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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Kristen Czupryn says
Can not wait to try this! I found your crust recipe from the blueberry pie. How do I bake it to use it for the base of this pie?
Amanda Formaro says
You would need to completely bake the pie crust since this is a no-bake pie. Bake the crust for about 10 minutes and check it. Keep an eye on it, so it doesn’t get too brown. Adjust up or down as needed!
Bethany Olson says
Perfect the first time, thanks to my trusty KitchenAid and your great recipe! French Silk from Bakers Square has always been my guilty pleasure, but now i can whip this up whenever I have a special occasion! I would never have guessed at the ingredients but it came together just as you said, no grainy texture after an overnight chill of the filling. Thank you!
Amanda Formaro says
Awesome! I just made mine yesterday, they are chilling in the fridge :)
Constance Ransbottom says
Did Bakers square use whipped cream or a Cool Whip like topping??
Amanda Formaro says
I don’t know, but I’m guessing whipped cream. You can use either.
Amanda says
Is it safe to use bittersweet chocolate?
Melissa says
Something went wrong. This recipe looks so good. But mine did not stiffen up instead it was like a runny pudding the next day. Not sure what happened ,might try it again.
Amanda Formaro says
Definitely something wasn’t measured or mixed right. Sorry you had trouble! Make sure you follow each step and mix for the full amount of time stated. :)
Nicole says
Read somewhere that the eggs need to be at room temp otherwise risk having a runny filling
Kelly Pompa says
Does this French Silk pie taste anything like Tippin’s French Silk Pie ?
Amanda Formaro says
Hmm I’ve never heard of Tippin’s. It tastes just like Baker’s Square though!
Susan B says
If I am making your whipped topping, when do I put it on the pie? I know Cool Whip can sit on it overnight, but will homemade get watery and flatten out if you put it on the night before? Thanks!
Amanda Formaro says
It will be fine overnight refrigerated :)
Debbie says
This was a HUGE hit! Delicious and true to the original. Thanks for the recipe, it’s going to be one I do again and again, I can just tell.
I did pasteurize the eggs, thanks for the directions on that, just to be on the safe side. Though, a lifetime of raw cookie dough and cake batter has never gotten the best of me.
Tiffany H says
I’m very interested in making this pie! My husband’s favorite was the peanut butter chocolate pie at Baker’s Square. Do you have a copy cat recipe for that one?
Amanda Formaro says
I don’t, but I will be on the lookout! I wonder if different layers of this one and my peanut butter pie would work https://amandascookin.com/no-bake-peanut-butter-pie/ Actually I just looked it up and I bet it would! Looks like a small layer of chocolate and then a lot of peanut butter with PB cups mixed in.
Leticia Thorell says
Do you have a recipe for the crust? Store-bought gives me chills…
Amanda Formaro says
We do have a homemade crust recipe in this post https://amandascookin.com/blueberry-pie/
Ari says
Hello!
I just made this last night and put it in the fridge to chill overnight and it looks absolutely delicious!
But I realized this morning I had used unpasteurized eggs and didn’t pasteurize the eggs at home before putting them in since I thought they were already.
Would the pie still be safe to eat?
Amanda Formaro says
I have never pasteurized my eggs and have been making this pie for 15 years. I’ve made it with store bought eggs as well as farm fresh eggs. I make it every Thanksgiving, Christmas, and sometimes at Easter. I am not a health expert or a doctor so anything you choose to do is at your own risk. :) You have to do what you feel comfortable doing.
Danni says
Amanda please HELP! The first time I made you pie it was great, flavor is spot on, consistency and texture were perfect. Now the last couple times I’ve made it the filling seems to be thick it’s not a smooth velvety texture. I re-read your instructions and completely skipped the step of chilling the filling before adding it to the crust is this why my consistency is off? Any tips? Love this recipe and will not even look at another.
Amanda Formaro says
Hmm chilling the filling first is just so it’s a little thicker when you add it to the crust, so that wouldn’t be the issue. Did you change any ingredients at all? Use margarine instead of butter, use a chocolate that contains sugar. etc?
Jane says
Do you think I could use pasteurized egg whites instead of eggs? Or do you need the yolks? Quarantine supply problems :)
Amanda Formaro says
To be honest, this is one of those recipes that I wouldn’t substitute. I’ve personally never tried it without the yolks :/
Amy says
Is it possible to sub unsweetened cocoa powder for unsweetened chocolate?
Amanda Formaro says
Hi Amy. I have to preface this by saying that I have NOT tried this substitution, and I cannot guarantee that it will work. I found this tip on a reputable website.
“3 level tablespoons unsweetened cocoa and 1 tablespoon butter, margarine or shortening for every 1-ounce unsweetened baking chocolate.”
Hope that helps!
laura says
The hit of Christmas! Will never buy a French Silk Pie again – Since we primarily love the filling, I skipped the crust and just served it like a mousse. You’re right … it’s great after sitting for several hours, but even better the next day. Thank you for sharing!
Amanda Formaro says
Hooray! Glad you loved it as much as we do!!
jennifer says
Last night I made a recipe similar to this (Ree Drummond’s). I am a big fan of Baker’s Square French Silk Pie so I’ve made several different ones. Most times, I get a stiff filling. It always tastes good and is smooth and creamy when it goes into the crust, but the next day, it’s hard and semi-crumbly. Do you know what I”m doing wrong? It’s so disappointing to waste ingredients and have a sub-par pie.
Amanda Formaro says
Hmm without looking at Ree’s I’m not sure. I’ve never had that problem with my recipe and have been making it for a long time. I have two pies in the fridge right now. The consistency is the same as Baker’s Square. I’m so sorry you’ve had trouble with other recipes, I hope you get a chance to try mine some day!
jennifer says
It’ll be my next attempt! Hers is the exact same — except 4 oz melted chocolate. She says to add cold eggs ONE at a time with 5 minutes between so it beats for 20 minutes total. Do you use room temperature eggs or straight from the fridge?
Michelle says
Looks delicious!
Amanda Formaro says
It’s my favorite!
Kashipan says
I had a problem with this pie darkening and setting, too. I waited from about 7pm the night I made it, until noon the next day. It tastes great, but a mousse type thing wasn’t what I was going for.
Probably a word to the wise about waiting for the chocolate to cool, too – Don’t wait TOO long. I’m pretty familiar with melting and tempering chocolate, so it wasn’t a problem to get it melted, but I cooled it just to the point where it might’ve started to harden, and by the time I mixed it into the filling, it started to harden into pieces. Kind of neat if you want little crispy bits of chocolate in your filling, but I wasn’t expecting that. For anyone who might obsess over that, I’d definitely say don’t worry about it cooling within an inch of its melted life.
Marissa says
I made this pie exactly as written and it still hasn’t darkened. I keep checking to make sure it really only called for 2oz of chocolate. It tastes good, from the little I’ve sampled (serving it for a party tonight) but it doesn’t taste chocolatey. Any ideas where I went wrong? Filling is the color of peanut butter.
Marissa says
PS. I made it yesterday afternoon
Amanda Formaro says
I’m curious to hear how it was? And you used unsweetened chocolate?
Tina says
Im guessing you used regular chocolate, it calls for unsweetened chocolate which is bakers chocolate found in the baking isle, its very bitter and very dark in color.
Amanda Formaro says
Not regular chocolate – 2 ounces UNSWEETENED chocolate. The sugar in the recipe takes care of sweetening the pie. If you use a chocolate other than unsweetened, it will be too rich.
Janet says
I made this recipe exactly as instructions said to except my husband was so sad I was taking it to work that I made 1 1/2 times the recipe and left a smaller pie for him. It turned out perfectly and just like Baker’s Square. I live in Ohio and so could still just go and buy one of their pies but this one was even better! Thanks!
Amanda Formaro says
thanks so much Janet! So glad you guys loved it as much as we do, and thank you for stopping by and leaving such a nice comment :)
Jodi says
I made this last night and I can’t for the LIFE of me figured out what happened :(( I made sure everything was cooled. Added eggs 2 beat for 5 minutes. Added an egg beat for 5 minutes added the 4th egg and beat for 5 minutes. (Someone else said they did this.) The only thing I can think of is that the batter did not chill and rest for long enough. It was about 30 to 45 minutes before I put it in the crust. Chilled it covered overnight. Complete soup… a runny pudding :( the flavor was PHENOMENAL!!!! It was so rich and even had a fluffy texture. It would have been easily been just as good as Bakers Square if I could get it to set… I really want to try it again. Can you give me any help?
Amanda Formaro says
Hi Jodi. First I apologize for not seeing this comment sooner :( I’m not sure what might have gone wrong without knowing everything. Are you sure you had the right amount of sugar and butter? The eggs should be added two at a time, I don’t know if beating them too long could have been the undoing. I’m so sorry you had trouble.
Tanya Little says
Read All of Amanda’s tips, this is The best recipe! I use 3 ounces of chocolate and a Tablespoon of vanilla 😋 Your butter should be Cold, soft enough for the beaters to get through it but still as cold as possible, if your beating the mixture and it’s starting to get warm put it in the fridge for about 20-40 mins and then finish adding eggs (2 at a time by the way!) and beating for the 5 min intervals. Total beating time should be at least 10 mins but no more than about 12 mins. You can pour it right into your cooled crust right away, then stick about 6 toothpicks in the pie (to keep saran wrap away from filling) and cover with saran wrap and put in the fridge overnight, then top with whipped cream. The filling HAS to stay pretty cold or it gets soupy. Also try using an Oreo Cookie crust!! Its THE BEST!!