Easy Chocolate Fudge Pie Recipe

If there’s one dessert that never fails to disappear from my holiday dessert table, it’s this fudge pie. Imagine a gooey, brownie-like filling baked inside a flaky pie crust and served warm with a scoop of ice cream. It’s rich, chocolatey, and just about impossible to resist.

I started making this pie years ago to use up an extra crust from Thanksgiving — what I think of as ‘pie season.’ Now, it’s become a Christmas tradition, mostly because it’s so easy to throw together when I’m already knee-deep in other cooking and baking.

The beauty of this recipe is that it’s made with simple, everyday ingredients. I usually have everything I need on hand: chocolate chips, brown sugar, butter, vanilla, eggs, and that spare crust waiting in the fridge. There’s nothing fussy about it–just melt, mix, pour, and bake.

Best of all, you only need two small bowls, a pie plate, and a microwave to make this chocolate sweet treat.

And while it’s perfect for the holidays, I’ll admit I’ve made it plenty of times throughout the year. Because when you love chocolate desserts as much as I do, you don’t really need an excuse to bake one.

Chocolate lovers, don’t miss out on these Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies — they’re fun to make, perfect for snacking or gifting, and always a hit piled high on a plate.

Why You’ll Love This Easy Fudge Pie

• Rich and gooey — it’s basically a brownie in pie form.
• Quick to make — about 10 minutes of prep time.
• Made with pantry staples — brown sugar, flour, vanilla, butter, and eggs.
• Microwave-friendly — you’ll melt in a bowl and stir together.
• Freezer-friendly — make it ahead for holiday gatherings or when you need a last-minute dessert.

Ingredients for Chocolate Fudge Pie

• Brown sugar
• Butter
• All-purpose flour
• Vanilla extract
• Eggs
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Walnut halves (optional, or swap for pecans)
• Refrigerated pie crust (single crust)

Ingredient Notes & Simple Swaps

Chocolate chips: Semi-sweet chocolate chips give this pie its classic, brownie-like flavor. You can also use dark chocolate chips for a deeper, more intense chocolate taste.

Brown sugar: Adds that soft, fudgy texture and subtle caramel sweetness that pairs perfectly with chocolate.

Butter: I prefer salted butter for this pie since there’s no additional salt in the recipe. It enhances the chocolate flavor and balances the sweetness beautifully. If you only have unsalted, you can add a small pinch of salt to the batter.

Nuts: Walnuts add a satisfying crunch and a slightly bitter edge that cuts through the richness of the fudge filling. Pecans work well too, or skip the nuts for a smooth, all-chocolate filling.

Pie crust: Refrigerated or frozen crusts both work great here. If you’re using a frozen one, thaw it just enough to press into your pie plate (or keep it in the tin for easy cleanup). It doesn’t need to be fully thawed, and you can skip the extra step of pre-baking since the crust bakes up beautifully right along with the filling.

Looking for another easy chocolate dessert you can make with semi-sweet morsels? Check out my Salted Caramel Pretzel Bark — a sweet-and-salty favorite with layers of chocolate, caramel, and pretzels.

How to Make Fudge Pie

Detailed recipe and instructions are in recipe card at bottom of post.

1. Preheat and prep: Set your oven to 375°F. Place a refrigerated pie crust into a 9-inch pie plate and flute the edges. You can also use a lightly thawed frozen crust.
2. Melt the chocolate and butter: Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave in short bursts, stirring between each one. When most of the chips are melted, stop microwaving and stir until smooth. (Residual heat will melt the rest.)
3. Mix the base: In a large bowl, stir together the brown sugar, melted butter, flour, vanilla, and lightly beaten eggs.
4. Add chocolate and nuts: Stir in the melted chocolate until smooth, then fold in the walnuts or pecans.
5. Fill and bake: Pour the mixture into your prepared crust and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the pie is set and the top looks shiny.
6. Cool and serve: Let it cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature — with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, of course.

Melting Chocolate Chips Tip: Avoid overheating chocolate in the microwave. Melt in increments and just stir the final chocolate chips, using the warmth of the melted chocolate to finish the job.

Fudge Pie Baking Tips & Serving Ideas

• Make-ahead tip: This pie freezes beautifully! Once baked and completely cooled, wrap it tightly and freeze. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
• Serving idea: Add a drizzle of warm fudge sauce over the top or a scoop of ice cream on the side. Around the holidays, I love sprinkling on a little crushed candy cane for a festive touch.
• Texture tip: For a gooier center, bake just until the edges are set and the middle still looks slightly soft.
• Prevent overbrowning: During the last 15 minutes of baking, check the crust. If the edges start to brown too quickly, cover them with foil.
• A note on cracks: Don’t worry if the top of your fudge pie develops a few cracks as it bakes, that’s completely normal. Just let it cool all the way before slicing, and it’ll set up perfectly with that shiny, brownie-like top.

More Chocolate Sweet Treats

If you love this fudge pie, you’ll probably love these other chocolatey desserts too:

• Salted Caramel Pretzel Bark — sweet, salty, and perfect for gifting.
• Marshmallow Fluff S’mores Bites — mini bites of gooey chocolate and marshmallow.
• Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies — small, chewy cookies made for snacking.
• Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites — sweet-and-salty no-bake treats.
• Valentine’s Cracker Candy — layers of saltines, toffee and chocolate you can decorate for any holiday.

Continue to Content

Easy Fudge Pie

Yield: 8 slices (one 9" pie)

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

This rich, gooey fudge pie tastes like a fudgy brownie baked into a flaky pie crust. It’s my go-to dessert during the holidays, especially when I have an extra pie crust left from Thanksgiving, but honestly, it’s perfect any time of year. Made with pantry staples and chocolate chips, it’s easy to prep in 10 minutes and bakes in 30, making a dessert everyone loves.

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Ingredients

• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 12 oz (1 package) semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
• 1 1/2 cups walnut halves (or pecans), optional
• 1 refrigerated single pie crust (bottom crust only)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Fit a refrigerated or lightly thawed frozen pie crust into a 9-inch pie plate and flute the edges. There’s no need to pre-bake the crust for this recipe.

Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl in short 20–30 second bursts, stirring between each burst until mostly melted. Remove and stir until smooth.

In a separate bowl, combine the brown sugar, melted butter, and flour. Stir in the vanilla and the lightly beaten eggs until smooth and well blended.

Add the melted chocolate to the sugar mixture and stir until glossy and combined. Fold in the walnut halves if using.

Place the refrigerated pie crust in a 9-inch pie plate. Pour the filling into the crust and smooth the top.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the edges are set and the center is just set with a shiny top. Check the crust at about 15 minutes and cover with foil to prevent burning.

Cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature, optionally with vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of fudge sauce.

Notes

• For a gooier center, remove the pie when the center still jiggles slightly; it will firm as it cools
• To freeze: cool completely, wrap tightly, and freeze. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
• If you prefer a nut-free pie, omit the walnuts and proceed as directed.

Did you make this recipe?

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