This Chocolate Icebox Pie is incredible any time of the year but it’s especially nice in the hot summer months — you can make it without ever turning on your oven! A rich and creamy whipped chocolate filling served in a crisp chocolatey Oreo Crust!
Chocolate Icebox Pie
I actually developed the recipe for this Chocolate Icebox Pie over a year ago and am pretty embarrassed that I’m just now getting around to sharing it with you.
A big part of the hold-up was that I didn’t know what to actually call it. It’s not quite a no-bake cheesecake, certainly not a pudding, and I already have a popular classic Chocolate Pie that’s made very differently, so that’s not it either.
So, for the past year, I’ve just been keeping this one to myself while it sat in a nameless limbo. Well, not quite to myself. I’ve made it dozens of times and it’s actually become one of my family’s favorite no bake desserts. I’m not sure who first referred to it as an Icebox Pie, but the name stuck. It’s appropriate, too, as the whole pie can be made without an oven and needs a refrigerator (/icebox?) to firm up.
This chocolate icebox pie tastes like a light and airy cross between cheesecake and chocolate truffles. The texture is creamy and light, thanks to a generous amount of homemade whipped cream that we’ll be folding into the rich chocolate batter.
You’ll dirty a few dishes making this one but I promise it’s worth it.
Tips for Making Chocolate Icebox Pie
- A store-bought pre-made Oreo crust will be too small to hold all of the filling that this pie makes, and you will have leftover filling if you opt to use one of those.
- To make the chocolate portion of this icebox pie, you need to make a simple chocolate ganache. It’s simple enough, but make sure you only heat the chocolate and cream in short bursts and stir well in between. Otherwise you could seize your chocolate, leaving you with a lumpy, unusable mess.
- This recipe calls for ¾ teaspoon of instant coffee (stirred in with the chocolate). It’s optional, but please note that adding it will not make your icebox pie taste like coffee. It deepens and enhances the chocolate flavor, instead.
- I recommend an electric mixer for this recipe. You will need to whip up some homemade whipped cream (which helps give the pie its light and airy texture) and doing this by hand is possible, but takes forever.
- If you’re a real chocoholic, substitute the whipped cream topping for chocolate whipped cream instead!
- I chill this pie in the refrigerator, but it can be kept in the freezer for a frozen Chocolate Icebox Pie instead, if you prefer.
Overall, this is really a pretty simple pie. While you could take some shortcuts (using store-bought whipped cream instead of homemade, using a pre-made crust, etc.), it’s the homemade touches that really put this recipe over the top.
Enjoy!
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Be sure to check out my Chocolate Icebox Pie video at the bottom of the recipe! If you enjoy watching, make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel where I’ve already uploaded over 100 recipe videos that you can watch for free!
Chocolate Icebox Pie
Ingredients
- 1 Oreo Crust (Click link for recipe) prepare in a 9 ½" pie pan (place in refrigerator after assembling -- do not bake)
- 16 oz (450 g) cream cheese softened
- 8 oz dark or semisweet chocolate¹ chopped into small pieces
- 1 ½ cups (355 ml) heavy cream divided
- ¾ tsp of instant coffee optional
- 1 cup (150 g) powdered sugar divided
- ⅓ cup (75 g) sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Additional homemade whipped cream for topping, if desired. You would only need ¼ or ½ of a batch.
Instructions
- Combine chopped chocolate or chocolate chips and ½ cup (118ml) of heavy cream in a large microwave-safe bowl. Transfer to the microwave and heat in 20-25 second increments, stirring well in between, until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is smooth.²8 oz dark or semisweet chocolate¹
- Once chocolate is melted, stir in instant coffee, if using. Set aside and allow chocolate mixture to cool for at least 25 minutes or until no longer warm to the touch.¾ tsp of instant coffee
- Meanwhile, prepare your whipped cream. Combine remaining 1 cup (236ml) heavy cream and ¼ cup (38g) powdered sugar in a clean, medium-sized bowl and use an electric mixer to beat to stiff peaks (until mixture is thick and fluffy and resembles Cool Whip). Set aside.1 ½ cups (355 ml) heavy cream, 1 cup (150 g) powdered sugar
- Place your cream cheese in a large bowl and pour cooled ganache over top. Use electric mixer to stir together until well combined and smooth and creamy.16 oz (450 g) cream cheese softened
- Add remaining ¾ cup powdered sugar (112g), sour cream, and vanilla extract and stir until completely combined.⅓ cup (75 g) sour cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add whipped cream that you prepared in step 3 to the bowl and use a spatula to fold in by hand until all ingredients are well incorporated.
- Spread filling into chilled Oreo crust, using a spatula to smooth the top.1 Oreo Crust
- Transfer pie to refrigerator and allow to chill for 6 hours or overnight.
- Slice, serve, and enjoy! If desired top with additional whipped cream.Additional homemade whipped cream
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Rivkah Gottlieb
Will it work if I do less cream cheese and/or sour cream? I taste the sourness of the cream cheese and sour cream very strongly with full amount.
Sam
Unfortunately, I can’t say for sure how it would turn out. For best results, I would recommend sticking to the recipe. 🙁
Juli
You could try another soft, sweet cheese like marscapone that has less tang to it.
Cathy
Love the pie!! Question: I had trouble getting the Oreo crust out of the pie pan. It says pour into a “prepared pan” – should I have sprayed it?
Thanks.
Sam
Hi Cathy! You shouldn’t need to spray your pan, unless your pan isn’t a non-stick pan. I say prepared pan, because you’ve added the crust to the pan already. 🙂
Josie Kolbech
Hello! How long can I freeze the pie? Thanks!
Sam
Hi Josie! It should last for a couple of months in the freezer. 🙂
Josie
Yay! The pie is just absolutely delicious & I’m so happy I can freeze it up to 2 months :).
Happy Pi-day
Ann Letteer
If I make this in individual servings using cupcake tins with cupcake liners will the pie hold up when I remove the papers? I’ve done this with my keylime pie recipe and wondered if it work the same with this chocolate pie.
Sam
Hi Ann! I would suspect it would probably stick to the cupcake liners. It may work if you use foil liners, but I’m not really sure. it is a pretty soft pie.