No Bake Chocolate Pie
What do you do when you’re craving chocolate but don’t want to turn on the oven? You make this decadent No Bake Chocolate Pie in an Oreo cookie crumb crust.
Eight years ago, I woke up a nervous wreck.
I was filled with both excitement and anxiety as I got ready for work.
As I drove into town, I rehearsed in my head what I was going to say. I kept wanting to pinch myself. Is this really happening? Am I really going to do this?
I walked into work where my department was isolated from the rest of the company. We had just moved our offices into a brand new training center the company had built.
It was very quiet, almost lifeless. The head boss had a big glass office up front so he could watch our every move. No room for slacking off or even chatting with one another.
I waited for my supervisor to settle into his desk next to mine then asked for a private meeting. The one I’ve been waiting two years to do.
I handed him my letter of resignation. I told him I was quitting so I could move back to Pittsburgh, which was partially true.
I didn’t tell him how miserable I was working there.
How I never felt like I belonged during the four years I’ve worked there with coworkers constantly questioning my life choices of being a single, childfree woman living on her own without mommy and daddy around.
How I lost my motivation after realizing there really was no career growth for me. I don’t think my supervisor was surprised as my feelings of discontent leading up to that moment didn’t go unnoticed.
One meeting down, one more to go with the head boss. After accepting my resignation, I breathed a heavy sigh of relief then ran off to tell the only few friends I had at the company my big news.
And then I got kicked out.
Normally when you resign, you would finish out two weeks to tie up loose ends and transfer current work until the company could fill your spot.
Except that same day one hour before quitting time, the head boss told me there was no point in coming back, so that was my last day.
Actually, he told me I could leave right that minute, but I still had to say good bye.
Still needed to clean out my desk. I left that day barely saying good bye to anyone. There was one guy on vacation who didn’t even know I quit until he asked about me.
Nobody threw me a good bye party or even took me out for one last lunch to thank me for my four years.
It was like I was never there. I found out later that they got rid of my position altogether and donated all of the video equipment to a nearby school.
Eight years ago, I put in motion the next chapter of my life, a career change from videographer to recipe developer and food photographer.
A career I didn’t even know existed yet is the perfect match for me. I’ve always loved recipes since I could remember, stealing my mom’s magazines and tearing out recipes of brownies and shrimp toast.
Now people want to hire me for my passion and my talent?
Of course I wouldn’t be sitting here typing this without you. You’re reading my words, making my recipes, making a difference in my life.
To thank you, I made No Bake Chocolate Pie.
I wish I could thank you in person and serve you up a big slice right now, but for now I can provide you with a no bake chocolate pie recipe for a luscious, sinful dessert that doesn’t require turning on your oven.
It’s a decadent and rich no bake chocolate cream cheese pie in an Oreo crust. No oven, no eggs. Just you and an easy summer dessert recipe.
Based on your feedback, you really love no bake desserts. I don’t blame you. Who wants to turn on the oven when you don’t have central air?
Or if you do have central air like me, who really wants to crank up the air (and your electric bill) for the oven? I’ve made you no bake chocolate strawberry pie and no bake peanut butter pie.
Now it’s time for classic chocolate pie.
Ingredients For No Bake Chocolate Pie
To make this chocolate no bake pie, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Oreo cookie crumbs: I like a double dose of chocolate, but you can change up the flavors with graham crackers or even Nutter Butter cookies.
- Butter: Binds the crumbs together for the crust.
- Heavy whipping cream: Typically no bake pies are made with Cool-Whip, but I wanted to make it all from scratch including homemade whipped cream to fold into the filling.
- Cream cheese: Use a block of full-fat cream cheese (not whipped or in a tub). Using low fat and especially fat free may result in a watery filling.
- Powdered sugar: Sweetens the filling as well as helps thicken it.
- Semisweet chocolate: Gives the pie its chocolate flavor.
- Vanilla: Makes the chocolate taste extra chocolatey (much like salt would)
How To Make No Bake Chocolate Pie
To make your no bake chocolate pie recipe, first stir together the Oreo crumbs and melted butter to make the crust.
Pat into your 9 inch pie plate then refrigerate while you work on the no bake filling.
Next, beat your heavy cream on high speed until it thickens and stiff peaks form. That means when you pull the beater up, peaks will form and not fall over.
Transfer your whipped cream to another bowl and keep cold in the fridge.
In the same mixing bowl (no need to clean it), beat together the cream cheese, sugar, melted chocolate, and vanilla until smooth and creamy.
Scrape down the bowl then fold in your whipped cream until no white streaks remain.
Don’t know what that means? Learn how to fold whipped cream from The Kitchn.
Transfer to your cookie crust then chill for at least 4 hours.
How To Freeze No Bake Chocolate Pie
Sometime life gets too busy and you need to prepare your no bake chocolate pie recipe a few days before serving it.
Luckily for you, this chocolate pie without Cool Whip freezes well!
First, freeze your pie uncovered for 1 hour. This firms up the filling so your plastic wrap doesn’t stick to it.
Next, cover in plastic wrap then aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.
To serve, let sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes or until it’s soft enough to cut with a knife.
More No Bake Dessert Recipes
Loved this chocolate pie (no bake) recipe? Check out these other no bake dessert recipes:
No Bake Chocolate Pie
What do you do when you’re craving chocolate but don’t want to turn on the oven? You make this decadent No Bake Chocolate Pie made in an Oreo cookie crumb crust.
Ingredients
- 2 cups chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs, such as Oreo (keep filling in cookies when crushing)*
- 1/4 cup (2 ounces or 4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
- 8 ounces (1 block or 8 tablespoons) full-fat cream cheese, room temperature and not cold to the touch (do not sub fat free)
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled 15 minutes
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the cookie crumbs and butter. Pat into a 9-inch pie plate. Refrigerate while you work on the filling.
- In a large mixing bowl (with whisk attachment if using stand mixer), beat the heavy cream on high speed until it thickens and stiff peaks form, roughly 2-3 minutes (when you pull the beaters up, peaks will form and not fall over). Transfer to another bowl and keep cold in the refrigerator.
- In the same mixing bowl (no need to clean bowl - switch to paddle if using stand mixer), beat together the cream cheese, sugar, melted chocolate, and vanilla until smooth and creamy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Scrape down the bowl then fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture until no white streaks remain.
- Spread into the chilled cookie crust. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight until firm (you can speed up this process in the freezer).
Notes
- *If you use another kind of crumb that doesn't have a filling
(such as graham crackers), you may need to add an extra 2 tablespoons butter. - Enjoyed this recipe? Check out my No Bake Peanut Butter Pie, No Bake Chocolate Strawberry Pie, No Bake Blueberry Cheesecake Pie, and No Bake Gingerbread Pie.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Originally published July 16, 2015
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchase.
Hi Carla,
What a story… I say well done, you seem to have made the perfect move! Keep them coming…
Jeanine
I think I did too. Thanks, Jeanine!
Congrats on taking that leap. If you’re doing what you love, you’ll never “work” a day in your life. :)
Exactly and I now know how that feels. Thanks, Rachel!
Well, I for one, have been making recipes from you ever since the ginger blondie recipe a while back. You are definitely in your element because everything I have made is absolutely delicious! Change is always scarey but bravo and kudos to you!
Thank you so much for your kind words! I really do feel at home with what I’m doing now and glad it’s reflecting in my work.
sounds like they did you a favor-how on earth did you work there for 4 years-the big boss sounds like a real jerk-glad you do this now-i’ve tried a few of your recipes and have loved them all
It was fine the first few years then it started going downhill for me. We were also located in a small town, so finding another job meant moving, and unfortunately most employers either didn’t want to pay for relocation and therefore wanted locals only or didn’t want to wait for relocation (a lot of the jobs I applied for wanted someone NOW and not in a month). Anyway, thank you for your kind words and glad you love my recipes!
Carla, are you going to have a recipe book or do you all ready have one that I am unaware of? I would love to have a collection in one place & being an old gal, I do love paper. Nothing worse than having the Internet connection go down while in the middle of cooking your yummy buffalo chicken lasagna for 2!
Not yet! I would love to someday but the timing hasn’t happened yet.
You know what I think already. :) Now all you need to do is send me that pie! Pinned.
I’m so happy that you left that place where you were clearly unappreciated and are now doing what you’re SUPPOSED TO! And being only a couple hours from me ;)
This pie is the perfect way to celebrate-it looks soooo silky and delicious and the fact that it’s no bake just makes it extra dangerous :D
Carla, congrats on your career change anniversary! And this pie looks AMAZING — I love Oreo crust! Wish I had some right now! :)
Oh my, look at that creamy, chocolatey slice. It’s all about no-bake these days, at least in Romania is incredibly hot. So this recipe is spot on, well done!
Carla, I can’t believe how coldly, callously and disgustingly that company treated you when you resigned. Well, actually, I guess I can believe it, given how they treated you when you were still an employee! I’m so proud of you for taking that leap of faith because you deserve so much more. You’re capable of so much more. You are incredibly talented and you were being wasted there. Congratulations on one year of following your dreams! I can’t wait to see what’s next in store for you! For now, bring on more of this gorgeous no bake chocolate pie ;)
Carla, you are such a strong chick! Their behaviour is not a reflection on your work , merely their inadequaceys!
Great move and great pie.
Can I substitute regular white sugar for the powdered sugar?
Powdered sugar is better because it helps thicken in addition to sweetness, but in a pinch you can use granulated.
what happens if I don’t have a pie 9 inch pie pan
What pans do you have? Since it’s no bake, you can maybe get away with making it in another pan or layer it in a big glass bowl like a trifle but it’s probably easier to buy a pie plate (especially if you’re going to make pie a few times).