Chocolate Pudding Pie

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 20 mins

Chill : 2 hrs

Total: 2 hrs 30 mins

Servings: 8 servings

Yield: 1 pie

Chocolate pudding pie is a great recipe to have at hand as it requires very little work on your part and makes a wonderful and decadent dessert that is as fun as it is delicious. Using instant pudding is a home cooking trick that you need to master because it makes wonderful dishes come together in the blink of an eye. Our recipe uses very few ingredients and there aren't many steps, but it does require at least 2 hours in the fridge. Thus, plan ahead, as the more time the pudding has to set, the easier it will be to slice it. Top with whipped cream and your favorite berries, or add chocolate shavings or both! This pie is great for summer gatherings as it is refreshing and not overly sweet. Although we have the instructions on how to make the graham cracker crust, if you are pressed for time, just buy the ready-made kind as it will also work well. This is a great recipe for a novice cook because the only thing you need is a whisk; no technical skills are required.

Instant pudding is a powder composed of sugar, flavors, thickeners, and in the case of the chocolate type, cocoa powder. Although not dairy free, instant pudding is, in general, free of wheat ingredients and thus safe for gluten-free diets. However, check your labels when buying. To make the whole dessert gluten free, use gluten-free graham crackers. The beauty of instant pudding is that you don't even need to cook it on the stove, as other traditional pudding mixtures require. A good mix is creamy and ready to use in a few minutes. Many brands carry low-sugar instant pudding and even sugar-free, so if you want to keep your sugar in check and are looking to make a lighter version, go ahead and use one of these types of pudding. But if you are making our recipe without swaps, consider adding other ingredients to make it even more irresistible: top the cream with plenty of chocolate chips and peanut butter cups, or serve with a fudgy salted caramel sauce for contrast in flavor with the deep, rich chocolate.

If you need a last-minute dessert, consider the deconstructed version of this pie: layer instant chocolate pudding and graham cracker crumbs in individual cups, chill for one hour, and top with whipped cream and the fruits of your choice.

Ingredients

For the Crust:

• 5 tablespoons (2 1/2 ounces) unsalted butter

• 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

For the Filling:

• 2 (3.9-ounce) packages instant chocolate pudding

• 2 cups milk

For the Whipped Cream:

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

• 1 cup fresh raspberries, for garnish

• Chocolate shavings, for garnish

Steps to Make It

1. Gather the ingredients.

   

2. To make the crust, place the butter in a microwave-safe dish and heat until melted, about 1 minute.

   

3. Mix melted butter and graham cracker crumbs until moistened.

   

4. Press into a 9-inch pie plate and freeze 10 minutes.

   

5. For the filling, whisk together chocolate pudding mix and milk for about 2 minutes, or until completely smooth.

   

6. Pour into prepared crust, smoothing out the top. Refrigerate until set, 1 to 2 hours.

   

7. With an electric mixer, beat heavy cream and confectioners’ sugar on low speed until sugar is incorporated, then switch to high, and beat until whipped.

   

8. Spoon whipped cream over the pudding pie.

   

9. Garnish chocolate pudding pie with fresh raspberries and shaved chocolate, if desired. Serve and enjoy!

   

Tip

• If you'd prefer not to make the graham cracker crust at home, the store-bought variety works well too.

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories	309
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 21g	27%
Saturated Fat 12g	62%
Cholesterol 58mg	19%
Sodium 239mg	10%
Total Carbohydrate 27g	10%
Dietary Fiber 2g	8%
Total Sugars 12g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 7mg	34%
Calcium 147mg	11%
Iron 1mg	5%
Potassium 235mg	5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.