Bean

Baby Chocolate Strawberry Cream Pie

June 20, 2021
4
5 Ratings
Photo by Bobbi Lin
  • Prep time 3 hours 5 minutes
  • Cook time 32 minutes
  • Serves 2
Author Notes

This pie requires a small (6-inch) pie or cake pan. You can also make it in two standard size ramekins, or any other small, oven-safe baking dish. The crust is no-fuss, a chocolate cookie crust that you press into an even layer into the base and sides of the pan. The pudding is flavored with strawberry, and is a bit looser than a standard cream pie filling. This is a pie made for sharing right out of the pan with two spoons (awwwwww). If your strawberries are ripe, the pudding will be naturally pink, but you can always add a drop or two of food coloring to brighten up, if you like.

Featured In: Giant Chocolate Bar, Tiny Cream Pie, And 2 Other (Easy!) Desserts for 2Erin Jeanne McDowell

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Ingredients
  • CHOCOLATE PRESS-IN CRUST
  • 4 tablespoons (57 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons (25 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large (21 g) egg yolk
  • 2/3 cup (80 g) all purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons (11 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
  • pinch fine sea salt
  • STRAWBERRY FILLING
  • 1 cup (142 g) sliced strawberries
  • 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons (91 g) granulated sugar, divided
  • 2 tablespoons (14 g) cornstarch
  • 1 1/4 cups (280 g) whole milk
  • pinch fine sea salt
  • 1/4 cup (57 g) heavy cream
  • 1/2 vanilla bean, scraped
  • 2 large (42 g) egg yolks
  • FINISHING:
  • 1/3 cup (76 g) heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons (14 g) powdered sugar
  • cocoa nibs, for garnish (optional)
Directions
  1. Make the crust: In a medium bowl, mix the butter and sugar with a silicone spatula or medium spoon until well combined. Add the egg yolk and mix well.
  2. Add the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Mix well to combine. Press the mixture into an even layer in a 6-inch pie plate (see headnote for other pan options). Chill well.
  3. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Poke the chilled crust all over with a fork, and transfer to the oven to bake (you can use pie weights if you like, but they aren’t required here). Bake until fully set, 12-15 minutes. Cool completely.
  4. Make the filling: In a small pot, toss the strawberries and 2 tablespoons of the sugar to combine. Heat over medium heat. Continue to cook until the fruit breaks down completely, 10-15 minutes. Puree until smooth in a food processor or blender. Strain the juice, and cool completely.
  5. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining sugar with the cornstarch to combine. In a medium pot, heat the milk, cream, vanilla bean, and salt over medium heat.
  6. When the milk comes to a simmer, remove from the heat. Stir the egg yolks into the sugar/cornstarch mixture, then pour about 1/3 of the milk mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to combine.
  7. Gradually pour the mixture back into the pot, whisking constantly. Continue to cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the pudding comes to first boil – large bubbles appearing in the center of the pot. It should be thick and glossy.
  8. Pour the pudding into a bowl and cover directly with plastic wrap. Chill well, at least 45 minutes.
  9. Stir the strawberry mixture into the pudding, then pour into the baked crust.
  10. In a medium bowl, whisk the cream and powdered sugar to medium peaks. Transfer to a pastry bag with a star tip (or you can just spread it on the surface in an even layer). Pipe the cream over the pie, and garnish with cocoa nibs, if using.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

I always have three kinds of hot sauce in my purse. I have a soft spot for making people their favorite dessert, especially if it's wrapped in a pastry crust. My newest cookbook, Savory Baking, came out in Fall of 2022 - is full of recipes to translate a love of baking into recipes for breakfast, dinner, and everything in between!

5 Reviews

KR April 17, 2021
I would love to try this, and hesitate bc the instructions are not super clear.
Step 9: add the strawberry mixture into the custard...
which/what mixture? The beautiful juices or the strained strawberry bits?
Hope to have clarification soon as it's coming up to strawberry season here.
Thx in advance!
Hina K. February 7, 2018
This recipe is extremely confusing 😒
Candice February 8, 2018
How so? It reads pretty clearly to me.
stefanie October 30, 2018
I'm actually a bit confused too - for the strawberry mixture, it says to first break down the fruit, then strain the juice. The juice then never makes another appearance in the recipe - so all that flavor just goes to waste and we use the leftover pulp of the strawberries? Or is it the other way around?
Antonella D. January 22, 2019
Step 9 has you add the strawberry mixture into the pudding.