Paula Deen Chocolate Chip Pie is a thick, chewy cookie baked right into a pie plate and topped with fresh whipped cream. It takes 45 minutes from start to finish and makes two pies that serve 16. Put this one on the holiday dessert table or bring it to a church supper.
The key is pulling these pies from the oven while they still look slightly underdone. They should be golden on top but soft in the center. Overbaking turns them dry and crumbly instead of fudgy. Paula calls for 30 minutes, but start checking at 25 because every oven runs different.
Let both pies cool completely before adding the whipped cream, or the heat will melt it flat. You can bake the pies a day ahead, wrap them tight, and add the topping right before serving. The whipped cream holds in the fridge for a few hours but gets watery overnight.
Paula Deen Chocolate Chip Pie
Course: DessertCuisine: American, SouthernDifficulty: Easy16
servings15
minutes30
minutes660
kcalA thick chocolate chip cookie dough pressed into pie plates, baked golden with a soft, fudgy center, and finished with sweetened whipped cream folded with miniature chocolate chips.
Ingredients
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup softened unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups chopped optional walnuts
2 pints (4 cups) heavy cream
1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
Directions
- Preheat: Preheat oven to 350 °F. Grease 2 (9-inch) pie plates; set aside.
- Mix the dough: In a large bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Beat in the vanilla. Add flour mixture, a little at a time, and mix until fully combined. Fold in the 3 cups chocolate chips and, if desired, the walnuts. Divide the dough between the prepared pie plates and smooth the tops with a spatula.
- Bake: Bake about 30 minutes or until pies are golden and slightly firm to the touch but still soft. If the pies begin to darken too much before they are baked through, cover with foil and continue baking. Let pies cool completely on a wire rack.
- Make the topping: While the pies cool, whip the cream and confectioner’s sugar until soft peaks form (tips curl). Fold in the chocolate chips. Refrigerate whipped cream until ready to use. Spread the whipped cream over the pies and serve.
FAQs
Can you use a regular pie crust instead of cookie dough?
This pie IS the cookie dough baked in a pie plate, so swapping in a traditional crust changes the whole thing. You would end up with a shell filled with raw dough that bakes unevenly. The cookie dough pressed flat into a greased pie plate is what gives it that thick, fudgy center.
How long does chocolate chip pie keep?
The baked pie without the whipped cream keeps well at room temperature for two days if you wrap it tightly. Once you add the whipped cream, eat it within a few hours. Refrigerating a topped pie works for one day, but the cream starts to weep after that.
Can you freeze the baked pies?
Freeze them without the whipped cream topping. Wrap each pie tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, and they keep for up to two months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and add fresh whipped cream right before serving.
Why does the recipe use both baking soda and baking powder?
Baking soda reacts with the brown sugar’s acidity for an initial rise and better browning. Baking powder gives a second lift in the oven. Using both keeps the pie from turning out too dense or too flat.
How do you know when the pies are done if they should still be soft?
Look for golden brown edges with a center that is set but still has a slight jiggle when you nudge the plate. A toothpick will come out with moist crumbs, not wet batter. The pies firm up as they cool, so pulling them early is better than waiting too long.
