Fudge pie made with cocoa takes about 10 minutes to put together and 30 minutes to bake into the most delicious pie you’ve ever had!

A slice of fudge pie topped with a dollop of whipped cream.

If you ask my family what they want for dessert, hands down every single one of us will say something chocolate. Chocolate Chess pie, chocolate cake, chocolate something—which doesn’t mean we don’t like other desserts too. 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!

I admit I’m a chocoholic. If it’s chocolate, I’ll probably eat it. And side note, if you love chocolate to, be sure and try this Chocolate Silk Pie from my friend Stacey.

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White Chocolate Cheesecake Barsthese luscious cheesecake bars are super easy to make!

I like a mixing bowl that’s deep so my batter doesn’t splash out the sides, and this set is perfect! And of course you need a pie plate for serving this pie–you can’t go wrong with this classic Pyrex and it’s so inexpensive!

Ingredients

The ingredients for this delicious chocolate fudge pie are basic and stuff that you probably have in your pantry and fridge right now. As a matter of fact, 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!

  • Pie crust – refrigerated or homemade works best
  • Sugar
  • Cocoa
  • Butter – unsalted
  • Flour
  • Vanilla

With that combination, how can you go wrong?

**Cook’s Tip: If you want to make homemade pie crust, this recipe is super easy. Otherwise, I suggest using the refrigerated pie crusts. I don’t suggest using a frozen pie shell and you can see why in my tips below.

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!

This fudge pie recipe comes together in about ten minutes, bakes for about thirty—and then all that luscious, gooey, chocolatey goodness is ready to eat.

My friend Frank said on Saturday, “That’s about the best chocolate pie I’ve ever eaten!” And I would have to agree.

How to Make Fudge Pie

Step 1. Start by melting 3/4 cup of unsalted butter in a large bowl in the microwave. Let that cool for just a few minutes, then stir in 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar.

Step 2. 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.

Step 3. Add 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1/3 cup cocoa, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and 3 eggs to the sugar. Beat or whisk all together until batter is smooth.

**Cook’s Tip: I prefer to use a hand mixer but I have just used a whisk at times as well. This old-fashioned fudge pie recipe is a KISS pie—you know what that means!

Step 4. Pour the batter into a 9-inch pie crust and bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until center is almost set.

**Cook’s Tip: A frozen 9-inch pie shell is actually smaller than a regular 9-inch pie plate so you will have extra filling if using frozen. 

Step 5. Remove pie from oven and place on a cooling rack. The top should have a slight crust and there may be a few cracks here and there.

Serving Suggestions

So I make either this Fudge Pie or my Cream Cheese Pound Cake when I’m taking something to a party, or when I’m taking comfort food to someone. I usually pair it with a simple meal of Roasted Rosemary Lemon Chicken, Green Beans, and Weeknight Mashed Potatoes.

If we’re having it at home though, we might have it with these Baked Pork Chops with Cream of Mushroom Soup or Salmon Patties. I like to keep the whole meal pretty simple and easy!

Expert Tips

  • I use either homemade pie dough or a refrigerated pie crust that I place in my actual 9-inch pie plate. As a result of some of the comments, I tried this pie in a frozen pie shell and as it turns out, the frozen pie shell that is labeled a 9-inch is actually smaller than a real 9-inch pie dish. The frozen pie shell fits down inside my 9-inch Pyrex pie plate.
  • Therefore, there is definitely too much batter and if you pour all of it into the frozen pie shell it will overflow. 
  • So, if using a frozen pie shell, either don’t pour all of the batter into the pie shell or use a deep-dish frozen pie shell. If using homemade or refrigerated pie crust in a true 9-inch pie plate then you should be fine. 
  • If using a frozen pie shell, you do not need to pre-bake.

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4.69 from 202 votes

Old-fashioned Fudge Pie

This fudge pie is an old-fashioned pie that takes about ten minutes to put together and thirty minutes to bake into the most delicious, gooey, chocolatey pie you’ve ever had!
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients 

  • ¾ cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • cup all-purpose flour
  • teaspoon salt
  • 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 35-40 minutes, or until center is set and toothpick has gooey wet crumbs. Make sure you don’t overbake.

Video

Notes

Tips for Making the Best Fudge Pie:
  • 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.
Adapted from Southern Living’s Fudge Pie in Quick and Easy Recipes.

Nutrition

Serving: 8servings, Calories: 464kcal, Carbohydrates: 55g, Protein: 5g, Saturated Fat: 13g, Cholesterol: 107mg, Sodium: 315mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 37g
Course: Pies
Cuisine: American
Calories: 464
Keyword: chocolate fudge pie, fudge pie, how to make fudge pie, Southern Living fudge pie
Love this recipe?Mention @southernfoodandfun or tag #southernfoodandfun!

Don’t miss these chocolate recipes:

Cocoa Brownies

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie in a Skillet

Update Notes: This post was originally published September 13, 2011, and on October 13, 2018, was updated with one or more of the following: step-by-step photos, video, updated recipe, new tips.

Lucy standing behind a counter with a cheese board and glass of wine.

About the author

Hi, I’m Lucy! I’m a home cook, writer, food and wine fanatic, and recipe developer. I’ve created and tested hundreds of recipes so that I can bring you the best tried and true favorites.

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Recipe Rating




116 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I’ve made this several times and my family loves it. The second time I put it in 2 regular frozen crusts and didn’t bake it quite as long and it turned out like a tart, they loved it just as much. Thank you for publishing this.

    1. Kathleen, thanks so much for posting this. Some folks have had issues with frozen pie shells so it helps to have tips from someone who has done it!

  2. 5 stars
    I’ve made this several times and my family loves it. The second time I put it in 2 regular frozen crusts and didn’t bake it quite as long and it turned out like a tart, they loved it just as much. Thank you for publishing this.

  3. I’ve tried this twice and both times it is just a runny mess and never bakes completley . I did use a frozen pie shell , but poured some out. When I cooked it longer the top burns . looks like others have had luck … can’t figure it out! ?

    1. Mary Beth,

      I’d love to troubleshoot with you and try to figure out why the pie isn’t working for you. I’ll send you an email and see what we can come up with. Could be oven calibration or rack position or something simple like that. Thanks for your comment.

  4. Made this today. Used a hand mixer. The batter fluffed up and was a light brown. Put it in a frozen 9 in pie crust and within minutes it was oozing all over the oven floor, smelling and burning. Yuck! Thinking something may be need to be tweeked on this recipe a bit.

    1. Hi Tina,
      So sorry that happened to you! I’ve made this recipe many times and it does puff up while baking but mine doesn’t overflow. Not sure what could have gone wrong but I do hope you’ll try the pie again.

      1. 5 stars
        Maybe use a wisk instead of a hand mixer so the eggs don’t fluff too much? I used a deep dish pie crust too..

  5. 5 stars
    Hi! Thanks for the recipe. Here’s how I make it! I make the batter exactly the same, but I don’t put it in a pie shell. I just put it in a 8×8 square glass dish and bake it like that. I then scoop it into a bowl and top it with vanilla ice cream! It is soooo good! When we want some the next day (or maybe another helping a couple of hours later!), I microwave it for a few seconds to warm it up again. Give it a try! It’s kind of like lava cake or maybe lava brownie? Thanks again!

  6. 5 stars
    Hi! Thanks for the recipe. Here’s how I make it! I make the batter exactly the same, but I don’t put it in a pie shell. I just put it in a 8×8 square glass dish and bake it like that. I then scoop it into a bowl and top it with vanilla ice cream! It is soooo good! When we want some the next day (or maybe another helping a couple of hours later!), I microwave it for a few seconds to warm it up again. Give it a try! It’s kind of like lava cake or maybe lava brownie? Thanks again!

  7. 5 stars
    This is delicious! Thank you! I’ve made it a few times and everyone loves it. My 5yo daughter is named Lucy and when she helped me make it she decided to call it “Lucy’s Pie.” I guess that works! 😉

  8. 5 stars
    This is delicious! Thank you! I’ve made it a few times and everyone loves it. My 5yo daughter is named Lucy and when she helped me make it she decided to call it “Lucy’s Pie.” I guess that works! 😉

  9. 5 stars
    This is an excellent fudge pie recipe! My 11-year-old made it for us tonight (I helped a little) and it is perfect. She just used a whisk and it baked up to creamy deliciousness in 35 minutes! Thank you! 🙂

    1. Thanks, Martie! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. I think my daughter was about that age when she first made this pie and now she makes it almost every year. Enjoy! xoxo

  10. 5 stars
    This is an excellent fudge pie recipe! My 11-year-old made it for us tonight (I helped a little) and it is perfect. She just used a whisk and it baked up to creamy deliciousness in 35 minutes! Thank you! 🙂

    1. Jenna,

      I think that would be ok, but I’d probably go ahead and toss in the 1/8 tsp of salt with the flour anyway. I rarely use salted butter so I don’t really know HOW salty it tastes, but I doubt that it would make the pie too salty. Hope it turns out well!

  11. I had the same issue with the sugar not disolving. I didn’t wait for the butter to cool. Read it after I ran into the problem. I’m no baker. Cooking this for a party in graham cracker crust.

    1. Tammy,

      You can try that or just go ahead and finish the pie. The sugar will cook into the filling and I bet it will be just fine!

  12. This pie looks delish. After i melted butter and i poured all the sugar in and began to whisk. It was very sugary and i could not whisk it away to being smooth. I realize now, i think i should have allow the melted butter to cool. Gonna try one more time since it is so quick.

  13. 5 stars
    Love stories from the kitchen and your sister in law sounds like a hoot!! Sorry for your loss but so glad you have a funny reminder of her in your kitchen !
    To me food has the best memories
    It seems that nearly everything I cook brings memories of old friends and strangely enough, cooking helps me draw on fond memories of friends turned “no longer friends”. The kitchen is my happy place because it brings warmth and smiles to my loved ones faces.
    I cannot wait to mAke this ( I have to use coconut oil instead of butter , I’ll let u know how it turns out?