No Bake Chocolate Pie ~ Chocolate Mousse Filling and Oreo Crust

This No-Bake Chocolate Pie is like the graceful, elegant, cloud-like cousin of the traditionally rich, thick, pastry cream-filled Chocolate Cream Pie.

Both kinds of chocolate pie are impossible to resist in completely different ways, and honestly, if you asked me to choose between the two, my head might explode from indecision.

Ingredients Needed to Make this Recipe

You basically need 6 ingredients to make this simple no-bake chocolate pie:

1. Oreo cookie crumbs. You only need about 20 Oreo cookies to make enough crumbs for an 8 or 9-inch Oreo cookie pie crust.
2. Butter. The Oreo cookie crust is nothing but cookies, butter, and a pinch of salt. I like to use unsalted butter to make this crust because it allows for greater control over the amount of salt.
3. Cream cheese. Just 4 ounces of cream cheese adds richness and body to the chocolate mouse filling without making it taste like cream cheese in any way. In fact, I doubt anyone who tasted this pie would guess there is cream cheese in it.
4. Heavy whipping cream. Whipped cream and chocolate are the stars of this show. Be sure to choose heavy whipping cream that contains at least 35% fat.
5. Half-and-Half. Using half-and-half instead of heavy whipping cream to make the chocolate mousse filling creates the lightest, softest, most melt-in-your-mouth texture you can imagine. It's like eating a chocolate cloud.
6. Milk chocolate. The only sugar in the chocolate mousse filling for this pie comes from the chocolate, which is why I prefer to use milk chocolate over dark chocolate in this recipe. The amount of sugar in milk chocolate in combination with whipped cream and cream cheese creates a pie with the perfect level of sweetness. Milk chocolate is also less bitter than dark chocolate and creates a softer, more delicate mouth feel than dark chocolate.

*See the recipe card for precise quantities.

Step by Step Photos and Instructions

This easy recipe consists of 3 basic steps: Make the Oreo crust, then the milk chocolate mouse, and then top the pie with lightly sweetened whipped cream.

To make the Oreo cookie Crust, crush about 20 Oreo cookies by pulsing them in a food processor or placing them in a zip-top bag and using a rolling pin to crush the cookies into crumbs.

Mix the cookie crumbs with some melted butter and a pinch of salt.

Press the crumbs into an 8 or 9-inch pie plate so that they cover the bottom and sides of the pan in an even layer.

Put the pie plate in the freezer for at least an hour before filling it with chocolate mousse. You can also cover the crust and freeze it for up to 3 months.

To make the milk chocolate mousse filling, start by beating some heavy cream until it's soft, but will still hold its shape. When you lift the beater from the cream, it will form a peak that gently folds over onto itself.

Cut some softened cream cheese into chunks and add it to the whipped cream.

Beat the cream cheese into the whipped cream until the mixture is smooth. Put the bowl in the refrigerator until ready to use. You can make this whipped cream/ cream cheese mixture up to 24 hours in advance if you like.

Put the milk chocolate into a bowl. If using a chocolate bar, chop the chocolate into pieces before adding it to the bowl.

Heat some half-and-half in a pan on the stovetop or in the microwave just until little bubbles begin to appear around the edges.

Pour the hot half and half over the chocolate and let it sit for about a minute so the heat from the cream melts the chocolate.

Use a whisk or an electric beater to mix the chocolate and half and half until completely smooth.

This mixture is called chocolate ganache.

While the chocolate ganache is still warm, pour it slowly into the whipped cream/ cream cheese mixture.

As you add the chocolate ganache, use a spatula or wooden spoon to gently fold it into the whipped cream/ cream cheese mixture.

At this point, the chocolate mousse will be thick and fluffy, but still pourable. If you lift the spatula from the mousse, it will fall over itself in thick ribbons.

Pour the mousse into the frozen Oreo cookie crust and then place the pie in the refrigerator.

Refrigerate the pie for at least 6 hours to allow time for the mousse to set. At this point, the pie can be refrigerated for up to 48 hours before topping with whipped cream.

To make the whipped cream topping, use an electric mixer to beat heavy whipping cream with a bit of powdered sugar and vanilla just until it's thick enough to hold its shape.

Be careful to not over-beat the cream; beating it for too long will turn the cream into butter.

Spread the whipped cream over the top of the pie.

If you want to decorate the top of your pie with chocolate shavings, hold a knife at a 45° angle against a chocolate bar and run it over the surface of the chocolate to shave off thin pieces.

Sprinkle the chocolate shavings over the whipped cream.

Serve immediately or place in the refrigerator until ready to serve, up to 48 hours.

Substitutions and Variations

• Make the chocolate mousse with heavy cream instead of half-and-half. If you'd like the chocolate mousse for this pie to be more rich and thick than light and airy, use heavy cream instead of half-and-half.
• Use semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate instead of milk chocolate. I really like using milk chocolate to make the chocolate mousse filling for this pie. But, you can certainly use semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate instead. Just be mindful that semi-sweet and bittersweet chocolate contain less sugar than milk chocolate and the chocolate mousse for this pie doesn't contain any additional sugar.
• Add orange and almond flavoring to this pie. One of my favorite cakes is this Chocolate Almond Cake with Chocolate Orange Buttercream. The combo of chocolate, almond, and orange is crazy good. You can add those flavors to this pie by using orange flavored milk chocolate and a bit of almond extract in the chocolate mousse and in the whipped cream topping. 

Make Ahead and Storage Tips

• The Oreo cookie crust can be pressed into a pie plate and frozen for up to 3 months.
• The chocolate mousse can be prepared up to 48 hours ahead of time. Pour the mousse into the Oreo cookie pie crust, cover and refrigerate.
• After topping the pie with whipped cream, the pie will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours. Cover the pie loosely to keep the whipped cream topping from drying out.

Because this pie contains so much dairy, it's important to keep it in the refrigerator until ready to serve. It's safe to leave the pie out at room temperature for up to 2 hours. Any longer than that, and it should be refrigerated.