This chocolate chess pie recipe is a Southern custard pie set with cocoa and butter. It is not pecan pie and not the molten lava cake on Your Daily Hit.
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Chocolate Chess Pie
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
Chocolate chess pie with cocoa custard. From Alissa at Yummy Dishes.
Ingredients
- 1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust
- 1 1/2 cups (300g) sugar
- 1/4 cup (21g) cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon cornmeal
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs
- 1/3 cup (80ml) evaporated milk
- 1/2 cup (113g) melted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Whisk sugar, cocoa, cornmeal, and salt.
- Whisk in eggs, milk, butter, and vanilla until the filling is glossy and even.
- Pour into the crust. Bake 40 to 48 minutes until the edges are set and the center still has a slight wobble.
- Cool completely. The top turns shiny and the center finishes setting on the counter.
Notes
Cornmeal is traditional in chess pie. It keeps the custard from weeping. Do not swap in a boxed brownie batter.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 48 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Chess pie, not a brownie pie
The filling is a custard, not a fudge brownie batter.
Substitutions
Buttermilk can replace evaporated milk for a tangier pie.
Mistakes to avoid
Bake until the center is fully firm and it cracks hard. Stop at a soft wobble.
Storage
Room temperature the first day, then refrigerate up to 4 days.
Nutrition (estimated)
About 390 calories per slice. Estimate only, not a lab test.
FAQ
Why is it called chess pie?
The name is old Southern kitchen language for a sugar custard pie. Cocoa makes this the chocolate one.
Can I skip the cornmeal?
A tablespoon of flour works, but cornmeal is the usual texture.
Is this lava cake?
No. Lava cake is an individual molten dessert on another site.
How do I know it is done?
Edges set, center wobbles like gelatin, not like soup.