This chocolate mousse pie is incredibly rich and decadent with a crumbly & buttery Oreo crust, creamy chocolate mousse, a thin layer of chocolate ganache, and homemade whipped cream. If you're looking for a little more chocolate in your life this holiday season, I promise this pie will satisfy all of your chocolate needs!
This pie is my claim to fame with my family & friends, often referred to as "the best thing I have ever made." I am incredibly proud of this statement, as chocolate is my bread & butter when it comes to dessert.
The chocolate mousse is obviously the star of this pie - it is incredibly smooth & silky in texture and so rich & chocolatey in flavor. But each layer is just as delicious. If you're someone who is looking for a little more chocolate during pie season, this is the recipe for you.
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Why you will love this chocolate mousse pie
- The Oreo crust. Oreos & European style butter are mixed to form the base of this pie. A buttery, crumbly, Oreo crust pairs perfectly with the ganache & chocolate mousse.
- Chocolate chocolate chocolate. If you're a chocolate lover, this chocolate mousse pie is perfect for you! The rich, creamy chocolate mousse & the chocolate ganache is *mwah* chef's kiss!
- Pre-baking only. The only thing that needs to be baked for this pie is the crust, and that only takes 10 minutes, so it couldn't be easier! When I make this pie for Thanksgiving, I usually make the pie crust (and the mousse) the night before, as to not use up precious oven time on turkey day!
Ingredient notes
- Oreos: regular Oreo cookies should be used to form the cookie crust.
- Butter: salted butter is used in this recipe for the crust - it offsets the sweetness of this dessert perfectly.
- Egg yolks: egg yolks are needed to thicken the mousse mixture, add richness, and bind all the ingredients together.
- Granulated sugar: granulated sugar is the sugar of choice to sweeten up the filling a bit.
- Heavy whipping cream: we use a lot of heavy cream in this recipe, so make sure to splurge on the good quality stuff! Heavy cream is needed in the mousse, ganache, & whipped cream.
- Powdered sugar: used to lightly sweeten the whipped cream.
- Chocolate: the star ingredient! Baking chocolate is ideal here as it melts down easier than chocolate chips. Feel free to change up the cocoa percentages for your mousse & ganache. I usually use a combination of semi-sweet & dark chocolate. Please note however, the proportions may need to be slightly adjusted if you use milk chocolate to make up for the higher milk content.
Steps
- Pre-bake Oreo crust. Pulse Oreos into a fine crumb in a food processor. Mix with melted butter and gently spread the mixture into an even layer in your pan. Bake for 10 minutes at 350F. Let cool completely.
- Make the mousse. Whisk together egg yolks, sugar, & salt in a heat proof bowl. Place the bowl over a sauce pan with 2 inches of simmering water. Gradually heat up while continuously whisking for about 5 minutes. Add in warm heavy cream and whisk occasionally for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla extract. Add melted chocolate and whisk until combined. Fold this mixture into the whipped heavy cream.
- Chill. Pour the mousse on top of the cooled Oreo crust and chill for at least four hours or overnight in the fridge for the mousse to set.
- Make the ganache. Chop chocolate finely then pour warmed heavy cream on top. Let it sit for 5 minutes, then stir until smooth. Pour the ganache on top of the pie & spread in an even layer. Let the ganache set on the pie in the fridge for another hour or so.
- Make whipped cream. Beat together the heavy cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Spread on top of the pie. Keep chilled until ready to slice & serve!
FAQ
A crust that is hard is likely due to over-baking. It only needs to be baked for about 10 minutes until set & aromatic. Any longer and it will be dry & hard. Also, you want to gently pack it into your pan. Packing in the mixture too firmly can cause a hard and cracked crust.
This can be from over-mixing. Gently fold until just combined - if you mix too harshly or too much, the air will deflate. Additionally, ensure the crust is completely cold before adding the mousse and make sure you are giving the pie ample time to set.
It's likely that the heavy cream was not hot enough to melt the chopped chocolate, resulting in clumps of unmelted chocolate. If this happens, microwave the ganache in 10 second intervals, stirring between each. A grainy chocolate ganache can be due to poor quality chocolate, or uneven cooling.
Run a sharp knife under hot water and wipe dry before cutting. The warm knife will slice cleanly through the pie. Rinse and repeat in between cutting each slice.
For optimal freshness & to help the chocolate mousse stay set, store this pie in an airtight container in the fridge.
Baking in grams
I rely on gram measurements when testing recipes because they offer the highest level of accuracy (and less cleanup!). Unlike volume measurements, which can vary, grams provide a reliable and consistent standard. I carefully test all of my recipes using this kitchen scale, therefore I cannot guarantee the outcome when using volume measurements. However, volume measurements are available in the recipe card.
Other pie recipes you may like
Have you tried this recipe? I would love to know how it turned out! Leave a star rating & review below and tag @sturbridgebakery on Instagram so I can see photos & videos of your yummy bakes! Want to save this recipe for later? Tap the heart button on the right side of your screen!
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Chocolate Mousse Pie
Equipment
Ingredients
Oreo Crust
- 22 regular Oreos
- 4 tablespoons (57 grams) salted butter melted, European style is preferred!
Chocolate Mousse
- 4 egg yolks
- ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 cups (480 grams) heavy whipping cream divided
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 oz semi-sweet or dark chocolate chopped
Chocolate Ganache
- ½ cup (120 grams) heavy whipping cream
- 4 oz semi-sweet or dark chocolate chopped
Whipped Cream
- ½ cup (120 grams) heavy whipping cream cold
- 1-2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Instructions
Oreo Crust
- Preheat oven to 350F and line the bottom of an 8 or 9 inch springform pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a food processor, pulse the Oreos until they are a fine crumb. Add the melted butter and pulse until combined. If you don’t have a food processor, put the Oreos in a ziplock bag and gently hit them with the back of a wooden spoon/spatula. Mix the crumbs with melted butter.22 regular Oreos, 4 tablespoons salted butter
- Gently spread the Oreo mixture into the bottom and slightly up the sides of the prepared pan. Using the back of a measuring cup, smooth out the mixture in your pan.
- Pre-bake for 10-12 minutes until set & aromatic. Remove from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes at room temperature, then place it in the freezer to cool completely while you make the mousse.
Chocolate Mousse
- Pour 2 cups (480 grams) of heavy whipping cream into a measuring cup. Pour ¾ cup (180 grams) of that 2 cups into a separate cup/bowl, and put the 1 ¼ cups (300 grams) of heavy cream back into the fridge. You will use this later.2 cups heavy whipping cream
- Chop your chocolate and set aside. Fill a sauce pan with two inches of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat.8 oz semi-sweet or dark chocolate
- In a heat proof bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, granulated sugar, and salt until smooth. Place the bowl on the pot over the simmering water and continuously whisk while the mixture heats up to about 160F. If you don’t have a thermometer, this should take about 4 minutes on medium heat.4 egg yolks, ¼ cup granulated sugar, ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Meanwhile, microwave the ¾ cup (180 grams) of heavy cream for 45 seconds. It should be luke warm. While continuously whisking, slowly pour the warmed heavy cream into the eggs. Keep whisking the mixture for another 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the vanilla extract & stir to combine.¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Meanwhile, add the chopped chocolate to a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between each until completely melted and smooth.
- Add the melted chocolate to the egg mixture and whisk until completely combined. Set aside.
- Remove the remaining heavy cream from the fridge and beat on medium speed for 3-4 minutes until medium peaks form.
- Pour the chocolate/egg mixture into the whipped cream and fold them together until combined. Try to avoid over-mixing.
- Pour the filling on top of the cold Oreo crust, and place the pan back in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight until set.
Chocolate Ganache & Whipped Cream
- Once the pie has set, make the ganache. Chop the chocolate finely and set aside. Heat the heavy cream for 30-60 seconds in the microwave until hot.4 oz semi-sweet or dark chocolate, ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- Pour the heavy cream over the chopped chocolate and let it stand for 5 minutes. The hot cream will melt the chocolate. Stir together until combined.
- Pour the ganache over the chocolate mousse and spread into an even layer. Let the ganache set in the fridge for about one hour. At this point, I usually remove the pie from the springform pan - do this carefully & gently.
- To make the whipped cream, beat together powdered sugar & whipped cream until stiff peaks form. Spread on top of the pie.
- Leave in the fridge until ready to slice & serve. Enjoy!
Tried this recipe? Make sure to rate and review and tag @sturbridgebakery on Instagram!
Donna
So decadent!
Can’t wait to try!
Jess Italiano
Thank you!! 🙂 I hope you enjoy!
Kate
Hello - do you use the whole Oreo or scrape off the frosting prior to food processor?
Jess Italiano
Hi Kate! The whole Oreo!
Kate
Wonderful- going to make tomorrow!
Jess Italiano
Let me know how it turns out!
Kim B
It didn't set. When I took off the spring form pan, it was still very liquid after refrigerating overnight. I'm thinking that I did not whip the cream enough before adding chocolate. The flavor was delicious so I'm definitely going to try again.
Jess Italiano
I am sorry to hear it didn't set, but so happy you're willing to try again! It could definitely be that you didn't whip the cream enough, or it could be from over-mixing after adding the chocolate/egg mixture. Too much mixing and the air you created when you whipped the cream can knock right out of the batter and cause it to deflate.
Anne
I made this pie for Thanksgiving. It came out beautifully and was well worth the effort. It was rich, delicious, and decadent. I did slightly over bake the crust which made it harder to cut. I’ll be more mindful next time. Overall it was a resounding success!
Jess Italiano
Hi Anne! I am so glad - thanks for making it! 🙂
Janice Keeler
I plan to make this along with my NY Deli cheesecake for Christmas and will use mint Oreos as I like the combination of mint & chocolate! Looks like a winner.
Jess Italiano
This is genius!!! I will have to do this next year! Let me know how it turns out 🙂