Chilled Chocolate Almond Pie

This no-bake pie builds its own chocolate crust from scratch. Half a milk chocolate bar melts with a touch of vegetable oil and gets mixed with toasted almonds, then pressed into a foil-lined pie plate and chilled until firm. Once set, the foil peels right off and you’ve got a crunchy, candy-like shell that holds everything together.

The filling is a chocolate marshmallow mousse. Marshmallows melt with the remaining chocolate, milk, vanilla, and almond extract in a double boiler until smooth and glossy. After cooling, whipped cream gets folded in, giving the filling an airy, silky texture that’s lighter than a ganache but richer than a pudding.

An overnight chill is a must. The filling needs those hours to set completely. Cut into it too early and you’ll get a soft, scoopable mess instead of clean wedges.

Kitchen Tips

• Toast the almonds before stirring them into the melted chocolate. Raw almonds taste flat and don’t hold up texturally against the chocolate shell.
• Cool the marshmallow-chocolate mixture fully before folding in the whipped cream. If it’s still warm, the cream deflates and you lose all that airiness.
• Use a double boiler (or a bowl over simmering water) for the filling. Direct heat scorches marshmallows and seizes chocolate.
• Run a knife under hot water before slicing for cleaner cuts through the chilled filling.

Variations

• Swap milk chocolate for dark chocolate in both the shell and filling for a more intense, bittersweet pie.
• Add a tablespoon of instant espresso powder to the filling for a mocha version.
• Top each slice with a drizzle of salted caramel and extra toasted almond slivers.