Good Taste: Classic southern chocolate pie

I tried out a new recipe. This is a Classic Southern Chocolate Pie. I’ve had Chocolate Cream Pie, Mousse Pie, Brownie Pie, Pudding Pie and Boston Cream Pie (ok, that’s not really a pie), but I never had tried this classic southern dessert.



Another name for this pie is Chocolate Chess Pie. Why chess pie? Here’s what Southern Living explains.

“Some say gentlemen were served this sweet pie as they retreated to a room to play chess. Others say the name was derived from Southerners’ dialect: It’s jes’ pie (it’s just pie). Yet another story suggests that the dessert is so high in sugar that it kept well in pie chests at room temperature and was therefore called “chest pie.” Southern drawl slurred the name into chess pie. Or, perhaps, a lemony version of the pie was so close to the traditional English lemon curd pie, often called “cheese” pie, that chess pie became its American name.“  Southern Living 

No matter what the name or the reason, this recipe is a keeper. Combine two of my favorite things: pie crust and chocolate and it’s a win/win! The bonus… it’s super easy to make and you can even take a shortcut and use a store bought pie crust like I did.

Feel free to print out this handy recipe card. I found the original recipe in Food and Wine Magazine.

The ingredients in this pie are so simple. Butter, eggs, cocoa powder, sugar, vanilla, salt and evaporated milk.

Mix the sugar and cocoa powder and add the melted butter, eggs, Carnation evaporated milk, vanilla and salt. Whisk together until smooth. Pour into your partially baked pie crust and bake for 45 minutes. (See recipe card for more details).


Did you know that using canned goods is one of the best ways to get food from the farm to your table. The canning process locks in the foods’ freshness, flavor and nutrients. Canning has been around for a long time – the process is fundamentally the same as our grandparents and great grandparents used to preserve food. When we think of canning, we typically think about fruits and vegetables.

This recipe called for evaporated milk which is made by removing about 60 percent of the water from regular milk. The milk is homogenized and then the water is removed in a heating process. The sterile milk is sealed in cans giving it an extremely long shelf life. Evaporated milk is rich with Vitamin D.

The heating process gives the milk a sweet flavor and it can also be used as a substitute for milk or cream in coffee or used in recipes that call for milk or cream. It’s a great staple to keep in your pantry to use for cooking – how many times have you reached for the milk in your refrigerator only to find it had spoiled.


Once the pie has cooled, dig in!  Rich, chocolate flavor with a slightly crunch top. In a hurry – use a prepared pie crust or if you have time, make homemade pie crust because nothing beats homemade flaky pie crust!

While we’re gazing at my Classic Southern Chocolate Pie, I’ll tell you a little more about Cans Get You Cooking. This program is dedicated to spreading the message that the technology of canning seals in freshness, flavor and nutrition.

For more information, visit their pages.  Facebook  |   Pinterest   |   YouTube

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& Savvy Southern Style