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Double Chocolate Mocha Pudding Pie…the pie to make this Thanksgiving. It’s chocolate pudding pie all done up with notes of espresso, vanilla, and double layers of sweet creamy chocolate. Delicious when served with a dollop of vanilla whipped cream and chocolate curls on top. It’s the perfect Thanksgiving pie that requires no time in the oven.
Our first Thanksgiving pie is here! I spent a while on this pie guys, but man I am so happy with how it turned out. It’s SO GOOD!
Some of you might recall last year’s pie, the molten chocolate crackle pie. It is without a doubt one of my favorite recipes I’ve ever shared, it’s delicious. Think warm, with a molten center, notes of vanilla, a crackly top, and a homemade crust. If you haven’t made it, add it to this year’s Thanksgiving menu, it’s always a hit.
This year I had a big pie problem, how could I actually top last year’s pie? What could be better than that molten chocolate crackle pie?
Honestly, it stumped me for a while, and I tried a few other pies before landing on this recipe. But guys, this pie!!
I would never say it’s better than the molten pie, BUT it’s just as delicious in its own special way.
It’s true chocolate pie perfection…roll your eyes back delicious as we like to say over here.
The details – make that crust
The crust is simple, chocolate wafer cookies, toasted hazelnuts, and butter. The hazelnuts add a special hint of holiday flavor that I love. You don’t have to use them, but personally, I think they really make this crust.
Blend everything in a food processor until the cookies and nuts are fine crumbs, then press the mix into a pie plate and chill.
The pudding
My favorite combination of sweet flavors is anything chocolate and coffee. It’s not even that you taste the coffee, it’s more that the chocolate highlights the rich flavors of the chocolate.
So we’re making a mocha pudding with a bit of espresso, lots of chocolate, vanilla, and creamy coconut milk. If you don’t love coconut milk, you can use a mix of milk and heavy cream instead.
First, mix cornstarch with cocoa powder and a little milk to dissolve the cornstarch before cooking.
Then simmer the remaining milk on the stove with a touch of sugar. Next, add the cornstarch/chocolate milk mix and gently boil until the mix thickens into a creamy pudding. Be sure to add in plenty 0f chopped chocolate and vanilla too.
Pour the pudding into the crust…
Now the chocolate cream
I really wanted a double layer of creamy chocolate, so I whipped some cream with cocoa powder and added a splash of Kahlua. It’s so light and airy, almost like a mousse.
Spread the chocolate cream over the pudding, then chill the pie until ready to serve.
Serve it up
Just before serving, whip up a little cream and top off the pie. Add chocolate curls if you’d like, slice, and enjoy!
It’s like your favorite mocha, but creamier, and with a bit of a crunch from that sweet crust.
Yep, roll your eyes back, go for that second slice, and finish the pie in one sitting kind if good!
Thankfully, this pie recipe has no rolling out of crusts, no oven, and nothin fancy! Making it really great for your holiday table!
See ya tomorrow for our first Thanksgiving cocktail!
Looking for other Thanksgiving desserts? Here are my favorites:
Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie Cupcakes with Butter Pecan Frosting
Chewy Brown Sugar Maple Cookies
Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie
Lastly, if you make this Double Chocolate Mocha Pudding Pie, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Watch our how-to video:
Double Chocolate Mocha Pudding Pie
Servings: 10
Calories Per Serving: 666 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 sleeve chocolate wafer cookies
- 1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts (or additional cookies)
- 8 tablespoons salted butter, melted
Pudding
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 cup, plus 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon instant espresso
- 3 1/2 cups canned coconut milk (or 2 1/2 cups milk + 1 cup cream)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 8 ounces 70-90% dark chocolate, chopped
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon Kahlúa (or brewed espresso)
Vanilla Cream
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoom vanilla extract
Instructions
- 1. In a food processor, pulse the cookies and nuts into fine crumbs. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture holds together when pinched. Press into the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate. Chill.2. To make the pudding. In bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, 1/4 cup cocoa powder, and the espresso powder. Stir in 1 cup milk. 3. In a medium pot, combine the remaining 2 1/2 cups milk and the sugar over medium heat. Gently boil until the sugar dissolves, then add the chocolate milk mix. Cook, stirring continuously, until the mixture thickens and is pudding-like, 5-8 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the chopped chocolate, then the vanilla and butter.4. Pour the pudding into the prepared crust. 5. Using an electric mixer, whip the cream, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and Kahlúa until soft peaks form. Spread the chocolate cream over the pudding. Cover the pie and chill 4 hours or up to 5 days. 6. When ready to serve, make the vanilla cream. Whip the cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla together until soft peaks form. Spread the cream over the pie. If desired, top with chocolate curls. Slice and enjoy!
My pudding won’t thicken!
Hey Lynne,
So sorry to hear this, a little more info would be helpful. Was there anything you adjusted in the recipe? Let me know how I can help! xTieghan
Is there a good substitute for espresso powder?
Hi Alexa,
You can skip the espresso powder. I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
Hi! Does it need to be sweetened or unsweetened cocoa powder?
Hey Alexa,
For this recipe, I used unsweetened cocoa powder. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Hi! Your recipe says that the chocolate whipped cream can be frozen with the pie, but the vanilla should be added fresh. What allows the chocolate whipped cream to stay good while frozen? Making this for Thanksgiving this year and was curious, thank you so much!
Hey Noelle,
I prefer my whipped topping to always be fresh and light and fluffy, freezing it will ruin the texture. I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan, do you think unflavored gelatin would work instead of cornstarch to stabilize the pudding layer? Or would that change the consistency too much? Very excited to try this recipe, thanks!
Hey Esha,
So sorry I have never tested that so I honestly am not sure how it would work out. Let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I made this for Friendsgiving and it was a big hit. I only needed probably half the pudding because I used a pre made 8 inch Oreo pie shell. Yummy
Hey there,
Happy Friday!! Love to hear that you liked the recipe, thanks for giving it a try! Have a great weekend. xTieghan
Is there an alternative cookie for the wafers? I am having difficulty finding the ones you mentioned.
Hey Mary Ellen,
Here’s the link to order them:
https://rstyle.me/+udeyZl7csnX9IQAUEQpl_A
Or just use Oreos without the cream. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This looks heavenly, and I’d love to make it foe the small group that meets in our home. Problem: one person has a corn allergy. Can the pudding be made with arrowroot or tapioca starch instead of cornstarch? I have no experience with homemade puddings, so I’d appreciate your expertise here.
Peggy— I can’t comment on the sub for corn starch, but my cousin has a corn allergy. Please make sure to look at the powdered sugar, the chocolate and especially the chocolate wafer cookies for the crust. All three of those have a chance to include a corn derivative so pay close attention! (I get my organic Powdered sugar from Trader Joe’s and it doesn’t have corn in it) Not sure on the wafer cookies.
Hey Peggy,
Yes, arrowroot powder should also work well for you here. I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Oh this looks delicious!! I plan on making this for thanksgiving this year! My dad would love this! Maybe a newbie question but for the electric mixer do you need the whisk attachments or will the regular mixture do?
Thanks so much for always putting out delicious recipes!
Hey Alisha,
Sorry I am not understanding your question, what attachments would you be using? I would use the whisk attachments for this. Please let me know how I can help! xTieghan
Okay! Thank you! That’s what I was asking 🙂
How long does the pie last in the fridge with the fresh whipped cream on top?
Made this with 70% cocoa chocolate and added some extra sugar in the pudding layer.
Absolutely delicious and will be making this again! Perfect make-ahead dessert.
Hey there,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xTieghan
Hey Felicia,
If you plan to keep in the fridge, I would keep the whipped topping on the side. The pie is good for 3-4 days in the fridge. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
What do you classify as cream? Would that be half and half?
Thank you! Plan to make this for Thanksgiving!
Hey Marilyn,
For this recipe you will want to use heavy cream. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I’m so excited to try this pie! I’m going to make ahead and freeze. I’ll top with fresh whip cream the day I serve. Thanks for all these delicious recipes and mouth watering photos! ❤
I hope you love the recipe Stephanie!
Made this this weekend and it was divine. I used whole milk and heavy cream rather than coconut milk. I had a premade Oreo crust so I used that up. One thing that would be helpful in the list and instructions above would be to separate and emphasize the ingredients for the Chocolate Cream layer from the Pudding Layer (like the Vanilla Cream is), as I almost missed putting cocoa powder in my chocolate cream layer as it’s listed with the pudding layer. But it all turned out delicious!
Hey Ashley,
I am thrilled that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks a lot for giving it a try. I hope you have an amazing week! xTieghan
Making now. There is no way the crust and all the pudding and creams fit in my 9 inch pie plate, so I am making in a springform pan. Hope it works! The pudding is definitely not overly sweet, so you could probably add a little more sugar to the cream layer if you wanted.
Thanks so much for trying out this recipe, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Hey Tieghan, upgrading to 5 stars! The pie did beautifully in the Springform pan! So yummy. Made recipe according to directions using the canned coconut milk. So creamy and rich!
Thanks so much Jennifer!!
Hey Toni, I made this yesterday. When I mixed the cornstarch, cocoa powder, espresso, and cream, they were very thick… almost like a dough. Then when I added them to the hot milk and sugar, it was almost immediately pretty thick. It took 2-3 minutes for me to add that “dough” to the hot milk. I used my whisk to add it. Probably in 3-4 batches, stirring to fully incorporate after each batch. Once it was all incorporated, I cooked for 5 minutes. It was just a little thinner than pudding, and it then finished thickening as i added the chopped chocolate. I hope that helps!
I attempted this after succeeding and loving the old fashioned chocolate pie. Not sure what I did wrong but the filling was thick and gloppy and flavor wasn’t quite right. Maybe I’m just not used to using coconut milk! Would normally try again but the old fashioned chocolate pie recipe was sooo good would probably just stick with that one.
Oh no I’m so sorry about that Nicole! Is there anything you did differently? Let me know how I can help! xTieghan
Hi! Would Oreo cookies (no filling) work as a chocolate wafer cookie alternative for vegans? Thanks for posting this recipe! Looks so good!
Hey, that should work just fine! 🙂 xTieghan