Chocolate Pudding Pie with Graham Cracker Crust

Creamy Chocolate Pudding Pie with Graham Cracker Crust features rich, homemade chocolate pudding on a crisp cookie crust. This classic dessert is topped with sweet and fluffy whipped topping for the perfect finishing touch.

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You’re sure to be familiar with this beloved staple of a dessert! Ultra chocolatey pudding made from a luscious blend of cream cheese and heavy cream is so smooth and delicious you’ll definitely want more than one slice.

And don’t forget the lightly crisp, sweet, and buttery crust! I love a graham cracker crust, and this one does not disappoint. You’ll finish the pie with Cool Whip for a pillowy soft finish that’s elevated just a little bit more with chocolate shavings. Can you tell I really love this one? It’s sure to become a go-to in your collection of dessert recipes!

top down image of chocolate pudding pie with graham cracker crust.

Chocolate Pudding Pie with Graham Cracker Crust Recipe

This classic, almost no-bake dessert pie is a keeper for so many reasons: It’s loaded with chocolate flavor and has wonderfully contrasting textures between the crisp cookie crust and the ultra-creamy filling. Plus, it’s so easy to make! You’ll just need a few minutes of baking time in the oven to prepare the crust. The rest of the pie comes together quickly on the stove.

If you can, use good-quality chocolate chips from a brand like Guittard. Trust me, you’ll be able to taste the difference when using higher-quality chocolate!

I love serving chocolate pudding pie with graham cracker crust all throughout the year whenever I want a dessert that feels ultra-rich and special. It’s a dream of a pie, smooth and rich with just enough snap from the crust. You’ll make this one again and again!

For more decadent chocolate recipes, try my Chocolate Cream Pie or Homemade Chocolate Cake recipes!

Whisk

Measuring Spoons

Liquid Measuring Cups

Rubber Spatula

ingredients to make chocolate pudding pie with graham cracker crust.

Ingredients for Chocolate Pudding Pie with Graham Cracker Crust

See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

Graham Cracker Crust

Graham crackers – You’ll crush the graham crackers to form the crust for the pie.
Brown sugar – You can use light or dark brown sugar.
Butter – I use unsalted butter in the crust so it doesn’t make it too salty.
Salt

Chocolate Pudding

Cocoa powder – Use unsweetened cocoa powder so that the pudding is not overly sweet!
Brown sugar – You can use light or dark brown sugar.
Cornstarch – Cornstarch is used to thicken up the pudding.
Salt – A little salt balances the sweetness of the filling.
Milk – I use whole milk for richness in this recipe, but you could also use 2% milk.
Chocolate chips – Use bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips.
Vanilla extract – Pure vanilla extract will give the best flavor.
Cream cheese – Cream cheese adds a smooth texture to the pudding.
Heavy cream – For intense richness, heavy cream is the way to go!
Powdered sugar – Powdered sugar adds sweetness without affecting the texture of the pudding.
Cool Whip – Cool Whip serves as the topping for the pie.

Variations

Use whipped cream for the topping – You can also use store-bought or homemade whipped cream for the topping in place of Cool Whip.
Top the pie with chocolate shavings – To take it up a notch, scatter curls or shavings of chocolate over the topping.
Use a store-bought crust – While I recommend making your own graham cracker crust, if you are short on time you can use a purchased crust to cut down your prep time.

graham cracker crust prepared glass pie dish.

chocolate ganache for chocolate pudding pie filling.

How to Make Chocolate Pudding Pie with Graham Cracker Crust

Heat the oven: Preheat your oven to 350℉.
Make the crust: Mix the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, melted butter, and salt together in a large mixing bowl, until the ingredients are wet and coarse like sand.
Place the crust in a pan and bake it: Press the graham cracker mix into a 9” pie pan. Bake the crust for 8 minutes. Then, remove it from the oven, and set it aside to cool.
Make the pudding: Add the unsweetened cocoa powder, brown sugar, cornstarch, and salt to a medium-sized pot. Whisk together well so there are no cornstarch clumps.
Whisk in the milk: Add the milk to the pot and whisk again.
Add the chocolate: Bring the pudding mix to a simmer on the stove. Then, stir in the chocolate chips until they melt and the pudding is thick. Make sure to stir constantly as the pudding cooks so it does not burn to the bottom of the pan!
Stir in the vanilla and cool: Remove the pot from the heat, and stir in the vanilla. Place the pudding in the fridge to chill for 2-3 hours.
Whip the filling ingredients: Whip the cream cheese, heavy cream, and powdered sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer. Whisk until the mix is thick and looks like whipped cream.
Combine the filling ingredients: Fold the chilled chocolate pudding into the whipped cream until no streaks remain.
Spread the chocolate mix evenly into the crust: Spread the chocolate pudding mix into the graham cracker crust, making it nice and even.
Chill: Cover the pudding with plastic wrap, and chill the pie for at least 4 hours.
Top with Cool Whip: Remove the pie from the fridge, and spread the Cool Whip topping evenly on top. Finally, decorate with a little cocoa powder sprinkle, a few chocolate curls, or some mini chocolate chips- get creative!

Quick Tip

For easy, clean pieces of pie, use a sharp knife, run it under hot water, and wipe it clean after each slice. This will prevent crumbs from sticking to the cut lines!

close up image of finished no-bake chocolate pudding pie with graham cracker crust.

Quick Tip

You can make the pie up to 24 hours in advance. This ensures the filling sets completely! Chilling the pie also allows the chocolate flavor to deepen, becoming even more bold and indulgent.

How to Store Chocolate Pudding Pie with Graham Cracker Crust

Cover the chocolate pudding pie loosely with plastic or foil, making sure not to let the cover touch the topping. Store the pie in the fridge for up to 5 days. Serve cold when you’re ready to eat.

FAQs

Does chocolate pudding pie need to be refrigerated?

Chocolate pudding pie with graham cracker crust contains a lot of dairy products, meaning it must be stored in the fridge in order to stay fresh and safe to eat.

Is it better to bake or chill a graham cracker crust?

I recommend always baking graham cracker crusts, even when using them for a no-bake pie recipe. This helps it become golden and crisp. Just be sure to let it cool completely before adding the filling!

Why doesn’t my chocolate pie set up?

If your pie is runny, you may not have measured the thickener (cornstarch) correctly (cornstarch in this recipe), the filling wasn’t cooked long enough to thicken, or the filling wasn’t cooled properly.