This silky chocolate pudding pie uses chocolate pudding mix and Cool Whip to make an easy silky and rich mousse filling. It’ll be your new favorite summer dessert!

This easy chocolate cream pie is my most requested dessert at summer potlucks and picnics. It’s a family favorite because it’s combines a gorgeously silky mousse texture with decadent chocolate flavor. It’s one of my favorite desserts because this is one of the easiest pies I know how to make. 

If you use a pre-made graham cracker crust, you can make this easy dessert in about 5 minutes. If you want to make your own buttery graham cracker crust, it will take you about 15 minutes. In short, this is the best way to make a huge hit at your next summer event!

Why you want this recipe

• perfect for summer
• decadent and creamy
• delicious chocolate flavor
• easy enough for beginner cooks
• won’t heat your house!

Ingredients

This no bake chocolate pudding pie is made with super simple ingredients you can find at just about any grocery store!

• Chocolate Pudding Mix: You’ll want 2 3.9 oz boxes of instant chocolate pudding mix for this. Do NOT make the pudding — we are going to alter how much milk we use in order to create a pie filling that sets up beautifully!
• Milk: I recommend whole milk for a rich and creamy filling, but you can use any sort of cows milk for this recipe. Unfortunately, plant based milks do not allow the pudding to set up. 
• Cool Whip: I typically use regular Cool Whip. Make sure your Cool Whip is completely thawed before you start.  If you want to cut calories, you can use the lite version here. I also recently learned that you can make your own homemade whipped topping, which is fantastic!
• Pre-made Graham Cracker Crust OR Your Favorite Graham Cracker Crust Recipe: I love using premade graham cracker crusts to save time, but if you want to make a homemade crust, you’ll need brown sugar, about 10 graham cracker sheets, and 6-8 Tbsp of butter. 
• Chocolate Bar (Optional): This is just here for the aesthetic. You can grate a chocolate bar, either baking chocolate or a Hershey’s chocolate bar, to create a lovely little garnish for the top of your pie. 

Instructions

Step 1 | Make the Pudding Base

Start by pouring your pudding mix into a mixing bowl. Add the amount of milk in the recipe card — do NOT add whatever it says on the box. We are deliberately making this thicker so that it will set into a pie filling instead of a thinner pudding. 

I recommend using a hand mixer or stand mixer with the whisk attachment for this step. Whip the pudding mix and milk until it’s fully incorporated. It will look like smooth but super thick chocolate pudding. 

Step 2 | Fold in Cool Whip

Add 1/2 cup of your Cool Whip to the pudding, and, like Moira Rose says, fold it in. If you need a tutorial on how to fold, this video clears it up for you!

You should end up with a light and creamy mousse-like filling!

Step 3 | Layer in Crust

Pour your pudding into your graham cracker pie crust and smooth it so it fits in evenly.

Then, you can cover the whole pie with the remaining Cool Whip. It looks so beautiful and snowy!

Step 4 | Refrigerate

Place your pie in the fridge for at least an hour to get that filling fully set. 

Step 5 | Serve!

If you want little chocolate curls for a garnish, you can grate your chocolate bar, then sprinkle the chocolate bits over the top of the pie. If you’re a chocolate lover, you can also add chocolate chips or a drizzle of chocolate syrup to the top for extra decadence!