Easy Yummy Chocolate Pie

This easy chocolate pie is the kind of weeknight pantry dessert that tastes far fancier than its five-ingredient list. Two packages of cook-and-serve chocolate pudding mix get cooked with milk, then upgraded with two tablespoons of butter and a square of melted semisweet chocolate. That little boost transforms basic boxed pudding into a deep, creamy filling that holds its own against from-scratch chocolate pies.

The upgrade trick is the recipe’s whole point. Boxed pudding mix on its own tastes thin and one-dimensional. Adding real semisweet chocolate doubles the cocoa flavor, and the butter rounds out the texture so the filling sets into the silky body of a real custard pie instead of a gummy pudding cup.

Use cook-and-serve pudding, not instant. Instant pudding sets cold and leaves a gummy mouthfeel; cook-and-serve actually thickens through heat and acts more like a real custard. The full bubbling boil is the trigger that activates the cornstarch in the mix, so don’t pull the pan off heat early or the filling stays runny.

Pro Tips

• Pour the filling into the shell while still warm. It self-levels and sets glassy on top.
• Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the filling before chilling. This is the only way to prevent the dreaded pudding skin.
• Use a fully baked, cooled pie shell. A warm shell weeps butter into the filling.
• Three hours minimum in the fridge for clean slices. Overnight is even better.

Variations

• Top with whipped cream and chocolate curls (just shave a chilled chocolate bar with a vegetable peeler).
• Add a teaspoon of espresso powder with the chocolate to deepen the cocoa flavor.
• Pour into a graham cracker crust instead of pastry for a no-bake-shell option.
• Layer sliced bananas under the filling for a banana-chocolate pudding pie.