Fudge Pie is one of those desserts that’s hard to resist — rich, chocolatey, and so simple to make. This fudge pie recipe comes together in minutes using cocoa powder, so there’s no need to chop or melt chocolate. Whisk everything together, pour it into a pie crust, and bake until set. Whether you need a last-minute dessert or you’re just craving something sweet, this one is as easy as it gets!
Made this tonight, and it was fantastic! I’ve made the one that uses the unsweetened chocolate squares in the past, and this is hands down SO much better! Thank you!!!
terri b
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If you ask my family what they want for dessert, hands down, every single one of us will say something like chocolate. Chocolate Chess pie, chocolate cake, chocolate something — which doesn’t mean we don’t like other desserts. Give me a good Creme Brulee any day!
But overall, we crave chocolate. Which probably helps explain the preponderance of chocolate recipes on this site and why we love this fudge pie so much!
Chocolate fudge pie with cocoa
- We tested this pie with baker’s chocolate and with Hershey’s cocoa powder, and our tasters preferred both the taste and the texture of the version with cocoa powder.
- We tested this recipe using a frozen deep-dish crust, homemade pie crust, and refrigerated pie crust. Each iteration bakes up slightly differently. I’ll provide more details below that will help you regardless of which crust you use, along with my recommendations.
Why this recipe is amazing
TASTE: This fudge pie is gooey and full of chocolate flavor from the Hershey’s cocoa. It is absolutely divine, and our tasters have raved about it for years.
EASY: Pie-making doesn’t get any easier than this! You don’t have to pull out the mixer, although you certainly can. This fudge pie is mixed up in one bowl, and the batter is poured into the crust. That’s it. No fuss, no muss.
I love that this is a chocolate pie with cocoa, so you don’t have to bother with melting chocolate or even remembering to buy chocolate. I may not always have baking chocolate in my pantry, but I ALWAYS have cocoa!
MAKE-AHEAD DESSERT: This pie keeps for days and tastes just as good on day three as it does on day one. If I have to take a dessert somewhere, this pie is in my top five list of things to make because it’s a great make-ahead option and transports easily.
I hope you make this recipe. I think you’ll love it!
Ingredient notes
The ingredients for this delicious chocolate fudge pie are basic and stuff you probably have in your pantry and fridge right now. After you make this fudge pie once, you’ll probably make sure that you always have these ingredients handy so you can make it again on the spur of the moment! Here are some things to be aware of:
➡️➡️➡️ The full ingredient amounts and instructions are listed below on the printable recipe card. Scroll below the recipe card for frequently asked questions and tips for success.
Pie crust: I have more information in the testing notes below regarding the pie crust, but TL:DR is that we prefer homemade pie crust or refrigerated pie crust in a 9-inch pie plate
Cocoa powder: We use regular Hershey’s cocoa powder almost exclusively in our kitchen, and it works best in this recipe.
Testing notes for fudge pie
We tested this recipe using a deep-dish frozen pie crust, a regular 9-inch frozen pie crust, a refrigerated pie crust, and a homemade pie crust.
Results of test with frozen deep-dish pie crust:
The fudge pie made in the frozen deep-dish pie crust took longer to bake and didn’t turn out well.
- The filling fits perfectly in the deep-dish pie crust.
- The pie puffs up dramatically and then deflates, leaving cracks in the top, which may cause the top crust to fall off.
- The pie takes longer to bake, so the edges get overbaked.
Conclusion: NOT RECOMMENDED.
Results of regular 9-inch frozen pie crust:
The fudge pie made in the 9-inch frozen pie crust turns out okay but has to be adjusted for size.
- A frozen 9-inch pie crust is actually smaller than a 9-inch pie plate. Since this recipe was designed for a standard 9-inch pie plate, there is too much filling for the frozen pie crust. You can adjust this by removing 1 1/4 cups of fudge pie filling.
- This pie puffed a good bit and deflated, although not as badly as the deep-dish pie.
Conclusion: RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS DUE TO EXTRA FILLING AND PUFFING.
Results of refrigerated pie crust and homemade pie crust in a 9-inch pie plate:
The testing results of the refrigerated pie crust and the homemade pie crust were the same.
- This fudge pie works best when made with the 9-inch pie crust placed in a 9-inch pie plate. We like a standard glass pie plate like this one.
- The amount of pie filling is perfect for a standard 9-inch pie crust.
- The refrigerated and homemade crusts don’t release as much moisture as the frozen crusts, and the pie does not puff up as much.
Conclusion: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
How to make fudge pie
This pie is so easy that even kids can make it almost all by themselves. My grandkids have been making this pie for years.
Prepare the pie crust.
The crust for this pie needs to be par-baked. To do this, first preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the pie crust in the pie plate and line it with parchment paper. Fill the crust with pie weights or dried beans, making sure they go up the sides.
Bake the pie crust 15-20 minutes until the sides start to turn brown and appear to set. Remove the pie crust from the oven and remove the parchment with the pie weights. Set the weights aside (they are reusable).
Prick the pie crust lightly a few times with a fork and place it back in the oven with no weights. Bake until the bottom crust begins to brown for 7-8 minutes.
Remove the pie crust from the oven. There is no need to allow the crust to cool completely, but it’s also fine to make it a day in advance.
Melt butter.
Start by melting 3/4 cup of unsalted butter in a large bowl in the microwave. Let that cool for a few minutes, then stir in 1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar.
Whisk sugar into butter.
Use a hand mixer or whisk to dissolve the sugar, and keep in mind the sugar won’t dissolve completely until baking. The mixture will feel slightly grainy, which is perfectly fine.
Add the rest of the ingredients.
Step 3. Add 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1/3 cup cocoa, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and three eggs to the sugar. Beat or whisk all together until batter is smooth.
I prefer to use a hand mixer, but I have used a whisk at times as well. This old-fashioned fudge pie recipe is a KISS pie — you know what that means!
Bake the pie.
Pour the batter into a 9-inch pie crust and bake at 350° for about 40 minutes or until the center is almost set. Your tester should show wet crumbs but not wet batter coating it.
Remove and cool completely before slicing.
Remove the pie from the oven and place it on a cooling rack. The top should have a slight crust, and there may be a few cracks here and there.
Note: While we do not have the willpower to wait a whole day before digging into this pie, our testing has shown that 24 hours can make a big difference in how well the pie sets up for cleaner slices.
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Fudge Pie
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup cocoa
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 1 9- inch unbaked pie shell
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Melt butter in large, microwave safe bowl. Add sugar to melted butter and use a hand mixer or whisk to combine until sugar is mostly dissolved. Add additional ingredients and beat or whisk until well blended.
- Pour into pie crust and bake about 40 minutes, or until center is set and toothpick has gooey wet crumbs. Make sure you don't overbake.
Video
Notes
- Use a hand mixer for best results.
- Use a refrigerated pie crust or homemade.
- If using a frozen pie shell, only pour the filling to the inside top edge or the pie will overflow. Or use a deep-dish pie shell and adjust baking time accordingly. Note: We only recommend a homemade or refrigerated pie crust in a standard 9-inch pie plate, not a frozen one. See our testing notes for details.
Nutrition
Tips and questions
If using a frozen crust, allow it to thaw before baking.
We suggest blind-baking (aka par-baking) the crust whether using frozen, refrigerated, or homemade. To do this, line the pie crust with parchment paper or aluminum foil and fill with either pie weights or dried beans. Bake the crust at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes.
Yes, you can make the fudge pie filling a day in advance and store it in the refrigerator.
Update Notes: This post was originally published on September 13, 2011, and on October 13, 2018, it was updated with one or more of the following: step-by-step photos, video, updated recipe, and new tips.
Can i use refined coconut oil instead of butter?
We have not tested it that way and I think it would impact the flavor, but the pie texture would probably be fine. I don’t bake with coconut oil so I’m not entirely sure how it affects baking.
Mine also came out runny at 45 minutes. I’ll try 50 and cover the crust edges.
I made this pie and it is a hit at every function. This pie is so easy to make and everyone loves it! Try it. You won’t be disappointed!
Love this pie. Can you freeze this pie?
Yes – cover tightly with foil after it cools and freeze for a few months. Thaw and serve!
The taste of this pie is perfect! I have been trying recipes for several years after having one of these pies at a family gathering. The person who made it was gone by the time I tried a piece, so I never got the recipe. Like you said, I tried the ones with baking chocolate, so glad this one is made with cocoa.
I made this last night & my batter was thick, so I was pleased because I was having problems with them setting up. But after cooking for 45 minutes at 350, it had the crust on top, but was gooey in the middle. I was so disappointed because I thought I had done everything right. I do have a gas stove for the fist time, & this is my first experience cooking pies in a gas oven. We pre-heated back up to 350 & cooked it on the bottom rack for another 20 minutes, & it was fine. I’m going to try again this evening & bake on the bottom rack the entire time to see if that helps. Thanks again for the recipe!
Just made this! So glad I did. It’s delicious. I may
What type of oven do you have?
Made the recipe as specified…after 45 minutes came out runny.
Put it back in for another 20…still pretty loose.
Otherwise, it is a breeze.
Any thoughts as to what to do differently?
You might need to calibrate your oven or get an oven thermometer so you can test the temperature. Sounds like it’s not cooking hot enough.
Delicious . Went straight by the recipe except I only used 1 cup sugar. Truly a keeper recipe for a quick easy delicious dessert. Ty
OMGoodness!! This is The BEST Fudge Pie I’ve Everrr Had!! Not overpoweringly sweet, set-ups Wonderfully and the Texture is Creamy!! Pure Pecfection of Chocolate in a Crust, as our family is Chocolate Lover’s..Thank You for sharing, this Will Be my Go-to-Recipe from this day forward!! 😀
I doubled the recipe and used two 9″ Frozen Pie Crusts, with still a little filling leftover to put into a tiny little Pyrex dish w/Pecans sprinkled on top (OMG!! Magnificent!!)
Again, THANK YOU SOO MUCH FOR SHARING!! TRY THIS RECIPE FOLKS..IT’S THE BEST!! 💯👍
Thank you! I’m so glad you loved it!
@Jeb, that’s so funny! My son always says “this would be better without the crust.”
I made this tonight and it was so good. It was to much for one pie so in the second I added a couple tablespoons of peanut butter. Let’s say I loved the peanut butter version so much. Will definitely make again. My 10 year old gave it a 10 out of 10.
Made this for the first time today. So easy to make. Must let it cool completely before trying to cut slices. Love it!
So glad you enjoyed it!
I followed the directions, my pie was like soup in the middle 🙁
My oven temp is correct (I keep a thermometer in it to make sure) what could have gone wrong?
Sounds like you didn’t cook it quite long enough. It’s best to use a tester to check the texture before you take it out of the oven. I hope you’ll try again!