulous every time. This is on of my favorite desserts.
Susan Moran says
AMAZING! A KD for sharing!
Cathy Balke says
My husband’s favorite I make for his birthday! It’s outstanding!
Destiny says
Hi,
Is the vanilla REAL vanilla or can extract be used?
Amanda Davis says
Pure Vanilla Extract
John Abels says
Fabulous and easy!
Lois Monroe says
The taste was delicious but still grainy even the next day
Amanda Davis says
Did youn set a timer for all the mixing times in the recipe? It makes a big difference!