It doesn’t get much better than this French Silk Pie Recipe! I first learned about French Silk Pie from Baker’s Square, which is a midwest diner chain that also specializes in pies! Growing up family used to pick up pies from our local Baker’s Square all the time and my favorite was always their French Silk Pie. I haven’t been there in over a decade, but I think I may need to make a quick stop the next time I’m back in Chicago visiting my parents.
Seriously though it doesn’t get better than this pie! The buttery Nilla wafer crust (which is our special variation from the typical butter dough crust), rich and creamy mousse-like chocolate filling, topped with fluffy pillows of sweet whipped cream- it’s the perfect pie! There is definitely a little work involved to make this pie, but it’s 100% well worth it!
Why is it Called French Silk Pie?
The name French Silk Pie comes from its silky texture! The chocolate filling is often beaten for long amounts of time, aerating the mixture, unlike its thicker pudding filling counterpart. Whipped cream is also often folded into the filling, giving it its mousse-like texture.
It’s not as thick as a pudding because of the whipped cream folded into the filling, giving it a silky mousse-like texture.
How to Make Our French Silk Pie
Pie Crust and Filling Ingredients
Crust Process
- Completely combine crushed Nilla wafer crumbs, butter and cinnamon.
- Pour mixture into a pie dish and press into the bottom and sides of the pan, in an even layer.
- Place crust in the freezer for at least 1 hour (up to 2 days).
Filling Process
- Place sugar and eggs in a heatproof bowl and beat together with an electric mixer.
- Place bowl over a pot with water (creating a double boiler). Cook mixture, while beating with electric hand mixer, until pale yellow, thick and has doubled in volume. Remove from heat and cool.
- Stir melted and cooled chocolate into yolk mixture and beat until fully incorporated and smooth.
- In a stand mixer, beat butter until light and fluffy. Add completely cooled chocolate mixture to the butter and continue to beat until fully combined, scraping down sides of the bowl.
- In another mixing bowl beat together cream and vanilla extract.
- Fold whipped cream into chocolate mixture until fully combined.
- Pour filling into frozen crust.
- Place pie in the refrigerator to set.
Topping Ingredients
Topping Process
- In a mixing bowl combine cream, sugar and vanilla.
- Whisk mixture together until stiff peaks form.
- Top pie with sweetened whipped cream and a sprinkle of shaved chocolate. Serve.
Why is This Our Best French Silk Pie Recipe?
We don’t mean to toot our own horn here, but we’ve been tweaking and perfecting this recipe for a long time for you guys and think we’ve really nailed it and here’s why:
- No Raw Eggs – unlike many other recipes you’ll find online, we ‘cook’ our eggs over a double boiler, so there’s no need to worry about raw eggs in your pie!
- Nilla Wafer Crust – most French Silk Pies call for a pie dough crust, but we think the Nilla wafer crust (with just a hint of cinnamon) is the best option for this pie. The butter, crumbly cookie crust pairs so well with the smooth and creamy filling. This is also a no bake crust, making this a no bake pie!
- Whipped Cream in the Filling – folding some (unsweetened) whipped cream into the chocolate pie filling really gives it an ultra smooth and light texture, while still maintaining the rich flavors.
Tips and Tricks for French Silk Pie Success
- Cooking the eggs over very low heat will ensure they don’t scramble (as well as eliminate any salmonella worries).
- If the eggs do happen to scramble a little bit, don’t worry! Just push the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to separate the scrambled bits, before stirring in the melted chocolate.
- It’s important to let the egg and sugar mixture cool before adding the melted chocolate and then again before adding it to the butter mixture, to prevent the filling from curdling.
- Don’t over mix the whipped cream into the chocolate filling or the pie won’t set properly when chilled.
Pie Crust Variations
- You can substitute the nilla wafers for graham crackers in this recipe if you like a graham cracker crust!
- You can also change out the nilla wafers for oreos. We love a good oreo cookie crust, and this recipe would taste amazing with that swap.
- To make this pie gluten free change out any of the crust options with a gluten free option! We love how easy this pie is to make gluten free.
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions
Make Ahead
The entire pie can be made up to 1 day ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator.The crust and filling can be made up to 5 days ahead of time and wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 5 days.
The day you’re ready to serve, make the whipped cream topping, top the pie, add the shavings and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
Freeze Ahead
The entire pie can be frozen for up to 3 months.
To freeze: Place pie into freezer until fully frozen, then carefully and tightly wrap pie in plastic wrap and store in freezer for up to 3 months.
To serve: Unwrap pie and place in the refrigerator overnight to thaw. Slice and serve.
This French Silk Pie recipe is one of my favorite pies ever. It’s rich and creamy, but also light and fluffy. The whip cream topping, chocolate mousse like filling and buttery Nilla wafer crust, really do make pie perfection! You can’t go wrong with some bonus chocolate garnish of some chocolate curls or shavings either!
More Delicious Chocolate Dessert Recipes You Will Love
- Bunuelos with a Spicy Chocolate Sauce
- Snickers Milkshake
- One Bowl Chocolate Sheet Cake with Creamy Peanut Butter Frosting
- Chocolate Cream Pie
- Chocolate Peanut Butter and Cinnamon Smoothie
- Baked Chocolate Donuts
- Mexican Chocolate Earthquake Cookies
French Silk Pie Recipe
INGREDIENTS
crust
- 2 1/4 cups finely crushed Nilla Wafers from 1 (11oz) box
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
filling
- 1 cup superfine sugar
- 4 large eggs lightly beaten
- 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate melted and cooled
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
garnish
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/3 cup superfine sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ounce shaved bittersweet chocolate
INSTRUCTIONS
crust
- Place Nilla wafer crumbs, cinnamon and melted butter into a mixing bowl and stir together until completely combined.
- Pour mixture into the bottom of a 9” pie dish and press into the bottom and sides of the pan, in an even layer. Place crust in the freezer for at least 1 hour.
filling
- Place sugar and eggs in a heatproof bowl and beat together with an electric hand mixer.
- Place bowl over a pot filled with 1 1/2 inches water simmering over low heat. Cook mixture, while beating with electric hand mixer, until pale yellow, thick and has doubled in volume, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
- Stir melted and cooled chocolate into the mixture and beat until fully incorporated and smooth. Remove from heat and set aside until mixture has completely cooled.
- In a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment (or in another mixing bowl and using electric hand mixer), beat butter until light and fluffy. Add cooled chocolate mixture to the butter and continue to beat until fully combined, scraping down sides of the bowl.
- In another mixing bowl beat together cream and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Fold whipped cream into chocolate mixture until fully combined and mixture is light and fluffy.
- Pour filling into frozen crust and smooth top. Place pie in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or until filling has set.
garnish/whipped cream topping
- In a mixing bowl combine cream, sugar and vanilla. Whisk mixture together until stiff peaks just form (can use electric hand or stand mixer with whisk attachment).
assemble
- Remove pie from refrigerator and top with sweetened whipped cream and a sprinkle of shaved chocolate. Serve.
NOTES
- Cooking the eggs over low heat will ensure they don’t scramble.
- If the eggs do happen to scramble a little bit, don’t worry! Just push the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to separate the scrambled bits, before stirring in the melted chocolate.
- It’s important to let the egg and sugar mixture cool before adding the melted chocolate and then again before adding it to the butter mixture, to prevent the filling from curdling.
- Don’t over mix the whipped cream into the chocolate filling or the pie won’t set properly when chilled.
- The entire pie can be made up to 1 day ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator.
- The crust and filling can be made up to 5 days ahead of time and wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 5 days. The day you’re ready to serve, make the whipped cream topping, top the pie, add the shavings and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
- The entire pie can be frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze: Place pie into freezer until fully frozen, then carefully and tightly wrap pie in plastic wrap and store in freezer for up to 3 months.
- When ready to serve, unwrap pie and place in the refrigerator overnight to thaw. Slice and serve.
Did you make this recipe? We want to see!
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When do you add the salt for the filling?
Hi! Thanks for catching that! You add it to the cream and vanilla mixture before whipping it and folding it into the chocolate/egg mixture
So delish! I made this and ate a slice every night for a week and finished it myself!
I made this for a friends pie competition and won! I gave you ladies all the credit. Thank you, it was delicious.
I made this pie today and it is excellent! My only issue was with the crust which calls for way too much butter for the amount of wafers. I bought the regular Nila Wafers and counted out 60 cookies. After adding 1and 1/2 sticks of melted butter the mixture was soggy. I added the rest of the cookies left in the box, which helped, but the resulting crust was still a little bit too moist. The crust is still delicious and the rest of the recipe turned out perfect. I highly recommend making this pie. Happy Thanksgiving
I’ve never tried French Silk Pie. Your recipe and photos make me want to make it immediately!
OMG this looks amazing! I’ve never had French Silk Pie (don’t know how it’s possible), but your pictures/recipe have convinced me that I need to get on it ASAP. :D
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Can this pie be frozen after it is assembled,but before the whip cream topping?
Ah yes, oddly positive childhood memories of Baker’s Square — although maybe they aren’t all that odd, considering the amount of pie we went through there. French silk was always at the top of my list too!
I also have fond memories of Baker’s Square! Although I obnoxiously turn my nose up to Polly pies, etc, and I have no idea why! It’s probably the nostalgia :)
I loved the Baker’s French Silk Pie, but when they came out with the Caramel French Silk Pie, that was to die for!!
How delicious and BEAUTIFUL!
This is a fave in our family too! I never knew the ingredients were so simple. I was expecting some secret difficult to work with ingredient. Looove this. I am sure it will make an appearance at my family’s celebrations this holiday season.
This looks simply stunning and absolutely delicious! I love the Nilla wafer crust!
Love your crust substitution! I never thought the traditional crust went with the pie anyway!
A Nilla wafer crust, genius! What a gorgeous!!! pie!!! :) Pinned!
Yes! I’m a huge fan of french silk pie filling, but I’ve always hated the crust! Loving the ‘Nilla Wafers :)
Oh my! That’s one good lookin’ pie!
Baker’s Square and French silk pie go hand in hand for me!!
super goloso questo dolce, non trovo da me i Nilla wafer ma metterò dei biscotti secchi:-)
bellissima ricetta!
raffaella
Hi guys! Was wondering
1. what Nilla wafers are
2. what substitute could I use in place of it? We don’t have those from where I’m at
Thanks :)
Hi Stephanie! Nilla Wafers are just sweetened, vanilla infused, crispy cookies…you can substitute them with sweet crackers/biscuits or Graham crackers!
Thanks Jenny! Can’t wait to try this :)
French silk pie is just… my favorite! And these photos are having me craving a big piece for myself! Love the vanilla wafer crust!
I remember that same vision from Baker’s Square. We’d always go for lunch, but we were really going for pie. Yum!
I still haven’t tried French silk pie. DEF need to make this recipe!