JELL-O Chocolate Pudding Pie Recipe

This 4-ingredient Jell-O Chocolate Pudding Recipe is the perfect easy dessert for beginners.

It’s no bake dessert, served chilled, which makes it ideal for those sweltering summer days. It has the illusion of a fancy dessert, without the work!

This deliciously creamy pie is made by adding Jell-O Chocolate Pudding to a pie shell. To give it some extra creaminess, you can put Cool Whip or whipped cream on top. Then all you have to do is let it chill in the fridge to set.

Kids love this pudding chocolate pie, and it’s a hit with nostalgic adults too! It’s a great chilled dessert to serve at summer picnics and birthday parties. And, this fun and tasty dessert only takes 20 minutes to come together.

All About The Jell-O Chocolate Pudding Pie Ingredients

Jell-O Chocolate Pudding Mix

This classic instant pudding mix is mostly made from cocoa, sugar, and cornstarch. It’s often eaten on its own or used in desserts. All you need to do is add milk and mix, then let it firm up in the fridge.

Make sure you buy the regular pudding mix for this recipe, not instant chocolate pudding.

Chocolate Pie Crust

Store-bought pie crust is the way to go if you want to save time. If you have a sweet tooth, try making an Oreo pie crust with crushed Oreo cookies! For this recipe, I use a graham cracker crust for its toasted nutty flavor.

Whichever pie crust you use, make sure you refrigerate it before adding the pudding filling. This will help prevent the crust from getting soggy.

Milk

For a rich and creamy pudding, use full-fat milk or heavy cream. To reduce the amount of fat, you can opt for skim or fat-free milk instead.

This jell o chocolate pie can become dairy-free simply by changing which kind of cold milk you use! Coconut milk will give your pudding the creamiest texture. Avoid using soy milk, as it doesn’t have the protein or fat content for the pudding to properly set.

Whipped Cream

Whip cream forms the light and fluffy topping for this pie. Whip your own using heavy cream and add a touch of powdered sugar for sweetness. To get your cream to whip up faster, chill your mixing bowl in the freezer for 10 minutes first.

If you’re short on time you can also use Cool Whip. This is a whipped topping you can find at any grocery store. It even comes in a fat-free option if you’re trying to limit the calories.

Chocolate Shavings or Curls

Finish off this pie with a generous topping of shaved chocolate curls. Not only does it add to the rich chocolate flavor, but they look pretty too! The easiest way to make chocolate curls is by shaving a piece of chocolate with a vegetable peeler or grater.

Easy Tips for the Best Jell-O Chocolate Instant Pudding Pie

• Give the pie time to set. The pudding needs a couple of hours to firm up, or you’ll have a runny filling.
• Chill the crust. This is especially important if you’re baking a pie crust from scratch. The crust should be firm before you add the pudding filling so it doesn’t get soggy.
• Add cornstarch for a thicker pudding. If you want a firmer filling for your pie, add some cornstarch when you make the pudding. Another option is to add powdered sugar, but this will also make your pie much sweeter.
• Serve your pudding pie chilled. If you leave this pie out at room temperature for too long, the ingredients will start to get runny. Keep your pudding pie in the fridge until just before you serve it.
• Cover your pie with plastic wrap while it chills. This will keep other foods in your fridge from ending up in your pie!

Method

1. Preheat the Oven
   

   Heat your oven to 375°F.
   

2. Make the Pie Crust
   

   Mix the melted butter, sugar, and graham cracker crumbs. Press the mixture into the bottom and sides of a pie pan.
   

3. Bake and Chill
   

   Bake the crust for about 10 minutes, or until firm and golden brown. Let the pan cool, then place the crust in the refrigerator or freezer to chill.
   

4. Make the Pudding
   

   Place your saucepan over medium heat. Add the milk and 1 package of Jell-O Chocolate Pudding Mix. Bring the mixture to a boil while whisking constantly.

   Once the mixture has thickened, turn off the heat. Let the pudding cool for at least 10 minutes.
   

5. Pour Pudding into Pie Crust
   

   Once the pudding is cool, pour it into the graham cracker pie crust.
   

6. Refrigerate the Pie
   

   Cover the pie with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour.
   

7. Top with Cool Whip
   

   Spread Cool Whip evenly over the top of the pie. About a ½-inch layer. If the Cool Whip is too firm, leave it out at room temperature for 5 minutes to soften up.
   

8. Grate Chocolate Curls On Top
   

   Make chocolate curls by shaving the chocolate bar with a vegetable peeler. Sprinkle the curls over the whipped cream.
   

9. Chill and Serve
   

   Cover the pie with plastic wrap and chill again for 1 hour.

   Once it’s fully set, slice your pie and enjoy it with the whole family!
   

Delicious Ways to Adapt This Recipe

Experiment with Different Flavors

You can personalize the flavors of this pie however you like! Fancy it up by adding a sprinkle of toasted pecans or walnuts on top. You can even add nuts to the pie crust to compliment the toasted graham cracker flavor.

When you make the pudding, try adding a spoonful of instant coffee or peanut butter. These little additions are easy to make, but change the flavor of the pie completely!

Use Different Flavors of Pudding

Chocolate is just one of many flavors that Jell-O pudding comes in. You can turn this into a banana cream pie by using banana pudding. If you want something less rich, try their white chocolate or vanilla flavored puddings!

Reduce Calories

If you want to enjoy this dessert without worrying about the calories, try using a sugar-free pudding. You can also make the pudding with skim milk rather than full fat.

Use Cream Cheese

To make this pie even more decadent, try adding cream cheese to your whip cream. This tanginess will help offset the sweetness of the chocolate pudding.

How to Store and Freeze Jell-O Chocolate Pudding Pie

This Jell-O Chocolate Pudding pie is best served and eaten the same day it is made. Soft pies such as custard, cream, and pudding pies only stay good in the fridge for a maximum of 4 days.

This pie will not freeze well either, so it’s best to consume it as soon as you can.

Keep in mind that this pie contains milk, and milk spoils quickly at room temperature. To be safe, always refrigerate this pie right after you’re done serving.

Nutrition Tips

So it’s best to enjoy this decadent pie as an occasional treat.