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
I love to bake and cook and share my kitchen experience with all of you! Remembering to come back each day can be tough, that’s why I offer a convenient newsletter every time a new recipe posts. Simply subscribe and start receiving your free daily recipes!
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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josh says
Hi, not sure if you will read this before easter 2013 or not, but I am planning on making 2 of these to take to easter…can i just double everything and split it up between the 2 crusts, or would it be better to mixed everything one pie at a time?
Thanks, it looks very delish!
Amanda Formaro says
You will need to make them separately simply because the filling would be too much for the mixer. It just wouldn’t fit! :)
Brittany says
Wow! This recipe is ah-mazing!!! I am so impressed! When I found this recipe I thought it looked pretty easy, and it is! GREAT recipe and thanks so much for sharing it!
Amanda says
Thanks Brittany! We LOVE this pie too, so glad you enjoyed it!
georgiapeaches says
Just tried this for my husband who loved the French Silk pies from Baker Square (he is from Chicago and we lived there for 15 years). I used egg substitute and Ghiradelli cocoa (since I was in a hurry to get it chilling and only had semi-sweet chocolate in the house!). Turned out great. Thanks!!
Amanda says
That’s great to know that egg substitute will work!
Lesley says
Tried this recipe today for Thanksgiving. It was terrible. My husband and I couldn’t even eat one slice. I was so sad after reading all of the positive reviews. I followed the recipe as written and the final result tasted nothing like chocolate or any French silk pie I have ever eaten. I’d rather pay bakers square! Thanks anyways.
Amanda says
I’m sorry you had trouble Lesley. If it hadn’t been for me making this recipe for the last five years every Thanksgiving and sometimes on Christmas, AND so many other people having success with it as well, I would wonder what happened. However, all I can say is that you must have done something wrong and not followed the recipe as stated. There are just too many success stories and I’ve never had a problem either. I made two of these for Thanksgiving this year and they were both perfect. It’s possible that it was your ingredients (bad eggs, chocolate too hot instead of cooled, etc) or you could have missed a step. I understand the frustration that goes along with a recipe not working for you and I’m sorry you had to experience that. Hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving though!
Lynn says
I never ended up getting unsalted butter, but I made it anyway. If it’s suppose to be better with unsalted butter, I can’t imagine just how good it can be! It was devine! Love it so much. Thanks for sharing. I’m sure it will be a favorite at every family holiday gathering!
Noreen says
I have made french silk several times (using a very similar recipe.) Mine calls for pwd sugar though and I thought that might be why it was so silky. I can’t wait to try grabulated sugar. mine calls for one less egg and it still has never not set up!
Amanda says
Hi Noreen! While the granulated sugar seems gritty while your making the filling, when it’s setting up in the refrigerator the sugar must melt into the other ingredients because it’s always silky smooth! :)
Lynn says
Does it make a difference if you use butter with salt in it? I plan on making this with my 9 year old daughter for our Thanksgiving dessert! I remember this pie from Bakers Square when I was a teenager. Loved it!
Amanda says
Yes it will make a difference. You’ll want to get the unsalted butter. You will love it! I make it every Thanksgiving and am actually making two this year :)
kelly says
When should I apply the whip cream if I’m making it from whipping cream? I don’t like cool whip, do you have any other suggestions?
Amanda says
You can add it at the same time as the instructions state for the Cool Whip :) I always use the real stuff too, but used the Cool Whip the first year. I’m making two of these pies this year since there’s never any leftovers!
Family travels on a budget says
We used to devour Bakers Square French silk pie. Then the restaurant near us closed. Thank you for this amazing recipe and for bringing back some wonderful memories from 20 years ago!
Amanda says
You’re so welcome, enjoy!
Renee - Kudos Kitchen says
Dang this looks good! Print!
Jean Ashton says
Pie looks delicious..Can’t wait to try it.
I’m comcerned about raw eggs in the pie.. Thought that was a no-no.
Amanda says
Hi Jean! As is mentioned in the post, you can purchase pasteurized eggs if that’s a concern for you. I purchase my eggs from a neighbor who has chickens, so I don’t have to worry about mishandling of government eggs.
Sarah says
Hi Amanda,
I am making this french silk pie for my moms birthday this week. And im just curious to what dark chocolate you used. I bought Ghiradelli 65% dark chocalate and another hersey dark chocolate which i think is 45%. Out of those 2 which would you use?
Cant wait to make this pie as a suprise!
Amanda says
Darn it, sorry sarah! I was traveling and am just getting to my comments :( To answer your question, even though it’s probably too late, this recipe uses UNSWEETENED chocolate. Therefore neither of the ones you mentioned are the right kind as they both contain sugar. Your pie could end up too sweet. Look in the baking aisle, I usually get the Baker’s brand, in an orange box, here’s a photo http://www.flickr.com/photos/61333659@N04/5757319392/
Fay says
I made this pie today and it is WONDERFUL!!!! It is not gritty at all. It is like pure silk. I followed your directions and it came out perfect!!!! This will be a staple of mine because it is so easy to make!!!! Thank you for the recipe!!!!
Amanda says
So glad you liked it Fay!!
Valerie says
I loved making this pie! I live in Dubai and can’t find pasteurized eggs, so I did it myself, cover eggs in water in a saucepan and bring the temperature up to 140* F (I used a sugar thermometer) keep at 140* (no higher than 142*) for 3 mins (med eggs) the use straight away, or refrigerate. Gave me a good piece of mind. Thanks for sharing!
Amanda says
Fantastic! So glad you liked it!
Bernadette says
I just made this pie this morning. It is setting up perfect. I sampled the wares & I have to say, its delicious!!!
Amanda says
Awesome! So glad you are enjoying it, wish I could have a slice right now!
Hilary says
Poppin’ Fresh French Silk, and only that particular brand of french silk, is the only french silk pie worth eating. Therefore, I’m willing to take a stab at your recipe…but had a question. I note the pictures show the pie baked in a tart pan (convex bottom), not a traditional pie pan. Do you always make your recipe in the pictured pan? If so, that might explain some of the anomalies your blog readers have experienced…
Amanda says
Hi Hilary. I agree that Baker’s Square (aka Poppin’ Fresh) French Silk is the only French Silk worth eating :) And this one. No, I only made this pie once in this tart pan, but I doubt that any of my readers used a tart pan. Either way, it works great in the pictured pan or in a regular pie pan. I have made this many, many times as have many of my readers and all have had excellent results. There was one person who experienced a runny texture, but my guess would be, due to the overall success of this recipe every time I have made it, is that there was human error involved. I hope you try it, it’s truly marvelous. But you really have to wait until the following day to taste test it, it WILL taste better the next day. I promise :)
Jack H. says
My filling always turns out gritty i can not get it to be smooth! HELP ME!!!!
Amanda says
Hi Jack! I t actually will be gritty at first. After it sits in the fridge over night the sugar grittiness will dissolve into the filling and it will be nice and silky :)
Amanda V says
I love love love this pie! I actually am not a huge fan of Baker’s Square’s (Village Inn in my state)French Silk, but my sister is so I made this for her – and it was so much better than VI’s! There were leftovers (shocking, I know) so this was my “dinner” for several days afterwards, no regrets :)
I plan on making it again for Easter!
Amanda says
Ha ha! That’s awesome Amanda! I love that it was your dinner, LOL
Amanda says
Mine isn’t hard. I gave it many hours. Tell me what to do.
Amanda says
Hi Amanda. Without knowing all of the steps that you took, how long you beat everything, and if you used the suggested ingredients I can’t be much help. :-( If it has not sat overnight, I would suggest that first. If it’s still not set up by morning (which it really should have been after just an hour or so) then there may have been an ingredient missed or a step not followed correctly. I’ve made this recipe at least 15 times, so I know that it works, the best I could suggest would be to try again and make sure that you follow the recipe exactly. I’m sorry I can’t be of more help!
Gail says
I made this, but changed it up by making raspberry whipped cream for the topping. French silk and raspberry pie! Yum! Thanks for sharing!
Amanda says
Sounds amazing!