French Silk Pie is a dreamy chocolate mousse topped with fluffy whipped cream and shaved chocolate. Our recipe tastes just like Baker’s Square’s famous pie; rich, decadent, and delicious.
Why this recipe works
This French silk pie is a dream. The silky chocolate filling is rich with decadence and beats the store-bought frozen pies by a mile. I was inspired by my absolute favorite pie growing up from Baker’s Square, and I think this recipe hits the nail on the head.
French silk pie is really easy to prepare with a few important tips. We love it so much we’ve even transformed them into mini French silk pies that are great for parties. There isn’t a holiday that goes by that I don’t make this pie, it’s famous in my household! Each bite is full of silky chocolate indulgence topped with mounds of whipped cream.
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
CHOCOLATE – You will need unsweetened chocolate for this recipe. Melt it and be sure to cool it completely before incorporating.
EGGS – 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.
BUTTER – 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 temperature for about 20-30 minutes.
CRUST – We used a store-bought pie crust, but homemade pie crust always adds an extra special touch. Check out our how to make pie crust recipe if you don’t already have one on hand. You’ve probably also seen this pie made with an Oreo cookie crust, which is another great option. Visit our Bailey’s cheesecake recipe for an Oreo cookie crust recipe or use a premade one from the store.
TOPPING – 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.
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.
Tips Before You Begin
- Make the filling first. The filling will be pale in color but will sometimes 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. 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. If you are using Cool Whip, go ahead and top the pie right away 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.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
Your pie filling may look grainy when mixing in the bowl, but don’t fret, simply beat it for several minutes until light and fluffy, about 6-7 minutes. The cause of graininess in your French silk pie is due to the sugar granules, which will melt while chilling overnight in the refrigerator. This isn’t necessarily a make-and-serve kind of pie. Be sure to chill it overnight for best results!
Yes, I highly suggest making this pie at least a day in advance. Though you can also make it up to 2 days in advance to save you even more time. Because we don’t bake this pie, you want to allow it ample time to set up in the refrigerator otherwise the pie may be grainy.
Store the pie covered with an air-tight lid or wrapped with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.Â
Yes, you can freeze 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, 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.
Serving Suggestions
You can dress up the French silk pie by shaving some bittersweet chocolate through a mandolin or a vegetable peeler. Sprinkle the shavings on the top of the pie. You can also grate the chocolate for garnish. Serve chilled.
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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.Â
- 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
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.
Amanda Davis
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Melissa says
Hi. I was just wondering how long you leave the filling in the fridge before adding it to the pie crust. I want to make the filling before but I’m afraid the filling will set up too much before I can add it to the crust after work.
I’m very excited to try this recipe! Thanks!
Melissa says
Ha. I reread the recipe and see you already say what to do. I’m sorry about that!
Amanda Formaro says
Glad to hear you gave it a try, Melissa! Hope it turned out delicious!
Rich says
Did I miss. Something or are we eating raw eggs?
Amanda Formaro says
Hi Rich, I stated in the note section of this post that there are the use of raw eggs in this recipe. You may use pasteurized eggs if this concerns you. I had linked where you can find out how to make pasteurized eggs in your fridge as well in the note section. :)
Tara says
I am so excited to stumble upon this recipe! I have searched for a Poppin Fresh/Bakers Square French silk pie recipe for years! Thank you for sharing this. Now, if I could just find their cauliflower soup recipe. ;)
Amanda Formaro says
I hope you love it as much as we do!
Cheri Roloff says
Hi Amanda…. I just printed this recipe and am going to make 2 pies for a Christmas family get together…. My son and daughter-in-law just RAVE about these pies, so Mom is going to surprise everyone with them.. Wish me luck
Amanda Formaro says
Woohoo! Most important – make them the day before. They need the overnight time to set. Also, be sure you run the mixer as directed, at the speed suggested and for the full amount of time. Hope you love them! I made two for Thanksgiving and as tradition dictates, will be making two more for Christmas as well ;)
Emily says
I followed this recipe exactly as stated and the chocolate fill was super grainy. Very disappointing and a bit embarrassing as I served it to a large group of guests at Thanksgiving dinner. :( Delete this recipe from my saved pins.
Amanda Formaro says
I’m sorry you had trouble Emily. I hate to say it, and I know no one ever likes to hear it, but the only answer is that you must have done something wrong. It’s possible that you measured something incorrectly, or melted the butter, or not used enough eggs, etc. The scenarios are endless. This recipe has been made successfully by countless people, and I make it every year at Christmas and Thanksgiving without a hitch. In fact, I made two of these pies for Thanksgiving this year and they were perfect like they have been for the last 8 years. I should probably note that I print out this exact recipe every time that I make it. I really do feel bad that something didn’t work out with yours, but I am very confident that it was not the recipe here that caused the issue.
If I had to guess based off of your comment, I would say that you either measured the sugar incorrectly or did not mix for the full amount recommended. This is not a mix for 30 seconds kind of recipe. You must mix for the full amounts stated in the recipe. Another possibility is that you did not allow the pie to sit in the refrigerator overnight. The filling can be a little grainy (that is noted in my post) right after mixing. Allowing it to set up in the fridge gives time for the graininess to melt away.
I’m so sorry! :(
Craig Morgan says
I love this pie. My mother made it all of my life. I always wanted chocolate silk pie instead of cake for my birthday. Unfortunately, sometimes Mom was not too detailed in her instructions on recipes. A friend found her mother’s recipe, but there were parts left out of that. However I have made it for several years following the instructions I had. I do use pasteurized eggs because one of my guest is immunocompromised.
One thing I learned was to use fine granulated sugar. I found “superfine” sugar in a 12oz container. I used that, as well as following your detailed instructions and I think it’s perfect. We will see how everyone else likes it!
Amanda Formaro says
So glad you enjoy it! I’ve always used granulated sugar as the graininess will melt away overnight in the fridge. But using superfine is a great alternative! I hope your guests enjoyed it :)
Brenda Perry says
Do you happen to know how to Make baker squares meringue I would love to use it on other recipes?
Amanda Formaro says
I don’t! But if you are talking about just the meringue topping, that’s just egg whites and sugar whipped on high. Then browned in the oven.
Roxy says
I’d like to make this for Thanksgiving. Can I make the filling a couple days in advance? If so, leave it in the bowl until Wednesday and then fill the crust? Or can I complete the pie, except whip cream on top, a couple days before Thanksgiving?
Amanda Formaro says
I would say it would be better to complete the pie without the whipped cream a couple days before. I usually make mine two days before Thanksgiving. It HAS to sit overnight in the fridge anyway in order for the filling to set up right, so one extra day is never a problem :) Hope you love it as much as we do!
Kellyn says
Do you have a special recipe you use for the whipped topping?? I hate cool whip and would prefer to use the Whipped topping.
Amanda Formaro says
you can just make your own with heavy whipping cream and a spoonful of powdered sugar whipped in a mixer until medium soft peaks are formed.
dewey says
Baker’s Square Chocolate French Silk has a nice, not overwhelming, salt taste to it. I noticed that neither of the recipes called for salt. How can I replicate that slight salt taste? Thank you.
Amanda Formaro says
I have never noticed a salt taste in Baker’s Square French Silk Pie?
Beverly Suhr says
When buying eggs in the grocery store, how do you know if they are pasteurized? Does it say so on the carton?
We love that pie but have always found it to be a little sweet. Can you get away with using less sugar?
Amanda Formaro says
Yes it should say right on the carton that they have been pasteurized. As for the sugar, I have not tried that so I can’t say for sure.
Pete says
For the pie shell do you recommend a regular or deep dish shell.
Thx!
Amanda Formaro says
Hi Pete! I have used both, so whichever you prefer.
Tina Crane says
You have listed 4 eggs but the filling is NOT cooked. I’m a little concerned about eating raw eggs.
Amanda Formaro says
That’s correct, the eggs are not cooked. If that concerns you, you can use pasteurized eggs.
Karen says
Bakers Square used to (or maybe still does) make a strawberry french silk pie in February only. Would you have that recipe or any suggestions for making it? Thanks.
Amanda Formaro says
Another person told me about that, I’ve never even heard of it! I’m afraid without ever trying it I wouldn’t be able to make any suggestions for making it.
Robert says
Have made a similar recipe – taste is pretty close to Poppin Fresh/Bakers Square – similar except use powdered sugar and either egg beaters or pasteurized eggs instead – won’t be grainy.
Amanda Formaro says
hi Robert, sounds great! Actually, this one isn’t grainy either, it just seems that way while you are making it. But as the pie sets the sugar melts and the graininess disappears ;-)
Jan says
I have lived for years 1 I/2 miles down the street from first Poppin Fresh, then Bakers Square. Call me crazy but I swear there was a hint of cinnamon in the Poppin Fresh pie that wasn’t there when Bakers Square took over. Nothing obvious, just the occasional taste of cinnamon, like they crushed up cinnamon candy and threw a tiny bit in.
I’m going to make this recipe when the temp drops here in Michigan. After I’ve made it a few times I’ll try a little cinnamon.
Amanda Formaro says
Interesting! I never detected mint in mine, I am curious to hear how yours turns out!
Kimberly Young says
Great recipe, thank you. Have made it several times and it never fails me. I always loved the Bakers Square French Silk Almond so of course I added some almond flavoring and it tasted just like I remember!
Amanda Formaro says
Hi Kimberly! I don’t think I’ve ever had the almond version but I bet it’s spectacular!
Laura says
This used to be one of my FAVORITE pies growing up. I can’t wait to try it!
Amanda Formaro says
Hope you like it Laura, it definitely one of our favorites :)
Therese says
Could you be a bit more specific in terms of melting and cooling the chocolate before adding? I’m a rookie in the kitchen and know that chocolate can be a bit finicky. Should I simply melt it in a pot on the stove? And how cool is cool? I’m concerned that it will harden again before I have the chance to mix it in.
-Thanks!
Amanda Formaro says
Hi Therese. You can melt it in the microwave or using the double boiler method on the stove. You only heat the chocolate long enough to melt it, you don’t want it to get really hot. I usually microwave for 30-60 seconds first, depends on your wattage, and stir, then in 20 seconds increments after that. When you get to a point that there’s only small pieces left, you can usually stir it several times and those small pieces will melt without further heating. Chocolate that contains more sugar (milk chocolate and semisweet chocolate) are more finicky that bittersweet or unsweetened. it’s the additional sugar that usually causes a problem. Go ahead and melt the chocolate just before you turn on the mixer for the rest of the pie. That should give it enough time to cool :) Hope that helps!
Jeanine Hill says
This pie looks wonderful.
I’m just wondering what size pie pan to use?
I hope I didn’t miss this information earlier in the recipe.
Thanks
Amanda Formaro says
Just a standard pie plate. I used deep dish once and that worked too, but normally I just use whatever size the standard is, like the foil pans you can buy. I think that’s 9-inch?