Old Fashioned Chocolate Chess Pie is a terrific treat. The ingredients for this easy Chocolate Chess Pie Recipe are a staple in most pantries which makes it a go-to pie for holidays or anytime.

We love desserts that are rich and delicious like Slow Cooker Apple Bread Pudding with Salted Caramel Drizzle and Pumpkin Spice Muffins.

Chocolate Chess Pie on a plate
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Chocolate Chess Pie Recipe

This Chocolate Chess Pie is a family favorite and a Southern tradition. If you are looking for a terrific pie to celebrate the holidays, this pie is for you.

Pour Chocolate into pie crust

My name is Diane and I am contributor for Jenn at Princess Pinky Girl. I blog about easy recipes at Recipes for our Daily Bread.

What is Chess Pie?

Chess Pie is a Southern specialty. It has a simple filling of eggs, sugar, butter, and a small amount of cornmeal and flour. Yes, Cornmeal! Do not worry. You cannot taste the cornmeal and magically this pie comes out smooth and creamy.

Chess pie is a cousin to Buttermilk Pie and Egg Custard Pie. If you have had either one of these pies, they have similar ingredients but with a slightly different taste and texture.

Chocolate Chess Pie slice

Why is it called chess pie?

While the origin of chess pie is unknown, it is thought that it could possibly have been a mistake! Well, the pronunciation was a mistake. Some people think that the intention was to call it “cheese pie” because of the combination of the butter, sugar and eggs that give it a custard-ish texture.

How easy is chess pie to make?

Chocolate Chess Pie is actually super easy to make! You are basically just combining the ingredients using an electric or stand up mixer and pour it into a pre-made pie shell! Then baking for about an hour.

Chocolate Chess Pie Ingredients in mixing bowl

Old Fashioned Chess Pie A Holiday Tradition For Decades

Every Thanksgiving and Christmas you will see a Chess Pie on our holiday table of desserts. Usually, my mother-in-law makes the pies. She typically prepares a Chess pie without the Chocolate.

Floy, my mother-in-law, also makes her famous Pecan Pie. She grew up in Tennessee. Her mother, Ma Willie, who also grew up in Tennessee made these pies for her family.

Chocolate Chess Pie baked

I grew up in South Alabama where we had plenty of pecans. You guess it. Growing up, pecan pie was a staple on our holiday table. Like Floy and Ma Willie, we had a chess pie too and I still love them today.

Making Chess Pie For My Family

When I started making chess pie for my family, being the chocolate lover, I am I added chocolate to the recipe. Chocolate Chess pie has become one of my favorite chocolate pies.

It is full of chocolate and super creamy. If you live in the south, chances are you have had a chess pie. Chess pie is a Southern tradition, and now you can taste why.

Ingredients needed for Chocolate Chess Pie Recipe:

  • Sugar
  • All-purpose flour
  • Yellow cornmeal
  • Salt
  • Cocoa Powder
  • Eggs
  • Butter
  • Buttermilk
  • Vanilla
  • Unbaked pie crust

Does Chocolate Chess Pie need to be refrigerated

After the pie has completely cooled (about 2-3 hours), you should loosely cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Chocolate Chess Pie - Old fashioned recipe

Pre-made pie crust vs homemade pie crust

If you are looking to make this recipe super easy, go with the pre-made, store-bought crust. However, if you want to totally make this from scratch we have a really easy and delicious graham cracker pie crust recipe.

Whichever way you go, our Chocolate Chess Pie is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

How to make a graham cracker pie crust

  • 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (I prefer to store-bought already crushed crumbs, rather than crushing them yourself
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 6 tablespoons butter

Melt the butter, mix all ingredients together and press into 8 or 9-inch pie dish. Bake at 375 for 8 minutes. Let cool completely.

More Easy Pie Recipes

Southern Chocolate Chess Pie Recipe
4.65 from 17 votes
Chocolate Chess Pie Square Featured Image

Chocolate Chess Pie

Serves — 8
The ingredients for this easy Chocolate Chess Pie are a staple in most pantries which makes it a go-to pie for holidays or anytime.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 – ¾ cups sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 2 Tablespoon yellow cornmeal
  • cup cocoa powder
  • ¼ Teaspoon salt
  • 4 eggs beaten
  • ½ cup butter 1 stick, melted
  • ½ cup buttermilk
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla
  • 1 unbaked pie crust

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven 350 degrees.
  • Prepare the bottom of the pie crust by rubbing 1 tablespoon softened butter on the bottom. Next, sprinkle 1 tablespoon sugar on top of the butter.
  • In a large bowl combine the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, cornmeal and salt.
  • Add the wet ingredients which includes the melted butter, buttermilk, vanilla, and 4 beaten eggs.
  • Pour the mixture into the unbaked pie crust and sprinkle the top with nutmeg or all-spice.
  • Bake for 45 minutes or until the filling is set.

Nutrition Info

Calories: 426kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 114mg | Sodium: 299mg | Potassium: 87mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 45g | Vitamin A: 498IU | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 1mg

Original Photo from Post:

A piece of cake on a plate, with Chocolate and Chess pie

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4.65 from 17 votes (12 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. 4 stars
    So I made this pie and it tastes delicious! But when I cut it, it had separated into 2 very distinct layers… chocolate custard on top and yellow custard on the bottom! It was very well mixed in the kitchen aide… why do you think this happened??? PS… it was still very pretty… just not what I was expecting…

  2. Help! I’ve made this pie several times over the last year, but now the amounts are not listed next to the ingredients! I don’t have it printed, have just always referred back to the site and followed directions from there. Can you put the amounts back or email me the recipe? I have everything ready to make this for family tonight, but don’t have the amounts memorized. Thanks!

    1. 5 stars
      Any pie with eggs needs to
      Be refrigerated. If you use pasteurized eggs you will reduce the risk of
      Spoilage. If Iโ€™m doubt refrigerate a recipe with eggs.

  3. I made your chocolate chess pie and it took 1 hr. 15 minutes to cook. And, maybe needed even more. I accidently touch the top when taking it out of the oven and the top caved in. Too bad too take to bake sale.

    1. 4 stars
      I find if the mixture is beaten slowly as to not get frothy, it will have less top crust.
      I have carefully removed the top crust on occasion.

  4. I can’t wait to make this but have a question. It reads to place ingredients in a pre-baked pie shell but the list of ingredients calls for an unbaked pie crust. The bake time seems long for a pre-baked pie crust but since I haven’t made this yet I’m not sure. Can someone please clarify? Thanks.

  5. GOOD MORNING JENN,

    I love this Chocolate Chess Pie! I am thrilled to be able to share it with your readers.
    THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
    Blessings,
    Diane