This old fashioned no bake chocolate pie was adapted from a 1983 Hershey's ad, and it's still a winner today. The light and fluffy mousse-like filling comes together in minutes with just a few pantry ingredients, and the fridge does the rest!
This recipe for No Bake Chocolate Pie originally ran in a 1983 Hershey's magazine called "5-Minute Recipes." My mom clipped it out and tucked it into her recipe binder.
5 minutes might be a little bit of a stretch unless you’re a wizard in the kitchen (I’d give it 10 minutes) but it IS really easy, and it is really fast for a pie. Part of the ease is using a store-bought crust, either a chocolate cookie crust or a graham cracker crust.
The filling is light and fluffy, with plenty of chocolate flavor. It reminded me a lot of this reader-favorite peanut butter pie. After the first bite, we all went quiet before someone said "wow!" My husband and the boys made quick work of their slices, and my husband didn't want to share any with the neighbors, haha! (I send most recipes over to them for additional taste testers). I hope you love it as much as we did!
Kate’s Chocolate Pie Making Tips
- Soften the cream cheese before you get started. Give it a few hours at room temperature or follow these instructions for how to soften butter in the microwave (it works for cream cheese, too).
- Cocoa powder is prone to lumps, so sift it into the bowl with a mesh strainer for a really smooth chocolate filling.
- The original recipe called for a graham cracker crust, but I can never resist extra chocolate, so I swapped it for a chocolate cookie crust. I used Keebler brand. Either one is delicious.
- The pie is great on its own, but I really loved the additional whipped cream + mini chocolate chips on top. The mini chocolate chips add a little crunchy texture to contrast with the creamy pie.
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Ingredients
You’ll just need half of an 8-ounce block of cream cheese. Use the rest for spreading on bagels, or if your family loves the pie as much as mine, you’ll want to make another one!
To make the pie with real whipped cream instead of Cool Whip, beat 2 cups heavy whipping cream with ¼ cup sugar until stiff peaks form, then fold it in the same way. The original recipe suggests this swap, too!
How to Make No Bake Chocolate Pie
- Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla together until fluffy.
- Beat in the cocoa powder and milk.
- Fold in the whipped topping.
- Pour the filling in a pie crust (graham cracker crust or chocolate cookie crust). Refrigerate for 4 hours and serve!
How To store the Pie
One thing I love about this pie: it can be stored in the fridge OR the freezer. When it’s stored in the fridge, it’s light and fluffy, creamy, and very mousse-like. When it’s stored in the freezer, it’s more of an ice cream pie.
I tried it both ways and both are delightful! I’d lean toward the frozen pie in the summer (extra refreshing) and the refrigerated version the rest of the year.
Either way, cover the pie gently so it doesn’t pick up any fridge or freezer odors. You’re going to dollop some more whipped topping/whipped cream on top anyway, so don’t worry too much about messing up the top of it.
📖 Recipe
No Bake Chocolate Pie
Ingredients
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ⅓ cup milk
- 1 container (8 oz) Cool Whip (thawed)
- 1 chocolate OR graham cracker pie crust (9 inch, store-bought or homemade)
- For garnish: additional Cool Whip or whipped cream, mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, beat 4 ounces cream cheese, ½ cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla until smooth and well blended.
- Place ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder in a mesh strainer and sift into the cream cheese mixture. Pour ⅓ cup milk over the top, and beat until combined.
- Gently fold in 1 container (8 oz) Cool Whip (thawed) until well combined with no streaks.
- Spoon the filling into 1 chocolate OR graham cracker pie crust and smooth the top.
- Refrigerate until firm, at least 4 hours or overnight. You can also freeze the pie if you prefer a firmer, ice cream pie texture.
- Garnish with additional whipped topping and mini chocolate chips before serving, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
More Chocolate Desserts
If you enjoy chocolate as much as I do, here are a few of my favorite classic chocolate desserts to check out next:
- Chocolate Delight is a creamy layered treat from the 1970s
- Chocolate Eclair Cake is another layered dessert, this time from the ’80s, and quite easy to make
- It is so fun to have people guess the secret ingredient in Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake
- My grandma’s Chocolate Drop Cookies are a family favorite around the holidays each year
More Old Fashioned Pies
Want more pie inspiration? Check out these cool and cream pies next!
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