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My uncle watched my mother pour brownie batter into a pie crust and told her, very kindly, that nobody made a pie out of a brownie. Then he ate two slices with vanilla ice cream and asked if there was a third. Chocolate fudge pie is butter, sugar, cocoa, a couple of eggs, a spoon of flour and some vanilla, poured into an unbaked crust. Everything is already in the cupboard, which is why my mother made it so often. In the oven the top bakes into the thin, crackly, shiny skin of a good brownie, and underneath it stays dense, soft and fudgy, almost like a chocolate custard in the very middle.
The only hard part is knowing when to take it out. Too soon and it will not slice. Too long and the fudgy middle turns into dry chocolate cake. My mother pulled it while the center still had a little wobble and let it finish setting on the counter, and she never got it wrong. The signs are easy once you know them: the edges puffed and set, the top crackled, and a gentle wobble only in the center circle. Here is how to tell when the middle is done so it stays fudgy.
Why this chocolate fudge pie works
- Cocoa bloomed in warm butter. Stirring the cocoa into melted butter brings out a deep chocolate flavor and makes the filling glossy.
- Just a little flour. Two tablespoons hold the filling together without turning it into cake.
- Eggs beaten with the sugar. A minute of whisking dissolves the sugar and gives the shiny, crackly brownie top.
- A moderate oven. At 350 degrees the edges set while the middle stays soft.
- A long cool. The pie finishes setting as it cools, so the middle slices clean and stays gooey.
Ingredients
Makes one 9 inch pie, 8 slices. The measurements are in US cups with grams in brackets.
For the crust
- 1 unbaked 9 inch pie crust, homemade or ready-made, fitted into a pie plate and chilled
For the fudge filling
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (115g)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (45g)
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar (250g)
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (40g), optional
To serve
- Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream
Natural or Dutch-process cocoa both work; Dutch-process gives a darker, smoother pie. For an all-butter homemade crust, chill it well before filling so it stays flaky.
How to make chocolate fudge pie
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees (175°C) with a rack in the lower third. Set the chilled pie crust on a baking sheet.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Take it off the heat and whisk in the cocoa until smooth and glossy. Let it cool for 5 minutes.
- In a bowl, whisk the sugar and eggs together for about 1 minute, until slightly thick and pale.
- Whisk the warm chocolate butter into the eggs, then whisk in the flour, salt and vanilla until no flour shows. Stir in the nuts, if using.
- Pour the filling into the crust and smooth the top.
- Bake for 30 to 38 minutes. Start checking at 30 minutes: the pie is done when the edges are puffed and set, the top has a thin crackly crust, and only a circle about 3 inches across in the center still wobbles gently when you nudge the pan. A toothpick in the center should come out with moist fudgy crumbs, not wet batter.
- If the crust edge browns too fast, cover it loosely with strips of foil.
- Cool the pie on a rack for at least 2 hours. The center sinks slightly and sets fudgy as it cools.
- Slice with a knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry. Serve at room temperature or slightly warm, with vanilla ice cream.
Tips that make the difference
- Do not wait for the center to be firm in the oven. A firm center means a dry pie once cooled.
- Bake on the lower rack and on a baking sheet, so the bottom crust cooks through.
- To warm a slice, give it 10 to 15 seconds in the microwave.
- Cool completely before covering, or the crackly top turns damp.
Variations
- Chocolate chips. Stir 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips into the filling.
- Coconut. Add 1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut with the nuts.
- Deeper chocolate. Add 1/2 teaspoon instant coffee powder to the warm butter with the cocoa.
- Peanut butter swirl. Drop spoonfuls of warmed peanut butter on top and swirl with a knife before baking.
Storage and make-ahead
Keep the pie covered at room temperature for 1 day, or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Cold from the refrigerator it is dense and fudge-like; warmed slightly it turns gooey.
Freeze slices wrapped well for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know when chocolate fudge pie is done?
The edges are puffed and set, the top is crackly, and only a small circle in the center wobbles gently. A toothpick from the center comes out with moist crumbs. It finishes setting as it cools.
Why is my fudge pie runny?
It was taken out too early or cut while warm. Bake until only the center wobbles and cool at least 2 hours before slicing.
Is fudge pie the same as chocolate chess pie?
They are cousins. Chess pie uses cornmeal and more of a custard texture; fudge pie uses a little flour and is closer to a brownie.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes. It keeps beautifully for a day at room temperature and up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Bake it when the cupboard is nearly bare, serve it warm with ice cream, and let anybody who doubts it eat a second slice before they say another word.
Chocolate Fudge Pie (A Brownie Baked in a Pie Crust)
Old-fashioned chocolate fudge pie from pantry staples: butter, sugar, cocoa, eggs and a little flour baked in a pie crust at 350 degrees until the top is crackly and the middle stays fudgy. How to tell when it is done.
Ingredients
- 1 unbaked 9 inch pie crust, homemade or ready-made, fitted into a pie plate and chilled
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (40g), optional
- Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees (175°C) with a rack in the lower third. Set the chilled pie crust on a baking sheet.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Take it off the heat and whisk in the cocoa until smooth and glossy. Let it cool for 5 minutes.
- In a bowl, whisk the sugar and eggs together for about 1 minute, until slightly thick and pale.
- Whisk the warm chocolate butter into the eggs, then whisk in the flour, salt and vanilla until no flour shows. Stir in the nuts, if using.
- Pour the filling into the crust and smooth the top.
- Bake for 30 to 38 minutes. Start checking at 30 minutes: the pie is done when the edges are puffed and set, the top has a thin crackly crust, and only a circle about 3 inches across in the center still wobbles gently when you nudge the pan. A toothpick in the center should come out with moist fudgy crumbs, not wet batter.
- If the crust edge browns too fast, cover it loosely with strips of foil.
- Cool the pie on a rack for at least 2 hours. The center sinks slightly and sets fudgy as it cools.
- Slice with a knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry. Serve at room temperature or slightly warm, with vanilla ice cream.
