Chocolate Pie

I made one of my no bake desserts tonight – chocolate pie. It’s really easy to make, and the results are delicious! This is like a chocolate pudding pie – with a wonderful twist. The surprise is that it also has a layer of cheesecake-like filling on the bottom. If you count the crust, there are four layers, in all: the graham cracker pie shell, the cream cheese layer, the pudding layer, and a layer of whipped topping. And that doesn’t even count the tempting chocolate shavings on the very top! We’re hosting a big fish fry tomorrow, and the pie is going to be one of our desserts – if I can keep it away from the old man long enough. We’re also having Key lime pies, as I think the tart flavor is a nice finish to seafood, but I discovered that not all my guests like Key lime pie. That’s why I made the chocolate pie, too. Part of being a good hostess is to address the tastes of her guests, and I aim to please. It’s the way of southern hospitality! Apparently, we’ll have some “chocoholics” in attendance - including me - and this chocolate pie should provide a great “fix. “

Like I said, this is a chocolate pudding pie, for the most part. I don’t follow the instructions on the pudding boxes for making pie. I use slightly less milk when mixing up the puddings called for in this chocolate pie recipe to ensure that the filling is firm. Both of the chocolate pie recipes included in this article are set and ready to eat about an hour after being refrigerated, but I think they’re better if they spend the night in the fridge.

I usually have the ingredients for easy chocolate pie on hand at all times, in the fridge, freezer, and pantry. The pies are quick and easy to throw together, so you can tasty no bake desserts in a snap. It’s easy to add your own changes to the recipes, too. You can add all sorts of goodies to the filling, like chocolate chips, toffee bits, chopped peanut butter cups, or chopped Snickers bars. For a rocky road pie, add broken pecans and miniature marshmallows. There are also lots of ways to “dress up” the pie by adding ingredients over the top. Try raspberries, strawberries, cherries, or chopped nuts, for example. You might also want to use a different crust. If you use a traditional pastry crust, you’ll need to blind bake it first. Chocolate lovers might prefer a chocolate cookie crust.

If you find an easier recipe for chocolate pie that’s as tasty as this one, please share it with me! The flavors are wonderful together, so I try to make sure every bite I get includes all the different layers – the cracker crust, the rich cheesecake, the creamy pudding, and the fluffy whipped topping. If you prefer a more “chocolaty” filling, use two boxes of chocolate pudding mix instead of one chocolate and one vanilla. I soften my cream cheese in the microwave, by the way, which makes it very easy to blend with the whipped topping and sugar.

This low carb chocolate pie doesn’t taste sugar free. Really, it tastes just like regular chocolate pudding pie, with a crunchy, nutty crust. You can use regular, low fat, or skim milk in the recipe, but you’ll avoid a lot of carbs if you use the Hood low carb milk product. I find it, along with delicious Hood low carb chocolate milk, in the dairy case at my local Walmart. Of course, you’ll need to omit the chocolate shavings I use in my easy chocolate pie recipe, above. You can leave the top layer “naked,” or you can add nuts or berries for some extra flavor.

Ingredients:

Butter-flavored cooking spray

1 cup chopped pecans

4 tablespoons melted butter

½ cup Splenda

8-ounce block cream cheese, softened

16-ounce tub sugar-free Cool Whip, thawed

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 ½ cups Hood low carb milk

1 box instant sugar-free chocolate pudding (2.1 ounces)

1 box instant sugar-free vanilla pudding (2.1 ounces)

Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Spray a nine-inch pie plate with cooking spray.

Grind pecans in food processor and combine with melted butter and 2 tablespoons Splenda. Press into pie plate and bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool crust in refrigerator.

Blend together cream cheese, remaining Splenda, 8 ounces Cool Whip, and vanilla. When mixture is smooth, spread into cooled crust. Refrigerate until firm.

Whisk together low carb milk and both pudding mixes. Pour over cream cheese layer and refrigerate until firm.

Spread remaining sugar-free topping over top of pie. Sprinkle chocolate pie with chopped nuts, if desired.